Vintage circa 1950 Helbros Venus 170 Chronograph

$700.00

This Helbros chronograph is a fantastic slice of mid-century timing hardware, built around the legendary Venus 170 column-wheel movement. At 35 mm across, the rhodium-plated case pairs beautifully with a silver dial that has aged into a warm, even patina, with applied Arabic numerals, blued outer scale and that distinctive “up-down” twin-register layout that makes Venus 170 chronographs instantly recognizable. The bright red chronograph seconds hand adds a touch of drama without feeling flashy.

The Venus 170 movement on the inside is the star of the show. Fully serviced, regulated and running strongly, it is in exceptional condition for vintage chronograph movement from this era and helps make this piece a great value.

This Helbros chronograph is a fantastic slice of mid-century timing hardware, built around the legendary Venus 170 column-wheel movement. At 35 mm across, the rhodium-plated case pairs beautifully with a silver dial that has aged into a warm, even patina, with applied Arabic numerals, blued outer scale and that distinctive “up-down” twin-register layout that makes Venus 170 chronographs instantly recognizable. The bright red chronograph seconds hand adds a touch of drama without feeling flashy.

The Venus 170 movement on the inside is the star of the show. Fully serviced, regulated and running strongly, it is in exceptional condition for vintage chronograph movement from this era and helps make this piece a great value.

Here are a few more details about this beautiful timepiece:

Manufacturer: Helbros
Model/Reference: 815
Movement: Venus 170 (17 Jewels)
Year (Best Est.): 1948-1952
Movement Type: Manual
Complications: Chronograph
Shock Protected: No
Case Type: Rhodium Plated with Removable Bezel and Stainless Steel Snap Back
Case Width: 35 mm
Lug to Lug: 44 mm
Thickness: 13 mm
Lug Width (Band Size): 17.8 (18)

Condition Notes

  • Fully Serviced and Regulated. All Chronograph Functions Adjusted & Fully Functional

  • New Crystal

  • Hands freshly lumed

  • Original crown had worn knurling and was replaced with contemporaneous vintage Venus 170 crown (Original crown will be included with watch).

  • Full case restoration. Original chrome plating was removed, and case, bezel, pushers and crown were refinished in Rhodium.

  • Study photographs carefully!

Important Note on the Watch Band

Please note that the band pictured is NOT included with watch purchase. I generally acquire new bands for display purposes and do not include them because they vary significantly in price and many purchasers will want to obtain their own band as suits their taste.

You will need an 18mm band to pair with this watch.

However, if you are interested in purchasing the band pictured in the photos along with the watch, it will be available at or near my replacement cost as an optional add-on. If you don’t see it as an option in the listing please message me for help. I am also happy to point you to where you can purchase the exact same band directly from the seller.

If you have questions about bands or want my assistance, please message me. I’m happy to help.

Standard Disclaimer

I make every effort to ensure that the vintage watches I work on are both accurate enough to serve as practical timepieces and reliable enough to be worn and enjoyed for many years to come. That said, vintage watches are delicate and, like any mechanical device, subject to wear.

Therefore, I cannot provide any express or implied warranty for this watch, beyond the fact that it is running, and it is being sold AS IS.

Additional notes

·       Servicing and restoration followed the process described in detail here.

  • Vintage watches are delicate - particularly older models that lack shock protection. Please handle with care

  • Regardless of what it says on the case, I do not attempt to restore watches to a fully waterproof condition. Please keep this watch away from water and definitely do not submerge it.

  • If the watch is an automatic, I recommend that you use the hand wind feature sparingly to minimize wear on the automatic winding mechanism.

I do like to stand behind my work, so please don’t hesitate to contact me if you have any problems. I will correct any obvious defects in my workmanship free of charge and will provide lifetime service (as long as I am able) for vintage timepieces that I have restored at heavily discounted rates.

Regarding Parts Originality

I know that some collectors are very concerned with originality of parts. I will list any parts that I replace, internally or externally, in the condition notes above. I will also make a good faith effort to assess whether any of the watch parts (e.g. dial, crown or hands, etc.) may have been replaced or refinished prior to my acquisition of the watch and, if I believe it is likely they were, I will also indicate this in the condition notes above. However, I cannot make any bedrock guarantees regarding originality of parts. I work on many different watch brands and lack the deep expertise on the history of any given brand that would be necessary to do so.