1960s Gigandet Diver's Chronograph Valjoux 7734 - SOLD
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In 1959, Charles Gigandet opened up shop in Tramelan, Switzerland as a private watch company manufacturing for other brands. After the end of WWII, the United States was looking to bolster domestic manufacturing and levied heavy import taxes on certain foreign made goods, watches included. One of Gigandet's most well known clients, Breitling, found a way to skirt this problem by having their subsidiary company in the US, Wakmann, assemble their watches in the States, circumventing the tax laws. With the three companies inextricably linked, Gigandet began having Wakmann assembling watches for them to be sold in the US market as well, often with co-branded dials, or identical models between the two brands.
What we have here is the latter with a Gigandet branded diver's chronograph from the late 1960s in a modern-sized 40mm steel case with a rotating timing bezel and a great blue and white dial. These watches are relatively scarce and have all the features of a classic 1960s chronograph with a hand-wound movement, sharp chamfered case, rotating bezel and a beautiful, legible dial.
Condition is per the photos and as follows:
Case: 40mm stainless steel case in very good vintage condition showing wear consistent with use. Other than one ding on the 5 o'clock lug visible in the photos, the case shows only light surface wear.
Bezel: Bidirectional bezel with 60 minute counter in excellent vintage condition. There are some surface scratches across the insert but no large areas of missing paint or chips in the bezel. Bezel turns smoothly.
Dial/hands: Excellent original dial and hand set. The dial is a two-toned blue and white with polished steel applied markers and a tachymetre outer ring. Hands are also polished steel with white and tritium inserts and an orange chronograph seconds hand. Dial is free from any scratching or staining.
Crystal: Domed acrylic tension ring crystal that appears original and has some light surface wear. There are no gouges, cracks, or chips in the crystal.
Caseback: Original steel caseback in excellent condition with crisp engravings. Inside is marked Charles Gigandet.
Movement: Valjoux 7733 hand-wound chronograph movement in excellent condition with all functions working as they should including chronograph start, stop, and reset to zero. The movement is keeping excellent time, although service history is unknown.
Strap: Like new brown leather vintage style strap with SS buckle.
Accessories: None. Sold as watch only.
What we have here is the latter with a Gigandet branded diver's chronograph from the late 1960s in a modern-sized 40mm steel case with a rotating timing bezel and a great blue and white dial. These watches are relatively scarce and have all the features of a classic 1960s chronograph with a hand-wound movement, sharp chamfered case, rotating bezel and a beautiful, legible dial.
Condition is per the photos and as follows:
Case: 40mm stainless steel case in very good vintage condition showing wear consistent with use. Other than one ding on the 5 o'clock lug visible in the photos, the case shows only light surface wear.
Bezel: Bidirectional bezel with 60 minute counter in excellent vintage condition. There are some surface scratches across the insert but no large areas of missing paint or chips in the bezel. Bezel turns smoothly.
Dial/hands: Excellent original dial and hand set. The dial is a two-toned blue and white with polished steel applied markers and a tachymetre outer ring. Hands are also polished steel with white and tritium inserts and an orange chronograph seconds hand. Dial is free from any scratching or staining.
Crystal: Domed acrylic tension ring crystal that appears original and has some light surface wear. There are no gouges, cracks, or chips in the crystal.
Caseback: Original steel caseback in excellent condition with crisp engravings. Inside is marked Charles Gigandet.
Movement: Valjoux 7733 hand-wound chronograph movement in excellent condition with all functions working as they should including chronograph start, stop, and reset to zero. The movement is keeping excellent time, although service history is unknown.
Strap: Like new brown leather vintage style strap with SS buckle.
Accessories: None. Sold as watch only.
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