How to recognize the quality of a Le Phare pocket chronograph

In the early 20th century, Manufacture Le Phare was the largest producer of chronograph and repeater watches. The models were very numerous, combining various complications and levels of quality.

For its calibers, the Manufacture had its own reference system in the form of capital letters. For example, OVC, ZM, UMC, etc. Some letters are easy to decipher: O stood for oridinary finish, L for luxury finish and E for extra-smooth finish. Similarly, C stands for chronograph and CC for chronograph counter. But with the multiplication of the number of references, and therefore the number of letters, in-house classification makes it difficult to assess the quality level of a caliber.

This article proposes a simple classification, based on the level of finish of the calibers, which gives an order of magnitude of the watch's value.

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