(CNN)Despite its name no longer appearing on watch dials, defunct Swiss manufacturer Lemania is experiencing a resurgence thanks to the inexorable growth in interest in military watches.
However, its a civilian model that seems primed to break all records for the brand: On April 25, the Lemania watch given to Winston Churchill by the Swiss canton of Vaud is being auctioned Sotheby's in London.
The chronograph was presented to Churchill during the summer of 1946 when he stayed in village of Bursinel, Switzerland, in part for a break after the war years, as well as a period for speech-writing.
In early September, he made a trip to Lausanne, where the local populace thanked him for his role in the Second World War. It was then that the government of Vaud presented him with that most Swiss of creations: a fine gentleman's wristwatch.
Read: Watchmakers dig up past to secure the future at Baselworld 2017
Later that month, he delivered his famous address proposing "a kind of United States of Europe," ending it with the words "Let Europe arise."
The gift symbolized Churchill's "vision of peace and unity in Europe," Joanne Lewis, head of watches at Sotheby's, told the Press Association.
Prior to this wristwatch appearing for sale, the most famous of Churchill's watches was a Breguet pocket watch, which was in daily use. (For those who adore synchronicity, Lemania was absorbed by Breguet and is now part of the Swatch Group.)
N is for Nanotechnology – To make watches more reliable, accurate, and durable, modern watchmaking uses manufacturing methods capable of producing micron-level precision, from computer-guided milling machines (standard in watchmaking today) to nanotech manufacturing techniques like silicon fabrication and even more exotic methods like the micro-lithography technique known as LIGA. A watchmaker from 100 years ago would understand how a watch of today works, but the processes would make his jaw drop.
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Over the course of its history, Omega has been an industry leader in just about every way that matters. They've developed everything from wristwatches and marine chronometers, to pioneering watches for deep diving and ocean exploration. Omega timepieces have been just about everywhere -- including space. The Omega Speedmaster's most famous moment as "the Moonwatch" came when it was used by the Apollo 13 crew to time critical firing of their crippled spaceship's rocket to ensure a safe reentry. (Cabin instruments were shut down to save precious battery power.)
Photos: The A to Z of watches
O is for Omega – Over the course of its history, Omega has been an industry leader in just about every way that matters. They've developed everything from wristwatches and marine chronometers, to pioneering watches for deep diving and ocean exploration. Omega timepieces have been just about everywhere -- including space. The Omega Speedmaster's most famous moment as "the Moonwatch" came when it was used by the Apollo 13 crew to time critical firing of their crippled spaceship's rocket to ensure a safe reentry. (Cabin instruments were shut down to save precious battery power.)
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Founded in 1851, the name has, since its inception, been synonymous with the very highest level of finesse. Patek Philippe's watches are beautifully crafted, often mechanically innovative and, just as importantly, they're some of the most collectible and valuable watches on the planet. Want proof? Patek Philippe watches routinely break and set records. The highest price ever paid at auction was by an anonymous collector who, in 2015, paid $24.4 million for an ultra-complex pocket watch made in the 1930s for American banker Henry Graves.
Photos: The A to Z of watches
P is for Patek Philippe – Founded in 1851, the name has, since its inception, been synonymous with the very highest level of finesse. Patek Philippe's watches are beautifully crafted, often mechanically innovative and, just as importantly, they're some of the most collectible and valuable watches on the planet. Want proof? Patek Philippe watches routinely break and set records. The highest price ever paid at auction was by an anonymous collector who, in 2015, paid $24.4 million for an ultra-complex pocket watch made in the 1930s for American banker Henry Graves.
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