latest arrival, a sekonda 18 jewel made in the USSR pocket watch.



the Molnija 3602 movement is silver coloured, stamped SU (for Soviet Union) and has the bigger jewels so I'm GUESSING early 70s. apparently there was a date engraved pre '66 or so, but nothing here. they moved to the brass coloured movement and smaller jewels in the last 70s (I think)



Curly scroll work front and back



oh yeah, £11.98 inc post!

two new arrivals today one OK I suppose, and the other a real treat.

the OK one is a Ruhla East German, same mechanism and face as my other one, but a plastic backed case.

£10 inc post from a German eBay seller





the other is a Molnija in a hunter case commemorating the Russian part in WW2



LOVE this face!!



and of course, the ubiquitous 3602 movement



£7.50 inc post! what a bargain!

AGAT one button stopwatch

Well, it LOOKS like a pocketwatch!!

made in the USSR, 30 minute stopwatch. the action is start, stop, reset, so it is good for timing things, but not for Jonny's football matches where there is stoppage time...... a two button stopwatch will be on the shopping list some day!!

I reckon it was made in the Slatoustowsky Watch Factory and has a 4282 movement. date? between 70 and 95 so HAD I been any good at sports, it's possible that my PE teacher at school could have been using a similar stopwatch to time me plodding round the milecross crosscountry course in the 80s. but to be fair, a second hand wouldn't have been needed. or to be honest a minute hand!!

Molinja Pocketwatch

a "Serkisof" dial with frigate back

this came to me from Teneriffe. immacualte condition, and really nice. the face is clear and easy to read, and it's a little thicker than the others. fits nicely in my jeans 5th pocketso no need to worry about scratching the glass against keys. this is my weekend watch (for now!!)

Everite Pocket watch, a British retail casing for the H Samuel chain of Jewellers with a swiss movement inside.

the face is a little dark and the hands take a little getting used to to separate, but it keeps time so thats all right!

RUHLA east German pocket watch.

so now the bug has bitten!!

where do I go with a collection? all russian? all Iron Curtain? as many countries as possible?

well, this one is East German.

a nice clear easy to read face with luminous dots and hands. seems a bit weird ans it lives in a pocket so never gets a chance to "charge up" the luminous paint so it'll glow...... still!!

as usual, I popped the back to find that the movement in here was a tiny little thing! clearly as the demand for pocket watches faded it was more economical to just case a wristwatch movement with a spacer......







according to the very knowledgeable folk on the watchuseek.com forum its a UMF 24 34 movement

a Sekonda Hunter was the next aquisition.

a grouse on the front cover, leaves on the back, a second hand in it's own little face at 9 o'clock and (I've discovered)the 3602 is a Molnija movement. a classic of Iron curtain industry, these were made by the million and branded with a load of different labels depending on the destination. Sekonda was the UK and commonwealth brand name. Apparenlty at the peak of production there were up to 25,000 of these things coming out of the factory a DAY!!!!!

this one keeps good time and the only downside is the bow is a little bent. I can live with that!! This is my main wear to work watch as the closed cover keeps the glass from getting scratched by my keys in my trouser pocket. The kids in school are a little confused as to why I would have a big clock in my pocket when my phone has the time on it too...... kids!!

so because the Waltham was sick, I had a formal dinner to attend a few months back so I needed a sub for the night. Ebay stepped up to the plate and I got a gold coloured skeleton watch for under £10. it keeps pretty good time and all the whirry little wheels are really impressive, but it ain't the waltham!



at the same sort of time I got a couple of quartz hunters.

a black one and a silver one.

well, silver coloured!
the face on the balck one is nicer in my humble opinion

I have started collecting pocket watches.

I blame it all on my dear father who passed on his pocket watch to ma a few months back. He hasn't died or anything, he never wore it and for the last 30 years I've said it's all I want from the will, so he passed it on before he dies. so thanks Dad!!

It's been in the family for several Generations and has come to the third son a few times, and Jonny my only be 11, but he has his eyes on it already!

its a Waltham American Watch Company watch in a filled gold full hunter case

serial number on the movement puts it at 1886. it isn't working perfectly and needs a service, so it is currently residing in the workshop of a Waltham Specialist getting a full strip rebuild and lube which should see it good for annother 30 years.



ther albert chain has a rosy glow to it and it is hallmarked so it is worth a few pennies, even though the links are quite worn.