Russ/Russian Watches

Siegfried Sassoon.

2012-01-29T14:07:00.000-08:00

Its very welcome to see,the Poem i posted,commemorating remembranceSunday[11.11.11],
Aftermath,by Siegfried Sassoon.It Has been one of the most popular post for several weeks now.
This very moving poem ,by the consummate 1st world war poet, conveys perfectly ,the abject futility, of that war to end all wars.
Every time i read it ,it fills me with emotion, and i will never forget.
Russ.

Another Sturmanskie. Cal; 3133.

2012-01-21T10:00:00.000-08:00

I picked this Sturmanskie up from a very nice seller in Germany,the listing had excellent pictures,it sold quite cheaply,it has a stainless case,has early style hands,is in generally excellent condition,Chronograph,functions admirably,keeps superb time.Movement is an early one,maybe to early for this particular version.I try not to hypothesise,to much.But,who knows,Russian watch ,history is limited.
.There are some good resources on the internet[check out the links on the right hand side of blog under ,favourite links],
Another great addition to the collection.

Repaired ``Strela`` and Poljot Amphibia returned.

2012-01-14T04:14:00.000-08:00

Great to have these two returned,from Stephen Burrage,at Rytetime,as usual he has done a miraculous job.
I posted some time ago about the Strela.
I had sent it to Steve, after,i had managed to source enough parts,out of my spares bin,to repair/restore it.
As usual Steve has done a fantastic job,it now works perfectly,chronograph works as it should,keeps quite excellent time.The one non original item,is the small seconds hand,which had to be sourced else where,i am very pleased with the result,i love these plain dialled 3017`s,and its another old campaigner saved.
.
The very Rare Poljot Amphibia,has again been restored to originality,over time.
You may remember i posted about how i fitted correct hands and relumed them,in a previous post.
I sent it to Steve,primarily,because it had never run correctly,so,needed a service,but when Steve started to delve into it,he found that at sometime in the past,the dial had been stuck on!.With great patience and skill,he managed to remove the dial,without damaging it,and has now reattached it correctly,after service,it is now running and keeping time perfectly.This particular Poljot would have been made in a small batch,rite at the end of Poljot production,so who knows,what could have been happening at the factory at the time.

Okeah And 300m Vostok Amphibia with new boots.

2012-01-14T03:51:00.000-08:00

Just put some more suitable straps on the Okeah and Vostok.The Okeah came on an original Stainless Poljot Period strap,trouble is i don't like metal straps,so changed over to this slightly sudden,but very comfortable tan leather strap.
The Vostok,was,slightly more difficult,in that there are not many suitable 22mm straps to fit it,in the end i have settled on a very ``military`` but,again comfortable,leather NATO type strap.

Original Stainless Steel Okeah received.

2012-01-07T06:49:00.000-08:00

I did not expect to win this,it was due to finish on German e.bay,in the middle of Christmas Day,so,i just left a bid a couple of days before,more in hope than expectation.
When i received it of the charming seller i was overjoyed,[the pictures were not that clear],it is an original Okeah,note orange Crono` hands and steel chrono` wheel on movement[[No`;1870],the case is Stainless.
The condition is just how i like iconic watches such as this to be,the dial has age and some lume loss,it has also had the crown replaced at some time,keeps excellent time,Chronograph functions as it should.Its got its history written all over it.
An absolute joy.

Vostok Amphibia 300m Wire Lugs

2012-01-06T10:18:00.000-08:00

Vostok 300m Amphibia [Wire lugs],Grail arrives.
There seems to have been quit a bit of interest in this watch ,as it was drawn to my attention,i read with weary resignation, some of the comment on a watch forum.It just reinforces my view,that,although they offer a wealth of kowledgable informed members,theres always a small minority of the ill informed,who often talk about nothing,[at length!],and use it, as an unwitting showcase,for there own narrow prejudices,that's why i tend to keep away from most of them.

I bought this watch off a great seller[,thank you Slava],whom i have happily bought off before.we came to an understanding that was amicable to both sides.

When i received the watch ,i was overwhelmed by its complete,originality,it was much heavier than my other amphibias,because of its much more substantial construction,much thicker crystal and case back for example,the wire lugs are 22mm in width, the watch is on a temporary strap,until i can source better.
Overall condition,is truly exceptional,keeps excellent time,looks truly stunning on the wrist,the thicker crystal,seems to emphasise that hand painted jewel of a dial.

These watches were originaly military issue,[possibly only 200,in number].Extremely Rare.

Happy New Year.

2011-12-31T11:06:00.000-08:00

An early happy New Year,as i will be to far gone later on.
I hope everyone has a great 2012.
Best Regards,
Russ Cook.

Another Grail Arriving Soon.

2011-12-24T12:07:00.000-08:00

I am looking forward to receiving another one of my absolute grails,will post pictures when it arrives.

Poljot cal;31659 Hacking Sturmanskie [Reissue] Added.

