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Servicing My First Chronograph!


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     As I told in my introdoctury post, I had decided to give a (big) step further in my short watchmaking hobby experience, servicing a Cauny Chronograph that I own since 1969 and that rested (but not forgotten) in my watches box:

 

post-1304-0-61810500-1437836927_thumb.jp

 

post-1304-0-29679000-1437836970_thumb.jp

 

First came out hands and dial...:

 

post-1304-0-82590700-1437837035_thumb.jp

 

then the chronograph module...:

 

post-1304-0-96280600-1437837099_thumb.jp

 

the keyless and motion work...:

 

post-1304-0-96468500-1437837384_thumb.jp

 

barrel bridge...:

 

post-1304-0-89407100-1437837514_thumb.jp

 

basic module...:

 

post-1304-0-82613500-1437837877_thumb.jp

 

So everything ready for a good cleaning!

 

     I only had a (little/big?) problem on disassembling: when pullling the chronograph minute recorder hand, it came off without the (so!) little "cylinder pipe" that goes on the wheel chronograph pivot, to which it rested firmly attached! It only came off when I take off (from the other side of the plate), and with some effort, the minute recorder wheel. Unfotunately when I was trying to see if it was possible to attach it again to the hand, it decided to "fly away", and I could not find it yet, and I suppose never will. So probably when I'' finish to assemble the watch I'll have one hand that doesn't "hook" in its pivot. 

 

    Your suggestions wll be most welcome!! Thanks!

 

in this photo you can see the "injured" hand together with its "healthy" subsidiary seconds "cousin":

 

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Hi,

   I have had the same thing happen to me. The easy thing to do is buy a generic hand and just replace the old one. What I would try though is buy the generic hand and remove it from its tube. Mount your old hand onto the new tube. You might have to use a bit of glue but it I have done it myself. What I do is slide the tube onto an old broach and then put the hand in place. The broach will insure that the parts stay nearby as well as help you guide the hand onto the new tube. 

Charles K

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Hey GuiBer

 

Well done on taking the plunge into Chronos mate!

 

By looking at the pics it sure needed a service ... can't wait to see the parts fresh from cleaning!!

 

Don't give up too easy on finding that tube either mate ... check if the other one is magnetic, and if so, grab one of those flexible fridge magnets and begin your search again.  You'd be surprised what they pick up that your eyes miss.

 

Keep the pics coming of your progress!!!

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Well done GuiBer, except for the hand problem. Chronograph are notorious for this sort of thing happening, but it is usually the centre chronograph hand that gives the problem. They have to be pressed on really tightly to cope with the sudden deceleration when they snap back to zero. I like Charles idea of finding a hand that you can remove the tube from to fix your own, it's always good to keep things looking original. I look forward to seeing the end result.

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Hi CKelly, thank you very much for your suggestion. I think it can work just fine!

 

Hi, Lawson, also thanks by the fridge magnet finding technic, ( I would never think of that!!), but unfortunately the tube is not magnetic. 

 

Hi Geo, thanks for the incentinve, I hope I can manage to go through this "adventure"! I'll keep giving news!

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Hi, Lawson, also thanks by the fridge magnet finding technic, ( I would never think of that!!), but unfortunately the tube is not magnetic.

Try using a vacuum cleaner with ladies tights stretched over the end of the hose!
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I will be watching closely this thread, since I am restoring a Valjoux 7733 myself... and some parts are missing, but I found them in an online shop in France, and will receive them in the second week of August, hopefully. I still need to find a proper case, though... But that's stuff for my own thread. Good work until now, GuiBer!

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I will be watching closely this thread, since I am restoring a Valjoux 7733 myself... and some parts are missing, but I found them in an online shop in France, and will receive them in the second week of August, hopefully. I still need to find a proper case, though... But that's stuff for my own thread. Good work until now, GuiBer!

 

Thanks for the incentive! I also wish you a good and successful work with your Valjoux 7733. I also will have a look on your posts about it. 

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After a manual cleaning, as I don't have yet a machine, I began assembling the VALJOUX 7733 movement.

 

But now I am experiencing great difficulty fitting the chronograph operating-lever, as I don't manage to align/level it in the way the service manual says.

 

Help needed !! Thanks !

 

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post-1304-0-92338300-1438340467_thumb.jp

 

 

 

 

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Hey GuiBer,

 

Firstly let me say that I have never worked on this particular movement, so I can only go by the limited number of reference photos you've posted ... but I'll try my best to assist you mate.

 

Study this picture I've made (sorry about my lack of artist skills) and I'll discuss it below.

 

post-246-0-39623100-1438348396_thumb.jpg

 

The lower part of the chronograph operating-lever should be fitted to the thread posted and screwed down, just as you posted, and I believe the elbow joint of the operating-lever should rest in-front of that spring, so it can return to it's original position after being operated.

 

Does this look right to you mate?  Let me know how you go.

Sorry if I got this wrong GuiBer, but it's the best I can do with the picture I've got to work with ... did you take any more reference photo's that may help?

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Hey Lawson,

 

Thank you very much for your interest and help!

I was verifying what you suggested but I think it's not the case, because the distance between the pivoting point (point "A" in the next photos), of the operating-lever and the elbow joint (point "B") is greater than that from "A" to the point where it would contact the spring. Furthermore the spring at that point doesn't have any flexibility. I think the only two working points in that spring are on its ends being actuated by the chonograph buttons.

