I added this Paul Maillardet to my collection because it manages to be a chronograph without looking busy. What grabs me every time is how clean and elegant the dial is: two balanced registers, nicely shaped applied numerals and markers, and just enough scale printing to remind you that it is a real instrument without turning it into clutter. It has the sort of visual restraint that a lot of vintage chronographs never quite achieve.

I really love the look of the reverse panda dial on this Landeron-driven chronograph. Podium 2000 is a great example of a pre-quartz-crisis Swiss watch “micro-brand,” where small distributors, jewelers, and export agents could contract various Swiss ebauche manuafacturers to assemble all the parts needed to build a watch.

One day I was casually scanning EBay listings and I ran across a gentleman selling brand new modern cases designed for vintage Landeron movements. As it happened, I also had a perfectly good Landeron 149 movement - originally purchased as a parts movement but never used - that came with a decent Loengrin-branded dial and hands. And just like that this marriage watch was born. The new case is extremely chunky and heavily built, and definitely gives the watch a look that is more modern than vintage, but mostly I was glad to be able to put this nice Landeron movement back to work!