Valjoux (for ''Vallée de Joux'', "Joux Valley") is a
Swiss manufacturer of mechanical
watch
A watch is a portable timepiece intended to be carried or worn by a person. It is designed to keep a consistent movement despite the motions caused by the person's activities. A wristwatch is designed to be worn around the wrist, attached by ...
movements. It is known primarily for
chronograph
A chronograph is a specific type of watch that is used as a stopwatch combined with a display watch. A basic chronograph has an independent sweep second hand and a minute sub-dial; it can be started, stopped, and returned to zero by successive ...
ébauche
(loanword from French, meaning blank, outline or sketch) is a term used in art to denote the first preliminary underpainting or quick sketch in oils for an oil painting. Horology, clockmaking and watchmaking appropriated the term ébauche to refe ...
movements that are used in a number of mid- to high-range mechanical watches. The company is a part of
ETA
Eta (uppercase , lowercase ; grc, ἦτα ''ē̂ta'' or ell, ήτα ''ita'' ) is the seventh letter of the Greek alphabet, representing the close front unrounded vowel . Originally denoting the voiceless glottal fricative in most dialects, ...
, and is a member of the
Swatch Group. They are also the movement providers for early Rolex Daytonas such as 6263.
Valjoux 7750
Valjoux is responsible for the design and manufacture of the Valjoux 7750 movement (and variants), an extremely popular movement used in many
mechanical
Mechanical may refer to:
Machine
* Machine (mechanical), a system of mechanisms that shape the actuator input to achieve a specific application of output forces and movement
* Mechanical calculator, a device used to perform the basic operations of ...
chronograph
A chronograph is a specific type of watch that is used as a stopwatch combined with a display watch. A basic chronograph has an independent sweep second hand and a minute sub-dial; it can be started, stopped, and returned to zero by successive ...
watches.
The Valjoux 7750 is different from most other chronograph movements, using the three-plane cam system rather than the column wheel. It is constructed of a mainplate, calendar plate, and chronograph top plate. Levers push a cam back and forth, driving the stopwatch mechanism of the Valjoux 7750. This is referred to as a ''coulisse''-lever escapement. In the 1980s, many companies began using the Valjoux 7750 because it was easier to mass-produce and distribute in high volume. The Valjoux 7750 can be created in several different displays, including adding or eliminating a date window or adding or subtracting a subdial. Watch companies can purchase the movement and alter it in house if they desire.
Some watch brands that use base movements manufactured by Valjoux include Appella,
Breitling,
Christopher Ward,
Cyma WatchesDeep Blue Watches Dreyfuss & Co.,
Fortis
Fortis may refer to:
Business
* Fortis AG, a Swiss watch company
* Fortis Films, an American film and television production company founded by actress and producer Sandra Bullock
* Fortis Healthcare, a chain of hospitals in India
* Fortis Inc ...
,
Gallet,
Glycine,
Hamilton Watch
The Hamilton Watch Company is a Swiss watch, Swiss manufacturer of wristwatches based in Biel/Bienne, Bienne, Switzerland. Founded in 1892 as an American firm, the Hamilton Watch Company ended American manufacture in 1969. Through a series of me ...
,
IWC, Steinhart,
Invicta Watch Group,
Junghans,
Longines,
Louis Erard
Louis Erard is an independent Swiss watch manufacturer that was founded in 1929. The company was founded by Louis Erard and André Perret and produced its first watches in 1931.
History
Founded in La Chaux-de-Fonds as a watchmaking school in 1 ...
,
Mido,
NIXON Inc.
Nixon is an American watches, accessories and audio brand, founded in 1997 in Encinitas, California, United States. Focused on the youth lifestyle market. Currently sold in 80 countries worldwide, Nixon maintains stand-alone retail stores in B ...
,
Omega
Omega (; capital: Ω, lowercase: ω; Ancient Greek ὦ, later ὦ μÎγα, Modern Greek ωμÎγα) is the twenty-fourth and final letter in the Greek alphabet. In the Greek numeric system/isopsephy (gematria), it has a value of 800. The wo ...
,
Oris
Oris SA is a Swiss luxury manufacturer of mechanical watches. The company was founded in 1904 and is based in Hölstein in the canton of Basel-Landschaft.
History
Genesis and early growth
Oris was founded by Paul Cattin and Georges Christi ...
,
Panerai
Officine Panerai (also known simply as Panerai) is an Italian luxury watch manufacturer, and a wholly owned subsidiary of Compagnie Financière Richemont S.A.
Officine Panerai designs, manufactures and markets watches through authorized dealer ...
,
Porsche Design
Porsche Design is a German product design studio and brand founded in 1972 by F. A. Porsche, the designer of the original Porsche 911, known for its high-end accessories including sunglasses, pens, and watches. The current legal instantiation of ...
