At present, the over-travel measurement of high-voltage circuit breakers is mostly carried out after the circuit breaker is completely dismantled. The disadvantage of the measurement is that it can only be measured when the circuit breaker is dismantled and overhauled. Defects are diagnosed in a timely and effective manner, and capacity causes hidden troubles. This article provides a method for direct measurement of hydraulic circuit breakers without any adjustment or disassembly. The method can be carried out in various situations such as minor repairs, major repairs, and temporary repairs, which not only saves time, but also improves accuracy of the measurement. The comparative test results show that this method can be simple, convenient and effective to measure the overtravel of the high-voltage circuit breaker.