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Elektronikas still made in 2017?

37K views 158 replies 29 participants last post by  RFollia 
#1 ·
Tonight browsing on the various websites in Russian language in order to make some sense of the different types of Elektronikas (52, 53,54,55, 65,77, 79...) I stopped on this one:

????????.??/???????

It appears it's the website of a company I never heard about (Technochas) that claims to make digital watches in Belarus in 2016 and 2016...this is intriguing as I thought the last two plants that made Elektronikas (Kamerton and Integral) supposedly stopped production in 2009.

These watches seems to be rebranded Integrals and Kamerton, the website appears to have a lot of stock parts from Soviets times too, so I thought to share the "discovery". Has anybody heard from them?
 
#4 · (Edited)
I also mailed them, pretty curious to see if they can answer and what they will say.

Due to the recent resurgence of popularity among teenagers of vintage Casios (F91, A68, calculators...) I think Elektronikas could be marketed as an alternative, as at the moment it's either Casio or nothing.
 
#5 ·
The message has received an answer...and it's an interesting answer:

You are mostly right about watches history. Digital watches with LCD were produced by 2 factories in USSR (both are in Belarus), "Electronika" in Minsk and "Kamerton" in Pinsk. They are state-owned factories in "integral" concern. Due to some reasons, they have stopped production some (7-10) years ago. We have bought some storage remains of watches and parts from this factories, tested them and put to our internet-shop. After it we've seen that people still have interest for this theme, and we've purchased some specialized equipment from old factories for restart of production. And in May 2017 we've restarted production of watches. First model from new issue (100% new production, without old parts) was "Техночас ЧН-01" (example is by your link). Watches are same as old "Integral ChN-01", but with another design of dial.

So today we've some NOS watches from "old" factories and watches from our own manufacture (located in Minsk). New watches are made with cooperation with Minsk Watch Plant "Luch" (pressing and galvanic works for watch cases) and "Integral" concern (parts for electronic modules). We also planing to relaunch production of "classic" soviet models Electronika-52,53,54,55 in few month with retro-design from 1980s. By the way, our own production allows us to make any dial design from 100pcs batch with same price, so if you have any ideas about design or want to make any limited edition digital watches, write me.

I hope I've answered your questions. If you've any more questions, please write them.

Best regards, Nikolay Roslov
I plan to get one...
 
#13 · (Edited)
Already asked him if they can make watches with brushed steel cases. I would also like to see if they can reissue the plastic waterproof Elektronikas as a 0ATM digital watch is a tough sell in 2017.

Obviously, this is owner of russian online-shop. Due to russian laws, it's difficult to sell watches to russian customers directly from Belarus, so "Technochas" company have a dealer in Russia -- IP Roslov Nikolay, who lives in Moscow. By the way, it's me :)

But from other countries you can buy watches directly from belorussian company with postal shipping.
Hello Nikolay, it's a small world.:):):)

Perhaps it's a good idea if you can introduce the watches your company makes here, as you can see you have our attention, also because the Belarussian Elektronikas were made in so many variants that it's difficult to track which one a customer wants.

For instance, Integral made the 01, 02, 03 and 04 model, are they all the same?
 
#16 · (Edited)
Well, yesterday I was in Minsk, so I went to "TSUM" (ЦУМ) and, in the ground floor (1st floor in Minsk), in the watches section, there were 2 nice Technochas (Техночас), so I bought one of them, (чч-01) very nice one, it was at 83 something roubles (with 20% discount -yesterday all purchases in tsum had a 205). Belarussian rouble trades for about 2.2-2.3 roubles to the euro.

I asked the seller and she told me the watch is of new production and they are made in Belarus, so I am happyx2.
Thanks to you comrades I rediscovered Technochas (Техночас). Like the feeling and feels very solid. Case is chromed, and chrome is very good, and weighs, so you should not be worried, it's made to stand a battle.
And as a picture is worth a thousand words, here goes the proof:



Yes, I also succumbed with that cute Vostok I missed last year.

Now I'm back home but with a piece of history
Best regards to all
Robert
 
#19 ·
Rfolia, I hope you will find time for a full review. I'm anticipating a growing forum interest in Tekhnochas so an independent review would be valuable.

Surok55, which Integral modules are currently available in Tekhnochas watches?

