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Location: Russia, Moscow

Legend of the Russian watch industry!
The condition is very good (the watch was carefully used).

The watch case and buttons are made of stainless steel. Official delivery for the USSR Air Force.
These watches were not available for sale.

Movement: Mechanical POLETT 3133, 23 ruby ​​stones, manual winding. Power reserve of at least 42 hours (with chronograph function off) and 37 hours (with chronograph function on). Anti-shock device of the balance unit.

The characteristic features of the Shturmanskie mechanism with the stop-second function are the ability to synchronize the readings of the pilots' chronographs, which was necessary to complete joint tasks.
(When the crown is extended, the second hand of the watch stops)

History reference:
The first "Navigators" were made by the masters of the 1st MCHZ named after. Kirov in 1949 by special order of the Air Force. They never went on sale and were awarded exclusively to combat pilots along with a diploma of graduation from the flight school. The right to keep the navigational watch after the completion of military service was a privilege.
In 1976, the plant began production of a new wrist watch with a stopwatch: chronograph model 3133. For this development, the team of designers of the 1st MChZ was awarded the State Prize.
Initially, the watch was intended for the officers of the Navy and was called "Ocean" (item 731). Later, a modification was produced for the Air Force pilots called "Shturmanskie" (model 31659, a watch with a locked second hand and a standard time indicator) and a "Shturmanskie" watch with a zone time indicator (model 3133). The release of all these models was made in limited batches with military acceptance. Only nine years later, in 1983, watches with the 3133 movement became available to ordinary customers.
Cosmonauts from Russia, France, Germany, Ukraine took Polet 3133 with them into space, and together with V. V. Polyakov, this chronograph set a record for the duration of a space flight

What is Spring Drive?

The unique Spring Drive mechatronic technology has the power of a mechanical movement and the precision of a quartz movement. To create a mechanical watch with the precision of a quartz watch has long been the dream of many watchmakers, but the dream is almost unrealizable. Until the Seiko engineers got down to business, who set the task of reducing the energy consumption of the mechanism and at the same time increasing its power. Research took 25 years, but in the end, Spring Drive was born thanks to new ideas, materials and technologies. And this movement fits the Grand Seiko collection perfectly.

Kinetic

What is Kinetic Direct Drive?

KINETIC technology was first introduced to the world by SEIKO in 1988. KINETIC is a quartz watch, where the energy source is not a disposable battery, but a rechargeable battery that receives energy from a rotor rotating inside the mechanism as a result of hand movement. Under normal use, the battery will last for decades without any maintenance.

Direct Drive is the only kinetic that can be wound not only with the movement of the hand, but also with the help of the crown. It also has a retrograde power reserve indicator on the dial, which shows not only the current amount of energy, but also how much energy you are transferring to the watch at the time of its winding. Kinetic Direct Drive is one of the most prestigious movements with a lot of manual labor

Interesting, but what is the standard operation? Also, how long will the battery last?

Standard operation is periodic wear, compliance temperature conditions etc., everything that is listed in the instructions for the watch. SEIKO experts say that after 10 years of standard use of the watch, the battery will contain approximately 70% of its capacity. Like any other battery, a KINETIC battery loses its capacity over time and will eventually be replaced at any of the authorized SEIKO service centers in Russia.

OK. And if KINETIC is not worn, will it stop?

Yes. This is a "live" clock, like mechanics. True, they have a power reserve unattainable for mechanics. In total, there are 3 types of KINETIC movement with a power reserve of 1 month, 6 months and 4 years. If your KINETIC has stopped, take the watch in your right hand and make about 20 movements to the right and left. This is enough to run the clock.

Solar

What is Solar?

This technology was first introduced to the world by SEIKO in 1977. SOLAR is a quartz watch where the energy source is not a disposable battery, but a rechargeable battery that receives energy from a photocell under the dial, which converts light energy into electrical energy. Under normal use, the battery will last for decades without any maintenance.

That is, what is needed to charge the watch? Put them under a lamp every day? And what happens if there is no light at all?

Putting the clock under the lamp is not necessary at all, especially since in this way they can be overheated. Any light that surrounds us is suitable for charging. Direct sunlight or hazy sun, incandescent or fluorescent lamps are all good. SOLAR standard power reserve is 6 months. If the watch has been in darkness all this time, it will stop. For the clock to work, they will need to be placed in the light. Approximately 2 minutes in bright sun will provide them with a charge for 1 day, 5 hours - for 6 months. The only recommendation is not to store your SOLAR watch in a dark box.

Accumulator battery?

