Russian randomly: my watch journey

[OhDark30]

You're keeping this one I hope? I think you're one of the only other people on the forums I know of with one of the old GuBs in good condition. I only have one remaining of the three I once had (it's the Spezi Bison which was a bit too ugly to attract a buyer, but it had the best running movement of the three.).

Iirc it went to our old feline friend (DA) but has now been moved on again

Yes, Magnus is right, I no longer have the watch, she did indeed go to DA
And I loved your GuBs, Robert. There are too few of them in good condition about.

This has reminded me of how I got Miss G in the first place: in a forum swap on the old place.
A member was regretting how the minimal Glashütte looked 'like a silver tattoo' on his wrist just as I moaned that the Explorer homage Smiths Everest made me look like a child trying on her dad's watch. I regret now that I didn't get a wrist shot, it really looked ridiculous!

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Smiths Everest

Nice watch though, particularly the stealth 'Everest' marking.
Not a bit like the watch Edmund Hillary 'carried' up Everest, but an interesting pointer to a bit of history

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What to do? Original vintage 36mm Air King? Too pricy
Next attempt, the Zeno Explorer - 36mm and with a 70s AS 5206 auto movement. The Zex was another forum darling, and when they came back in stock in 2014, I pounced. This was a nope straight on opening the box

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Zeno Explorer with Tudor Oyster Prince

I'm not sure why, as it is a decent enough homage, with faithful rendition of the case lines, but it just doesn't do it for me.
Perhaps the shininess of that bezel?

Talking of Smiths, what a great company!
At first glance the producer of staid gold watches handed out to long serving employees at retirement ceremonies, but producing a wide (if careful) range of watches through their history (see my Show off your Smiths thread on the other place)

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this one's not mine. Pic and more info here: http://www.woundforlife.com/2015/09/...an-mt-everest/

This one is, though!

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Birthyear Smiths W10

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The all important caseback with /67 year
The Smiths factory at Bishops Cleeve in Gloucestershire was not far up the road from where I was born, so practically a birth*place* watch, too

Here's the review of the Timefactors homage that got me in to this watch http://www.watcharama.com/smiths-military-prs-29/
And an amusing article on British military watches from the Army Rumour Service https://www.arrse.co.uk/wiki/G10_Watches

[OhDark30]

Let's get complicated!

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Raketa 24 hr 2623.H movement

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Eurastyle 24 hr - the shining sunburst has kept me smiling through many a night shift!

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Volna - a modest and very Russian dial conceals..

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the lovely Vostok 2809 precision, based on the Venus 135 chronometer movement

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Poljot Alarm 2612.1 - going off, it sounds like a 'mechanical fart' :-)

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Kama dive watch, 50s (yer actual ‘lost lume’ hands)

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Kama caseback (Etsy pic)

Western dive watches rely on their strength and rigidity to resist increasing water pressure at depth.
Russian technology allows the deformation of crystal and case to actually improve the seal
The Kama was the early Vostok dive watch, named after the river that flows through Chistopol.
Of course, the Amphibia divers are what Vostok are famous for

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Classic Vostok Amphibia 'Scuba Dude'

And I was all over this Komandirskie :-)

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[OhDark30]

Thanks crownpuller!
Reminding me that the Smiths Everest is the PRS-25 linked me to this review http://wornandwound.com/review/smith...prs-25-review/ which explains the Explorer looks and Smiths badge perfectly

So, where have we got to?

My collection's got a couple more posts in it, I think, so courage mes amis, we're nearly there!

But first, as few of you are Russian watch buffs, let's do an unboxing Soviet-style

It's 27 years since the collapse of the USSR, so mint watches from the Soviet era are rare birds. Most watches come to me used, wrapped in balls of newspaper or bubble wrap. I've even had brown paper and string parcels sealed with official red Russian Post Office sealing wax!

So I'm going to take you through a NOS unboxing experience, with a Poljot 2614 made in 1990

The first surprize is
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how small the box is. Most Soviet watches were sold as just the head
Still, the box says Poljot, so that's looking good

Opening the box, I can see
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it's all here - the watch head in promised good nick, with price tag and the paper 'passport' with all the watch's details.
A unique touch is the strip of folded card, to simulate the look of a strap

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The passport confirms that this is indeed a Poljot 2614 (same movement as my Aviator), and was finished and tested on 17 December 1990.

Now all it needs is a strap :-)
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[OhDark30]

So what a surprise a few years ago to stumble on this

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A NOS Poljot Aviator 3133 chronograph from the 90s!

There was a batch of these on ebay, obviously discovered in some dusty warehouse, and the Russian forum snatched them up.

I was intrigued to see one in the metal, as when I was lusting over the Aviator 3-hander, this was most people's dream Aviator.
It is lovely, beadblasted finish and a cyrillic dial, but I think I made the right choice in the first place!

Despite Poljot's demise, the 3133 movement stayed in production until a couple of years ago, and powered watches labelled as Volmax, Denissov, Moscow Classic, MakTime..
It was used by foreign manufacturers too, as in this Junkers Pilot chronograph European Edition (with almost identical dial markings to the Aviator's)

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and a display back (lovely to watch a chrono doing its thing!)

[OhDark30]

OK, at the 4th attempt
(my phone, image software, Mac and this forum hate each other.
Now tapping this straight in on my phone :-)


Last posts (hopefully :-)

One aspect of watch collecting that has given me loads of pleasure and was entirely unexpected is - the forum thing!


Whether it’s visiting the Royal Navy Submarine Museum with Vlad the travelling Vostok..
(he has a submarine dial)

..or being involved in forum watches..


WUS/HdR Vostok 5/6 project watch (Vostok 6 was Valentina Tereshkova’s mission, 50 years before)




WUS 2013 Chinese forum ST5 project - harvested vintage (and gorgeous) striped DongFeng and Sea-Gull movements


WUS HMT White Pilot Limited Edition - reviving a classic and hard-to-find Indian watch

[OhDark30]

Watch collecting has also given me the chance to select and surprize friends with unique gifts


A Raketa Big Zero for my sis


A 70s Zim for a friend’s 40th

Not to mention the things I’ve received from my worldwide friends - expert advice, watches, an amazing iyonk strap..


..and beer!
Yes, GTGs! So much fun, meeting some of you ‘in the metal.’ Getting to try on your timepieces, and witter on about watches to people whose eyes don’t glaze over after 5 minutes

And thank you, IWL..


..for being a place where all watches are welcomed, not just the high-end, or the ones on an ‘approved’ list

Thank you for having me!

Kath