...and for the rest of you; if you haven't seen this already, you should take a look (wristwatches are halfway down the page):
SOVIET DIGITAL ELECTRONICS MUSEUM. By Sergei Frolov
 
#20 · (Edited)
Rfolia, I hope you will find time for a full review. I'm anticipating a growing forum interest in Tekhnochas so an independent review would be valuable.

Surok55, which Integral modules are currently available in Tekhnochas watches?

...and for the rest of you; if you haven't seen this already, you should take a look (wristwatches are halfway down the page):
SOVIET DIGITAL ELECTRONICS MUSEUM. By Sergei Frolov
Nikolaj kindly shared this PDF with me.

So they have available the old Soviet 52,53,54 and 55, the basic Belarussian 60, the less basic Chinese 65M, the old Soviet Melodia 77 and the new (2000) Belurussian modules Integral 01 and 03, with standard and bigger fonts display.

I will order a 01 as well in the next days and make a review, this module has quite a few new features and is somewhat similar to a G shock 5600.

We are also discussing their future plans and he is open to our input from outside the former SSSR.

I'm interested too. In what range of price moves this New watches?

Enviado desde mi ALE-L21 mediante Tapatalk
Top model (Integral 01) 2550 rubles excluding shipping, that is about 37.5 euros at the current exchange.

The most basic model is the Kamerton 60 that goes for 1200 rubles, that would be 17.5 euros, so more expensive than Casio but on the other side it's a problem of volumes, F91Ws have been mass produced for almost 30 years.
 

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#21 ·
Very interesting. It was reported in another thread that the 77A Melodiya has a Chinese module, but according to this list, only the K-65M is Chinese.

Incidentally, for those who may be interested, the 7 melodies on the 77A are old American folk songs that sound cheesy in the extreme (and chew through the batteries). I've been told the 5 melodies on the 55 are more impressive, but I can't confirm that.


Do we have a definition of the module sizes A, B and C? Do these define the module size, the display size, or both? I guess this would determine which cases can be used with which module?
 
#22 ·
Very interesting. It was reported in another thread that the 77A Melodiya has a Chinese module, but according to this list, only the K-65M is Chinese.

Incidentally, for those who may be interested, the 7 melodies on the 77A are old American folk songs that sound cheesy in the extreme (and chew through the batteries). I've been told the 5 melodies on the 55 are more impressive, but I can't confirm that.

Do we have a definition of the module sizes A, B and C? Do these define the module size, the display size, or both? I guess this would determine which cases can be used with which module?
I think Nikolaj can answer to that, I heard something about Elektronika 77 on ebay and the sound quality is not the forte of the watch....

I would also be curious to know if they can use the Elektronika name, as it's more or less known, while Integral and Kamerton not quite, so for the export Elektronica by Techochas might help the identification of the watch.

I would also like to know the dimensions (they offer three cases, an octagonal, a more square like the old Elektronica 5 with module 207 and a new one that is also square with rounder edges) and if they can offer a nickel finish as it would look more like steel.

Incidentally it appears they are developing a simplified movement:

Часы с большими цифрами - Техночас
 
#23 · (Edited)
It's nice to see such interest for our watches here :)

It was reported in another thread that the 77A Melodiya has a Chinese module
It is not true. This model have Chinese prototype, "Montana" watches, which were very popular in late 1980s and 1990s in USSR. But in 1990s Integral have designed watch IC with same functionality (just with the same american melodies), and Elektronika factory designed the analogous watch, "Elektronika-77A". If you open watch case, you can see that they have same construction as soviet "Elektronika-55" and trimmer capacitor for adjustment (chinese watches don't have it).

Do we have a definition of the module sizes A, B and C? Do these define the module size, the display size, or both? I guess this would determine which cases can be used with which module?
Yes, this defines module size, display size and type of watch case.
Size A -- like soviet Electronika-52,53,54,55 (designed in 1986-88), diam.29mm, height 3.5mm. Display is approx. 21x9 mm
Size B -- like Integral ChN-01 (designed in 2000), diam.29mm, height 5mm. Display is approx. 21x13.5 mm
Size C -- Chinese module with rusification, diam.30mm, height 7.5 mm.
 
#30 ·
Quick and dirty (very dirty) sketch ready:

Text Handwriting Drawing Sketch Diagram


In short: black dial, two wide grey stripes on top and buttom, the upper one interrupted to create the W square.

