SL 980

Calibre SL 980 (and similar 2980 and Breguet 579) is an alarm movement from Lemania introduced in 1969.

As Jaeger-LeCoultre advanced their Memovox alarm calibres and introduced advanced automatic movements like the Cal. 815, their competitors set about producing their own automatic alarm movement. Lemania was charged with the task, and introduced Cal. 980 in 1969. It featured state of the art features like a Glucydur balance, self-compensating hairspring, and a free-spinning central rotor. This single rotor wound a single barrel which drove both timekeeping and alarm functions.

Unlike the Jaeger-LeCoultre movements, Cal. 980 could be set with to-the-minute accuracy. Because both hour and minute of the alarm could be set independently, watches with this movement were often branded Dual Alarm.

Cal. 980 was wound and set using a pull-piece at 2 00 and the crown at 4 00

• Pulling the 2 00 piece to first position enabled the alarm. Pushing it in disabled it.
• Pulling the 2 00 piece to third position, the crown allowed the alarm time to be set, both hour and minute, in both directions.
• With the 2 00 piece in either other position, the crown set the time.

This movement was used by Breguet (as their Cal. 579) and Omega (as their Cal. 980) in their Memomatic line. The “native” Lemania version was called Cal. 2980.

• JLC 916 - The competing “Speedbeat” alarm movement from Jaeger-LeCoultre
• AS 5008 - A contemporary automatic alarm movement from A. Schild

• Omega Seamaster Memomatic Watch