Gallet Commander: A Vintage Chronograph Unlike Any Other

Placing a bet on an Online Auction Listing

It all began with a poorly lit listing on Yahoo Auctions Japan. The photos were fuzzy, the description vague—just "Vintage Chronograph, Excelsior Park movement." But something about the dial layout felt familiar.

Having read Tomas Rosputinsky's deep dive on Fratello and studied the now-defunct Galletworld archives, I recognized the features immediately: the oval case and the distinctive “snail” tachymeter scale. I was almost certain it was the rare Gallet Commander—a vintage chronograph powered by one of the most unusual movements ever made.

The final hour of the auction turned into a two-person battle. It felt especially long. I kept refreshing the page and constantly checking my inbox for outbid notifications. Every bid I placed was almost instantly countered by the other bidder.

Just like any online auction, the price ended up past my budget, but after all the effort I’d put in, I wasn’t ready to back out easily. The competition made sense: the dial was relatively clean, and the case didn’t look polished, making it a very nice example of a Gallet Commander.

A movement like no others

A week or so after winning the auction, the watch arrived in the mail. The dial was in excellent condition, and the case lines looked sharp and unpolished. I was glad I’d taken the chance, even though the original listing photos were poor.

The next thing I wanted to check was the movement. Powering this oval-shaped Gallet Commander is the Excelsior Park 42: one of the smallest chronograph movements made in the 1950s. It also features an unconventional oval mainplate. The caliber uses a column wheel for its chronograph functions.

Everything about this watch is kind of weird, including the lug width.

The watch came with a thick, well-worn leather strap that had clearly seen better days. I took them off right away and reached for one of my 16mm quick-release leather straps， only to find it wouldn't fit. A quick measurement shows 15.8mm lugs. Just 0.2mm shy of standard 16mm, rendering my quick-release spring bars useless.

Since quick-release spring bars only work with standard whole-number lug widths (16mm, 18mm, and so on), they were not compatible with the 15.8mm lugs on my Gallet Commander. Rather than force an ill-fitting strap, I custom made a 16mm two-stitch Buttero leather strap in burgundy red, fitted with a regular spring bar.

IMO, the rich, deep red of the Buttero strap complements the watch’s vintage military aesthetic beautifully.

Four Variants of the Gallet Commander

According to the Galletworld archives, the Commander came in four distinct versions, all produced between 1938 and 1948. The most common version features a two-register layout with the iconic "snail" tachymeter scale, bold Arabic numerals, and often retains its original radium lume that has aged to a creamy patina. The cleanest and rarest version omits any scale entirely, presenting just the chronograph subdials - likely an early or special-order configuration. 

Following Gallet’s new releases last week, I thought it was the perfect time to revisit a vintage Gallet that’s no longer in my collection, but one I still think about often.

Placing a bet on an Online Auction Listing

It all began with a poorly lit listing on Yahoo Auctions Japan. The photos were fuzzy, the description vague, just “Vintage Gallet Chronograph, Excelsior Park movement.” But the case shape is uniquely recognisable and the dial layout looks familiar.

Having read Tomas Rosputinsky’s deep dive on Fratello and studied the now defunct Galletworld archives, I recognized the features immediately: the oval case and the distinctive “snail” tachymeter scale. I was almost certain it was the rare Gallet Commander, a vintage chronograph powered by one of the most unusual movements ever made.

The final hour of the auction turned into a two-person battle. It felt especially long. I kept refreshing the page and constantly checking my inbox for outbid notifications. Every bid I placed was almost instantly countered by the other bidder.

Just like any online auction, the price ended up past my budget, but after all the effort I’d put in, I wasn’t ready to back out easily. The competition made sense: the dial was relatively clean, and the case didn’t look polished, making it a very nice example of a Gallet Commander.

A Movement Like No Other

A week or so after winning the auction, the watch arrived in the mail. The dial was in excellent condition, and the case lines looked sharp and unpolished. I was glad I’d taken the chance, even though the original listing photos were poor.

The next thing I wanted to check was the movement. Powering this oval-shaped Gallet Commander is the Excelsior Park 42: one of the smallest chronograph movements made in the 1950s. It also features an unconventional oval mainplate. The caliber uses a column wheel for its chronograph functions.

Everything about this watch is kind of weird, including the lug width.

The watch came with a thick, well-worn leather strap that had clearly seen better days. I took them off right away and reached for one of my 16mm quick-release leather straps， only to find it wouldn't fit. A quick measurement shows 15.8mm lugs. Just 0.2mm shy of standard 16mm, rendering my quick-release spring bars useless.

Since quick-release spring bars only work with standard whole-number lug widths (16mm, 18mm, and so on), they were not compatible with the 15.8mm lugs on my Gallet Commander. Rather than force an ill-fitting strap, I custom made a 16mm two-stitch Buttero leather strap in burgundy red, fitted with a regular spring bar.

IMO, the rich, deep red of the Buttero strap complements the watch’s vintage military aesthetic beautifully.

Four Variants of the Gallet Commander

According to the Galletworld archives, the Commander came in four distinct versions, all produced between 1938 and 1948. The most common version features a two-register layout with the iconic “snail” tachymeter scale, bold Arabic numerals, and often retains its original radium lume that has aged to a creamy patina.

The rarest and cleanest variant has a completely plain dial, showing only the chronograph subdials and scale, possibly an early configuration.

The 2 photos above is reposted with the owner’s permission.

Why This Watch Matters

• The Only Oval Chronograph Movement Ever Mad – The Excelsior Park 42 (EP42) was a stroke of engineering genius, allowing Gallet to create compact yet fully functional chronograph at just 29mm.

• A Watch with a War Story – Knowing that this very model was worn by a Stalag Luft III POW adds an incredible layer of history.

• Tiny but Wearable – On paper, 29mm sounds very small. However, on the wrist, the bold dial elements and perfect proportions make it far more substantial than the dimensions suggest.

Vintage Chronographs Rise Again—But Without the Gallet Commander

At the 2026 Genève watch days, Gallet unveiled 4 new line ups of chronographs: Flying Officer, MultiChron Pilot, MultiChron Sportand Classics. Given the larger dimensions of modern watches and the iconic models now highlighted on the brand’s website, it appears Gallet has no plans to bring back the Commander, which may well be for the best.