2011-12-18T02:36:00.000-08:00

Recently received this 31659 cal` Stainless, Hacking Sturmanskie Reissue from a great seller in Finland.It was actually advertised as cal;3133 [without picture of movement] with the chronograph not functioning as it should.I took a chance on buying it ,because it was a very reasonable price and was worth the gamble of it being a 31659 cal,which i have wanted for awhile.This type of case came in Cal`31659,form,i have also,however, seen a 3133 cal` installed.

I was obviously overjoyed when i received it to find the Late, cal;31659 installed,as i have said before i can do minor repairs,in this case,resetting the hands manually, and adjusting the movement cam screws to get the chronograph functioning correctly,[i notice the small chrono` hand is still slightly out,i will readjust].

The watch is in excellent condition,with stainless case,keeps excellent time,as i say it is a later reissue,[later movement,Original dial would have been greyer].It just goes to show,if you have a limited budget,as i have,you can still find a real bargain,if you have patience and a little knowledge.

P.S. My thanks to Boris,you are correct it should have the winged Large chrono hand.......for some reason my memory convinced me that this version could have both types of Large chrono hand to be original........i actually looked for one with this hand version!....I still love the watch though,everything else is good.

Regards Russ.

Cyrillic Poljot Amphibian Diver Added.

2011-12-10T09:33:00.000-08:00

Just received this Poljot Amphibia,from a charming Russian seller.I am slowly building up quite a collection of Amphibia`s,i find them very easy to wear,[Not to big,one of my bug bares!].This i an automatic,cal;2616,keeps quite exceptional time.It has the Cyrillic dial and quite a plain caseback,compared to some of my others,the text on the caseback reads` Water resistant.`
I am very pleased with It.

Aftermath. Siegfried Sassoon

2011-11-11T12:00:00.001-08:00

HAVE you forgotten yet?...
For the world's events have rumbled on since those gagged days,
Like traffic checked while at the crossing of city-ways:
And the haunted gap in your mind has filled with thoughts that flow
Like clouds in the lit heaven of life; and you're a man reprieved to go,
Taking your peaceful share of Time, with joy to spare.
But the past is just the same--and War's a bloody game...
Have you forgotten yet?...
Look down, and swear by the slain of the War that you'll never forget.

Do you remember the dark months you held the sector at Mametz--
The nights you watched and wired and dug and piled sandbags on parapets?
Do you remember the rats; and the stench
Of corpses rotting in front of the front-line trench--
And dawn coming, dirty-white, and chill with a hopeless rain?
Do you ever stop and ask, 'Is it all going to happen again?'

Do you remember that hour of din before the attack--
And the anger, the blind compassion that seized and shook you then
As you peered at the doomed and haggard faces of your men?
Do you remember the stretcher-cases lurching back
With dying eyes and lolling heads--those ashen-grey
Masks of the lads who once were keen and kind and gay?

Have you forgotten yet?...
Look up, and swear by the green of the spring that you'll never forget.

Poljot Cyrillic Automatic cal;2415 Added.

2011-11-06T03:50:00.000-08:00

Just received the above Cyrillic Poljot Automatic,to add to the others in my collection,i never can resist these understated,and underrated,watches from the 60`s and 70`s,this ones a nice early one.

The watch has a charming dedication on the caseback,also keeps excellent time,i have given the crystal a polish with polywatch and cleaned the case.

As i have already said these watches are underrated,i purchased it off e.bay for £20,an absolute bargain.

A Brace Of Sputniks.

2011-09-20T12:03:00.000-07:00

Just received these 1st MWF [Poljot] Sputniks,its becoming very hard to find original ones now.So a big thanks must go to Robert Prochowicz,for being such an honest seller,[check out Roberts great collection in my favourite links section].
They are in great overall condition,keeping excellent time,i have been after an original Sputnik,at a reasonable price for some time,[i had to sell one i had before and always regretted it],so,it was a very pleasant surprise to end up with two.
They were, of course,made to commemorate the successful launch of the Sputnik satellite in October 1957.
Great additions to the collection.

Another Poljot 3017 [Strela] Chronograph,For Restoration/Repair.

2011-09-18T07:29:00.000-07:00

I have said before,i had a collection of parts and incomplete 3017 chronograph watches,which i had accumulated over the years,i have used various parts to keep other 3017`s going,i did make another 3017 up from parts,as reported on previously[a lot of hassle!],i have also donated parts to collectors who were in need.
I have now managed to locate and bring together all of my parts collection,and decided to make a complete Chronograph,for restoration.The watch is running,all be it,erratically, the chronograph function is not working correctly,the wath would have been manufatured circa 1973..
I will be tentatively sending the watch to Steve at Rytetime,as usual, for repair,and no doubt testing his good nature once again,[in a good way],he has become used to me sending him complete, basket cases.
This will be an ongoing project,and will not be finished in a hurry,will report on progress over time.

Early Vostok Precision Added.

