GOBBI 1842 MILANO | MISANI MILANO | One-of-a-Kind | Chronograph | Full-Calender & Moonphase | Handmade 18K Solid Gold | Highly Collectible | White Enamel Multicolor Dial | Valjoux 730 | 1960s
Like to own a unique masterpiece?
Here is your one-of-a-kind timemachine..
GOBBI 1842 | Milano
Full-Calender & Moonphase Chronograph
Finest Handmade | 18 Carat Solid Gold | White Enamel Multicolor Dial
Finest Handmade Craftmanship | MISANI 18 Carat Solid Gold & Diamond Set Buckle
Valjoux caliber 730
1960s
For your collection of incredibly unique vintage chronographs, there is this Handmade Full-Calender & Moonphase Chronograph from the legendary Italian watchmakers GOBBI Milano & the famous artisans MISANI Milano from the very late 1960s.
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Yes - you are absolutely right. GOBBI 1842 (Milano) is the name & brand you find here and there on the dials of the most valuable timepieces made from Patek Philippe, Universal Geneve or Rolex.
GOBBI Milano | Founded in 1842, is by far more than an official retailer for refined jewelries and well known luxury watches. The famous Italian business in Milan (today: Corso Vittorio Emanuele II, Milan, Italy) was already run with such competence and dedication in the 19th century that the Grand Duke awarded it the qualification of “Royal Court Watchmaker”. The knowledge and skills of Gobbi's artisans and horologists are second to none in the world.
MISANI Milano | Founded in 1965, is unique and finest handmade craftmanship in Italian tradition.
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GOBBI Milano
Patek Philippe has been a partner of Gobbi Milano for over 175 years without interruption. And Rolex is also a long-standing partner of Gobbi. The relationship with Montres Rolex SA goes back to the first authorized dealerships awarded by Commendator Franco Locatelli in the 1930s. In the 1960s, GOBBI acquired the company Giudici, which held the ROLEX contract. Thus began a close business relationship that continues to this day in the historic store on Corso Vittorio Emanuele II.
In 1842, Raimondo Gobbi, a watchmaking enthusiast, opened his workshop in Modena under the loggia of the Collegio San Carlo. The business was run with such skill and dedication that ten years later, in 1852, the Grand Duke awarded him the title of “Royal Court Watchmaker”. At that time, sales and service were limited to pocket watches and pendulum clocks. His youngest son Giuseppe used his technical skills to help build up the company and moved to Milan in 1896, where he opened a workshop in Corso Vittorio Emanuele II. His granddaughter Adriana married Luigi Pozzolini, an enterprising watch brand representative from Tuscany, who took over the management of the company. Great-grandsons Aldo and Gastone worked in the business from the early 1930s, making it one of the leading stores in Italy for the sale of Swiss watches and wristwatches. Goldsmithing and jewelry were added later on
The first workshop was destroyed in the last war. On September 4, 1949, the current store was inaugurated, which still has the original furnishings of that time. There is also an auxiliary laboratory on the upper floor. The business is currently run by Luca Pozzolini Gobbi, Gastone's son, and his daughter Serena. With more than 170 years of history, today GOBBI can proudly say that it has been serving its customers' families for six generations, always remaining faithful to the principle of never sacrificing quality for fleeting success and always guaranteeing the highest level of seriousness and competence, in the conviction that behind a watch of the highest quality lies not only perfect mechanics, but also an equally precise and punctual service.
Gobbi 1842 has received many awards..
Bottega Storica di Milano | Gobbi In 1842, the city of Milan awarded the title of “Bottega Storica” (“Historic Workshop of Milan”): a prestigious title given to important companies that have been operating for over 50 years and symbolize Milanese history, style and tradition. The “Botteghe storiche” were defined as an “important element of memory, valuable testimony of culture and tradition, cultural heritage of the city”.
Negozio Storico Regione Veneto| The certificate awarded by the Lombardy Region includes GOBBI 1842 among the historic stores that have been providing quality services in our towns for at least 50 years.
