Car and Chrono

Car and chrono.

Here are more pictures of my Okean 3133 Final Edition chronograph, such as they are.

It's color matched to Ford's blue oval.

The main entry on this watch is here My Okean 3133 Final Edition and there is a story there.

Love mechanical chronos, and when I got into watches some time ago I decided I would build a collection specifically of affordable chronos... but due to lack of funds have got only three so far, with there being no new addition since 2013... but am still hopeful.

I said "affordable" mechanical chronos and the two prime examples are the Poljot 3133 and China's ST19** series. 

Unfortunately, Poljot is out of production already but still can be found.

Also note the stopwatch is on - the red central hand is moving.

Two Telemeter Scales on My Chronos

Not two different scales, but rather two differently graduated Telemeters scales on a couple of my mechanical chronos.

Here is one - the 2011 Океан Final Edition

The telemeter scale is in red on the outside of the hour marks and it is apparently graduated in nautical miles having about 10 units in total, that is, measuring the distance up to 10 nautical miles or thereabout.

And here is the other - my 2013 Strela 3133 45 mm by Volmax.

Here the scale is in kilometers and has about 19 units.

Basically the telemeter is a device used to measure distances to remote objects.

Per wikipedia,

...the telemeter chronograph is a feature of a wristwatch, i.e. a complication (and the chronograph is itself a complication) which allows the user to approximately measure the distance to an event that can be both seen and heard (e.g. a lightning bolt or a torpedo strike) using the speed of sound. The user starts the chronograph (stopwatch) at the instant the event is seen, and stops timing at the instant the event is heard. The seconds hand will point to the distance measured on a scale, usually around the edge of the face. The scale can be defined in any unit of distance, but miles or kilometers are most practical and commonplace.

It is important to keep in mind different telemeter scales graduation to avoid simple errors.

Okean 3133 Final Edition 1976-2011 by Volmax

Okean (or sometimes - Okeah) 3133 1976-2011 Final Edition.

The Okean 3133 Final Edition 1976-2011 is a watch produced by Volmax company to mark the end of the caliber 3133 production and to celebrate the original Okean watch first made in 1976 using the Poljot 3133 movement. Originally it was the idea developed by the Russian section of the Spanish watch forum but later Volmax made so bold as to issue an additional run of the watches apparently not exceeding the original run of 300 units. So there should be only 600 of these watches. You can find more info on this iconic watch by using the search function on this blog.

Of all the remakes of the 2000 decade, the Final Edition is the most faithful to the original but with some major improvements - the case is all stainless steel (the original had chrome plated brass alloy). Also the Final Edition is a bit larger while retaining all the proportions of the original.

Only a year ago you could still buy the watch in one or two Volmax-affiliated stores in Moscow. But no longer.

However it appears that two Internet sellers specializing in Russian watches have some left -- apparently coming from Volmax' second run (like my own) watch. These sellers are Julian Kampmann and Juri Levenberg, both of Germany. Both have it at a hefty price of EUR 695 although you could probably get 19% off if you come from outside the European Union.

Okean 3133 1976-2011 Final Edition - Julian Kampmann 

And Juri Levenberg apparently also has at least 3 left.

Okean 3133 1976-2011 Final Edition - Juri Levenberg

 ***

Link: Cameras disguised inside coat zips and bugs hidden in tree trunks: Fascinating insight into the crafty tricks and devious gadgets German spies used during the Cold War

A Daily Mail Online article on, as it says in the title, spy gadgets used by the Ministry for State Security of the German Democratic Republic.

Including this picture of what appears to be a Ruhla chronograph watch fitted with a tiny microphone.

On second thought, it may well be some Swiss watch from the 1950-60s or even from the 1940s.

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-2423361/Crafty-tricks-devious-gadgets-German-spies-used-Cold-War-revealed.html#ixzz2fHWzdNFN