Revue Thommen Airspeed 39mm Titanium Red Dial Lemania 5100 Automatic Watch Review

Revue Thommen Airspeed 39mm Titanium Red Dial Lemania 5100 Automatic Watch
by: Ben Tseytlin - on Vintage & Luxury Watches

Revue Thommen watches are Swiss made and mechanically robust. They are designed for those who engage in dynamic occupations such as mountaineering, sports, aviation, and military operations. This Revue Thommen Airspeed 39mm Titanium Red Dial Lemania 5100 Automatic Watch was designed specifically for pilots.

Origins

Revue Thommen was established in 1853 by Gedeon, the family patriarch. He deeply understood watchmaking and the necessity of efficient and streamlined manufacture. The firm’s success would prompt them to manufacture thousands of timepieces each year and by 1936 the founding of Thommen Flight Instruments prioritized the need to produce aviation instruments that were high precision.

Andreas Thommen in 2012 would collaborate with 4 partners to form GT Thommen Watch AG. As a 5th generation Thommen, Andreas would carry on the familial legacy by manufacturing durable and dependable watches for those who needed them for more than just fashion accessories.

Though Switzerland has become famous for its many watchmaking houses, Revue Thommen still manages to stand out. For one, the company has designed more than a 100 movements within its very own workshops. Furthermore, every one of their watches is meticulously made by hand, and emphasizes both durability as well as precision. Over the last 170 years, the company has actually changed hands numerous times. While this would spell doom for most firms, the brand would eventually end up back under Thommen family control by 2014.

Design Highlights

The key thing that separates Revue Thommen from other Swiss watchmakers is its close association with the aviation industry. In the United States, the Wright Brothers had made history by successfully flying an airplane for the first time in 1903, and Revue Thommen was one of the earliest watch manufacturers to recognize the importance of accurately telling time during flight, which is why they begin courting the aviation industry during the 1920s, a relationship that they’ve strengthened over the last century.

By the 1960s however, the company faced a challenge due to Far Eastern manufacturers mass producing low cost quartz watches. Revue Thommen adapted to the situation by performing strategic mergers and by the early 21st century was able to produce its very own watch movements in house with the initials GT. One of the most famous Revue Thommen watches is the Cricket, which uses a distinct mechanical alarm based function that utilized an audio box with the acoustic membrane.

Features

This Revue Thommen Airspeed 39mm Titanium watch is the vintage 1990s timepiece. It has a stunning red colored dial with a watch case made from titanium along with dagger style hands. The date/day is fixed near the three o clock area and it also features a rotational bezel. The Swiss made 5100 Lemania Calibre is an automatic movement that has been constructed using chronograph complications. It attaches to the wearer’s wrist using a deployable buckle and bracelet made with titanium. This watch is pre-owned and as such displays a bit of light wear, but is in outstanding operational condition and comes with the original paperwork and boxes.