Val 72...

[automatico]

I can trade for an old Wakmann 3 register chronograph with a Val 72 in it and am wondering if it is worth what I will have in it.

The screwback steel case is rough.

The pushers are not very good...need gaskets and tlc.

The snap in crystal is cracked but crystals are cheap.

The dial is pretty bad...luminous material is dingy and the silver paint is chipped.

The hands are ratty and the luminous material is missing from the H and M hands.

The movement runs and resets but needs cleaning...has a little rust on one lever close to the crown. The rust is not bad.

Incabloc shock protection.

If I trade, I will have about $450 in it and was counting only the movement to be worth the price as the case and dial are so rough.

Is it worth it for the movement to use in a project etc?

I have not priced a V72 watch in years and do not know what they are going for now.

Thanks!

[alligoat]

I wouldn't go higher than $450 myself. You're really only looking at the movement and first order of business is a service- $300 is what I just paid- so at that point you're up to $750 total. But if you need parts, they're scarce and expensive, so that can run up your total quickly.

I found out in building my 6238/9 transitional that not all V72's fit in the Pre and vintage Daytona cases. I tried to have two watchmakers fit a Heuer V72 in a DW 6239 case. The second one said it wouldn't work because the Heuer plates were too big- apparently not all of the V72 plates are the same size, various mfrs had different plates for their specific cases. this heuer pre-Carrera is 38mm

Luckily, I had a Wittnauer V72 and was able to get the watch built with it.

Now, I have another Wakmann, this one's a 730 Valjoux movement- triple date and was looking at it this morning- wonder if it has bigger plates! Haven't measured the case yet, but it looks big- 38-40mm!

But I may just get new GP pushers installed and keep it as is.

If you're building a vintage Daytona, the old V72's are really the only way to go.

[automatico]

Thanks!

I thought $450 was too high.

If the watch was in good condition, it might be worth it but not in the shape it's in. I will see if I can trade something I do not have a lot of $$ in for it.

Twenty years ago I had a few V72 chronographs...Benrus Sky Chief, Enicar, GP, Wittnauer 'Professional', Baylor etc and the most I ever paid for them back then was about $200.

Times have changed.

BTW, a friend bought a Wakmann with a Val 72C from a pawn shop for $20 and sold it last weekend for $750. That sure puts things in perspective.

Another friend bought a steel rolex opd timehead in a pawn shop parking lot for $100 after the pawn shop turned it down.

Seems like all I can find is screwjobs.

I did buy a 214 Accutron 'Alpha' for $1 a few years ago though.

[alligoat]

LOL! There's no doubt that what's driving the Val 72 market is all the people building vintage Daytona frankens- heck, most of them aren't even frankens, a gen crown and crystal doesn't really make a franken, IMO. But I'm guilty also. However, in the process, I've grown to appreciate the v72's and have kept some just to wear as vintage watches.

[lhooq]

At the start of this year, you could still find 72s and 72C watches selling for $400-600 on eBay. Nowadays, it's not surprising to see even less desirable chronos (like Clebars) touching the $1000 mark. Meanwhile, 7734s have moved into the $300-500 range. I would find it all so amusing if I weren't still trying to get my hands on these movements!

[Watchmeister]

Interesting discussion. I thought V72's went for a lot more money ($1,000 or more when functioning correctly). Shows what I know.

[chiman12]

It's all a matter of supply and demand...when DW (et al.) was hitting the sites with all of his Daytona cases, the V72 and related prices went as high as $1500. This was the same for the 7734 when DW had 7032 cases out.

Now prices of the watches/movements are regressing a bit, because the case manufacturers aren't as promenient in their selling...you can get a V72 for under $900 and the 7734 has since settle back down to around the $300-$400 range.

[automatico]

"Interesting discussion. I thought V72's went for a lot more money ($1,000 or more when functioning correctly). Shows what I know."

"At the start of this year, you could still find 72s and 72C watches selling for $400-600 on eBay. Nowadays, it's not surprising to see even less desirable chronos (like Clebars) touching the $1000 mark. Meanwhile, 7734s have moved into the $300-500 range. I would find it all so amusing if I weren't still trying to get my hands on these movements!"

