The Almost Perfect Replica Hamilton Watch Story - Vintage-Hamilton-Wristwatches

In an earlier post, I gave an example of a replica watch advertised as a Hamilton Khaki Field Chrono Auto Steel Brown XL Mens Watch H7156557. The picture used by the dozen or so resellers of this fake watch is the same. Replica watches are made by third party case manufacturers who buy their movements from legitimate Chinese companies. Several of the resellers have claimed their watches have Valjoux 7750 movements.What is a Valjoux 7750? It’s a movement manufactured in Switzerland by an ETA subsidiary company.

The ETA/Valjoux patents ran out in 1994, so a number of manufacturers in Asia and Europe picked up the ball and began making movements based on the 7750.

Replica – Not Actual Hamilton

Valjoux produced the original 7750 chronograph ébauche movement used in a number of mid to high-range mechanical watches including Omega, Longines, Breitling, Cyma Watches, Oris, Appella, TAG Heuer, IWC, Porsche Design, Gallet, Sinn, Gc, and so on.

Two manufacturers in China also manufacture movements based on the Valjoux 7750. They include Liaoning 4041 located in Dandong City, Liaoning Province and Shanghai 3L, one of a conglomerate of watch factories in Shanghai. Neither manufacturer makes cases for the replica watches. How can the legitimate Chinese companies manufacture a 7750 movement? The patient laws allow it. Another Swiss manufacturer, Sellita, manufactures a replacement 7750. Watch parts suppliers list the Valjoux for $375-$495; Sellita for $190-$290 est; the Chinese version costs $29 – $55.

An example of a company selling counterfeit watches claiming that they have a Valjoux ETA movement can be found here. You can see from the linked page that they claim their watches have the Valjoux movements and wholesale for between $80 to $200 . The Company is located in Guangzhou. At the price they quote, people might find it difficult to believe that it actually has a Swiss movement.

The picture of the movement directly below is a Chinese. This movement can be modified after it is purchased from one of the manufacturers mentioned above. The final image below is of an actual Valjoux.

Case manufacturers in Thailand willingly make molds of any watch. The same manufacturers will duplicate the dial, crown, crystal and so forth. Does that bother you?

Maybe it shouldn’t. Al the patents have run out on the original watches. Trademarks are typically the only property still owned an original manufacturer like Hamilton. It’s difficult to detect a trademark violation when the watch is shipped in a box identical to the original. Those boxes? Og, they cost less than one dollar to produce.

ASIA 7750

VAL 7750

**The 7750 Chronometers are only one of several models made by the Swiss and the Chinese. The Chinese and the Swiss manufacturer, Sellita, also manufacturer movements base on ETA 2824 and 2892. In actuality, the movement cloning business includes a plethora of brands and models. In this article, I wanted to illustrate issues with the Replica Hamilton Chrono.