#TBT The Most Elegant Gallet Chronograph Ever Produced

I promised you more Gallet vintage watches this year, so here we go. After years of hunting, I found my ultimate non-lumed Gallet Multichron 12 “Snow White.” As a warmup, I do recommend reading my story about the lumed Gallet Snow White, which I published almost four years ago. They have something special in common. To give you a hint, focus on the 12-hour counter. But we will get to that soon enough…

Lumed or non-lumed Gallet Snow White?

To me, the answer is simple — the non-lumed version wins. It seems like a minor difference, but the simple style of the hands adds something unique to the overall experience. The lumed Snow White is fresher, more playful, and a bit sporty. The non-lumed Snow White, on the other hand, is a serious dresser.

Pure form

I am not joking when I say that the non-lumed Gallet Snow White is very likely the most elegant vintage chronograph I have in my collection. The simple pencil hands don’t have a gram of useless material. They are so thin but so legible against the dial that they make any other broader hand style look ridiculous.

There is nothing redundant on the dial. There is so much white space that you could print half of the Bible on it. The Gallet logo is so small, but it looks killingly good. I wouldn’t be surprised if the designer of this dial was the first one who said aloud that less can be more. The “Swiss” inscription has an unusual placement above the 12-hour totalizer, but it’s not disturbing at all.

A watch that loves the sun

I’ve been wearing this watch for the last five days, and I simply can’t get it off my wrist. While the lumed Snow White still keeps its pearl-ish vibe, the non-lumed Snow White changes into a flat white sheet of paper. I love to wear it on burning hot days. It’s one of the watches that, funnily, makes me look at my own wrist like I’m jealous of what I am wearing. It’s one of the very few watches I want to photograph again and again. Well, just click on the gallery at the bottom, and you will see many shots taken with different straps on it.

The best strap choice

Speaking of straps, I believe I found the ultimate match. I started with a light and warm brown leather strap with stitches on the edge. It wasn’t bad, but it was not a perfect pairing. I then switched to even-lighter brown, but I found it too “competitive” with the dial. Then I went a different way and paired it with a brushed leather strap in a sandy beige tone. I liked the combination (in the picture above). After some time, though, I started to feel a bit indifferent.

I didn’t want to go with black because I found it too boring, so I finally opted for the cocoa-brown strap you see in most of the pictures. I have to say that boxed stitching suits it perfectly. It subtly underlines its vintage flair, but the slightly lighter stitching thread makes it a bit interesting. When I took it outside, the dark brown color tuned to the light blue pencil hands just about perfectly.

Eight non-lumed Gallet Snow Whites

If you have never studied the Snow White models seriously, you might be surprised how many different versions there were. Just the above compilation of pictures I collected over the last few years shows eight different executions. Eight!! If it were a Navitimer, it would have had “MkX” coding, which would put it on a timeline. I would not even attempt to do so, but I hope that Gallet eventually gets enough attention from true watch nerds who could put them in order.

The best Snow White

Why did it take me so long to get my Snow White if there are so many of them? First of all, they do not resurface as often as other M12 models. Even the infamous no-Jim Clark M12 with a black dial pops up about five times more often than the Snow White.

Not much detective skill is needed to notice major differences in the case styles or rectangular/round pushers. For the record, I must say that I have no idea if all of the models shown above are completely correct. I cannot guarantee there was no dirty business with dial swaps done on any of them before. But after showing them as a general showcase of styles available, now is the right time to talk about the 12-hour counter.

Small, fat numbers

Long and thin Arabic numbers annoy me a bit. They are nice and characteristic, but they are also the most common. The Speedy-like 12-hour totalizer with just 3, 6, 9, and 12 on it is my least favorite. I believe precise 1–12 numbering is the best way to get the job done.

So we are left with two other styles — fat numbers in bigger or smaller printing. The large, wide numbers are really unique in style. They make the sub-register look like a miniature version of the dial. But what I was specifically hunting for years was the wide but tiny printed 12-hour numerals. I have seen only three or four examples of this style in the last five years.

Little details that make a big difference

The individualistic, spoon-like counterbalance on the central chrono hand is one of my favorite details. I like it as much as the generic crown with no branding whatsoever. For a random watch collector, the crown may look boringly default, but a trained eye will immediately recognize it. I need just a few seconds of proper inspection to tell you if the crown on your Gallet is original or not. The proportions between the diameter, height, and cap rounding are perfect.

Last thoughts

The EP40 movement is purely sensational. “If I were to describe that feel best when I press the pusher, I would say the following: gradual, full, and thick. Very satisfying. For me, it has some therapeutic effect. I can’t stop doing it,” said Tomas Rosputinsky about four years ago. I am not sure if I have ever quoted myself before in any of my 300+ stories, but the EP40 is simply my all-time favorite movement. And the non-lumed Gallet Multichron 12 “Snow White” is one of my favorite vintage Gallet watches ever.