Vintage WAKMANN Valjoux 23 Rev Panda " Big Boy " Oversized Diver Chronograph
Item History & Price
Do not confuse this Valjoux 23 "Big Boy" and its cheaper variation, the Valjoux 7733. They look very similar from the outside but are very different watches--with this Valjoux 23 being much more expensive and collectible.
It's like a Lexus to a Toyota :)
Background from "Fratell Watches" (https://www.fratellowatches.com/tbt-wakmann-big-boy-chronograph/)
The Wakmann Big Boy, at its core, is a diver’s chronograph. It’s equipped with a prominent, rotating diving bezel and, as... stated on the case back, is water resistant to 600 feet. It comes in at roughly 40mm in stainless steel (we’ve seen chrome plated as well) and features convenient 20mm width lugs. When taking one’s eyes off of the interestingly colored dial, we’ll get to that later, and focusing on the case and bezel construction, it’s hard not to notice a similarity to another watch: the Heuer 2446C/3646C Autavia. Yes, the snap-back compressor cased 2446C/3646C has what appears to be the exact same case and coarsely ridged bezel setup as on the Big Boys. The only major difference on the Wakmann is that it uses a conventional screwback case. It’s interesting and in my opinion, makes the Wakmann – and its same case stablemates – all that more desirable. On the other hand, we really don’t know who made the Heuer cases (possibly EPSA, but they’re unsigned) or the Big Boy cases. Still, the design similarities strike me as more than coincidence.
As for my watch: the original dial and hands are absolutely stunning. See closeup pictures in super bright light.The bezel has some cracks and chips, clearly visible, and it rotates with some resistance like there's sand trapped underThe case is very large (40mm, 43mm with crown X 47mm) which is why it's nicknamed "big boy". Good overall condition with pretty much no brassing, especially none on the crown and pushers.The signed Valjoux 23 (actually 236, which is a supped up version of the 23, beating at 21'600 BPH) movement is very clean and accurate with good power reserve. Please watch the video below to see the chrono working perfectly, resetting to 0.
Here is a movie I just shot of this watch running along my Tudor Black Bay -- they both have been keeping identical time for over a day. The chrono is running for 45 minutes and starts/stops/resumes/resets perfectly.
Wakmann Big Boy vs Tudor Black Bay - YouTubeVideo will open in a new window
Using the eBay App? Paste link into a browser window:[isdntekvideo]The strap is a brand-new German handmade genuine leather racing strap, tobacco color.
Terms of Sale: I am not a watch dealer or watchmaker; I sell my own watches to buy others and describe my watches exactly as I see them and/or how they were described to me years ago, when I first acquired them. Watches came in various variations and mine is one of them. Per eBay policy, I fulfill my obligation to provide photos of the actual item and describe what I see and only what I know. If you need more photos to make an informed decision, please ask, but once you buy you are buying as-is with no other warranties and no returns. Consider you may need to service the watch, which is a blanket statement for any vintage mechanical timepiece you buy. All I can do is package it real well when shipping.
That said, I have 100% good feedback with over 500 transactions, so buy with confidence.
It's like a Lexus to a Toyota :)
Background from "Fratell Watches" (https://www.fratellowatches.com/tbt-wakmann-big-boy-chronograph/)
The Wakmann Big Boy, at its core, is a diver’s chronograph. It’s equipped with a prominent, rotating diving bezel and, as... stated on the case back, is water resistant to 600 feet. It comes in at roughly 40mm in stainless steel (we’ve seen chrome plated as well) and features convenient 20mm width lugs. When taking one’s eyes off of the interestingly colored dial, we’ll get to that later, and focusing on the case and bezel construction, it’s hard not to notice a similarity to another watch: the Heuer 2446C/3646C Autavia. Yes, the snap-back compressor cased 2446C/3646C has what appears to be the exact same case and coarsely ridged bezel setup as on the Big Boys. The only major difference on the Wakmann is that it uses a conventional screwback case. It’s interesting and in my opinion, makes the Wakmann – and its same case stablemates – all that more desirable. On the other hand, we really don’t know who made the Heuer cases (possibly EPSA, but they’re unsigned) or the Big Boy cases. Still, the design similarities strike me as more than coincidence.
As for my watch: the original dial and hands are absolutely stunning. See closeup pictures in super bright light.The bezel has some cracks and chips, clearly visible, and it rotates with some resistance like there's sand trapped underThe case is very large (40mm, 43mm with crown X 47mm) which is why it's nicknamed "big boy". Good overall condition with pretty much no brassing, especially none on the crown and pushers.The signed Valjoux 23 (actually 236, which is a supped up version of the 23, beating at 21'600 BPH) movement is very clean and accurate with good power reserve. Please watch the video below to see the chrono working perfectly, resetting to 0.
Here is a movie I just shot of this watch running along my Tudor Black Bay -- they both have been keeping identical time for over a day. The chrono is running for 45 minutes and starts/stops/resumes/resets perfectly.
Wakmann Big Boy vs Tudor Black Bay - YouTubeVideo will open in a new window
Using the eBay App? Paste link into a browser window:[isdntekvideo]The strap is a brand-new German handmade genuine leather racing strap, tobacco color.
Terms of Sale: I am not a watch dealer or watchmaker; I sell my own watches to buy others and describe my watches exactly as I see them and/or how they were described to me years ago, when I first acquired them. Watches came in various variations and mine is one of them. Per eBay policy, I fulfill my obligation to provide photos of the actual item and describe what I see and only what I know. If you need more photos to make an informed decision, please ask, but once you buy you are buying as-is with no other warranties and no returns. Consider you may need to service the watch, which is a blanket statement for any vintage mechanical timepiece you buy. All I can do is package it real well when shipping.
That said, I have 100% good feedback with over 500 transactions, so buy with confidence.
