Jeff Wayne's WAR of the WORLDS

More from CD collection.

Walk in Winter Park in Moscow - Winter Wonderland

URIAH HEEP - CONQUEST - Full Album (1980) Expanded De-Luxe CD Edition with Bonus Tracks

More from CD collection.

MICK JAGGER - SHE'S THE BOSS (1985) - Full album

From my CD collection...

JVC Everio R GZ-R435DE Quad Proof Camcorder VIDEO TEST 3 - Pet Store Fish

Top 10 Vintage Watches As Worn by the Famous and Infamous

2018 FIFA World Cup Russia Final Draw - LIVE info graphic presentation

Putin in Siberia - Full - August 1-3 2017 HD

Mafia Franchise Anniversary Trailer

Fifteen years of Mafia franchise.



A hardcore gamer as I am, I have all three Mafias and beat all three.

Mafia, completed 100% both on PC and PS2.

Mafia II on PS3, beat all stories.

Mafia III - my least favorite - but still beat it once but did not explore all endings, not sure if ever will now.

FEEELINGS ABOUT THE IPHONE X

My 2010-17 RV Evolution Showcase *New

Gorky Park and Embankment Moscow

Samsung Galaxy: Growing Up

Eurythmics - Never Gonna Cry Again

BBC News - Paul Newman's watch sells for record $18m at auction

Famous watches in the news:

BBC News - Paul Newman's watch sells for record $18m at auction

The watch is a stainless steel Rolex Daytona...

...which is a mechanical chrono (chronograph), i.e. a watch with a stopwatch function.

 
Me, I am into mechanical chronos too (Poljot 3133).. and (TY2940).

And now quoting the BBC website article.

A Rolex watch belonging to the late Hollywood star Paul Newman has sold for a record price at auction in New York.

The watch was given to him by his wife Joanne Woodward as they filmed the 1969 movie Winning together.
Newman, who died in 2008 aged 83, later used it to time car races in which he took part.
The stainless steel watch was sold to an unnamed telephone buyer for $17.8m (£13.6m) - much more than the $1m it had initially been expected to fetch.
It is a record for a wristwatch sold at auction, but a Patek Philippe pocket watch sold for more than $24m in 2014.


In Winning, Newman played a racing car driver, a role which spurred his interest in the sport. He went on to take part in the 24-hour Le Mans race.
Before giving him the watch, Woodward had it engraved with the words "Drive Carefully, Me." He had been injured in a motorbike accident in 1965.
Woodward bought him a new watch in 1984, and he gave the Daytona Rolex to his daughter's then-boyfriend, James Cox.
Cox put the watch up for auction, and some of the proceeds will go towards the Newman's Own Foundation, the charity set up by Newman in 2005 that receives all the profits from his Newman's Own food range.

The Fire Took Everything

Gran Turismo Sport 2017 DAY ONE EDITION PS4 Russian Edition - Breaking Seal and Unboxing

Homage: Часы Своими Руками: 47mm Egiziano. Aged

Homage: Часы Своими Руками: 47mm Egiziano. Aged


47mm Egiziano. Aged - news from D. Belkin - Molnija 3602 based Homage of a well known watch.

I am just reposting this post.

40 YEARS OF David Bowie's 'HEROES' Full Album 1977

JVC Everio R GZ-R435DE Quad Proof Camcorder Video Test 2 - Fall. Cloudy....

JVC Everio R GZ-R435DE Quad Proof Camcorder Video Test 1 - Fall. Cloudy....

JVC Everio R GZ-R435DE Quad Proof Camcorder Unboxing and First Look

JVC Everio R GZ-R435DE Quad Proof Camcorder Unboxing and First Look



Detailed guide here (pdf).

UFO Catcher / Claw crane cleared

Grand Theft Auto V PS4 Russian Edition 2017 Breaking the Seal & Unboxing

A new arrival to my console game library GTA V PS4.

I beat the game on PS3 (but nowhere near 100% completion).

But only just bought a PS4 version.







HoroLex: РАСПАКОВКА ИГРЫ Grand Theft Auto V ДЛЯ PS4 Russian...: Новое добавление в коллекцию игр на приставках. Вообще-то, я ее уже давно прошел на PS3. Но вот только собрался и купил на PS4.

Panerai Green Dial 2017

Panerai Green Dial 2017

Visually I like it, except the green here is more like drab olive.

Discuss in the comments.

KAREL FIALKA - Hey Matthew

The Day After (1983 Full, Original - 1:75:1 Aspect Ratio)

Watch Photography - Another Gallery

Found another gallery of pro watch photography.

Watches Otis Blank

 
Close enough

At Moscow Zoo

At Moscow Zoo on August 17, 2017

A view from inside out.

