Service: Tissot Chronograph / calibre 871 / Lemania 1281

P1000058Clayton sent in this Tissot Chronograph. The crown has come loose, but dial and case are in good condition…P1000059

If you think that this looks familiar, you are right. The Lemania 1281 is the precursor to the famous Omega 321. There are quite a few differences, so parts aren’t really interchangeable.P1000061

Not too bad, but there is dirt, the oil has dried up, and there is also some rust, so high time for a service.P1000063

The pendant tube doesn’t look too good, so I will change that, and I will also fit new pushers, as the pusher screws are bent.P1000065

There is rust on the bottom plate, so that will need cleaning up as well. This side is almost identical with the Omega 321.P1000066 P1000074

There are quite a few differences to the 321 which are visible here. The construction of the intermediate wheel that drives the minute recorder, the minute recorder runner and its spring, the start/stop lever construction, and the clutch spring, which comes in from the top, rather than from the side as on the 321.P1000084

Not too much dirt here.P1000086

The gear train is now visible, with a bit of rust on the winding pinion, the winding stem,  and setting lever screw.P1000087

I will also fit a new mainspring.P1000088

Now it’s time to take the bottom plate apart.P1000095

The parts go into the cleaning machine.P1000177

With all the parts cleaned, re-assembly starts, and i put in the balance jewels.P1000179

The gear train goes into place.P1000180

In order to test the movement, I put in the winding gears.P1000181

That doesn’t look too shabby.P1000184

Now I can complete the chronograph layer.P1000185

The bottom plate is complete, and I can put the dial on.P1000198

The new pusher screws are as usual too long, and have to be cut to size, with a new slit for the screwdriver cut in. P1000202

The watch is back together, and looking very good indeed.

8 thoughts on “Service: Tissot Chronograph / calibre 871 / Lemania 1281

  1. Im wondering how close this movement is to the 861 used in the Speedmaster Pro. The 861 also uses the cheaper cam operated design, but apparently this design is more robust, else NASA wouldn’t have chosen it. So it seems wrong to call it merely a move to make the watch cheaper.

  2. Hello! Amazing work on this chronograph! I have recently acquired one in excellent shape, but it is missing the little spring-loaded lever for the minute counter when the chronograph is initiated. Would you happen to have any particular part location where I could find that? Any help would be much appreciated! Thanks!

  3. Nice to see a 1281 being serviced!

    Lemania cal 1281 was an early “budget type” cam operated design.

    The 127x/8x series of movements was regarded as robust and good value.
    Compared to the “finer” CH12 / 2310 / Omega 321 they had for instance a flat spring instead of Breguet type, and cam operation instead of column wheel.

  4. Beautiful watch. Did yo have to change out the pusher caps as well? The thread on the new screw looks a narrower and a bit more course than the original.

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