Cal. 180 is one of a family of 10.5 or 11.5 ligne movements produced by Vénus in the 1940s and 1950s. Although better known for chronograph movements, Vénus historically produced small and shaped movements for ladies watches and this positioned them well for the trend of compact wristwatches in the mid-century period.
Cal. 180 was a time-only movement with small seconds, measuring 10.5 ligne (23.30 mm) diameter and 3.80 mm thick, 0.90 mm thinner than the date version, Cal. 208. Nearly all components are shared between this movement and the rest of the Cal. 180 family.
| 10.5 ligne | 11.5 ligne | |
|---|---|---|
| Time-Only | Cal. 180 Cal. 182 | Cal. 202 |
| Date | Cal. 208 | |
| Big Date | Cal. 216 | |
| Day-Date | Cal. 214 | |
| Calendar | Cal. 203 | |
| Calendar, Moon Phase | Cal. 204 |
More detail on the history of Vénus is available in the Grail Watch article, “The Rise of Vénus, Legendary Chronograph Maker“