Chrono-major problems or minor problems?

[Kate N]

I have a one-button Longines chrono with the 12.68Z movement.
Forgive me if these are too simple questions, but I'm completely unfamiliar with chronographs.
When the button is pressed, the chrono minute hand returns to 59 minutes, rather than 60. The chrono seconds hand goes to zero.
Is this most likely a minor repair (like removing and repositioning the hands) or is it most likely to be a major repair?
The chrono minute hand had apparently been bent downward and was catching on the regular minute hand--which may have caused this.
Secondly, is it correct that this one-button chrono only has 2 functions: #1 Slightly pushing the button stops the seconds counting hand for as long as it's kept pushed
#2 Fully depressing the button
resets the hands.
The chronograph hands move continuously.
Thanks for your input.

Kate

[Kate N]

I have a one-button Longines chrono with the 12.68Z movement.
Forgive me if these are too simple questions, but I'm completely unfamiliar with chronographs.
When the button is pressed, the chrono minute hand returns to 59 minutes, rather than 60. The chrono seconds hand goes to zero.
Is this most likely a minor repair (like removing and repositioning the hands) or is it most likely to be a major repair?
The chrono minute hand had apparently been bent downward and was catching on the regular minute hand--which may have caused this.
Secondly, is it correct that this one-button chrono only has 2 functions: #1 Slightly pushing the button stops the seconds counting hand for as long as it's kept pushed
#2 Fully depressing the button
resets the hands.
The chronograph hands move continuously.
Thanks for your input.

Kate

[burnz]

Simply moving the hand to 60 would be the likely choice. I would think that would solve the hand part.

[Kate N]

Thanks for your reply. I've found a little more info which seems to indicate that, as a flyback center seconds/minutes chrono, it may be normal for it to have continuously moving chrono hands, rather than having start and stop functions. If this is incorrect, I hope someone will be kind enough to let me know.

[doug sinclair]

Kate,

Here is a picture of a Longines 12.68z from Dr. Roland Ranfft's very helpful website. This picture doesn't seem to indicate that this watch is a chronograph. However, the watch you describe reminds me of a one-button chrongraph Omega produced in the 1960s or early 70s. Omega called it a Chronostop. It has been a long time since I have seen one, and I've never seen the Longines version of this watch, but the function you describe sounds normal for one of these simplified chronographs. These watches lack a subsidiary seconds hand feature, so it would make sense (to me) that the seconds hands would operate this way.

[Kate N]

Thanks, Doug, but it seems that Longines made a 1268Z chronograph and a 1268Z non-chrono. Roland Ranfft's excellent site only shows the non-chrono type, as you can see. This has 4 central hands in addition to a subseconds hand. It still seems strange--but maybe it's normal-- that the chrono button merely returns the 2 "counting" hands to 12 o'clock but lacks a complete start/stop function. It does, however, pause the seconds timing hand when the button is partially depressed. Bestfit illustrates the 1268Z chrono.
I wish there was a good Longines book to answer my question.
Since Longines is still in business, perhaps my best bet would be to send an inquiry to their archivist, in the hopes that he will know.