Vintage Chronograph Servicing in London & Across the UK
Contact our Brixton studio here for a repair quote.
An Omega 865 from a 1970s Chronostop
At Harris Horology we specialise in the repair and servicing of vintage watches and have extensive experience working on a wide range of chronographs from all makers and of all ages. You have to be very careful who you trust with a vintage watch, where originality and careful consideration of any work done are critical. We draw on our museum experience and practice when working on watches with history to ensure they keep as much of their character and charm as possible.
We have an array of experience working on simple and complicated chronograph movements from all the quality manufacturers such as Valjoux, Venus, Zenith and Omega.
A large percentage of our work is on heirloom watches - those inherited from an earlier generation, and we work hard to bring them back to life while keeping the object's soul intact. No visual changes or no over-polished cases, just the watch working as it used to decades ago. Read examples of our vintage watch repairs at our blog here.
We are experienced working with old watches of all types, brands we regularly work on vintage chronographs from are Omega, Longines, Universal Geneve, Zenith, Angelus and Lemania, to name just few. In the 50s through to the 70s there were many companies which now no longer exist, this doesn’t mean they can’t be fixed. If you have a vintage watch get in touch with us as repair is almost always possible.
Gallet Chronograph with a Venus 150 Movement
Zenith Chronograph with calibre 146D
If you have a mechanical watch or chronograph and have ever been told that it isn’t worth repairing or that parts aren’t available, look no further. There’s no such thing as 'obsolete parts’ as far as we are concerned, as we can source or manufacture anything. Don’t just look for ‘watch repair near me’, look for watch repair from someone who cares. You can read more about our watch repair here.
Harris Horology is only open by appointment - please initially contact us for an initial discussion about your watch and make an appointment here, or send your watch to us for repair.
Contact us here for a repair quote.
More about repairs
Orator ‘Extra’ Gold Cased Triple Calendar with Valjoux 72c
saving inherited treasures
Many of our customers have been told before that their watch can’t be fixed, parts are not available, or even their watch isn’t worth repairing. Parts can almost always be sourced or even made where required by our horologists in our fully equipped workshop.
Rolex Branded Valjoux Chronograph Movement
Watches worth repairing
We’ve serviced and repaired vintage watches from all walks of life, ranging from twice-worn retirement gifts to military watches supposedly recovered from shipwrecks. We treat all watches with the same care and attention no matter their value or history: they’re all worth caring for.
Breitling 'Rex' Monopusher Fob Watch with Venus 140
Watch Repair Near Me
The closest isn’t always the best. We often work by post for customers who haven’t been able to find a suitable repairer near to them. Send your watch with confidence knowing it will finally be repaired by a watchmaker who cares and can give your vintage watch the service it deserves.
Contact us here for a repair quote.
Reviews
Don’t just take our word for it, trust our fantastic clients, these quotes are taken from our google reviews:
“James Harris recently serviced my 47 year-old Rolex Tudor Chronograph. It’s now in perfect working order, and I have ultimate confidence in his talents. Moreover, his charges are far less than the company who previously serviced my watch. I’m very happy!”
“Harris Horology undertook a complete restoration of my 1930s mens wristwatch chronograph. Superb job and went the extra mile to get the re-lume just as I needed it. Will use again and recommend to others.”
“James is a horology graduate who has probably had the best training in watch and clockmaking.
He has done work for me including the repair and service of a 1990’s Fortis Chronograph, a piece that
Many watchmakers will not work on. I was wholly satisfied with the result.
James is a rising star in the watchmaking firmament, and one I wholeheartedly recommend.”
“I took in a 50+ year old zenith in for a service. Perfect!
My heuer Chronograph had its first every service. Perfect. James also fixed my wife’s Mondaine by sourcing a new quartz movement.
Super service, fantastic guy and if your obsessed by watches it’s just the best place ever. Thank you!”
Vintage Chronograph Troubleshooting & Collector FAQs
Why does my vintage chronograph lose time or stop running entirely when the stopwatch is engaged?
Answer: This is a classic symptom known on repair forums as chronograph drag. When you press the start pusher, the clutch wheel swings into gear, forcing the running movement to drive the secondary chronograph train. If the lubrication on the chronograph wheels has turned to glue over the decades, or if the wheel tooth engagement (depthing) is too deep, the sudden friction saps so much energy from the gear train, it drops the balance wheel's amplitude. This causes the watch to lose minutes or stall completely. A comprehensive service corrects this by completely and meticulously cleaning the train and adjusting the eccentric depthing screws at the bench as part of a full service.
Why does the chronograph hand fly back to a different position instead of resetting perfectly to zero?
Answer: On vintage column-wheel movements (like the Venus 150 or Valjoux 72), resetting relies on a spring-loaded hammer striking a heart-shaped cam on the center wheel. If the reset hand is loose on its pivot, or if past repairers aggressively altered the hammer faces, the hammer cannot lock the cam perfectly in place. This leaves the hand resetting slightly to the left or right of the 12 o'clock marker. Correcting a floating reset requires high-magnification verification of the hammer-to-cam contact alignment and, if necessary, tightening the hand cannon to ensure a crisp, reliable reset.
My chronograph sub-dial skips two minutes at a time, or fails to register the minute change at all. Can this be fixed?
Answer: Yes, this is entirely adjustable and simply a symptom of an incorrectly adjusted chronograph mechanism. The jumping of the minute-recording hand is controlled by an incredibly delicate, carefully depthed intermediate driving wheel which is pushed by a finger on the chronograph wheel. Too shallow depthing means the wheel is not moved enough to ‘click over’ to the next wheel. Too deep and the minute counter can move twice or even move two minutes at a time. We carefully calibrate the entire geometry of the chronograph mechanism under a microscope to ensure smooth operation every time.
Why do general high-street jewellers refuse to service older mechanical chronographs?
Answer: Most modern high-street watch outlets operate as drop-shipping points that send watches to major brand service centres. Because parts production for mid-century calibres ceased decades ago, these centres lack the components (and often the specialised bench skills) required to adjust manual-wind complications. Some brands may suggest sending your watch to Switzerland at great cost but even then, they may decline repair. They prefer to work on modern watches where parts are abundant. Because we operate an independent workshop equipped for traditional parts fabrication and with a strong network of suppliers of out-of-production parts, we do not rely on factory supply chains to return your historic chronograph to good health.