‘Snow White’ Gallet Multichron 12

There are several very well defined, repeatable narrative arcs in watch collecting. There’s the famous ‘V’ graph of appreciation for Rolex over time for new collectors. Or at least there was until the AD nonsense, now it could be a V\. There’s the average RM collector, who definitely has a TikTok, several pieces of plastic on their face, and at least one wrapped car. We have the arc of the wealthy discreet Eastern collector, going from the sea of ubiquitous Rolex (it’s ridiculous over there), to vintage Rolex, to vintage Patek, to Independents, and then back to pure simplicity in big-three Calatravas. It’s this last oft-discussed, oft-repeated journey which this Gallet brings to mind. Because when you’ve been through the AP house experience, drank in the details of a 5004, and enjoyed syncing the chronographs of an MB&F Sequential on wrist, the only thing left that delights is the kind of brilliance that results from simple clear thinking. One can only have so many caviar and gold encrusted steaks sprinkled dramatically with salt by a complete tool before they start to crave a simple pasta dinner with the family. That’s what this Gallet has: the stuff that counts.

I’m not alone in my admiration. A few years ago @rosputinsky_tomas wrote an account of his experience with one of these, which was simultaneous totally accurate and yet slowly became a complete love letter in latter paragraphs. One sympathizes. Gallet has made many iterations of the Multichron, but not one feels so right as this ‘Snow White’. 37.5mm, eggsheel-tone dial, blued steel handset, and executed with the kind of eye for proportion that Christian Dior could only dream of. It was available with both an Excelsior Park EP40 and Valjoux 72, this EP40 is the more specific to Gallet as manufacture for sure. You have to love the legiblity of the fully graduated hour totalizer.

The first three rules in design are proportion, proportion, and proportion. And that’s where the Snow White sings, because everything sits just right in relation to the thing next to it. The eyes of the chronograph aren’t oversized. They’re correctly sized. Its pump pushers, round, full, but not massive. The lugs have a very subtle expanding bevel to wrap down the wrist. Then you notice how wide and styled the Arabics are, I mean that 4 is a masterpiece. The best bit though, it doesn’t want to shout about itself. The Gallet is very subtle at 12. It’s just a lovely object, not trying hard to attract attention, but to be worthy of your attention. Unlike Salt Bastard, or is it Salt Baby? I can never remember. But he’d never wear this. And that’s a good thing.

This example has a fantastic dial, no damage or real significant ageing besides the glorious cream tone. The case is full. Said to be running well. Looks like a generic beads of rice bracelet, which suits. Nothing to argue with. It comes from a private collector and friend of Hairspring, @theydid on Instagram. I hear he’ll take 800 off if you want to purchase through DM over Chrono, so might be worth a message.