 

The problem I am facing with, is that the second part of the lever that departs from the elbow joint should be resting on the chronograph plate and in fact it is going up. As you can see in the photo there is a big gap, and I am not managing getting it properly, being afraid of applying too much force and braking something!

 

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post-1304-0-84402100-1438354840_thumb.jp

 

(sorry for the quality of this last photo, but I couldn't get it better)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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I think Lawson was pretty much on the money. I feel that you are not managing to connect the lever with the spring correctly and that is preventing the lever from seating properly.

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GuiBer, that was the major issue I had until I found out how to actually do it...

 

Check out this picture I took:

 

gigandet-1.jpg

 

Now take a look here:

 

gigandet-6.jpg

 

The round pivot on the lever actually goes flat on the plate for Chronograph mechanism, which has a dent that looks like a "C". You need to separate with a very thin flat screw driver the two parts of the operating lever, and push upwards the round conjunction part (I don't know how to call it actually...) before you try to match the screw hole of the lever to it's post on the plate. The lever must be aligned with the "C" dent on the plate before you screw it down on it. I hope I was clear enough, it is harder to describe it as to do it.

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Yes exactly that one. Try to lift one side of the lecer (the one NOT with the screw hole) while pushing down the other part, and keep them separated introducing in the middle, near the round knob, a needle or the tip of a screw driver: this will separate them and create the gap you need to insert the lever into the "C" dent. The part of the lever without the screw hole should then be slidden flush on the plate, locking the knob inside the dent itself. Carefully push the rest of the lever onto the base plate so that the hole for the screw aligns on thhe protrusion on the  plate, and set it gently. This should lock it into position. Finally, insert the screw and tight it down as you would normally. Check that the lever does function properly before tighting the screw, though

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Hey George,

 

Thanks  for your accurate information I finally got the operating-lever in place. That was indeed a tricky job! Your help was indeed very important.

 

I hope I can help you in anyway in the future!

 

And now I will have some more pleasant hours of "work"... to put the Cauny Chronograph ticking! 

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George, you the man!!

Great pictures, exacting information from first hand experience, and super fast replies.

It's members like you that make this forum so valuable mate.

Wow thanks Lawson! I just happened to have the same issue and solved it, so why not sharing it? Mark shares his experience with all of is, so for me it is only natural to give back to the community what I know, even if it is not so much :p

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The VALJOUX 7733 is ticking again!!

 

After the precious help of GeorgeClarkson for fitting the operating-lever on the chronograph plate, I went on assembling my chronograph.

It was not easy for the rookie I am, but after several "try-error-try again" events and some hours spent on it, I finally managed to see it working again.

 

The main issue was getting the different operating-levers working together in a synchronized way. My conclusions about the way to get it working:

 

I) The position in which rests on the plate the operating-lever (the one actuated by the start-stop button) before putting in place the so-called hammer is important and should look like this:

 

post-1304-0-11907300-1438551073_thumb.jp

 

II) The hammer (piece B in the next photo) should be fastened in the plate so that the hammer-cam jumper  be in position 1, (that is in the normal chronograph working position after pushing start button).

 

post-1304-0-61139000-1438552125_thumb.jp

 

III) After having assembled the operating-lever A, the hammer B, the hammer-cam jumper D and the fly-back lever E, the correct movements of all the system when pushing the start/stop and fly-back button must be verified, prior of assembling the coupling-clutch C.

 

IV) The  coupling-clutch C should be assembled with the hammer B in position 3 (the actual position in the photo) corresponding to the return to zero position after pushing the fly-back button.

 

V) After completing all the remaining assembling operations (putting in place the driving-wheel flush with the couplig-clutch, the balance wheel, etc,), and after getting the watch ticking, you can use, if needed, the cam F to fine tune the depth of the gearing between driving-wheel, clutch wheel and crhonograph second counter wheel.

 

(of course I took care of all the lubrication tasks for the different parts during this assembling procedure)

 

I can not guarantee that this is the best or the easiest way to get the chronograph levers operating correctly, but this was the way I managed to do it.

 

And now I only have to overcome  two more issues to get the Cauny complete. The first, I already told you about, is the chronograph minute-counter hand (I'll follow CKelly sugestion to overcome it), the second it's again my fault as I broke the Incabloc spring in the balance wheel pivot when I was trying to get it off !! ...Natural for a newbie, isn't it ?!

 

(I apologize for not having taken more photos during these procedures but I was so entertained with the job, and anxious to get a result that I forgot it!)

Edited by GuiBer
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  • 2 weeks later...

As I told in my last post, when I was finishing lubricating the watch I broke  the Incabloc spring in the balance wheel pivot.

I ordered a set of replacement springs that arrived yersterday.

 

Unfortunately, today when I was trying to fit the new incabloc spring (what a torture for a rookie like me!), things went quite wrong, as I damaged badly the hairspring! :pulling-hair-out:  

Now I certainly will need a new hairspring or a replacement balance. I just made a quick find in the internet and I didn't find any direct replacement part for the VALJOUX 7733 hairspring or complete balance available. 

 

I would appreciate your suggestions, so that I can manage to get my first chronohraph working again. Thanks!

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