In SOLAR mechanisms, the battery is exactly the same as in KINETIC.

hardlex

What is HARDLEX glass?

HARDLEX - refers to a type of mineral, chemically hardened glass. Additional protective properties of this glass are achieved due to ion substitution on its surface. Those. HARDLEX has a modified surface structure. As a result, the glass receives increased impact resistance, increased scratch resistance and elasticity, as well as resistance to temperature changes. HARDLEX is SEIKO's own development for the watch industry, and glass of this type is now mainly used in the military and aerospace industries. HARDLEX is almost as resistant to scratches as sapphire crystal, but due to its unique elasticity properties, it can withstand a large external load at similar levels of transparency.

Mechanisms

What are the most common SEIKO automatic movements found today?

Now, the most common automatic mechanisms on the market are the calibers of the 7S and 4R families. They are united by unpretentiousness and high reliability. Over the decades of their production, they have become a kind of “Kalashnikov assault rifle” among watches. The functionality in these mechanisms is usually three hands and a date.

What are the features of the 7S and 4R movements? What kind technical specifications?

The 7S mechanism has 2 main features: it does not have the ability to wind the watch from the crown and there is no “stop second”. This mechanism is installed almost exclusively in watches from the SEIKO5Regular collection.

The 4R movement is more advanced and has both automatic winding and manual winding functions. There is also a stop second. 4R is also available with a number of modifications, such as: open balance, day/night indicator and their combinations.

Technical parameters of both mechanisms:

Power reserve -41 hours.

Frequency of semi-oscillations of a balance wheel - 21600 p/h.

Running accuracy. +10 -15 sec/day.

Automatic winding with "magic lever" system.

General issues

Despite the fact that the SEIKO brand is rightfully considered the pioneer and leader of quartz technology, it is a major manufactory manufacturer of mechanical watches. The history of the creation of SEIKO mechanical watches began with the appearance of the brand itself in the 19th century. More than 130 years have passed since then, and over the years their production has never stopped, vast experience has been accumulated, patented a large number of inventions. Today SEIKO produces about 10 different basic calibers, on their basis various modifications and complications are created.

What is important to know when wearing a mechanical watch? Are there any special conditions for their use?

All conditions are pretty standard: do not overheat or overcool the watch; do not throw; be careful with the clock; make sure that the crown is recessed into the case; do not translate the clock calendar from 23:00 to 04:00 hours, this may disable it. The only feature you need to know is that passing through the metal detector frames magnetizes the watch, which can affect the accuracy of the movement. Therefore, it is better to remove them before passing through such frames, especially at the airport. You should definitely take your watch to an authorized service every 4-5 years for periodic checks, replacement of gaskets, etc.

What is the Quartz Crisis?

"Quartz crisis" is an era of decline, ruin and closure of many watch factories, which lasted about 15 years. Its appearance is associated with the release of the world's first wrist quartz watch in 1969. They were called SEIKOQuartzASTRON. The quartz crisis has become fatal for many companies. they could not reorient the production of mechanical watches to more accurate, more comfortable and cheaper quartz movements. Interestingly, the company SEIKO, a pioneer and leader in quartz technology, did not stop the production of automatic movements for a minute.

What is a "magic lever"?

The “Magic Lever” is an automatic watch winding element developed by SEIKO in 1959, which allowed the self-winding rotor (a rotating semi-disk made of massive metal) to effectively transfer rotation to the mainspring when rotating in both directions. With the use of the “magic lever”, the watch winds up 30% faster in relation to the mechanisms of other manufacturers, where until now, rotating in one direction, the rotor winds the spring, and in the other - idle. Now all SEIKO movements from Seiko5 to Grand Seiko have this part of the movement.

What is the "stop second" function?

The stop second function is a crown function designed to set the correct time more accurately. When the crown is pulled out to one of the positions, the second hand stops and continues to move if the crown is pushed back. This helps to set the time, for example, according to the exact time signals of some radio stations.

What is a watch manufacture? Manufacturing mechanism?

Before such concepts as the conveyor, precision machining machines, and in general before the so-called. era of industrialization, almost all watch brands were the developers and manufacturers of their movements. Later, globalization and the "quartz crisis" forced watch factories to abandon own production. Now about 90% of all Swiss watch brands are engaged, in fact, in the development of watch design, and movements, cases, dials, etc. buy from other companies. It is sad, but many very famous watch brands are in fact "dummy". It's like a fake cell phone: it says on the outside famous name, and inside - a three-kopeck filling. SEIKO is a 100% watch manufacturer. All mechanisms installed in the watch are the fruit of many years of research by engineers, carefully assembled into a single whole by talented Japanese watchmakers. SEIKO is a designer and manufacturer of watches "from and to", which ultimately translates into unprecedented quality. And most importantly - it's honesty to their customers, who, together with SEIKO watches, find on their wrist a whole world of high watchmaking art.