More Zoo moments

Stone Flower Fountain

Stone Flower Fountain

Don't Be a Sucker - 1947

Putin in Siberia Full August 1-3 2017

Case Concealed Automatic Rifle

Manual Powered Flashlight x 2 Review, Demonstration, Nighttime Test

Here is a manual powered flashlight x 2 also known as a hand-powered flashlight, mechanically powered flashlight, dyno torch, dynamo torch, squeeze flashlight and so on.

A nifty tool to have as you make your own electricity and do not depend on external sources of power, including batteries, which is especially good for hiking, trekking, RVing, etc.

More in this blog entry

July 22 Sunrise to Sunset Photo

Sunrise

Noon.

Sunset.

Collection of Slava wristwatches -slideshow

My Radios: Thomson RT462 P 4 Band Radio

The cataloging of my many affordable radios goes on and here is a post from my radio-related blog (link below).

For completion's sake, here is another radio from my collection - an early 2000s Thomson RT462 P radio.

It's an affordable cheaper consumer radio but still has a Shortwave band, and overall is pretty good on shortwave and FM in particular.

Features:
4 bands, MW, LW, SW, FM
Two-way speakers - good sound
Power: batteries and AC from the mains
FM: extended 64 to 108 MHz, including the Soviet / OIRT (64-74 MHz), the Japanese and European bands all in one.

I gather, Thomson SA was a French company, a part of a large and storied conglomerate from way before the 1960s but bankrupted and sold off finally sometime in the mid-2000s.

A battery and cord storage compartment.

Overall, as I said, it is surprisingly good for the type, especially on FM, but not so shabby on SW either but you should take its obvious limitations caused by it having and analog tuning dial.

Glory Days of Shortwave - Interval Signals and QSLs

Slava 2416 Flotskie

Here is a Slava 2416 Flotskie watch from my collection.

This watch is marine-themed, as Flotskie means of, or pertaining to, Fleet or Navy. 

The water resistant mark on the back says Повышенная водозащита which means "increased water protection" and there's a picture of a cute little dolphin for good measure on the back. 

Water born- and sea-dwelling creatures are often used to indicate water protection and not only in Russian watches. In this case we have also only basic water resistance as in Water Resistant 3 ATM or 30m, that is, splash/rain resistant only.

This piece follows in the tradition of Slava's pseudo-sporty watches from the late 1980s to early 2000 which means that, while it has sporty and heavy-duty looks, it's all for show.

A little bit of splash/rain resistance is all it has.

Notice it also going for a bi-metalic (whatever) look, but here again it's just cheap coating, both yellow and chrome.

But I still like the watch.

The Final: Chile v Germany - FIFA Confederations Cup 2017

Match 15: Portugal v Mexico - FIFA Confederations Cup 2017

Grundig Music Boy 50 RP 5200

Here is another one from my array of radios, a Grundig Music Boy 50 RP 5200 radio.

A basic consumer radio, not a world radio by any means, but still has one SW band and is usable on shortwave.

Features:
Bands - 1 FM, 1 MW, 1 SW
Tone switch - music / speech
Power - batteries / AC
Tuning - analog scale
Collapsible antenna
Grip extension
Body - modern plastic

Can be used on shortwave but has very obvious limitations as it has a crammed analog tuning dial and no fine tuning. Still possible to get usable shortwave signal.

Time ticking

Match 14: Germany v Mexico - FIFA Confederations Cup 2017

Tokaido Cassette Tape

Here is another artifact from my personal collection.

A TOKAIDO cassette tape from the 1980s (most likely). Despite its Japanese sounding names, it is apparently a West German product.

Read the marvelous description of this particular sound reproduction technology:

TOKAIDO cassettes are manufactured to the highest demands of the recording industry and represent new advances in gamma ferric oxide and chromium dioxide formulations. Accicular magnetic particles dispersed in a unique binder system ensure improved maximum output levels (MOL) and provided you with lifelike sound reproduction over the range of modern recorded music.

Water Resistance Marks on Russian Watches

Not forgetting that this blog is to a large extent a watch and clock blog, here's again [re-post] a look at some water resistance marks on some of my watches, mainly Russian.

According to Wikipedia, Water Resistant is a common mark stamped on the back of wrist watches to indicate how well a watch is sealed against the ingress of water. 

Any water resistance mark is better than none. One assumes that, if there is no such mark, the watch is not "sealed against the ingress of water", with most watches being in this category even now.

It has to be said though that the whole water resistance mark thing in watches had resisted standardization for a long time until some recent past, and some claims of water resistance had to be taken with skepticism but now there are at least two ISO standards dealing with the matter, though they are not universally applied, even in this day and age. Which means that claims of water resistance in watches should be taken with a dose of skepticism now too as in the past.

Watches from the Soviet and now Russian periods may continue to use non-standard water resistance marks. Here is a look at such marks and what they mean on the example of some of my own watches.

