Venus Cal. 179 is part of the Venus 175 family of movements. It is a hand-winding column wheel chronograph movement. Similar to the base Venus 175/176, it adds a split-second function. The dial features a 3-9 subdial arrangement.
Cal. 179 was introduced around 1944 and substantially modified in 1949. It was retired around 1960, with some sources claiming 1962 specifically. Some sources place the introduction of this movement at 1940 or 1941, but it appears that production was delayed for a few years.
Breitling was the main beneficiary of the rattrapante Venus 179 movement, introducing their Duograph at the Basel Fair in 1944. It was an uncommon and desirable watch, and gave the brand a unique sales proposition alongside the rest of the Vénus movements powering the company’s chronographs at this time.
Applications
Cal. 179 was recently used by Panerai in their Radiomir Chrono Split Seconds, PAM00047.
Paul Picot used Cal. 179 as the basis for their Grande Complication in the 1990s. They used original components on a modern base and added a Glucydur balance, Breguet hairspring, and goose-neck regulator, along with a power reserve function, the first automatic split-seconds chronograph movement to feature this complication. The result was Cal. PP310, made in limited quantities starting in 1993.
Venus 175 Family
| Complications | Standard | Split Seconds |
|---|---|---|
| Base | Venus 175 Venus 176 | Venus 179 |
| Hour Counter | Venus 178 | Venus 185 |
| Date, Hour Counter | Venus 183 | Venus 189 |
| Date, Moon Phase, Hour Counter | Venus 184 | Venus 190 |
| Calendar | Venus 194 | |
| Calendar, Moon Phase | Venus 198 | Venus 205 |
| Calendar, Hour Counter | Venus 192 | Venus 193 |
More detail on the history of Vénus is available in the Grail Watch article, “The Rise of Vénus, Legendary Chronograph Maker“