What is LUMIBRITE?

LUMIBRITE is the glow-in-the-dark compound that is applied to the dial markers and hands of all modern SEIKO watches. It takes 10 minutes to “charge” the watch for glowing at 500 lux (~ 1 bulb 60W.). This is enough for 3-5 hours of glow in the dark. Some models, mainly for scuba diving, “glow” for 5-8 hours. LUMIBRITE is absolutely harmless to both humans and environment.

Are SEIKO diving watches ISO certified?

Yes, all SEIKO diving watches are certified to ISO standard. Moreover, the ISO6425 international scuba diving instrument standard itself was developed on the basis of the SEIKO diving watch standards.

User Questions

Is it possible to adjust the accuracy of a quartz watch?

Yes and no. Previously (about 15 years ago), special trimmers (trimmers) were built into watches. Adjusting these clocks was very easy. Now you will not find a capacitor on the circuit board of the microcircuit block. It contains only contact groups, the microcircuit itself, filled with a compound, and, well, a quartz resonator (quartz). If the quartz frequency differs from the reference one (32768Hz), you can choose another quartz resonator with better parameters.

If the clock is in a hurry or lags behind by 2 times or more, then in this case the microcircuit itself “jumps”. On some models (with EEPROM), you can reflash the chip. But this requires special equipment. If both elements are in order, you need to look for mechanical cause, such as thickening of the lubricant in the engagement, wheel defects, arrows clinging to each other or to the glass.

The clock is running reverse side. Maybe I installed the battery wrong?

No, that's not the point. In your watch, under various circumstances, the directions of magnetic fluxes in the stator-rotor system could change. It usually happens after a hit. When repairing, demagnetization of the stator, its slight deformation, change in the magnetic gap or heating sometimes helps, but more often you have to change either the rotor or the stator

I'm afraid to change the battery, because the vacuum in my watch will be broken, what should I do?

Well, what is not there is a vacuum. This is not what you should be afraid of.
Beware of would-be craftsmen who can supply a cheap or expired battery, damage the lid or mechanism, or even just leave specks and dust.
As for filling the watch with something other than air, then yes, this is practiced, but very rarely. There is a special model for scuba diving, the mechanism of which is placed in silicone oil. Such a watch will withstand monstrous pressures. In addition, some "underwater" watches have a special valve - to bleed helium after diving to great depths.

I bought a new watch in the store, but the battery in it “sat down” very quickly. The passport says that the battery life is 2-3 years.

The battery life is really 2-3 years from the moment it is installed in the movement. But while the watch “reaches” the buyer, such a period may well run up. To make everything clear, it should be noted that the life of the mechanism begins much earlier than the life of the watch. It is the mechanism manufacturer who installs the battery in future hours. Sometimes the path of the mechanism from the warehouse to the conveyor, where it will be installed in the case, stretches for months. Then the finished clock passes thorny path from factory to shop. In the store, watches are patiently waiting for their future owner.

Given the above, I would like to note that almost no manufacturer gives a guarantee for the battery. In addition, it is often indicated that the battery in the purchased watch is only needed to check the operation of the mechanism and must be replaced.

In the “autoquartz” watch, the hand moves immediately by two divisions in 2 seconds. Is this a malfunction?

No, the watch is fine. They just make it clear that you need to recharge the battery. Usually in "autoquarts" this mode is turned on three days before the stop (not on the arm). Just wear the watch longer on your hand to charge it normally. When the watch is almost completely discharged, the microcircuit switches to an economical mode, and then the second hand really moves at once for two seconds every 2 seconds.

This applies not only to “autoquartz”, but also to most watches with EEPROM frequency control (for example, Swiss ETA). Some schemes work even after 5 seconds. In a simple quartz watch, this mode indicates a “dead” battery.

How to properly charge a watch with recharging from solar battery? I charge the clock at home under a lamp, but the clock stops quickly. How to quickly charge such a watch? How long will the battery last?

A solar cell watch includes a conventional clock mechanism powered by an electric power source, a battery, a solar cell, and a watch charging control circuit. The energy source can be either a battery or a solar cell itself. The control circuit of the watch monitors the amount of energy in the battery and, when it decreases, gives a signal to recharge. If the battery capacity is insufficient, the watch switches to economy mode, while the second hand (as well as in the “autoquartz”) moves in a two-second mode.

