here's my 15 jewel Pobeda from Feb 1954. Original apart from the crown, which should be a "pillow" type. Still keeps great time. here's one with the correct crown
Niet - 15, if I recall correctly. Doesn't have the correct crown. Here it is on the strap I had made for it. The other is an early 60s Strella (from the serial number it's somewhere around '61 or '62)
Nice! I read that the pillow crowns from the early Pobedas were often plundered so that they could be fitted to Shturmanskies because the Shturmanskies were (much) more desirable/valuable.
1965 Poljot Strela. Soviet Speedmaster as worn by Alexi Leonov for the world's first space walk, March 65. Buster
I think there will always be confusion or conjecture on this one. From my research online, I'm of the belief that this is the model used as there was talk of luminous indices on the dial for ease of reading in space. I think this was the only model at the time that had lume, with most other Poljot/ Strela having basic metal hands and indices. Also, based on the serial number of my watch, this Poljot dates to about December 1964-January 1965, only two months prior to the actual space walk. Here is more of what I've found The Strela, which means "Arrow" in Russian, is one of the most coveted watches in Russian horology. Introduced in 1959, the 3017 Strela became a legend in Soviet space history when worn on the wrist of Aleksei Leonov during the first space-walk, 18 March 1965. His space-walk was performed mere three months before Ed White's. The original Strela featured a chronograph with a 45 minute counter and did not have a date function. The production of the chronograph started in 1959 and was exclusively distributed to Cosmonauts and Pilots in the Soviet Air Force, and were not available to the public. The watch was built by First Moscow Watch Factory and renamed Poljot in 1964, after Gagarin's famous flight three years earlier. The movement in the Strela was Poljot caliber 3017, a 19 jewel based on the Venus 150 chronograph movement. The movements made around 1965 have the following serial numbers: 1959 - 1963 Strela, Sekonda, up to 19000 1964 - 1965 Strela, Sekonda, Poljot 19000 to 31000 1966 - 1967 Sekonda, Poljot 31000 to 42000 (Movement number divided by 5000, then add 1959 to get year of production). My white dialled luminous Strela # 27,6XX (/5000=5.53+1959, produced at the end of 1964, or beginning 1965), is a prime example of the exact style and batch worn for the first space-walk. A correct piece for 1965 would thus be in the 19-31,000 range and with a white dial. The Strela was produced until 1979 when the caliber 3017 was replaced by the 3133, still the Venus 150-based chronograph movement. Poljot watches with this new calibre were used by cosmonauts well into the 1990s. There seems to be some debate about which version of the Strela Leonov wore. However, most seem to feel it was either a non-luminous Cyrillic marked watch or an early, white-dialed luminous piece. The Strela was a central piece of flight gear issued to cosmonauts for over 30 years, and the watch has gained the reputation of being the Russian equivalent to the Speedmaster. I always stand to be corrected. Cheers, Buster
Thanks. It looks great and I really enjoy wearing it, although it lacks the refined quality and robustness of the Omega Speedmaster. Cheers, Buster
My only ruskies.. BTW, my friend tells me a local pawn shop has a solid gold Vostok, they want $3500 for it. I've got to find the time to go see it. I didn't know they made a gold model. Of course being a pawn shop it could be anything. Stay tuned.
@RCAFBuster if I may, from my knowledge Sekonda brand was launched in 1966 http://www.sekonda.co.uk/index.php?fuseaction=Static.history interesting ressource regarding Russian watches worn in space : http://www.netgrafik.ch/russian_space_watches.htm I had valuable resources myself - including pics from Leonov wearing his watch during his EVA - but lost them all in a hard drive crash :/ Anyway, back to OP topic, mine, from 1966 actually Subdials hands have been repainted red on previous owner request ... not a so bad combination so I let them that way
interesting ressource regarding Russian watches worn in space : http://www.netgrafik.ch/russian_space_watches.htm I had valuable resources myself - including pics from Leonov wearing his watch during his EVA - but lost them all in a hard drive crash :/ Ludi, Thanks for your links and a great looking combo of your Sekonda on the mesh band. I had previously seen the netgrafik Russian space watches. I'm convinced that there is enough detail in the Leonev picture to see the square hand ends like my Poljot, which differs from the Cyrlic models. Cheers, Buster
Beginning of the 90s the Russians came across the border selling what they had, guitars, Lenin statues, Zenith cameraes, toys that looked like they were from the 50s etc. All this was in the open, but if you asked they had vodka and cigarettes too I bought a watch that I still have, and one I've lost, and a Jupiter lens that was actually quite good, which can't be said about the watch
I remember back then, could have bought a complete Russian cosmonaut space suit for $300, a fortune to them back then. Beautiful antique French pocket watches for $10. Wouldn't have got the space suit out of country but the watches maybe. So many things...beautiful art too...you just knew it was all stolen.