For those who want the short version: An A7750 with seconds at 9:00, the normal ETA layout, which has been professionally serviced is the most reliable. Special care when winding and setting the watch also improve longevity (see #3 below).
I wanted to get some additional information about this movement to help me decide if I should buy a watch that I've wanted for a long time (IWC Pilot Chrono 3777). I've consolidated what I have learned from search from various post over the last 10-years. A lot of this info may be outdated and not apply in 2024. Hoping my research and consolidation will help others. Would love feedback and comments from knowledgable people.
I wanted to get some additional information about this movement to help me decide if I should buy a watch that I've wanted for a long time (IWC Pilot Chrono 3777). I've consolidated what I have learned from search from various post over the last 10-years. A lot of this info may be outdated and not apply in 2024. Hoping my research and consolidation will help others. Would love feedback and comments from knowledgable people.
- There is clearly a consensus that when additional modifications are made to this movement they become less reliable: like when seconds are moved to 3:00, 12:00, or 6:00 and especially if incremental complications like annual calendar are added.
- A professional servicing this movement will result in smoother winding, improved power reserve, and overall reliability because these movements are not consistently cleaned and oiled at the factory. It is better to have it serviced locally instead of at the TD. This seem to hold true for ALL movements.
- Following these rules for operating the watch will improved longevity:
- Only do date changes at 6am
- Limit usage of the Chrono function (or don't use at all), and if you do, only reset the Chrono between 10:00 and 2:00
- Don't hand wind (I couldn't find a reason why)
- These only wind one way (not bi-directionally) so account for this when using a winder
- There are a few posts that do not recommend hand winding this movement. But, I wouldn't say there are enough to say it is generally agreed upon nor was I able to find a reliable reason.
- One post said that if you are going to have a serious problem with these it'll show up soon after delivery. So maybe the dealer could keep it prior to shipping a few extra days and put it through its paces. For example, do an initial Timegrapher, then wind it two days in a row and monitor it again to see if its still stable. Then put it on a winder for another three or four days and check it again. That might weed out the worst of them.
- Parts and watchmakers that will work on this movement are hard to find. While I can't vouch for them, Domi is EU; and Katt and Oascom are in USA and have been mentioned in my research.
- Many people note that you can simply swap out an entire movement if one breaks. Somebody suggested that you can request a spare / additional movement from some TDs at time of purchase to have one handy. I've never tried this.
- While more expensive, you can buy a genuine Swiss made ETA 7750 movement which should be more reliable and easy to get parts and watch makers to work on it. I found a Swiss ETA 7750 on eBay for $390 that has the day-date of an IWC Pilot Chrono (probably just need to swap the day - date dials)