2011-08-24T11:29:00.000-07:00

Just received this early Vostok Precision,from a charming seller in Austria,its in beautiful condition,both case and dial,[dial is in such good condition,thought it could possibly be a redial,on balance, after closer examination and after having studied various excellent examples on the Russian watch forum,Watch.ru,i am pretty convinced.].Has a nice early movement,The watch would have been made early 60`s. Will post better pictures when i have more time and light.

Raketa 22j Ultrathin [2209] Received

2011-08-09T06:19:00.000-07:00

Just received this Bargain Raketa Ultrathin,the prices of these cal 2209 Raketas are starting to creep up.[i missed out on an earlier auction because the price reached a ridiculous level,].

So i left a small bid on this one,imagine my extremely pleasant surprise,when i ended up winning it for £31. In fact, it was such a bargain,i thought perhaps i had missed something and it was not what it seemed,so i checked up on some old catalogues for reference[picture included],and it is indeed original,just like my other 2209`s.
The condition is quite excellent, [just small plate loss to rear of lugs],winds and sets beautifully,keeps exceptional time.Just goes to show,there are still bargains out there.

Vostok Hacking Komandirskie `Red Star` Received.[3AKA3 MO CCCP]

2011-08-07T02:41:00.000-07:00

Just received this Komandirskie in beautiful condition,with hacking 2234 movement in.Has the `ministry` 3AKA3 MO CCCP dial,though wether it actually means anything is a bit of a mute point .It is in beautiful condition and keeps exceptional time

1st MWF Vympel [Ultra Thin] Received.

2011-08-06T05:47:00.000-07:00

These early Poljot, Ultra thins are becoming vary hard to find these days,i have been looking for one for some time.Bought this one of a trusted e.bay seller.It is totally original,has a nice early movement,the dials do tend to suffer due mainly to age and use,the dial on this one,has some signs of ageing,but,is acceptable.
Winds and sets well,[sometimes they can wind quite roughly],keeps excellent time.

Updating Blog Photo`s

2011-07-29T12:45:00.000-07:00

I am trying to update blog Photo`s[painfully slowly].It should make the photo`s magnified.At my current rate of progress it should take several weeks............

Favourite Watch Links Update. NHT Watches. Nuno`s Watch Collection.

2011-07-26T05:56:00.000-07:00

Another update of my favourite watch links,this time a link to Nuno`s superb watch collection, NHT Watches. Another comprehensive collection,with many watches i would dearly love myself,including a collection of Vostok watches that is second to none.
All in superb condition.
http://nht.blogs.sapo.pt/
To access my Favourite links section,just scroll down the right hand side of my Blog.

Favourite Watch Links Update.Robert Prochowicz Fantastic Watch Collection

2011-07-03T05:20:00.000-07:00

I have just updated my favourite watch links section With Robert Prochowicz from Polands,watch collection site.This is another stunning and extensive Russian watch collection,a much valued addition to the Russian watch historical database. http://www.prochowicz.com/watches/Watches_Gallery.php

Gagarin Museum Tour.[In Russian]

2011-07-02T14:01:00.000-07:00

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yr19qJK1rFU&feature=related

Vostok Swing Lugs 2209 Added.

2011-06-30T11:57:00.000-07:00

Just received this Vostok swing lugs of a trusted seller.It is very original,[has that great original look and feel,unlike some],has correct Crown and small seconds hand.Some of these Vostoks have space history.This type of Swing lugs,MAY have been worn by Juri Romanenko on Soyus 38.Anyway as i have said before these Vostoks are extremely easy to wear,a very nice size[Thats in subtle,not the modern trend,for grotesquely large],keeps great time,a lovely addition to the collection.

Another Luch Ultra thin added.

2011-06-09T11:57:00.000-07:00

I always find it hard to resist,these beautiful ultra thin watches,whether they be ,Poljot or Luch or even, slightly left field,Raketa`s take on them.
I have several versions of each,and i am always on the look out for more original versions,they must be in good condition though.The Poljot versions ,have started to creep up in value,as have the Raketa`s.
You can still pick up the Luch versions quite cheaply,if you look carefully.All versions are a lovely subtle watch to wear,great on formal or informal occasions,the 2209 movement,when properly serviced can be extremely accurate.

Divers Get New Boots.

2011-05-15T03:08:00.000-07:00

I seem to have taken to the various forms of Russian Divers,[a few examples pictured],this surprises me,because i have always been attracted to the more understated,dress type of Russian watch,[Automatics,Precisions and 3017`s],I think its the divers modest size and ease of reading.
As i am wearing them so much,i decided to buy some new straps for them,i have always preferred leather straps,but decided to go for rubber.
When the straps arrived i was pleasantly surprised,they were of a lovely soft type of rubber,so,very easy to wear.
99%,of the time when ever i require a new strap,i go to the same supplier, thestrapshop.co.uk i have found there straps to have been of a consistent good quality,and service has been 1st class.
I intend to buy some more of the same type,to put on my Vostok Amphibia swing lugs.