Welcome back! Today I’m doing a full teardown and service on an absolute icon: the Universal Genève Tri-Compax... a legendary full calendar chronograph (day, date, month, moonphase + chrono) that traces back to the mid-1940s. When it arrived on the bench the timegrapher numbers were… not pretty: low amplitude and a beat error that was off the charts, even though the calendar and chronograph functions mostly appeared to be working.

In this episode you’ll see the full process: careful dial-side disassembly (because with Tri-Compax watches, the dial, hands, and moonphase disc are a huge part of the value), a deep dive into the chronograph works (column wheel, horizontal clutch, minute recorder, hour recorder, and all the tiny springs that love to launch into orbit), and a few surprises along the way.

Highlights include:
A mystery lever found inside the case (always a good sign… 😅)
The “is it a front loader or rear loader?” case drama... including a DIY bicycle pump crystal pop!
A chronograph classic: the sweep hand pipe separating from the hand, and how I re-fit and rivet it back securely
Full cleaning, jewel inspection, fresh lubrication, and a much healthier timegrapher result
Finishing touches including a new crystal to replace the cracked original

If you enjoy vintage chronographs, complicated calendar work, or just like seeing how these old mechanical machines come back to life with a proper service, I think you’ll enjoy this one.

#restoration
#watchrepair
#wristwatch
#vintagewatches

Contact info: cspinnerwatchrepair@gmail.com

Many of my tools I use are affordable. If you're interested in getting started with watch repair and would like to use what I use, I've included some links below. I earn a small commission from Amazon if purchases are made using these links.

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Chapters:
0:00 Intro
1:18 Begin Disassembly
18:08 Cleaning and Core Assembly
28:35 Chronograph Assembly
32:50: Calendar Assembly
39:43 Casing the Movement
43:00 Repairing the Sweep Hand
45:00 Crystal Install & Wrap Up