We present the results of X-ray and millimetre monitoring of the blazar 3C273 at 1–2 day intervals over the period 12 December 1992 to 24 January 1993. No large flares are seen in this period but variations in both wavebands of ∼ 30% on few day timescales are apparent. The ROSAT PSPC X-ray spectrum consists of 2 power-law components with the harder component dominating above 0.5 keV. There is very little correlation between the variability of the soft and hard components. The soft component does not correlate with the millimetre variations, but the hard component correlates reasonably well and leads the millimetre variations by about 10 days. These results show that the hard X-ray component cannot be a simple extrapolation of the millimetre/IR synchrotron component but may be explained as a self-Compton component in a shocked jet.