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mnewport mnewport is offline
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Join Date: Jun 2010
Location: chicago
Posts: 286
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DIY racing chronograph

I'm a huge fan of vintage racing chronographs. The old Heuer stuff like the Camaro, Carrera, and Targa Florio, Tudor Monte Carlo, etc.--those are incredible looking watches. In spite of that fondness I'm really not interested in dropping $3k+ on a timepiece. So I decided to make my own.

I chose to build it around a Valjoux/ETA 7750 movement, which I ordered through a friend in Europe. ETA 7750's are found in many nice watches (Breitling and Tag Heuer for example), and it's used in the re-issue of the Targa Florio. I found a supplier in Switzerland to sell me a nice case, dial, and hands.

Here are the parts minus the 7750 movement, all laid out Magnus Walker style:



I know some people think nato-style bands look cheap on a nice watch, but I love the mixture of simple utility and build quality that comes from pairing the two. I chose a color scheme that would match my 911.

Here are a few shots of the case:









The case is thick (about .56 inches), heavy, and finished in a black PVD. The strap is 20mm. At the moment I'm still waiting on the movement (should be here Monday).

Here's the case assembled and paired with the strap:



I'll admit it doesn't have a tachymeter (neither does the Targa Florio) but I still like the way it looks.
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Old 01-07-2012, 06:46 PM
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