WOTD: Okean 3133 Final Edition

Watch of the day yesterday was my Okean 3133 Final Edition Chrono.

Resting on my Grundig YachtBoy 500, also rare (ish) these days.

Okean 3133 1976-2011 Final Edition Chrono

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

 ***

Okean 3133 "Not Quite" the Final Edition

Saw this beauty in a store here in Moscow about a month back and "report from the scene of the disturbance".

It is in fact a new version of the Okean (Okeah) 3133 Final Edition chronograph watch and I think it will confuse matters even further. Slightly.

To understand, I recommend consulting my two previous entries on the subject on this blog.

• Okean Final Edition 3133 from my collection; and

• List of Okean Final Edition  owners

Looking at the face you can see it differs both from both the original and the previous known duplicate version (such as mine - which are identical in everything but the box and paperwork):

• different stopwatch hand - barbed or winged like on Shturmanskies;
• different small register hands;
• different hour and minute hands with different lume - white -- also. 

The rest seems as before.

 Compare with my watch (duplicate):

 However when you see the back...

...you realize that the back is identical to the final edition, also the same strap.

Here's mine again for comparison.

There are two possible explanations. 

One is that it is a duplicate edition, or second run, watch but with those differences in front because either (i) Volmax has run out of original Final Edition parts; or (ii) has started using different hands etc. to differentiate from the Final Edition after much criticism. The other explanation is that it is something from the third run of watches (triplicates).

I feel the former is closer to the truth, as I was warned in the store that, if I wanted to buy it, I should do it now as they were running out of them. And in the store itself there was, like, only one this watch, I think.

More photos after the jump.

Okean 3133 Final Edition

My chronograph Okean Final Edition by Volmax using the cal. Poljot / MakTime 3133.

I mentioned it in a previous post on this blog where you can also read a bit on the history of this watch.

 Okean 3133 Final Edition and The Serpents Coil by Farley Mowat (Ballantine Books first edition I believe).

The watch is a chronograph using the Poljot (/MakTime) 3133 movement. It has a center stopwatch hand, a small seconds hand at 9 o'clock and a 30-minute counter at 3 o'clock and also a date at 6 o'clock. 

The power reserve is very good almost up to 70 hours on full winding. And it is very pleasant and easy to wind even if the winding crown is not very grippy (maybe it's a defense against overwinding).

Number 020/300

As I said it is not the HdR forum original but a "duplicate" by Volmax. But it is exactly the same, there is not telling it is not one of them. The only difference is it doesn't have the HdR edition box and paperwork.

Sorry for the smudge 

Issues:

It was not completely trouble-free however. It has what may be a common problem with (somewhat ill-adjusted) 3133s -- the stopwatch hand sometimes refuses to zero properly at first try. I use a one-minute method -- start the stopwatch again, let the stopwatch hand go a full circle then stop and zero again. Usually it zeros correctly on the second try. I know there are specific solutions to these problems which involve some adjusting and/or oiling certain parts. However I will not even open most of my watches and I certainly won't attempt to adjust a 3133 movement. While going to the watchmaker is impractical (and likely expensive). This problem may have gone away though. I don't even remember when I last observed it. 

I have had this chronograph since October 2012. Other than the above issue everything is okay. Not very well adjusted at the factory (or may be it's the fact that it spends most of its time lying on its back rather than being worn on wrist -- too many watches), it goes at + 20 something seconds per 24 hours... which is still within the movement specs though. 

 Make the jump to see some more pictures below.

On wrist

Okean 3133 and a sailor's jersey 

 The Serpent's Coil by Farley Mowat

Video

ETA: February 28, 2019

List of Okean 3133 Final Edition Owners

A list of owners of the Okean 3133 Final Edition 1975-2011 (sometimes also known as ... Okeah...) by Volmax, both originals AND duplicates.

For those unfamiliar with the short but sometimes sordid history of this watch, this would be a good place to start. But there are also other sources out there and in several languages therefore just google it, if you please.

Here's the watch in question -- my timepiece, a duplicate.

Number 20/300. This is not a Spanish forum original but, as I said, one of those duplicates apparently additionally made by Volmax in an unknown quantity hopefully not exceeding the original run, i.e. no "triplicates". 

Click the link below to view the list.

List setup is as follows:

First Column -- originals made by Volmax for a Spanish watch enthusiasts forum, Hablemos de Relojes - HdR.

Second Column -- Volmax "duplicates".

Third Column -- reserved for now.

Owners are (not) identified solely by their forum monikers and the forum they belong to or are most active on, all information is freely available in the public domain.

I should make it clear that I am more (marginally) interested in the fate of duplicate Okeans (seeing as my own watch is one of those duplicates) and their actual number in existence. For this reason I will not update the first column, which is already much outdated as I understand, but I am only going to update the second -- duplicates -- column, and I hope it won't be necessary to do anything in the third one ))

☭☭☭OKEAN F.E. 1976-2011 LIST⚓ ⚓ ⚓