# AMTEX Mechanical "Made in France" Chronograph



## Seikotherapy (Nov 29, 2016)

I recently picked this up on eBay without knowing what movement was in it (seller didn't know and wouldn't open the case), or having any information about the brand. Quite happy with the purchase (£250) as it looks pretty, has an unusual Arabic font, the chrono works perfectly and it's in really good condition for its age.










From what I've found from numerous searches (including on here) there was an AMTEX Electric brand (with the same logo) from around the same era ie 1960s, which seems to have been American(?) using a Hamilton electric movement. I can't find anything else about the brand, examples of their mechanical pieces or why this is marked "Made in France" if Amtex was indeed an American brand.

The movement is a Valjoux 7730 stamped with DOD on the bridge and inside the case back. Does anyone have any further information about the Amtex brand or the DOD stamps inside the case-back?

I know this isn't a valuable or historically significant piece but I'm interested to know more about its history and I thought actually engaging with the watch community might bear more fruit than endless googling with increasingly tenuous search terms!


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## scottswatches (Sep 22, 2009)

DoD is usually Department of Defence in US talk. Looks a cracking watch

I have never heard of the brand before, and they don't list on Mikrolisk, so can't help there


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## Seikotherapy (Nov 29, 2016)

scottswatches said:


> DoD is usually Department of Defence in US talk. Looks a cracking watch
> 
> I have never heard of the brand before, and they don't list on Mikrolisk, so can't help there


 Thanks, I got a lot of department of defense stuff when I searched but nothing linking to the brand and doesn't seem France has much of a history in military watches - although I'm happy to be corrected on that!

Possibly a brand aimed at army civilians? Doesn't look like it would be much use at the bottom of the English Channel or flying over the Alps...


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## Davey P (Sep 9, 2010)

I don't usually comment on the "oldies" as they're not really my thing, but bloody hell that is a work of art, both inside and out :thumbs_up:

I can't add any helpful information about the watch either, but I'd say for £250 you got yourself a bargain mate, well done.


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## scottswatches (Sep 22, 2009)

a little on amtex, but not a lot

http://electric-watches.co.uk/makers/amtex/

on reflection I doubt the US state department of Defense would allow french made watches to be used by their teams


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## Seikotherapy (Nov 29, 2016)

scottswatches said:


> a little on amtex, but not a lot
> 
> http://electric-watches.co.uk/makers/amtex/


 Yeah I found that but again doesn't give much away. Strange to find what seems to be a well-adopted but seemingly well-respect chronograph movement in a nice case without any brand info, even if the 7730 did get about a bit.

I can see why people get infatuated with vintage now...


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## Seikotherapy (Nov 29, 2016)

scottswatches said:


> a little on amtex, but not a lot
> 
> http://electric-watches.co.uk/makers/amtex/
> 
> on reflection I doubt the US state department of Defense would allow french made watches to be used by their teams


 Yep, that's what's confusing! I think DOD must mean something else in this context. Unless Hamilton hastily cobbled together something for a French market and used some stock intended for other other models? I dunno, seems unlikely.


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## SBryantgb (Jul 2, 2015)

Stunning little chrono :thumbsup: , I'm quite jealous :yes:


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## DJH584 (Apr 10, 2013)

The only thin I can help with is that the movement was made between 1966-1973 and 17500 were made

Source: http://www.ranfft.de/cgi-bin/bidfun-db.cgi?11&ranfft&&2uswk&Valjoux_7730


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## Karrusel (Aug 13, 2016)

Seikotherapy said:


> I recently picked this up on eBay without knowing what movement was in it (seller didn't know and wouldn't open the case), or having any information about the brand. Quite happy with the purchase (£250) as it looks pretty, has an unusual Arabic font, the chrono works perfectly and it's in really good condition for its age.
> 
> 
> 
> ...


 Hi

To save you from any further consternation I'll give you £251-00 plus postage. 

Think of the Seiko you could buy? :yes:

Alan


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## Seikotherapy (Nov 29, 2016)

Karrusel said:


> Hi
> 
> To save you from any further consternation I'll give you £251-00 plus postage.
> 
> ...


 Cheeky 

I haven't stopped wearing it since it arrived, think this might be a keeper. The Seikos are looking a bit put out haha.


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## Seikotherapy (Nov 29, 2016)

DJH584 said:


> The only thin I can help with is that the movement was made between 1966-1973 and 17500 were made
> 
> Source: http://www.ranfft.de/cgi-bin/bidfun-db.cgi?11&ranfft&&2uswk&Valjoux_7730


 Yeah I saw this, it's the rebranded Venus 188 and was used in a lot of Breitling, Hamilton and Wakmann's of the era.

Seems like an odd outcrop and frustrating to not have any more info when it was, I'm guessing, the first mass produced Valjoux chrono. Is 175k a large production run in relative terms?


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## bridgeman (Dec 9, 2008)

Just a thought,bit left field,could the DOD actually be POP, might have to start again on the research !


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## davidcxn (Nov 4, 2010)

Can't help much I'm afraid but I thought the three letters on a movement were US importer codes as per this link....

http://www.ranfft.de/uhr/info-uscode-e.html


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## Seikotherapy (Nov 29, 2016)

I think it's DOD in block caps, which doesn't appear on the list of import codes, which was a good shout by the way. I'll try and get some pics up tomorrow.


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## ramrod (Nov 4, 2016)

is the case stainless steel? that watch is a beauty. lovely dial and indices.


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## Guest (Dec 1, 2016)

Seikotherapy said:


> Yeah I saw this, it's the rebranded Venus 188 and was used in a lot of Breitling, Hamilton and Wakmann's of the era.
> 
> Seems like an odd outcrop and frustrating to not have any more info when it was, I'm guessing, the first mass produced Valjoux chrono. Is 175k a large production run in relative terms?


 Probably not the first mass produced chrono from Valjoux, that would probably be the Valjoux 23, which from my sources was named in the year it came out, that being 1923...


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## Seikotherapy (Nov 29, 2016)

Horlogerie said:


> Probably not the first mass produced chrono from Valjoux, that would probably be the Valjoux 23, which from my sources was named in the year it came out, that being 1923...


 Cripes! Were they intended for a mass market?


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## Seikotherapy (Nov 29, 2016)

This is the DOD stamp inside the case if anyone was interested. Kind of hard to capture becaus of the reflection...


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