Chuck Maddox’s Watch Blog

This page is a journal of my journey in the field of Horology, which is timekeeping. In other words, watch collecting. Which in my case is the collecting of chronograph watches. To contact me, email me at: cmaddox3@sbcglobal.net .

Name:
Location: Chicagoland, United States

The Extremely wordy version of my Resumé is located here: http://home.xnet.com/~cmaddox/resume.html

Tuesday, December 13, 2005

Why Professionals Use Mac...

Jeff Stein emailed me a link to this article on "Why Professionals Use Mac" written by Ken Rockwell who is a leading photo equipment reviewer...

_________________

Apple's MacMini

Which Apple computer is best for digital photography?

INTRODUCTION

Why do we use Mac? Simple: It just works. We get more done in less time without the aggravation.

That's it all in a nutshell. Just try a Mac and you'll feel this all for yourself exactly as I did when I upgraded in 2000.

_________________

This is a well researched and annotated article which lays out the reasons why everyone should spend a little money (as little as $500 for a MacMini and perhaps $100 for a Keyboard, Mouse, Display switch) to add a Macintosh to their computing arsenal...

For the record... I converted to the Mac (from an Apple ][) back in February of 1984... What took me so long? My name didn't get to the top of the waiting list until Leap Day of 1984. I only bought a "PC" back in 2002, a used Pentium Laptop purchased for the purpose of manipulating my Garmin GPS system. I've never abandonded the Macintosh platform, and probably never will. At least not until something that is superior and compelling is created...

Biased? Rightly so!

-- Chuck

Lemania 5100 movement family...

Yesterday I was contacted by Jorge Robles asking about 5100's, specifically asking if there was a family of chronograph movements based upon the Lemania 5100 movement such as 5012, 5195 and so on. He had seen a number of eBay auctions that mentioned these movements but had never seen anything written up describing them.

Of course there is a family of movements based upon the 5100's. It's not as extensive of a family as the Valjoux 72 family I detailed previously, nor the Valjoux 7750 family of movements, but it has some unique members that deserve mention and catagorizing.

I composed a reply to Jorge with a basic rundown of the 5100 movements I could off the top of my head, and CCed Pascal Straatsma... If there is anyone on this world who's a bigger fan of the 5100 than I am, it's Pascal. Pascal responded with a number of additional links and photo's...

This post is a listing of 5100 movements.

Ok, let's start out with the most commonally seen of the 5100's the Lemania 5100 itself...

Base Lemania 5100

This is the standard conventional layout of the Lemania 5100. Manufacturers can elect to include Day or omit it as they see fit, and sometimes they do to allow room for their logo or other printing on the dial.

-- Photo by Chuck Maddox


Lemania 5012

The 5012 is a 5100 without the 24-hour subdial and also runs at 21,600bph as opposed to the 5100's 28,800bph...

-- Photo by Chuck Maddox

-- Photo by Pascal Straatsma

However, a lack of a 24-Hour subdial does not automatically equate to a 5012 movement. Pascal owns another Lemania chronograph without the 24-hour Subdial but it has a 5100 under the dial:

-- Photo by Pascal Straatsma


Lemania 5195:

The 5195 is a quasi-"Compax" subdial arrangement no-date version of the 5100:

-- Photo ruthlessly stolen from an eBay auction for educational purposes...

The 5195 variation might have significantly different "guts" than a 5100, don't know, I've never examined one personally, neither has Pascal. To our knowledge the only watch that has ever offered this movement has been the Eberhardt & Co. Frecce Tricolori model.

Eberhardt also offered a Frecce Tricolori model utilizing the 5100 movement. Pascal owns an example and it's pictured below:

-- Photo by Pascal Straatsma

Incidentally, Frecce Tricolori is the name of Italy's acrobatic flight team...


Lemania 5190:

The 5190 is a model I know little about, however Pascal owns one, so I'll turn the narration over to him...: Just like the 5195, it does away with the day-date indication to have a classic tri-compax layout. But while the 5195 simply puts the usual 24 hour subdial at 3, the 5190 replaces it with a moonphase dial and a tide indicator. As far as I know, this movement was used by only one particular watch, the Eberhard Champion Maréoscope:

-- Photo by Pascal Straatsma

-- Photo by Pascal Straatsma

-- Photo by Pascal Straatsma

-- Photo by Pascal Straatsma


Lemania 5200:

The 5200, simply put is a "sans-rotor" manual wind version of the 5100. To both Pascal's and my knowledge only Pryngps offered a Lemania in this configuration...:

-- Photo unapologetically stolen from an eBay auction for educational purposes...

The old 5100 movement looks a little naked there without the rotor... It appears to keep the 2 banana-shaped nylon parts designed as a rotor rest.

-- Photo unabashedly stolen from an eBay auction for educational purposes...

I guess since they aren't any taller than other parts of the watch, there is no advantage in thiness by removing them, so I guess they leave them in. Weird!

 


Lemania 5250:

Apparently there also is a Lemania 5250 movement... The only way we know about this is from two webpages supplied by Pascal: here in the "Handaufzugswerke" section, and here. Simply put is a "sans-rotor" manual wind version of the 5012 complete down to running at the slower 21,600 bph rate. Neither Pascal or I have seen an example either in person or on the web. If you see one, or own one, please contact me!

