Automatic Chronograph CW

Discuss Christopher Ward watches

What do you think an automatic chronograph CW should be like?

Poll ended at Thu Dec 27, 2007 3:53 pm

Non-Existent
0
No votes
7750 Powered and L.E.
7
29%
6S37A Powered and L.E.
0
No votes
6S37A Powered
2
8%
7750 Powered
15
63%
 
Total votes: 24

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peterh
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Re: Automatic Chronograph CW

Post by peterh »

Terminator 2 wrote:The 6S37A is a Seiko automatic movement as used in the likes of the Seiko Flightmaster.

The Valjoux 7750 is an automatic movement manufactured by a subsiduary of ETA.
The 6s37 is a very high-grade, column-wheel chronograph movement with very smooth operation, used in the Fligtmaster Automatic SND001 that retails at around 2000 dollars (and not in the considerably cheaper Flightmaster quartz watches). The Valjoux 7750 is an economy movement, of which the chronograph hour wheel runs without any bearing whatsoever-just in a hole in the base plate. I have been explained multiple times since I was 15 years old that this is a Bad Idea(TM).
I really, truthfully, think that comparing the two would be comparing BMW's to Peugeots.

While I see how it would make business sense to use this movement to supply the demand for "budget auto chronographs", I do think that, from a longevity point of view, it will bite back.

I don't trust this movement, and it seems I am not alone - people more knowledgeable than I have pointed this out too (before I did). Check Timezone - there's an excellent article on this movement somewhere on there.

peter
Man with one watch, always know time. Man with many watches, never sure.
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President
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Re: Automatic Chronograph CW

Post by President »

peterh wrote:
Terminator 2 wrote:The 6S37A is a Seiko automatic movement as used in the likes of the Seiko Flightmaster.

The Valjoux 7750 is an automatic movement manufactured by a subsiduary of ETA.
The 6s37 is a very high-grade, column-wheel chronograph movement with very smooth operation, used in the Fligtmaster Automatic SND001 that retails at around 2000 dollars (and not in the considerably cheaper Flightmaster quartz watches). The Valjoux 7750 is an economy movement, of which the chronograph hour wheel runs without any bearing whatsoever-just in a hole in the base plate. I have been explained multiple times since I was 15 years old that this is a Bad Idea(TM).
I really, truthfully, think that comparing the two would be comparing BMW's to Peugeots.

While I see how it would make business sense to use this movement to supply the demand for "budget auto chronographs", I do think that, from a longevity point of view, it will bite back.

I don't trust this movement, and it seems I am not alone - people more knowledgeable than I have pointed this out too (before I did). Check Timezone - there's an excellent article on this movement somewhere on there.

peter
But for every person complaining about the 7750, there are five singing its praises.
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thiru
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Re: Automatic Chronograph CW

Post by thiru »

Thanks peterh & Terminator 2 for explaining the situation. I think it will have to be the 7750 because of the swiss movement. I don't believe that CW would place a Japanese movement into his watches (not in the immediate future!). It is more likely CW will source more swiss movements from another manufacturer in the swiss homeland.
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peterh
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Re: Automatic Chronograph CW

Post by peterh »

President wrote:But for every person complaining about the 7750, there are five singing its praises.
Yup.
I've also seen people sing the praises of the Peugeot 307. When trying to evaluate the quality of a movement, I would rather look at the movement than at statistics of what others think about it ;)

I'll let the matter rest - I'm already repeating myself (that's an age thing ;))
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peterh
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Re: Automatic Chronograph CW

Post by peterh »

thiru wrote:Thanks peterh & Terminator 2 for explaining the situation. I think it will have to be the 7750 because of the swiss movement. I don't believe that CW would place a Japanese movement into his watches (not in the immediate future!). It is more likely CW will source more swiss movements from another manufacturer in the swiss homeland.
The question is rather: would Seiko supply anyone outside their circles with their movements? The answer to this is "unfortunately not".
Man with one watch, always know time. Man with many watches, never sure.
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Re: Automatic Chronograph CW

Post by Hans »

peterh wrote:The Valjoux 7750 is an economy movement, of which the chronograph hour wheel runs without any bearing whatsoever-just in a hole in the base plate.
peter
Hmm, interesting! Is this the reason why I noticed the following behavior on my Revue Thommen with 7750:

1. I start the chronograph
2. After a minute or so, I stop the chronograph, but I don't reset to zero
3. If I look again after a few minutes I notice that the hour-hand of the chronograph keeps moving!!

I thought there was something wrong with my 7750, but maybe every 7750 has this?
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peterh
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Re: Automatic Chronograph CW

Post by peterh »

Hans wrote:
peterh wrote:The Valjoux 7750 is an economy movement, of which the chronograph hour wheel runs without any bearing whatsoever-just in a hole in the base plate.
peter
Hmm, interesting! Is this the reason why I noticed the following behavior on my Revue Thommen with 7750:

1. I start the chronograph
2. After a minute or so, I stop the chronograph, but I don't reset to zero
3. If I look again after a few minutes I notice that the hour-hand of the chronograph keeps moving!!

I thought there was something wrong with my 7750, but maybe every 7750 has this?
That would seem like a different problem to me, unless it has to do with wear. It looks like the mechanism is no longer coupled to the stop-button, but it is coupled to the reset-button.

Odd...
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Hans
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Re: Automatic Chronograph CW

Post by Hans »

It is odd, but no big issue, you only notice it if you stop the chronometer, and forget to reset. If I then look after 15 minutes for example, I notice that the chronometer is still stopped, only the hour-hand of the chronometer has moved 15 minutes....

Anybody with a Valjoux 7750 who is willing to repeat this experiment and tell me if they have the same issue, or that it stops correctly?
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