1950s Oxford Venus 188 Chronograph
Movement: Venus 188 (17 Jewels)
Movement Type: Manual
Complications: Chronograph
Case Type: Rhodium-Plated Case & Bezel with Stainless Steel Screwback
Case Size: 36mm
Occasionally I get a watch to restore that I know is going to be a bit of an odyssey. This Oxford chronograph certainly qualifies. It came to me with a beat up & corroded case & bezel. Both the pushers and hands, other than the minute counter, had been thoroughly trashed. Fortunately the, other than replacing the mainspring, the movement didn’t require anything beyond a standard service. I was able to track down hands with a blue tint that match the aesthetic of the originals fairly well, and I (eventually, after a lot of hunting) found a pair of modern replacement pushers that, while a bit oversized, fit and function well. The case and bezel - originally chrome - were restored and re-plated in rhodium, and the crystal was replaced. After all of that, I ended up with a good looking and strong running Venus-based chronograph, so I think it was all worth it.
*Please note that visible serial numbers on the case and movement have been partially or fully hidden with AI masking.