The 155th anniversary | Commemorative plaque on the 155th anniversary of Gobbi 1842 in year 1997.
Orafa Lombarda Association | The Lombardy Goldsmiths' Association was founded on October 18, 1945. It is an association of over four hundred companies in Lombardy, including Gobbi 1842.
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MISANI Milano
Since its foundation in 1965, Misani has been characterized by its unmistakable Italian identity. To this day, every step of the manufacturing process takes place in Milan. Handmade jewelry from Misani is essentially a contemporary interpretation of Italian tradition. Misani jewels always stand for the highest quality and preciousness.
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VALJOUX
For Vallée de Joux , “Valley of Joux”, is a Swiss manufacturer of mechanical movements. It is primarily known for its high-quality chronograph movements, which can be found in numerous mechanical watches in the mid and upper segments. For example, the company supplied the movements for the famous and highly sought-after early Rolex Daytona watches.
About the Valjoux 730 caliber movement | Some say that it was born in the 1970s, in 1974 to be precise. Others say that the first examples were seen in the late 1960s. As many watch collectors know, Rolex made its Rolex Daytona Cosmograph Reference 6264 and Reference 6262 with a Valjoux 727 from the Valjoux 72 family - a caliber modified by Rolex based on the Valjoux 726 that operates at 21,600 A/h rather than 18,000 A/h. Production of both Rolex references began in the late 1960s.
The Valjoux 730 which Gobbi 1842 has chosen for this unique Chronograph is a full calender hand-winding chronograph movement with a higher-beat replacement for the venerable Valjoux 72C – which operates also at 21,600 A/h rather than 18,000 A/h.
Be it in the late 1960s or the early 1970s.. Anyway, first examples of this superbly reliable Cal. 730 with 21,600 A/h were awarded and handed over only to renowned watchmakers and brands, for the production of exceptional and very prestigious watches.
In this case, for a one-of-a-kind watch, a full-calender moonphase chronograph, in 18-carat solid gold, handcrafted by GOBBI Milano artisans and watchmakers.
Valjoux Caliber 730 | Distinguishing Technical Characteristics & Triple Calendar Functions:
• Central hours and minute hands
• Central chronograph seconds
• Central date by pointer
• 30 minute counter at 3:00
• 12 hour counter at 6:00
• Date corrector at 8:30
• Running small seconds at 9:00
• Day and Month corrector at 10:00
• Day window at 11:30
• Month window at 12:30
Valjoux 730 is a “triple calendar” movement, with day and month shown via disc through dial windows and the date indicated by a central hand:
• Day of week wheel with window at 11:30, advanced using an inset pusher at 10:00 with a deeper press
• Month wheel with window at 12:30, advanced using an inset pusher at 10:00
• Central date hand, advanced using an inset pusher at 8:30
Good to know | Valjoux does not recommend operating the day, month, or date adjusters between the hours of 20:00 and 2:00. This is to protect the calendar mechanism, which advances at midnight. Note that the month does not automatically “roll over” with the date. It must be manually set using the inset pusher.
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>> Like to understand the function and power curve of a chronograph?
Especially a chronograph with column wheel, like this Gobbi Chronograph with one of the finest movement calibers Valjoux has ever built, the Valjoux caliber 730? Well then, enjoy studying the following lines and technical explanations..
The chronograph is one of the most complex complications in watchmaking due to its many levers.
The column wheel is a steel wheel in the movement of chronographs, which is equipped with the so-called columns (small turrets). It controls and synchronizes all the important switching operations of the chronograph mechanism. Due to the high manufacturing costs, the column wheel is considered a criterion of value and quality. Other names for the column wheel are “column wheel”, “Swiss lock” and “crown wheel”.
