Vintro Le Mans 1952 Automatic Chronograph Watch Review

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Packaging

Each Vintro watch comes equipped with a leatherette case , card holder, warranty card, and extra band

Case

The Vintage Inspired Le Mans 1952 Chronograph features a solid stainless steel case with a IP Yellow Gold plating in my example. In tetms of some dimensions we get a 40MM x 15MM x 48MM case ( 20MM Lugs ). These dimensions certainly are proportioned nicely for todays times, and I do not really have an issue with the size of the watch. A nice thing that Vintro did was add 100 Meters of water resistance, allowing the user to actually take this chronograph swimming if they really wanted or needed to. The highly polished case features no rough edges nor blemishes, which is always nice to see at this price ( $536 USD Pre-Order ). Another nice detail is the sapphire exhibition caseback which displays the Column Wheel chronograph movement at large, which I always enjoy on my timepieces. Overall, it is a nice well rounded and useful watch in terms of specification.

Dial

The cream off white dial certainly reminds me of older Vintage chronographs from the 50’s and they did a pretty good job at replicating that. From the Tachymeter to the Telemetre , its all mint - crisp - and completely legible. The gold dauphine hands are always aesthetically pleasing, especially on a watch of this style. If I did not mention, Vintros watches are assembled in Germany, and marked Made in Germany at the 6:00 position - which is a nice escape from the normally seen Swiss Made. Our subdial at 3:00 counts the 30 minute chronograph whilst the adjacent subdial is for our running seconds. A small detail which really pops is the blued chronograph hand - which really shows over the cream off white dial. Lastly, to top it off is a nice domed sapphire crystal with inner AR coating - which honestly is visible in the sun, and pretty much any other condition I have encountered.

Movement

I actually really do like the movement they chose for this watch for a few reasons. First of all, it is one I am very familiar with and have had great experiences with in other brands large and small. The Seagull ST1940 is actually a Column wheel chronograph - just as the Omega calibre in the Speedmasters are. The movement beats at 21,600 BPH and has a 36 hour power reserve along with a 30 Minute chronograph timer. The lever actuation is extremely smooth and rapid with these movements and feels much more high end than it actually is. Vintro also went ahead and added a custom rotor stating “Designed in Germany”. Small details that catch my eye include the perlage work and blue screws utilized ln the ST1940. It is indeed a great little package and quite a punch for the money.

Leather Band or Nato?

Now, the watch can be purchased with a variety of straps - but I chose the light brown Genuine leather vintage styled band along with a tan Nato style strap. The leather band is quite supple and soft out of the box and comes equipped with quick-release pins for easy swapability ( if that is even a word ). Overall, it is certainly comfortable and fits the vintage aesthetic the case contains. It all flows together very nice and for the yellow gold IP plated case - I would definitely go with this colorway. The second NATO strap is a pretty typical band, nothing extraordinary - but it is of decent quality and has the gold hardware to match the case. It is a nice accessory to have, incase you want to get the watch wet as well.

Conclusion

Furthermore, I think the Le Mans 1952 is a great first offering from a new smaller brand based out of Germany. I like that they executed each subtle detail with preciseness and 1:1 detail of watches from that era. It is certainly not the cheapest watch you will find with a Seagull ST1940 Automatic movement , but there certainly isn’t another watch which resembles those vintage watches we love so much with so much detail, and thought that went into producing each component. I think it is well worth the money, and suggest you take a look at them if you enjoy the look and feel of an older watch - but do not want to deal with the troubles an older watch can bring.