{"product_id":"omega-french-market-chronograph-calibre-321-as11520","title":"Omega French Market Chronograph 'Calibre 321'","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan data-preserver-spaces=\"true\"\u003eAsk any seasoned collector to name the greatest chronograph movement ever built, and odds arethey'll whisper—almost reverently—\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cem\u003e\u003cspan data-preserver-spaces=\"true\"\u003e321\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e\u003cspan data-preserver-spaces=\"true\"\u003e.Designed by the gifted Albert Piguet for Lemania, the Calibre 321 was a child of the 1940s that would later become a titan of the Space Age, powering the earliest OMEGA Speedmasters worn during NASA's most daring missions. But before it became the stuff of lunar lore, this movement lived a quieter, more elegant life in refined chronographs like this one: a French-market treasure that blends haute horlogerie pedigree with old-world charm.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan data-preserver-spaces=\"true\"\u003eLemania's long partnership with OMEGA—formalized in 1932 under the SSIH banner—produced a generation of chronograph calibers that reshaped modern watchmaking. The 321, known internally as the CH27, was the crown jewel: a crisp, column-wheel masterpiece that found its way into tool watches, dress chronographs, and everything in between. And while Speedmasters get most of the glory, these earlier gold-cased, European-delivered examples reveal the movement's more refined side: thinner cases, warmer metals, and dials that dance between utility and understatement.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan data-preserver-spaces=\"true\"\u003eThis particular example is a beautifully preserved study in mid-century elegance. The 35mm 18K rose gold case—French-market hallmarks intact—frames a sober, well-preserved silvered dial marked by its characteristic \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cem\u003e\u003cspan data-preserver-spaces=\"true\"\u003eFab. Suisse \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e\u003cspan data-preserver-spaces=\"true\"\u003escript and a French \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cem\u003e\u003cspan data-preserver-spaces=\"true\"\u003etachymètre\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e\u003cspan data-preserver-spaces=\"true\"\u003e scale. Triangular indexes reinforcethe case's strict, architectural lines, while gold 'feuille' hands float above stepped registers with effortless grace.   \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan data-preserver-spaces=\"true\"\u003eInside beats the legendary Calibre 321—the very movement used in the early pre-moon Speedmasters and still regarded as one of the finest chronograph calibers ever produced. It's presented on a brown alligator strap with a matching gold pin buckle for a quietly luxurious finishing touch.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan data-preserver-spaces=\"true\"\u003eA Speedmaster may have gone to the moon—but pieces like this are what true connoisseurs hunt for on earth.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"OMEGA","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":48671659426036,"sku":"40960337","price":8500.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0712\/8570\/2900\/files\/AS11520_40960337_OMEGA_FRENCHMARKET321CHRONO--1.jpg?v=1781635511","url":"https:\/\/www.watchesofswitzerland.com\/products\/omega-french-market-chronograph-calibre-321-as11520","provider":"Watches of Switzerland","version":"1.0","type":"link"}