Gallet & Cie has been around for so long that archeologists have probably dug up a fossilized Gallet clock right next to trilobites.

Ok, that’s slightly exaggerated, but when a watchmaker has been around since 1466, it’s fair to say they know a thing or two about horology and watch making.

Come the post-War boom of the 1950s, a newly formed leisure class found the time, wealth, and appetite for sports such as SCUBA diving, motoring, and sailing.

To cater to those who enjoyed the latter, many watch companies devised modified chronographs that allowed the user to time the countdown to a regatta. Gallet, founded in Switzerland in 1466, was one such brand. From one-off handmade pocket watches for kings to some of the first mass-produced wristwatches in history, there is little road in the timekeeping industry on which Gallet hasn't tread in their 500 year history.

By the 1960s, Gallet had devised an excellent version of its Multichron chronograph dedicated to helmsmen and skippers. Dubbed by collectors the Multichron Yachting ‘Big Eye,’ it joined a long list of Gallet-devised innovations including the first wrist-worn chronograph, the first waterproof chronograph, the first regatta timer, the first chronograph with GMT hand and the first chronograph with built-in worldtimer...just to name a few.

The watch we have here is an excellent example of the Yachting ‘Big Eye’ that looks as beautiful as the day it came off the assembly line.

Coming in with a 35mm stainless steel case with dual 'barrel' pushers, an unsigned crown, and an acrylic crystal, it features a satin silver dial with a red/blue ‘big eye’ countdown timer at 3 o’clock, a running seconds register at 9 o’clock, printed 'Arabic indices, and a blackened steel ‘sword’ handset.

Powered by the venerable Valjoux Calibre 7733 hand-cranking chronograph movement, this nautical riff on the standard midcentury chronograph stands out for its unique countdown feature, its superb colors, and its attractive aesthetics.

Regardless of whether one is a sailor, there’s no doubt that this handsome piece will make for a terrific bit of wrist candy!