Below an extract about famous column-wheel chronograph calibre:
Four Column
- JLC 380
Five Column
- Landeron 11, 13 (mono pusher)
- Minerva 29
Six Column
- Angelus 250, 252
- Frederic Piguet 1180, 1181 (hand-wound)
- Frederic Piguet 1185, 1186 (automatic)
- Glashütte Original 60
- JLC 829, 859
- JLC 751, 752, 753, 754, 756, 757, 758
- Landeron 52 (mono lever handle)
- Rolex 4130
- Rolex 4160
- Venus 196
Seven Column
- Valjoux 92
- Venus 150, 151, 152, 186, 187, 191
- Venus 175, 176, 178, 183, 184
- Venus 179, 185, 190
- Zenith El Primero
Eight Column
- Lange L951.1
- TAG Heuer Calibre 1887
- Universal 281
- Universal 285
- Venus 170
Nine
- Girard-Perregaux 3080
- Valjoux 22, 71
- Valjoux 23, 72, 78, 88, 90, 230, 234, 235, 236, 237, 720, 725, 726, 729, 730
>> Basics of the chronograph mechanisms with column wheel..
Difference: column wheel vs. column cam | The differences between the chronograph with a switching cam and the chronograph with a column wheel: Apart from the fact that they differ in their switching mechanism, the column-wheel chronograph does not have a diverter. The switching finger on the chrono center wheel is not a solid finger, but a bent spring. The advantage of this is that there is no need for the aforementioned adjuster, as the spring is simply pulled over the teeth of the minute-counter wheel when zeroing and the wheel does not have to be moved out of reach. If the switching finger were fixed, it would get stuck on the minute counter wheel without the adjuster and would most likely break off.
With the cam chrono, the shift lever consists of two parts and generally the cam chrono has fewer parts. It also has fewer complicated parts, which makes it easier to manufacture and, because it is more economical to produce, it is produced more often than the switching wheel chronograph.
Starting the chronograph | When the start/stop pusher is pressed, the shift lever pulls on the shift lever hook, which turns the column wheel's locking teeth one position further. The heart lever is lifted, now rests on the outside of a column of the column gear and hooks into the heart lever locking shaft. At the same time, the lever releases the derailleur. In addition, the locking lever is also lifted during this process and now rests on the outside of a column of the control wheel, thus releasing the chrono center wheel. However, the rotation of the gearshift organ also causes the clutch lever to drop from a column into a gap, thus closing the engagement between the clutch wheel and the chrono center wheel.
The chronograph has now been started | But how exactly does the transmission of power to the wheels work? Well, underneath the entire chronograph mechanism is the base movement of the watch, which runs continuously. Its rotary movement is picked up at the position of the seconds wheel. The seconds wheel has a long shaft that extends into the plane of the chronograph mechanism. The driving wheel is firmly pressed onto this shaft. As the driver wheel is in constant mesh with the clutch wheel, these two wheels always rotate with the base movement. After starting the chronograph, the clutch wheel is swung towards the chrono center wheel using the clutch lever on which the clutch wheel is mounted, and the two wheels mesh.
Our chrono center wheel, on which the second hand is located, now also rotates. After exactly one revolution of the chrono center wheel, its indexing finger engages with the teeth of the minute counter wheel and turns it one tooth further. This also causes the minute counter wheel, on which the minute counter hand is located, to rotate and the minute counter wheel ratchet jumps one tooth gap further. This process can be seen very clearly on the dial side when the chrono center hand passes through its zero position.
If you now press the start/stop button again, the ratchet wheel is rotated one position further on its ratchet teeth and the clutch lever slides back to the outside of a column of the ratchet wheel. This causes the clutch wheel to move out of engagement with the chrono center wheel again. At the same time, the blocking lever falls into a gap between the columns of the column wheel to prevent it from turning in the event of an impact and distorting the measurement result. In doing so, it rests on the outside of the toothing of the chrono center wheel and holds it in place.
Now the chronograph stops and you can simply read off the measured time.
Zeroing the chronograph | When the zeroing pusher is pressed, the heart lever locking shaft is displaced and the heart lever falls into a gap in the ratchet wheel, which has rotated under the heart lever when the chronograph was stopped. In doing so, the heart lever lifts the changeover mechanism so that the minute counter carrier wheel is out of reach of the shift finger of the chrono center wheel. At the same time, it lifts the locking lever off the toothing of the chrono center wheel.
