Showing posts with label Scarface3133. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Scarface3133. Show all posts

Thursday, October 17, 2013

Slava 2428 Day-Date Handwind

Another watch from my collection is this Slava utilizing the Slava 2428 movement in its current Russian version with 21 jewels only. It has a centrally mounted seconds hand, a day and date calendar, a quick date change pusher and only manual winding.























I have had it since January 2012, wore it for some time after I bought it, even grew to like it, then rotated it out of my wind-and-wear daily set (of about 8-9 watches) due to new arrivals competing for wrist time and retired it to rest among my "collection" pieces. It didn't cost me too much money yet was not that cheap either, I think about US$70 bought new from a Slava store here in Moscow.

It has some interesting, though simple, features both case-wise and movement-wise.

















The dial is chrome-toned to match its brass chrome-plated case and has some kind of an embossed motif showing a large Cyrillic letter C (corresponds to the Latin S) which stands for Slava and some kind of a rising sun pattern. Other than that there is nothing remarkable.






















One of the mildly interesting features is that it has an exhibition snap-on back which I think is a rare combination because exhibition case backs tend to be screw-on case backs. You can even see some of the rather plain and undecorated movement. In fact, you can see most of it, devoid of color as it is. Still a great but dying-out movement surviving on existing and already growing old and depleting inventories.
























What you can also see through said exhibition case back is Slava's famous twin mainspring barrels - an uncommon feature, especially in cheaper watches, which allows one to easily identify Slava movements.




























Friday, August 30, 2013

Pobeda ZiM 2602 2000yrs of Christianity

Another little something from my collection. 

Meet a Pobeda ZiM 2602; this one is an anniversary piece celebrating the 2000 years of Christianity.
























It has a nice cheery blue dial, says in Russian "2000 years of Christianity" and there is also on the dial the Grand Church of something or other, not being very religious I can't therefore tell with certainty though suspect it might be the Church of Christ the Savior in Moscow (maybe not).

It is NOS and spends all its time in a little plastic box. I don't wear it, it is just a collection piece.




















I like the gold-toned hour markers and also the fancy hour and minute hands, the tiny second hand is also there at 6 o'clock.

































I must confess it took me some time to figure out in what year exactly we celebrated (or just marked) the 2000 years of Christianity. At first I couldn't get it but then.... it hit me.... answer after the jump.

Tuesday, August 27, 2013

Strela & Pilot's Jacket

Some pictures of my Strela 3133 (212/500) vs my Avirex Pilot's Jacket


Both cost me a small fortune :)


But I feel they complement each other. Considering that Sturmanskie means Flight Navigator's (watch). Except I might need a brown strap. But maybe not -- just a pair of black shoes. 

Hi!

This watch is powered by the famous (if not to say notorious) Poljot 3133 movement which also happens to be part of my nick so I really had to buy it.


Good luck! (I need it)


Bye-bye, now.

In fact, it is a bye-bye in a very literal sense of the word as these Strelas are mostly out of stock and Volmax is not planning to make any more and would be hard pressed even if it wanted to seeing as the 3133 movement is no longer in production.  



I did a review of this watch in Russian on this forum thread.


But am also planning to do one in English for this blog. Like, Mañana. 

The 3133 heart


More pictures after the jump.

Thursday, August 22, 2013

Vostok Amphibia Black Scuba Dude Watch

Here's my Vostok Amphibia(n) Black Scuba Dude Dial* watch.

It has a Vostok 2416B automatic movement.



I bought it new in January 2012 - the month it was manufactured - and have been using it ever since, although I do not necessarily wear it every day as I have lots of watches. But it is one of my 8 or 9 wound and worn watches. It cost me the equivalent of about US$70 to buy and is a good solid watch. It is all stainless steel minus the bezel which is chrome-plated base metal. It has a screw-on winding crown, a massive bracelet, also of stainless steal, and a stream-lined, compact look. When I do wear it I find that this watch sits and looks good on my wrist, even though it is basically a cheap watch.



The watch also has luminous hands and hour markings on the dial. The bezel rotates in both directions. Vostok amphibias are shock proof.