This Slava 3050 says Водонепроницаемые on the back which literally means "water-proof" as in "impermeable to water". But in reality it at best corresponds to the current standard of Water Resistant 3 ATM or 30m, that is, splash/rain resistant only and NOT suitable for showering, bathing, swimming, snorkeling, water related work and fishing, and most certainly not suitable for diving.

Two Zaria 3105.01 moon phase watches. The water resistance mark here says Водозащищенные which literally means "water protected" and in actual fact probably means same as above - Water Resistant 3 ATM or 30m, that is, splash/rain resistant only. NOT suitable for showering, bathing, swimming, snorkeling, water related work and fishing, and most certainly not suitable for diving. 

However, I should note that the back on those Zarias is very tight requiring a watchmaker's press to snap it back after you open it and there is also a rubber seal and some water repellent lubricant in the crown stem assembly. You could probably take a shower wearing it with no consequences, except for the leather strap.

Komandirskie 2416b above. Says Водонепроницаемые as in Slava 3050 above. But in this case I am willing to bet it corresponds to at least Water Resistant 5 ATM or 50 m, that is, suitable for swimming, white water rafting, non-snorkeling water related work, and fishing but NOT suitable for diving.

I showered with it on once myself no problem, except it's not good for the pressed leather strap, even though it is supposed to be water repellent treated. 

Slava 2416 Flotskie, above. Marine-themed, as Flotskie means of, or pertaining to, Fleet or Navy. The water resistant mark here says Повышенная водозащита which means "increased water protection" and there's a picture of a cute little dolphin for good measure on the back. Water born- and sea-dwelling creatures are often used to indicate water protection and not only in Russian watches. In this case we have also only basic water resistance as in Water Resistant 3 ATM or 30m, that is, splash/rain resistant only.

My Sturmanskie Strela 3133 Volmax mech chrono. Says Водонепроницаемые 30м, that is, exactly this: Water Resistant 3 ATM or 30m, meaning splash/rain resistant only, and NOT suitable for showering, bathing, swimming, snorkelling, water related work and fishing, and most certainly NOT suitable for diving. 

Also it is a mechanical pusher-operated chronograph and mechanical chronographs and water typically don't mix in any combination with few exceptions. 

A whole bunch of three Vostok Amphibias. These are the most water resistant Russian watches (second only to military spec Zlatoust divers). The back says Водонепроницаемые 200 м, i.e. Water Resistant 20 ATM or 200 m, meaning suitable for professional marine activity, serious surface water sports and skin diving and suitable for skin diving. Some even claim that they are more than that and can be used as professional divers but I have my doubts.

My experience, however, suggests these watches are good for a hot tub, sauna, steam bath, swimming pool -- used them in all of those places with no ill effect at least in the immediate aftermath. Though I replace them after about 3-4 years of use but never service.

And here's a bonus - my Seiko 5 cal. 7s26 of 2001 vintage below. The water mark here is again the non-standard WP probably meaning "water protected" - the most basic water protection offered by Seiko probably again corresponding to the current standard of Water Resistant 3 ATM or 30m, that is, splash/rain resistant only. NOT suitable for showering, bathing, swimming, snorkelling, water related work and fishing, and most certainly not suitable for diving.

VreMax: Water Resistance Marks on Watches: Here's a look at some water resistance marks on some of my watches. According to Wikipedia, Water Resistant is a common mark stamp...

Ostankino TV Tower in May 2017

Here is the Ostankino TV Tower as seen from the Ostankino park in May 2017.

COLEMAN lookalike Portable Butane Stove - Unpacking, Setting Up, Lighting, Review and Culminating in a Boil Test

Here is my review of a version of the Coleman Camp Bistro single burner portable butane stove available here in Russia, including unpacking, setting up, installing a gas canister, lighting and a boil test at the end. 

 

If it ain't the same thing as Coleman's Camp Bistro single burner, it's still very much like it. 

A portable gas stove of a popular design; Coleman sells one like it, also other brands and no-names are available, including here in Russia.

Friendship of Peoples Fountain Moscow

Squirrels

Red squirrels in Moscow + one chaffinch.

Vostok 8K72K Rocket

The Vostok 8K72K rocket displayed at VDNKh.

I think I recorded it once on this blog already but these are different pictures and they are from April 2016.

The Vostok 8K72K was a rocket derived from the Soviet R-7 Semyorka ICBM designed for the human spaceflight programme.

This and similar rockets launched the first artificial satellite (Sputnik 1) and the first manned spacecraft (Vostok) in human history.

Here it is seen at the VDNKh exhibition center in April 2016.

Spotted...cars in Moscow: Vostok 8K72K Rocket: The Vostok 8K72K rocket displayed at VDNKh. I think I recorded it once on this blog already but these are different pictures and they ...