Valjoux 72

[CKelly]

I recently serviced this Jardue with a valjoux 72 movement. I had intended to take more pictures but watch was in very bad shape and I got involved in repair a bit more than I thought I would. Watch did not run at all when I first got it but with a bit of manipulating I got it going except for when I engaged the chronograph. There were several things wrong with the watch. It had been serviced before by someone who thought that the more oil you use the better, it was soaking. Then the trigger for the hour recorder was bent, the hour recorder hand was floating around in the movement and the chronograph coupling clutch was hitting on the pillar wheel which prevented it from engaging chronograph runner wheel properly. By that I mean that when you engaged the chronograph the clutch would hit on the edge of the pillar wheel which prevented it from touching the eccentric next to its mounted wheel.  Anyway I thought I would post what pictures I did take in case they could be of use to anyone.

 Watch is running now after a service and keeping good time.

One thing that I enjoyed about this watch is the chronograph plate itself. It is engraved "Pilgrim Electric" I'm still trying to find where battery goes. Maybe it took a drop cord.

Edited December 2, 2016 by CKelly
added a few comments

[Geo]

Very well done CK and thanks for posting.  I think it's great to see a fine movement like this brought back to life as I really like these old column wheel chronographs.

[RyMoeller]

That's a gorgeous watch- number one on my wish list in fact.

I believe Pilgrim Electric Corp. was the parent company of Jardur back in the day.  Not sure about that but I think I read it somewhere...

Great pictures- thanks for sharing.  Looking at the hour recording mechanism gives me the shivers but I guess it was well engineered as the Valjoux 72 is considered by many to be bullet proof.  

[CKelly]

The hour recording mechanism was actually pretty easy to deal with. Several springs but they didn't want to jump away. I did have an issue with one of those parts though. If you look at the third picture you will see that there is a part that pivots to engage the hour recording wheel itself. Underneath the right side there is a shaft that extends through the movement and is allowed to move when the chronograph is activated. This shaft was bent and hit on the side of the hole in the mainplate and would prevent the wheels from meshing so the hour wheel would not run. I of course didn't think to check on that before putting watch back together and had to take the dial off and figure out what was wrong.

    When I was researching the watch I saw were one like it sold on ebay about two weeks ago for about $3700. It's a pretty nice watch but I didn't understand that bidding. I see where I messed up the name earlier-I'm bad about that sort of thing. Watch is a Jardur instead of Jardue. As I've gotten older I think my fingers have gotten fatter.   

[RyMoeller]

You wonder how something like that gets bent in the first place.

I did the same thing with a Speedmaster repair where I discovered I hadn't properly adjusted the tension on the brake for the hour recording register which resulted in it creeping when the chronograph wasn't engaged.  Had to remove the hands, dial, etc. to fix it.  Live and learn I guess.  

They're going up quick.  The first one I lost out on was for $2800 earlier this year.  Anything with a Valjoux 72 will go for over three grand now unless you can find it in a smaller marketplace (read: off the internet).

[Watchtime]

I am still amazed how you guys take it on to service these fine movements...it is a craft and almost art for me as a beginner.

Hats off.