IWC Caliber 7922

IWC caliber 7922 is a Swiss made automatic chronograph watch movement with 25 jewels. The base movement is an ETA/Valjoux 7750. It is adjusted to five positions.

Isn’t it just a 7750?

Many brands use the ETA caliber 7750 to power their automatic chronograph models, but it appears that IWC has gone to great lengths to communicate what they feel separates their use of base ETA movements from everybody else.

Here is an excerpt of an excellent write-up by G. J. Buhyoff  aka Time Flies about IWC’s process of transforming a 7750 to a 7922.

The new c. 7922 utilizes IWC designed and re-engineered barrel and train assemblies as well as a new balance wheel and mainspring, in addition to more extensive finishing of bridges, plates and screws.. So, the basic Valjoux 7750 kit is essentially remade and becomes a 7922… IWC buys a 7750 kit and extensively reworks it, where that reworking is that of a substantive nature.

And a clip of an article from Uhrenjournal, which shares a similar message:

Now, what does IWC do with this calibre, and why do they treat it as if it were their own movement? The explanation is pretty simple: IWC purchases the best serial engine and undertakes on that basis the best possible engine tuning. You could say that IWC does what AMG does with Mercedes engines, Alpina with BMW or Abt with VW or Audi engines. Serial engines are used, which in turn are tuned and optimized with the best experience available. -Uhrenjournal

Caliber 7922 VS 79320

Both the IWC caliber 7922 and the caliber 79320 are based on the ETA 7750 automatic chronograph movement. The different is that the 7922 is older and has a gold-plated finish, whereas the 79320 is found in newer IWC watches with a nickel finish. Both are decorated, assembled as well as regulated at Schaffhausen.

• 7922 – produced between 1996 – 2005
• 79320 – introduced as early as 2003

The image above is of a caliber 7922 movement that was found in an IWC 3706 Flieger Chronograph watch.