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lobster
687
Aug 15, 2016
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Honest question: If I don't bring this in for maintenance servicing, and say I use the chronograph once per day for an hour, how long do you think the Valjoux will last before it breaks?
Aug 15, 2016
xtianyves
87
Aug 16, 2016
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lobsterI really doubt it would break unless you were subjecting the watch through a lot of abuse. You'll probably get a good 5-7 years before it may need servicing but it really depends on a number of variable factors. Everything from the climate where you live, what you do while wearing the watch, how you store the watch and how often you wear it and use the chrono, etc.
My personal opinion is to not worry about that kind of thing especially at this price point. I'm not a fan of this watch's dial as it's far too busy for me but that is indeed a steal for a chronograph.
I have a much more expensive Valjoux 7750 watch where I've used the Chrono function sparingly for almost a decade and the watch keeps time perfectly; the chrono works and is just as accurate as the timer on my Apple Watch or iPhone. I have yet to take it in for a single service. Oh and also I don't wear the watch every day since it's part of a three-watch collection I rotate through. That's my two cents. Hope that helps you make a decision!
Aug 16, 2016
JakeRoberts
240
Aug 19, 2016
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xtianyvesWhile there is no question about the Valjoux 7750's reliability and workhorse status, people should take into consideration the fact that this Alpnach model was introduced back in 2008-2009 and is now discontinued, just like the Victorinox Ambassador Clous de Paris chrono that was offered a couple of months ago.
Mechanical chronographs are much, much more complicated than a regular three-hand mechanical movement. As such, proper lubrication is very important, and since MassDrop does not state the manufacturing date of these watches or how long they've been sitting, unused, in a warehouse, the lubrication on these watches could already be dried up\gummed up. Mechanical watches need to run in order to keep the lubricants intact as long as possible and to spread it around.
Taking into account that a mechanical watch should be serviced every four to five years, and the complexity of a mechanical chronograph, a complete service to clean and relubricate a Valjoux 7750 goes anywhere from $250 to $450, depending on whether the service is done by an authorized service center or a local technician with experience with the Valjoux 7750. And if these watches have been sitting around since 2008 (unlikely, but still...), the lubricants could be dried up\gummed up and a service could be required.
It would be nice if MassDrop could provide a manufacturing date\range for these watches, or how long they've been sitting in a warehouse, but I doubt they have that information.
As for me, I'm rolling the dice (for the fourth time) because, as others have stated, finding a Valjoux 7750-based mechanical chronograph watch from a reputable manufacturer is, basically, impossible and unheard of unless you happen to find a sale or special promotion. I did participate in the Victorinox Ambassador drop, but I returned the first watch and a replacement because the chronograph seconds hand stuttered badly throughout its entire arc, a common problem with any mechanical chronograph movement, but still unacceptable. The third chrono, an Alpina Alpiner 4 with a modified Sellita SW500 chrono (basically a clone of the Valjoux 7750) also had the same problem. The curious thing is that, on all three watches, if the power reserve was close to expiring (one to two hours of power left), the chronograph seconds hand would sweep smoothly. Still trying to figure that one out...
Here's a video of the Ambassador showing the stuttering problem (recorded with an iPhone 6 Plus @1080p and 60 frames per second):

We'll see if the fourth time's the charm.
Aug 19, 2016
xtianyves
87
Aug 19, 2016
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JakeRobertsAll valid and excellent points for potential buyers to consider. Good luck with the fourth time!
Aug 19, 2016
lobster
687
Aug 19, 2016
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JakeRobertsDo you think that in some way this is inevitable with the 7750? If you had it happen to 3 movements purchased new, and there are a lot of forum posts with the same issue, it seems to me it will only be a matter of time before this develops even if the movement is sound in the beginning. Maybe servicing it will prevent it, but $250-450 every 5 years to prevent a jerky chrono hand seems like a bad deal.
addendum: after doing some research on "7750 jerky hand" it appears this "problem" is common, and comes up repeatedly on forums. From what I gather it is not actually considered a problem by most but rather a quirk of the movement. It doesn't affect the accuracy and none of the posts I read indicate it is a problem with lubrication. People think it has to do with "kickback" occurring with each tick (this might be why you don't see it when the spring is wound down and less powerful). The other factors are the fact that the true second hand beats at 8 beats per second while the chrono second hand only beats at 6 bps making it look more jerky when comparing the two. And finally the size of the watch face and length of the chrono second hand magnifies the stuttering (the stuttering will look worse on a 47mm watch compared with 40mm). I think when buying this movement, some jerkiness of the second hand will need to be accepted as inherent to the design.
Aug 19, 2016
Paturikku
26
Aug 20, 2016
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JakeRobertsI was going to ask about this, i suspected the same, how long have these been sitting in storage. I haven't dared join the drop because of this, service cost in Sweden is $475-$600.
Aug 20, 2016
JakeRoberts
240
Aug 20, 2016
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lobsterYes, you are correct, it is a common problem. Most people just learn to live with it, send it in to have it adjusted, or simply think that's the way it works. Also, some people are more sensitive to seeing the jerky motion than others.
Some think the problem occurs because the play between the parts is not adjusted properly during assembly or that the gear teeth are not meshing tightly. Truth is, I haven't been able to find a definitive answer as to why it happens. Also, when the chronograph is engaged, a lever moves the chronograph seconds hand wheel into the running seconds hand Wheel train, so it should move at the same beats per hour as the running seconds hand, though you are correct that motion becomes jerkier as the case size, and thus, the chronograph seconds' hand length, increases.
The best way I can illustrate the problem is with this video I shot from the Alpiner 4 (44mm case size) and the Ambassador (45mm case size):
The first minute shows the Alpiner: on the left is the watch fully wound, and on the right the watch only has about two hours of power remaining. Notice the stutter on the left when fully wound.
The second minute shows the Victorinox Ambassador for the previous drop: again, on the left the watch is fully wound, and on the right with two hours of power remaining, and again, the same results.
Ultimately people may receive watches with chrono seconds hands that move correctly regardless of power reserve. Others may run into the issues I experienced. Guess it's the luck of the draw. I just hope that the people that inspect the watches prior to shipment over at MassDrop understand how mechanical watches work and, especially, how chronographs work and detect any issues prior to sending them out: making sure they just run is not enough.
Aug 20, 2016
JakeRoberts
240
Aug 20, 2016
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xtianyvesHere's hoping sir! : )
Aug 20, 2016
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