Meet One of Our Watchmakers
Time’s intangible power is Chris’ life’s work. Our valued clients entrust their timepieces to him – precious watches that mark, celebrate and connect the most important moments of their lives.
As a professional craftsman, Chris will methodically disassemble your entire watch piece by piece and restore it to perfection. A CW21 Certified Master Watchmaker, he has the highest skill set and knowledge in the industry. Among his specialties? For more than 40 years, he’s specialized in the restoration and repair of Rolex timepieces and is skilled at fine tuning and repairing other major brands as well.
Chris trained at Gem City College in Quincy, IL and in his early career designed and crafted fine jewelry. One day, though, a chance meeting with a Swiss man would transform his life.
“In the 70s and 80s, watchmaking was a dying trade, as quartz watches were all the rage,” recounts Chris. “ But one day, I was in line to replace a battery when the gentleman in front of me asked if I knew anything about mechanical watches! That man was Heinz Lueunberger, the Technical Advisor for Rolex North America.”
Just a week later, Chris moved to Dallas and spent a long, rigorous year under Lueunberger’s mentorship — studying and learning the exacting mechanics of Rolex timepieces. Never willing to compromise the company’s superior standards, Lueunberger would often critique Chris’s work, reminding him to go back and “do it the right way – the Rolex way”.
After completing his apprentice ship, Chris worked for Rolex as one of its watchmakers in the Dallas Service Center. He continued his studies and became an accredited CW21 Master Watchmaker, of which there are fewer than 400 in the U.S..
For the next three decades, his days and weeks were filled meticulously restoring and repairing Rolex watches to return them to like – new condition. Over the years, Chris has earned a reputation for his skill and his thoughtful handling of the Rolex watches that tell the stories of the most important moments of customers’ lives. Here’s one example…
“Years ago , a Tennessee senator’s home caught fire,” Amen recalls. “He and his wife had matching gold Rolex Presidential watches that were engraved and very meaningful to them.
After the fire, they were found with melted crystals and dials. They were also black on the inside. But, after a careful chemical process and by replacing many of the parts, I was able to restore the watches for them. They were very thankful .”
Master Watchmakers such as Chris possess a rare talent. We at WatchRepair.net are proud to have a CW21 Certified Master Watchmaker as passionate and accomplished as Chris Amen. He takes great pride in his work and care for his client’s timepieces. Let Chris put his talents to work on your valuable timepiece. Get started b y asking for an estimate today.
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