IWC 79470

The 79470 is an automatic chronograph movement with a rattrapante minute hand produced by IWC based on the Valjoux 7750 from 2004 through 2008.

Details

The Valjoux 7750 movement was extremely important to the resurgence of IWC and the basic design remains in use today. The company has used it for many important innovations since the 1980's, including a perpetual calendar, rattrapante, and grande complication. The 7750 ebauche was used for the 790 family of movements and the basic architecture is the basis for today's 69000 family of movements. IWC added a rattrapante mechanism to the basic 7750 ebauche in 1991. This would be the first mass-produced double chronograph in history, and was an important step in the resurgence of the brand. The complication was designed by Richard Habring, who would go on to design many important and innovative watch movements and to start his own brand.

In 2004, IWC created another innovative rattrapante feature for the 7750 base: The IWC Aquatimer Split Minute Chronograph features a "split minute" hand useful for timing intervals up to 60 minutes. The chronograph operates as usual, with a start/stop pusher at 2:00 and a reset pusher at 4:00. A button at 9:00 causes a hidden minute hand to emerge from under the running time minute hand. Another button at 8:00 causes the minute hand to revert under the running minute hand. The split minute mechanism consists of 30 components and fits entirely inside the existing calibre.

This movement was only used in the Aquatimer Split Minute Chronograph, produced from 2004 through 2008. This watch also featured a movable internal bezel using a crown coaxial with the chronograph reset pusher at 4:00.

Applications

• IWC Aquatimer Split Minute Chronograph 3723 (2004-2008)

Description: Automatic split minute movement based on Valjoux 7750 Bi-directional winding Functions: Hours, minutes, small seconds at 9:00 Chronograph with hour counter at 6:00 and minute counter at 12:00 Rattrapante hand with pusher at 10:00 Data: Ø 30 mm 30 jewels 28,800 A/h Power reserve 44 hours Production period: 2004-2008