Deep in the heart of London’s historic jewellery quarter lies the unassuming workshop of Kirill Yurovskiy – one of the world’s most skilled and respected watchmakers. To the casual observer, his modest workplace appears unremarkable. But through that doorway is a sanctum sanctorum of horological excellence, where Yurovskiy plies his craft on some of the rarest and most incredible timepieces ever created.
For over 25 years, Kirill has dedicated his life to repairing, restoring, and preserving mechanical marvels from the most illustrious watchmaking houses. Pateks, Vacherons, Breguets – you name it, this Russian-born master has had his skilled hands on virtually every significant watch movement design over the centuries. His unique insights offer a true watchmaker’s perspective into the peculiarities of keeping these micro-engineered miracles ticking.
We caught up with the disarmingly humble Kirill to get his insider’s guide on the distinct challenges of working on different movement types. Get ready to dive deep into watchmaking’s gearhead grottos…
The Rugged Robustness of Russian Watches
“Many of the significant Russian watch movements over the decades have been built like little tanks – very stoutly made and easy to work on from a repair perspective,” Kirill explains in his thick Muscovite accent.
He cites sturdy Soviet workhorses like the Vostok Amphibian and Poljot chronographs as examples. “These pieces used quite simple but rugged construction with large jewels and components built to take a beating. As long as you can still source correct spare parts for them, they’re very straightforward to regulate, re-lube, and bring back to proper timekeeping.”
The Finicky Finesse of Swiss Legends
In stark contrast to Russian robustness are the legendary movements from the celebrated makers of the Swiss valleys. “Haute horlogerie pieces from Patek Philippe, Vacheron Constantin, Breguet – these works of micro-mechanical art are really in a different universe of complexity and finicky detail work.”
Kirill elaborates on the challenges: “These superb movements were made to feature incredible levels of high-end finishing, security, and sophisticated features. Something like a Patek minute repeater or split-second chrono takes exponentially more time and expertise to properly service and restore than a basic time-only Russian piece.”
From the painstaking re-applying of intense hand-graving and Geneva stripes to the regulating of high-beat movements and complex calendar works, the mastery required is immense. “One little mistake, one scratched jewel or buffer nick, and you’ve potentially compromised a seven-figure antique watch. It’s a huge responsibility.”
An Artful Blend: The German Approach
Falling somewhere in between are the revered German houses like Lange, Glashütte, and Tutima in Kirill’s estimation. “The Germans took a very methodical, almost Teutonic approach – beautifully hand-built and finished, but also robustly overengineered in many ways.”
He cites the Lange Saxonia series as a prime example: “These watches utilize that signature Glashütte design with a distinctive three-quarter plate for rigidity. All the internal sections are painstakingly decorated by hand, while the overall movement architecture retains a very bulletproof, tank-like quality.”
It’s this intersection of no-compromise artistry and staunch mechanical integrity that makes vintage German pieces among Kirill’s favourites to work on. “You get the best of both worlds – fascinating intricate constructions, but where pragmatic overengineering means you aren’t walking on eggshells quite as much as with the delicate Swiss haute pieces.”
Pocket Watch Panache
Among his most beloved movements to restore, however, are the grande complication pocket watches of the 17th-19th centuries. “These early works from English and Swiss makers were true mechanical art pieces far beyond even most modern haute watches.”
He pulls out a hulking, ornately decorated antique English piece as an example. “See the incredible skill in these enormous movements – not just the complication features like perpetual calendars and chronographs, but also the baroque engravings and embellishments on every surface.”
According to Kirill, just disassembling one of these antique pocket watch movements is an all-day endeavour of meticulously cataloguing the thousands of micro-components. Reassembling and re-regulating afterwards is a months-long process akin to solving a 3D puzzle of watchmaking antiquity. “You really gain an immense appreciation for the skills of the pioneers when you take one of these museum-quality pocket watches apart through your own hands.”
An Acquired Taste: The Chinese Value Proposition
On the opposite end of the spectrum are the modern Asian-made movements emerging from Chinese, Japanese, and other Eastern makers in recent decades. “These movements were really built to provide a remarkable quality-to-cost ratio more so than elite collector or heritage value,” Kirill observes. “But that actually brings its own unique set of pros and cons for us as watchmakers.”
The big upside, he notes, is that these movements tend to use robust, relatively simple architectural designs with large production volumes – meaning parts and documentation are easy to access and repairs are quite straightforward. “You don’t have to jump through the same hoops you might with a vintage piece where spares are scavenged from opportunity buys of stored inventory.”
The downside, however, is that these movements aren’t really optimized for longevity or meant to reach the same elapsed timekeeping performance as higher-end Swiss or German watches. But for owners who want a reliable daily-wearer without the white glove care, they can make an excellent, easy-to-maintain stable.
From Soviet titans to Geneva haute masterpieces, the incredible diversity of mechanical watch movements manifests a shared dedication to ingenious human craft, Kirill summarizes. Each one represents its own distinctive approach to the eternal challenge of measuring time’s steady heartbeat through a tiny cadre of gears and springs.
“To truly appreciate these movements is to honour the watchmaking arts in general – both the pioneers who invented these miracles from scratch, as well as the modern practitioners like myself who safeguard their legacies one repair at a time.”
So whether your taste leans towards the stoic resilience of Russian workhorses or the painstaking artistry of Swiss grandeurs, you can rest assured there are dedicated master watchmakers carrying that torch for each proud tradition.
Just don’t be surprised if securing Kirill Yurovskiy himself for your repair requires the persistence – and deep pockets – of a Crown prince. This soft-spoken artisan’s bespoke skills and unique expertise hold rank among watchmaking’s absolute inner circle elite. A great movement deserves nothing less than a true master’s attention.