They are also water proof watches supposedly up to 200m. While I am not so sure about that, I found that it is good for surface swimming and for skin diving at the very least. Beyond that I haven't tested it. There may have been a debate on watch forums on whether Vostok amphibias are genuine diver's watches. In any case, mine is good for a swimming pool and a sauna and a hot tub - no problem at all during these activities.



As I said the watch is powered by a 2416B Vostok movement. The movement is a 24mm caliber movement, three hands, including a central seconds hand, 31 ruby jewels, instant date, a shock resistant balance; the movement is automatic with a bi-directional rotor and can be hand-wound too. It is a workhorse movement for Vostok.



And now for the not so good. First, the lume. As is true with most current Vostok watches, the lume is not that luminous and the afterglow lasts only for a very limited time, depending on exposure to the sun or light but never more than a couple hours even in the most preferable circumstances I think.
Second, the accuracy. The movement was not that well adjusted at the factory. Soon after I bought it I measured it running at +44 seconds per 24 hours which is a bit much and may be even beyond the specs. However, it is consistent at doing it which means it can probably be adjusted to something more decent. But I never bothered because it is not a problem for me. I can see how it could be a problem if it were my everyday watch but I only use it for going swimming, or for sauna or steam bath sessions and it does what it's supposed to do -- keeps the time in those adverse conditions - water, extreme heat, steam, knocks against door frames, whatever.



It has a very thick organic glass crystal, which is very durable, and practically asks for a knock or two against something hard, that's how badass it is, never cracks. Although scratches are visible.



It is a heavy(ish) watch. Not as heavy so you can do curls with it but still... there are lighter watches (most of them).



On wrist.



And one more.



A view on the case back. It says waterproof 200m, anti-shock, automatic.



My opinion is that it is a good watch.

* Black Scuba Dude Dial is one way to call it. Maybe, you could also call it Black Frogman Dial watch or something.

However in Russia watches utilizing this dial design are known among Vostok watch collectors and enthusiasts as "Bubble Man" dial watches or "Man in a Bubble" dial watches on account of the picture showing the scuba diver swimming through some kind of a bubble. 

They come in different cases and in different dial colors - green, black, blue and even light brown. And I want to buy them all :) but no hurry.

ETA: May 08, 2015
Adding pictures from this post - Watch of the Day: Black Scuba Dude Vostok Amphibian 2416b Watch
















 

Slava in Action

Bought a discounted copy of Red Dead Redemption some months ago and now going through it... at rate one hour a day.. and using the Slava pictured to keep the time in the real world as opposed to the funny time in the game. Hope to finish it before GTAV hits the fan.


More on that Slava 2427 and my other 2427 Slavas in one of the future posts.

Saturday, August 3, 2013

Vostok Ship Cabin Clock

My Vostok ship cabin clock 5-ChM MZ.
























On the wall in my log cabin in the woods, keeping (a very accurate) time since 2007.

Three hands, including center mounted seconds hand, a regulator switch, hand-wound with a key which also opens/locks the case, 8 days power reserve, dust-proof, moisture-proof, some even claim, water-proof.





















More pictures (and words) later.

Wednesday, July 31, 2013

VreMax...

… is my blog about wrist watches and clocks.

I am Scarface3133, a part-time and some time watch collector based in Moscow, Russia, and I hope to blog here about watches, clocks, other interesting stuff. And I am also going to aggregate here watch and clock news, tips, advice, information and resources. 

I also have my very own watch and clock collection, and on this blog, in addition to blogging about the world of watches, clocks and related stuff, I am also going to present and show the high- and "lowlights" of my collection.

As regards my personal collection, and although I can appreciate all watches, my interest is mainly in cheaper, mass produced, “poor man’s” watches, “trashier” watches, and mainly mechanical movements. But they do have to be interesting and I do have to like them for something to decide to add them to my collection.

Seeing as I am based in Moscow and in fact live here (or there to you), in presenting my collection, I am going to focus mainly on contemporary Russian watches because I like them, because they are the easiest (and often cheapest) to get here and I am most knowledgeable about them (strictly as a layman though) but not to the exclusion of all the rest of fine horology either. 

In view of the above, I hope Chinese, Japanese, American, etc. and may be even Swiss watches will also arrive in my collection and will feature on this little blog of mine.

All watches are personally bought, worn, wound, researched, photographed with a cheap camera and passed judgement on by me.

That was my first post on this blog, thank you for reading.