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 Post subject: Valjoux 7740
PostPosted: Tue Feb 14, 2017 9:51 am 
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I`m looking for a Valjoux 7740 for a 7103 project.
Is there any change to buy one somewhere or is it a big challenge?
I got a case with crystal and blue dial with almost all hands.
Thanks


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 Post subject: Re: Valjoux 7740
PostPosted: Tue Feb 14, 2017 10:38 am 
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huge challenge, you'll need a donor



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 Post subject: Re: Valjoux 7740
PostPosted: Tue Feb 14, 2017 11:23 am 
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I have just finished my 7740 projects , after 10 years my 2 Pult 7101 + 1 Navitimer 7806 are 100% matching their factory condition .
Let me tell the story : it started in Jan.2006 when I bought on eBay a NOS empty 7101 case + brown dial for 120€ . In Feb. 2007 I bought a 2nd NOS empty 7101 case + blue dial . After 2 years daily hunt on eBay , impossible to find any complete cal V7740 or eventually a donor .
At this period Lester Harrison was offering "function kits" on eBay so I started to buy his parts before deciding to hunt part after part, with the goal to fullfill 2 complete kits and have an horological training with my watchmaker .
In jan. 2012 I bought a complete and NOS Aviation 6087 + original Breitling parts , from A. Wajs with a 50% discount , in order to get it back to its Navitimer 7806 configuration .
Finally I used the V7740 for my 1st Pult , project started in 2006 ... First in, first out !
In Nov 2015 my watchmaker and I started the rebuilt of my 2 V7740 NOS kits , hunted part after part worldwide... and we needed one complete year until end ... missing lower incablocs on the mainplates , NOS parts with defects , subtile différences btw cal 11 and V7740 chrono plate ...
The original chrono bridge engraved Breitling Watch Ltd CAL. 7740 is near to impossible to find . I finally gave an eye for getting 3 NOS and 100% authentic samples in Swiss last week .
And during the project I started a project Heuer Monaco 77040 encasing a ...V7740.
You have to know that V7740 was exclusive to Breitling and Heuer . Excelsior Park , Sinn, Aviation used some 7740 after L.G. Breitling closure .
During 10 years hunting I found once a broken 7740 for parts .
1st solution = buy a donor Watch, the "cheapest" way would be to find a Aviation or a Breitling 7102 .
2nd solution = buy part by part ... if you are lucky and focused on your project, you start a 5-10 years challenge .



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 Post subject: Re: Valjoux 7740
PostPosted: Tue Feb 14, 2017 11:37 am 
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WOW, thank you for this impressive story. Sounds like a huge challenge.

I will start my own challenge and maybe one time i will find the right way for me.
The price for the case and parts was to good and i still own a 7103


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 Post subject: Re: Valjoux 7740
PostPosted: Tue Feb 14, 2017 2:27 pm 
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let me correct what I said above: u need a donor or be Phil ;)


Last edited by WatchFred on Tue Feb 14, 2017 10:32 pm, edited 1 time in total.


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 Post subject: Re: Valjoux 7740
PostPosted: Tue Feb 14, 2017 9:47 pm 
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Fred, I just like to go at the end of my projects but I am not sure that my approach was good in terms of time and money.
Rarity of V7740 can explain why there are so many empty 7101 Pults on eBay .
In the recent past, 7103 was considered as a donor watch due to its lower price .


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 Post subject: Re: Valjoux 7740
PostPosted: Wed Feb 15, 2017 3:19 am 
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its probably easier to find a cal 11/12 and make it into a 7740 ?

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 Post subject: Re: Valjoux 7740
PostPosted: Wed Feb 15, 2017 4:08 am 
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Rene, if you succeed in transforming a cal11 in a 7740 , we will call you Magic Rene !
These 2 calibers are VERY different . Basically a complete caliber has 3 modules : 1 horological , 1 calendar, 1 chrono .
Horological module is manual winding for V7740 , developed by Valjoux , the other is automatic winding developed on a Büren basis - for example the oscillating mass and some components are so similar to Büren cal 1380 that they could be common, I am currently comparing .
The calendar modules are completely different too.
The only "common" part is the chrono module developed by Dubois depraz , despite some subtle differences exist btw versions.

V7740 was exclusive to Heuer and Breitling until LG Breitling closure.
Cal 11-12 was developed thru a consortium including Heuer - Breitling - Hamilton and Büren , and encased by Heuer -Breitling and Hamilton only . Büren was in charge of manufacturing except for chrono module bought to D-D. Büren ^produced the cal 11 and 11-1 , for cal 12 I am not sure if they started or not , because at this period Büren factory closed and production was transfered to the young company Kelek founded in 1970 by Jean Raoul Gorgerat . The cal.12 was branded for many companies as Zodiac, Elgin, PhilipWatch,Bulova... and also with a generic brand JRG-K as used by Kelek, Yema, Herma, and some others . Most of these "small brands" ended as donor watches .



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