# How Good is the ETA A07.111?



## sixty9ners (Apr 27, 2009)

Hi all. I'm very new to the Laco forum, in and out of WUS and a little more active on the WUS Seiko sub-forum. I'm in the final stages of buying my very first LACO, the LE 55mm Flieger in A dial, 861-334 (thanks to all your great discussions and amazing photos...I got hooked!). Just wondering how really good the movement is. They say it takes about 10 years for a new movement to be reliable. I know the Valjoux7750 and ETA2824 are already so well-established but wondering about your experiences. 
Thanks heaps


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## StufflerMike (Mar 23, 2010)

Found your question on the wrong sub forum. Most likely that's why you haven't got an answer yet.

So here we go

Valgranges movements consequently followed the trend towards larger cases. An ETA 2824-2 looks kind of lost in a 44mm case (or even larger).

It was the demand for large watches which eventually lead to the Valgranges collection of movements.
To encounter this trend, a new caliber emerged: the Valgranges, an impressive 16 1/2 lines movement.

ETA press relase:

From Valjoux to Valgranges
A select origin entails a special obligation for excellence. The Valgranges calibre is indeed of high-ranking birth. Its name shows at a glance that it was conceived along the lines of the famous Valjoux calibre. Designed in 1973 in the Vallée du Joux, this standard diameter (13 1/4 lines) automatic mechanical movement has become a reference movement in Swiss mechanical watchmaking. It is the timekeeper chosen by an extensive number of brands and its name is recognised as a pledge of quality by both professionals and connoisseurs. Developed in Granges (Grenchen in German), where the manufacture ETA was founded nearly a century and a half ago, the Valgranges has all the qualities of the 7750 movement. And maybe even something more…

A calibre that embodies the ETA values
Watchmakers are familiar with the exceptional quality of ETA movements. Moreover, the company has the exceptional power to manufacture quality precision products. The Valjoux is prized for its reliability, its robustness, its high precision and also for its power: The mainspring rewinds with extraordinary speed – it just takes a few movements of the wrist to furnish the watch with energy. For the spring to reach its full 46 hours’ power reserve, a few hours of wrist movement will suffice. Of course, all the other advantages of the Valjoux are also included in the Valgranges calibre.

Like the Valjoux, the Valgranges calibre is available in a series of movements equipped with different features but all of identical dimensions (same diameter, same height), an uncommon advantage for clients.

+ Valgranges A07.111
Hour, minute, second and date.
+ Valgranges A07.161
Hour, minute, second, date and power reserve.
+ Valgranges A07.211
Hour, minute, second, date and chronograph.
+ Valgranges A07.171
GMT

A german watch magazine reviewd the Chopard Mille Miglia Gran Turismo XL, a COSC-certified watch with a 46-hour reserve, adjusted to five! positions, with the following results: 
Face up 0 seconds, face down -1 s., crown up +4 s., crown down +4s, crown left +2s, crown right +5 s. with middle amplitude flat of 294° and vertical of 260°. 

Total timing difference of 6 sec. with middle deviation of +2 sec.

Their review said that the Valgranges is a massive work with extremely stable timing results.

The Valgranges (A07.111) has a diameter of 16.5 lines, 7.9mm height, 24 jewels, Nivarox hairspring "Etastable", 28'800 bpm, etachron regulation, single main spring and one-sided automatic system (i.e. the rotor only winds when it moves clockwise). The caliber is based on the 7750, but the 7750 is only 13.25 lines, so this is considerably larger (16.5 lines is 37.22 mm).

Chronos liked the caliber so much (it can use many parts of the 7750 for repairs but not all) that they felt it will probably be one of the most dependable calibers that ETA has ever manufactured, and with the COSC certification and the kind of results that at least Chopard was able to achieve, one with excellent accuracy.

Advantages 7750 vs Valganges:

The increase to 46 hour power reserve means several things.
First, you have more power to play with when adding complications; second and more interesting the power curve of the spring will also have a longer linear portion, which invariably increases accuracy.

There's room on the movement for the watchmaker to get down and funky with. Add a swan-neck regulator on a 7750 can be done, but it's tight, and on the A07 you've simply got more real estate to work with. Adding customized work is simply easier with a larger movement.

ETA is doing its horological homework and knows that watchmakers are having difficulties selling $10k watches with the "same" work as a $2k watch, all other things being equal. Making the base movement a tad larger means that it will run, all other things being equal, more smoothly, since you are increase the mass of the moving parts. Think of the old record players: some of the substantial price differences among, say, Thorens models were based simply on the weight of the platter that the record revolved on and the motor to drive it (I'm simplifying, but that's the basics), and I've known audio freaks who weighted their records down and let the record player run for 20 minutes so that the speed would stabilize to an immeasurable variation before they'd put the diamond on the vinyl. To increase the accuracy of the seconds count (NOT the beat!) you can either increase the weight of the balance wheel or you can increase the speed, with speed ultimately winning out up to the mechanical limits.

Credits to John F, Chronos

Short Cut: Buy with confidence, no need to hesitate.


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## sixty9ners (Apr 27, 2009)

Hi Mike. Thanks for the reply. I'm glad it was you that provided the answers. Apologies for jumping on the wrong thread  Your answers are very detailed and very informative. Thanks for the assurance. My Laco A dial 55mm Flieger is incoming. Although I'm a sucker for big watches (nothing smaller than 44mm) with my biggest at 48mm, I'm just so excited to receive the big one. If I can carry it well on my 6.75" wrist, I'll click PayPal again and shoot down the B dial from the AD. I love this sub-forum and lurk almost daily. All you guys are an enthusiastic bunch of WIS. Thanks!


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