Since I have worn a few watches in the past with the V72, I am not really high on them and never thought they were that hot. They had troubles like a lot of vintage chronographs, especially with the 12 hour recorder and a few other nit picking things. I had a couple that had the mainspring break and you have to take the whole blasted thing apart to replace one. I see posters on brand forums get excited because the V72 has a column wheel thereby making it the 'All Time Hero Chronograph Movement'. That and the fact they do not make then anymore.

So what? I say. The V72 was a design from the 1940s and back then they came in relatively cheap watches...cheap to buy and cheap to fix. They became the ATHCM thanks internet forums imho.

The current mainstream swisseta 750 is probably the reigning 'Current Hero Chronograph Movement". It does not have a column wheel and it manages to be tough and precise. The swiss 750 was even fairly cheap until swatch started screwing with prices.

I'll call the Asian 7750 the 'current hero chronograph movement' (all lower case) just to be fair.

I noticed in the 'Home Plates' article (October 2010 "Watch Time") that TAG/H is going to use the Seiko TC78 as the pattern for their new 1887 chronograph...column wheel, 'Magic Lever' and all. Nice to see a dose of common sense in a swiss watch once in a while.

The article also shows the cheapo 15 jewel chronograph movement to be used in swatch and tissot. It has a brass winding rotor and plastic escapement.

...$35 to make and $300 to repair.

What is my Hero Chronograph Movement?

The ST19.

Btw, The October WT also has a good article on the Bulova Precisionist.

[freddy333]

I do not think anyone (around here) has ever championed the V72 as any type of great movement. To the best of my knowledge, its only claim to fame is that it was the base movement in Rolex 62xx Daytonas, which makes it the go-to caliber for vintage Daytona frankens. And if visual/functional accuracy is your primary goal, short of a 72B or 727, the V72 is the only game in town, regardless of its less than stellar performance.

[alligoat]

The V23/72 was developed prior to 1949 and was a smaller version of the V22/71, its predecessor.

Here's a Rolex 4500 I ran across this week which I believe dates from the 40's and has a V23 movement in it

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=300463597458&ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT

Look at the picture of the balance and you can see the 23.

Antiquorum refers to the early V72's that Rolex used in 6034 and 6036's as Cal. 13 referring to the 13 ligne size of the V72. Considering that Rolex used the V72 up until the late 80's in the 6263/5 (727, of course), the movement had a good run w/ Rolex, some 35 years or so- maybe 40 when you consider the 4500 from the 40's.

I noticed the other day in a watch book a late model chrono w/ a Valjoux 72 movt- dating from 2006 or so- obviously it was either NOS, or rebuilt. I'll try to find it again.

I'd love to see a chinese copy of the V72, kinda like the ST-19 from seagull- isn't it a copy of the Venus 175??

But as time moves on, I guess we need to make our peace with the asian 7750, since it's the most modern of all the chronos and least expensive.

[ubiquitous]

Sheeeeiiiit. I paid $1100 for my V72... And another couple hundred to have it serviced!

[alligoat]

Jacques Etoile (Klaus Jakob) built a chronograph in 2006 with the Valjoux 72C movement, obviously a very limited edition.

He's also built watches with the V23 (decorated, of course) and also has a number of watches with the Venus 175 movement which are fairly current. The Venus 175's are beautiful, don't know if he starts with a ST-19 or not.

One of the blurbs indicated he scoured the nooks and crannies of Switzerland for old movements.

[eunomians]

Sheeeeiiiit. I paid $1100 for my V72... And another couple hundred to have it serviced!

You're not alone. I think that us original DW club members paid big $ for movements back in the day. I've travelled all around the world meeting watch collectors who solely collect Valjoux 72 chronos. There are a lot of well-established V72 collectors since the late 1960s. It's a wonder to me that there are still some V72 watches still around these days. I do have to say that the whole DW mania really has taken a toll on original specimens. I am guilty for scavenging quite a few of them, but honestly, I hope the trend wanes and fades away. No disrespect to the replica Daytona builders (I was once one too)...

[automatico]

!!!

http://forums.timezone.com/index.php?t=tree&goto=5304757&rid=0

[kbh]

!!!

http://forums.timezone.com/index.php?t=tree&goto=5304757&rid=0

A $600 SERVICE????