The chrono center wheel is now free to rotate and the surfaces of the heart lever press on the zero setting hearts of the chrono center wheel and the minute counter wheel. Due to the special inclination of the surfaces on the heart lever and the special shape of the zero setting hearts, the wheels are turned forwards or backwards until the lever rests against the surfaces of the hearts and the wheels have reached their zero position. As long as the heart lever hits the hearts in such a way that the forces pass the pivot point of the wheel, the heart and gears with the hands on them are turned until the flat side of the hearts is reached. At this point, the force applied by the heart lever passes through the pivot point (= zero position). This is how the chronograph was moved back to its zero position.
The hour-counting mechanism | Unlike the rest of the chronograph, the hour-counting mechanism is located on the dial side. In addition, it does not draw its power from the fourth wheel of the base movement, but directly from the beginning of the power chain, the mainspring barrel. The hour counter wheel consists of a shaft with a fixed pinion, which engages with the teeth of an additional pinion located on the mainspring barrel. This shaft rotates permanently with the mainspring barrel. The zero-setting heart, the wheel disk and the pointer shaft are connected to the permanently rotating shaft by a kind of loose riveting and a friction spring.
Now you only need three more levers for the rest of the hour counter mechanism: the zero setting lever, the blocking lever and the switching lever for the hour lever as well as a small spring. The spring keeps the zero setting lever permanently away from the hour counter wheel. When the chronograph is started, a small rotary movement is transmitted from the control element, the switching cam, via the release lever through the movement to the dial side. The zero setting lever for the hour counter mechanism is mounted on this release lever. Turning the release lever also moves the zero setting lever. At the same time, the zero setting lever deflects the blocking lever, which is lifted off the teeth of the hour counter wheel. This causes the upper part of the hour counter wheel to rotate due to the friction produced by the friction spring. The chrono now also counts the past hours.
When the two o'clock pusher is pressed, the blocking lever is now placed against the teeth again and the hour counter hand is held in place again. To set the zero position, the pusher is used to actuate the switching lever for the hour lever. This moves the zero setting lever against the force of the small spring to the hour counter wheel and presses against the zero setting heart. This rotates until the flat side of the zero setting lever rests against the heart lever and has thus assumed the zero position. The fact that the locking lever is in engagement with the lever automatically lifts it off the toothing of the wheel disk during zeroing. This means that the rotation to zero can be carried out without damage. In contrast to the zero setting of the chrono center and minute counter wheel, the heart lever is not pressed against the hearts by a spring. For operation, this means that the zero setting pusher must always be fully depressed in order for the hour counter hand to reach the zero position.
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All of this is found in this Gobbi 1842 Full-Calender & Moonphase Chronograph featuring the one and only Chronograph Column Wheel Caliber Valjoux 730.
Never polished. Never touched up. Never exchanged components. This fine vintage treasure is a 100% original preserved unique Chronograph from GOBBI 1842. The timemachine is serviced from our master watchmakers in year 2025 and covered with our 1-year guarantee for you.
What else you definitely should know.. This chronograph has an incredibly strong presence on the wrist due to its combination of the unique case, the material, the sophisticated and distinctive clasp, the enamel dial and the multitude of functions and assigned colors on the dial. Never in the last 25 years have we had a chronograph in our LittleThings Atelier with a case of this size that has such a strong presence on the wrist. One thing you can be sure of.. - this watch will be seen on your wrist. And more than this size, it really shouldn't be for this unique kind of chronograph.
Outstanding Unique Timemachine from Gobbi Milano & Misani Milano. A truely Colletor's choice!
Manual movement Valjoux 730
Diameter 36 mm without crown
Technical indications | Keeping time +8 sec/day
Serviced 2025
Differential taxation according to § 25a UStG. No taxes included. | Differenzbesteuerung nach § 25a UStG. Kunstgegenstände und Sammlungsstücke, Sonderregelung.