To the best of both Pascal's and my knowledge this is a complete listing of the variations of the 5100 movement family. Of course and as always, if anyone has additions, corrections, refinements to my knowledge, please feel free to contact me with them.

Special thanks to Pascal Straatma for his interest and efforts in the creation of this post!.

-- Chuck

Sunday, December 11, 2005

Valjoux 72 Chrono Family Discussion...

Thoughts/Thread on the Valjoux 72 Family of Chronographs

On Oct 23, 2005 2ndhandman asked in the TZ Public forum about the "Valjoux 72/726 movement...does anyone know when last used in regular production?"...

What resulted was a fun, informative and delightful conversation between Kohei Saito (Moderator of TimeZone's Japanese and Seiko Forums) and myself on the topic of the Valjoux 72 family of chronograph movements.

This post is an archive of that discussion.

(For more on this topic, please visit Jeff Stein's page on movements at OnTheDash.com)

Kohei@Tz replied to 2ndhandman first: "I don't know when was the last stock exhausted, but..>>" [Oct 23, 2005 - 11:06 PM]

I believe they stop production in 1974. Here's one from 70s with final version, 727.

I replyed: Sorry Kohei, but the final variant of the Valjoux 72 was the 728, not 727... [Oct 24, 2005 - 08:17 AM]

Yes, for those keeping track that's a 1-Register full (12-Hour) Chronograph...

Goes to show that Valjoux did experiment with center chrono minute indication as popularized by the Lemania 134x and 5012/5100/5200 movements...

But I got to thinking about it and I remembered there was a v.729 variant:

In fact, now that I think about it... there was a 729 variant...   -  Chicagoland Chuck Maddox  -  Oct 24, 2005 - 08:37 AM

Ironically, I have one of these Wittnauer's... But I could have sworn it was powered by a v.724 movement... I guess I'll have to check...

So we have a Valjoux 729, and I'm pretty sure I've heard of a v.730 (but I can't remember if it was part of the Valjoux 72 line or not...

Hmmm, sounds like some research is in order!

Kohei replied: Cool, and thanks for correction, Chuck [Oct 24, 2005 - 09:03 AM]

I only know and thought 727 were the last batch with 3 register designed 72 valiant, because never seen 728 or 729, (especially 728) i must of passed many occasions to owning this rare? caliber by thought Lemania are ticking inside, and same reason i would consider 724 instead of 729 with GMT hand.

Looking forward to read your research report, though.

Best regards,

Kohei

I did a little more digging and found: "The seller of this watch on eBay says this is a Valjoux 730..." [Oct 24, 2005 - 09:16 AM]

The seller of this watch on eBay says this is a Valjoux 730... Frankly, I personally trust this seller about as far as he could throw me (I'm John Candy sized, so trust me, he couldn't throw me far).

But it seems that there may also have been a v.730 related to the Valjoux 72...

So, anyone ever hear of a Valjoux 731? [Sheesh!]

Kohei@Tz Pointed out:Again, 730 would be easily fooled by 72C, and overlooked [Oct 24, 2005 - 07:32 PM]

and i guess 727 was the last of the tri-compax variant then. (unless you found more)

Here's my 72C

730 has no balance screws on the wheel, but balance wheel itself is bigger in diameter, also has shock protection system on the shaft, other than that it almost identical with 72C.

Best regards,

Kohei

And I posted this: Actually, the Valjoux 723 has the same layout... I have a Zodiac c.723:

Also, the DDMM (Day-Date-Month-Moonphase) version is sometimes called the Valjoux 88:

 


and that's pretty much where that thread ended...

So, here's a table or score Card for those who are interested and or keeping track...

Valjoux 72 Family of Chronograph Movements:
Movement #:

Description:

71

Large 15 Ligne version of Valjoux 72 (13 Ligne or just under)

72

Basic ‘Plain Jane’ Valjoux 72.

721

"Seafarer" Tides complication in 9 o'clock sub-dial...

722

Rolex variant with Breguet Overcoil & MicroStella Balance

72c/723

Tri-Date non-moonphase v.72

724

GMT complication

725

I've never seen a movement marked 725, probably skipped.

726

Improved v.72 movement.

727

Rolex version of 726 with Bruget Overcoil & MicroStella*

728

1 Register/Center Pinion Chrono Minute hand varitant.

729

GMT, probably v.726 with GMT complicaton added.

730

Another Triple-Date model, perhaps DDM v.726?

88

Triple-Date Moonphase model (v.723/72c with Moonphase)

* Note: The posting of Kohei's scan of the GP is something that throws a monkey wrench into my theory of the v.727 being a Rolex Exclusive movement, I think there is more to this movement than I know at this time.

The above are to the best of my knowledge and experience and subject to change/additions/refinement as new information is developed...

For more on this topic, please visit Jeff Stein's page on movements at OnTheDash.com...

Of course and as always, if anyone has additions, corrections, refinements to my knowledge, please feel free to contact me with them.

-- Chuck