Lemania has a long history. Founded in 1884, the company quickly became renowned not only for the reliability and robustness of its watches, but also, and above all, for its movements, which went on to equip some of the world's most prestigious watchmakers, including Omega and Tag Heuer. It was also for this reason that Lemania supplied many of the world's armies. This superb single-pusher chronograph was issued to the British Royal Navy, as evidenced by the "Broad Arrow" on the dial. More specifically, the inscription "HS9" on the caseback indicates that this chronograph was intended for the hydrographic service. These exceptional models were produced from the late 1940s to the 1960s. Our example dates from the late 1940s. The particularity of this watch is that it was decommissioned from the Royal Navy and re-commissioned by nato, hence the crossed-out HS9 on the back and the number engraved above: 0552 corresponds to the nato code! Inside, we find the ultra-renowned 15CHT caliber. Over 15,000 watches of this type have been produced, but HS9/NATO timepieces such as these are extremely rare. If ever there was a military watch to have in one's collection, this would be it!