The charging time of the watch depends on the light intensity. Daylight as well as artificial lighting (incandescent and fluorescent lamps) can be used as light sources. When charging, it must be remembered that incandescent lamps heat up to very high temperatures, so it is strongly not recommended to bring the watch closer than 60 cm to the lamp, the maximum heating of the watch should not exceed 60 degrees Celsius.

Naturally, the watch will take a very long time to charge under such conditions, and electricity costs will also be high. The situation is slightly better with fluorescent lamps. They heat up much less, so that watch manufacturers even recommend charging the watch at distances of about 5 cm from the lamp. In this case, it is desirable to keep the clock closer to the middle of the lamp, where the temperature is lower. It is most effective to charge the watch in daylight, and even better in sunlight.

The running time of the watch when the battery is fully charged depends on the ambient temperature, the time of random recharging (on the arm), the "freshness" of the battery, and other factors. On average, it is about six months (without additional recharging). The life of the lithium-ion battery also depends on the operating conditions. The battery is not at all eternal, as some users believe, and periodically requires replacement.

There are models in which the battery lasts less than 2 years, in other models - 4 or more years.

Excellent Parnis watch, I did not expect such quality myself

Bottom line: I liked the watch, and given their price, it’s generally fire, I recommend buying it.
For the rest - under the cut, quite a lot of pictures

Got Parnis bought without trying on eBay. The size is 47mm without ZG, but it’s an amazing thing - Citizen 44mm thought for a long time whether to leave it or not, because it seemed too big (as a result, I left it), the other Parnis 44mm definitely put it up for sale right away - they didn’t fit on my hand, but these last 47mm lie normally, it’s quite appropriate look on the hand. Although all other watches are 38mm. But without such a wide and thick belt, of course, they would look different. The thickness of the watch is 18.3mm (in the center, taking into account the convex glass)
When buying, I chose these with a coffee-colored number (something their coffee was a little burnt, a little dark, very close to black), with a black dial (a little cheaper) and with a chrome (or stainless steel ???) case, in the end I chose that that I have chosen.

The first impression is that the devils are good, I looked for defects with the naked eye for a long time and could not find them. Then, already on macro photography, they climbed out a little, but not critical.
Gilded hands

Glass-mineral water, due to the bulge it looks very good. In the photo I will immediately show the valve, gel or something, is it really serious?)))


I began to notice that almost all watches like with convex glasses. Due to the bulge of the mineral water, it will be scratched very easily and quickly, you will have to grind it every couple of months, it's okay, at the same time I'll polish SeaGull 1963 - the glass has already been scratched a little after a couple of months of wearing (((

Self-winding SeaGull 2530 movement, 72-hour power reserve. It's a little strange, since the other 99% of the watches are on the same mechanism - with a power reserve of 40 hours. But I checked it without wearing it in real life - a reserve of 55 hours, maybe a mechanism with some complications? Although it was precisely because of these 72 hours that the choice was made in favor of this watch, but in real life there is a deception - 55 is not 72, but not 40 either. 40h.


Error exactly:
- resting position with the dial up for 2 days +15 sec,
- on the arm minus 2 sec for 7 days of wear!!!
Quite decent for a watch out of the box without adjustment.
The mechanism works silently, even at night in silence I heard the mechanism only at a distance of 10-15 centimeters, then silence. This is probably my quietest mechanic, even the omega seamaster from the 80s works louder.
There is a stop second.
Screw-down crown with Parnis logo.

The strap is not that bad, but not ideal, I'm afraid that it will crack, although real leather may last a year. But I can imagine how much a good thick 26mm strap costs ... and I think I will buy the same one, because the strap should not cost 2 times more than a watch with a strap)))

Buckle likes it. Its width is 38mm O_O_O


The numbers, hour markers, on the dial are not actually made with paint, but holes are cut through and a yellow background appears from the lower dial. It looks original (although not their idea, but it is done at a very good level).


An obvious jamb of the clock is a phosphor. The afterglow in the dark for 5-10 minutes, while on the Citizen luma there are enough hours for 10-12. Like this right away from the light in the dark


Here's another joint that came up on the macro - bad painting of the arrows (I didn't see it with my eyes)

The back cover is metal, did not open, there will be no pictures of the mechanism.

Bottom line: this is the cheapest watch in my collection, there are drawbacks compared to watches for $ 300-500, but given the price, I'll leave it to myself.