, Sector No Limits,
Sinn
In the philosophy of language, the distinction between sense and reference was an idea of the German philosopher and mathematician Gottlob Frege in 1892 (in his paper "On Sense and Reference"; German: "Ãœber Sinn und Bedeutung"), reflecting the ...
,
TAG Heuer,
Tissot,
Tutima
Tutima Uhrenfabrik GmbH Ndl. Glashütte is a German watchmaker established in 1927 in Glashütte, Saxony.
Their products include analog chronographs of high precision, including pilot's watches (''Fliegerchronograph''), which are standard mil ...
,
Xezo, and
Zodiac Watches.
There are also a large number of derivative chronograph movements based on the Valjoux 7750 base. These include ETA's own Valgranges, designed for larger watches, as well as the following third-party movements:
* Alfred Rochat for
Chronoswiss
Chronoswiss is a Swiss watch manufacturer based in Lucerne. The company was founded by Gerd R. Lang in 1983 to make mechanical timepiece
A clock or a timepiece is a device used to measure and indicate time. The clock is one of the ol ...
(C. 732 or C. 741, C 741 by Rochat)
* Dreyfuss & Co. (Have a range of 7750 Valjoux watches)
*
Fortis
Fortis may refer to:
Business
* Fortis AG, a Swiss watch company
* Fortis Films, an American film and television production company founded by actress and producer Sandra Bullock
* Fortis Healthcare, a chain of hospitals in India
* Fortis Inc ...
(developed by Paul Gerber featuring an alarm and two springs)
*
Franck Muller
Franck Muller is a Swiss luxury watch manufacturer, named after its founder. The company's estimated total sales (in 2010/2011) were €290 million in watches with an average unit price of €38,000. Franck Muller's watches are worn by various ...
(for example FM 7850 CC MB)
*
Hamilton Hamilton may refer to:
People
* Hamilton (name), a common British surname and occasional given name, usually of Scottish origin, including a list of persons with the surname
** The Duke of Hamilton, the premier peer of Scotland
** Lord Hamilt ...
(for example H31)
* IWC
* Selectus
* Jacques Etoile (cal. IV.C4)
* La Joux-Perret/Jacquet (for
Jaquet Droz Jacquet or Jaquet is a French name which in the Middle Age designated pilgrims on the Way of St. James (''Saint-Jacques'' in French)
Jacquet
Given name
*Jacquet of Mantua (1483–1559), French composer
*Jacquet de Berchem (1505–1567), Franco-Fl ...
,
Bremont
Bremont Watch Company is a luxury aviation-themed British watchmaker based in England. Annual production is approximately 10,000 pieces for an approximate annual revenue of £40 million.
History
Bremont was founded by brothers Nick and Giles En ...
BE-83, and others)
*
Maurice Lacroix ML112
* Paul Picot ("Atelier Technikum")
*
Panerai
Officine Panerai (also known simply as Panerai) is an Italian luxury watch manufacturer, and a wholly owned subsidiary of Compagnie Financière Richemont S.A.
Officine Panerai designs, manufactures and markets watches through authorized dealer ...
* Porsche Design (
Eterna
Eterna is a Swiss luxury watch company founded in Grenchen, Canton Solothurn, on 7 November 1856 by Josef Girard and Urs Schild. The company is now owned by Hong Kong-based Citychamp Watch & Jewellery Group Limited, an investment holding co ...
6036)
* Revue-Thommen ("Airspeed Flyback")
*
Sellita
Sellita (Sellita Watch Co. SA) is a Swiss manufacturer of mechanical watch movements based in La Chaux-de-Fonds in the canton of Neuchâtel. Founded in 1950, Sellita operated as one of ETA's major outsourced assembly company for their movements u ...
SW500
*
Sinn
In the philosophy of language, the distinction between sense and reference was an idea of the German philosopher and mathematician Gottlob Frege in 1892 (in his paper "On Sense and Reference"; German: "Ãœber Sinn und Bedeutung"), reflecting the ...
("Flyback")
* Soprod
*
Damasko
Damasko is a manufacturer of mechanical wristwatches and chronographs based in Barbing, Germany.
History
Damasko was formed in 1994 using high-performance materials technology that the founder, Konrad Damasko, had developed for applications includ ...
(fitting a silicon main spring to the 7750)
References
Further reading
* Odets, Walt
"The Valjoux 7750 chronograph" ''timezone.com''.
* Braun, Peter; Mook, Andreas
External links
Excellent source for company history, watch details, etc.
ofrei.com, Otto Frei
Alliance HorlogereA page containing information about the Valjoux 7750 along with a video showing the mechanism being assembled
Crown & Caliber
Watch movement manufacturers
The Swatch Group
Manufacturing companies of Switzerland
{{Switzerland-company-stub