A stainless steel and chrome plated Gallet MultiChron chronograph. This watch is very beautiful for a number of reasons; the clean, clear dial layout. Fine blued steel sword hand set. Simple, two register chronograph. Bold and strong case. There is a lot to love for vintage watch aficionados. Gallet's horological heritage is defined by its storied chronograph lineage. Among the brand's most iconic offerings were the Flying Officer and the Clamshell chronograph – the latter celebrated as the first water-resistant chronograph wristwatch. The Flying Officer, famously sported by President Harry Truman, is an exceedingly rare find. Gallet's chronographs were often engineered with specialized functionality in mind, including decimal scales for industrial use, pulsation scales for medical professionals, yachting registers for nautical aficionados, tachymeter scales for automotive enthusiasts, and telemeter scales for tracking distance via sound. Gallet's chronograph mastery has cemented its place in the pantheon of horological excellence. The MultiChron is among the most iconic chronographs, and was produced by Gallet for several decades. The earliest examples, such as this, featured a 30-minute register, the 45M, which came next, featured a 45-minute register (a 12-hr variant also existed with an hour counter above 6 o’clock). The dial features a 30 Minute Counter at three o' clock and constant seconds at nine o'clock. The center sweep is for timing seconds on the chronograph. These MultiChrons have been powered by a number of movements over their decades of production. This early example was powered by the Vénus caliber 188. This was quite a groundbreaking movement from one of the chronograph movement making powerhouses. The Vénus caliber 188 is the predecessor of the modern ETA/Valjoux 7750. Despite the backdrop of a world at war, and perhaps spurred by the demand for more affordable chronographs, Vénus unveiled a groundbreaking new movement in 1948. The Vénus caliber 188 represented a revolution in movement design, abandoning the traditional column wheel in favor of a more innovative stamped cam system, akin to the Landeron calibers 47 and 48. While the Vénus movement retained a more conventional appearance and operation compared to the brand's earlier caliber 170, its increased size of 14 lignes in diameter hinted at the engineering prowess within. Two years later, the engineers at Vénus added a calendar complication to the movement, and even produced a version boasting a captivating moon phase display. Sadly, the visionary behind this technical mastery, Paul Berret, passed away all too soon on November 22, 1949 at the age of just 61. Yet, in a mere quarter-century, Berret had guided Vénus to the pinnacle of respected complicated movement manufacturers. Just before his untimely demise, Berret oversaw the development of both the phenomenal caliber 190 and the revolutionary caliber 188 - a lasting legacy that cemented Vénus' reputation as a horological trailblazer. The watch is presented in superb condition overall. There is a little wear to the chrome plating part of the body of the case. Both the stainless steel bezel and case-back are in superb condition. The crisp silver white dial is in superb condition overall. It also has an interesting double struck "Swiss" printing at the foot of the dial. The watch is working well. It has recently undergone a full service. There is a full year warranty accompanying the sale of the watch. There are no papers or box accompanying the watch. Made in Switzerland, circa 1948/9.