This yellow/orange line in the middle of the stripe, it connects square and stripe. Two short yellow stripes above and below the white W.

Lower band similar with the yellow line that forms the characters Elektronica 57 by Technocas or something like that, perhaps in italics.

IMO the screen of the 01 module looks a little chaotic with digits of different fonts floating, I recommend to add a solid black like to separate the upper part with the lower one in order to "clean" the look, I understand Integral still makes LCD displays and perhaps it's worth trying.

Finally I have an humble suggestion to modify the octagonal case in order to make slightly wider (38 or 40 mm) and more elegant.

Watch Stopwatch Technology Digital clock Cyclocomputer


They can still make brass cases in Belarus and perhaps the modification is feasible.
 
#31 ·
Personally, I would want a custom watch to be as vintage looking as possible. I do not like extra non-functional width added. It should look like something that has been stored for a long time to be suddenly found, and only upon close inspection you would find it is a custom watch.
 
#32 ·
Well that's my opinion as the octoganal case looks narrower than what it should, at least to my eyes.

Of course we would all have a SS reissue of this this one:



This has already been discussed with Nikolaj but they cannot find a cost effective SS case supplier and I don't think many would be available to spend $200 for a quartz watch with basic functions today.
 
#38 ·
someone konw if it is there any combination to do a reset?, my nice 55b is advancing around 30 seconds per day
For reset press buttons 1,2,3 together (all except lightning). But if watch is advancing 30sec. per day, it seems that quartz is broken.

About limited editions:
1) we can make watches with custom picture (allowed by our technology) on dial, with party >100pcs price will be the same as for serial watches, may be just a bit lower. We also can make just party of 10 watches, but in this case price will be higher (because we need to make a set of special tools for every dial picture).
2) if you are really interested in stainless steel cases and there are enough customers for it -- we can design & make it. But we've calculated price for SS case some time ago, watches with them will cost 150-200$. It's very expensive for our domestic market, we will sell them for a very long time. Shops in Belarus tell us, that just our top-model ChN-01 with price about 40-50$ is very expensive for domestic buyers and many people want to buy it, but haven't enough money :-(
3) about cases from brass with different dimensions -- it's very difficult, because due to our technology we need to order another ingot, and it is very expensive (thousands $). If it's needed to make small party of exclusive cases, SS will be just cheaper, i think. But i need to do drawings and calculations on each order do answer accurately.
4) Today available modules are: ЧН-52,53,54,55, 77А, K60 (slim cases and small LCD), ЧН-01,03 (slightly thicker cases with bigger LCD), K65M (with the biggest LCD, but made in China, i think it's less interesting here :) ). Some of them we've at our storage, some we can assembly in a short time. In Russia the most "classic" and nostalgic models are 55 and 77A.

Anyway, if anyone wave ideas about design of our digital watches -- write them here or to private messages, it's interesting to know opinions from abroad :)
 
#36 · (Edited)
Just one incise.
Promise review of чч-01, So far I can only tell the watch has a bulb, and best thing it does not switch off as soon as you release the button, but stays lit for 1-2 seconds more (very convenient if it's dark and you need both free hands)

As far as the stopwatch, I am trying to understand the manual (my basic russian does not go so far, so will have to ask my teacher....)
Besides, the release of a WUS project with the elektronika seems to me a very good idea.

Best regards
 
#39 · (Edited)
Interesting, it looks like a website that sells NOS Elektronikas, pre-2009 I think.

They use one of YOUR pictures:

ELEKTRONIKA5.RU - ???????? ???? "???????????": ??????????, ???????, ???????

Just one incise.
Promise review of чч-01, So far I can only tell the watch has a bulb, and best thing it does not switch off as soon as you release the button, but stays lit for 1-2 seconds more (very convenient if it's dark and you need both free hands)

As far as the stopwatch, I am trying to understand the manual (my basic russian does not go so far, so will have to ask my teacher....)
Besides, the release of a WUS project with the elektronika seems to me a very good idea.

Best regards
I am surprised as I have seen later Integral and Kamerton Elektronikas with illuminator...IMO Technochas can be successful of the international market against the Casio monopoly if compared to "higher grade" watches like the A168, that looks closer to their functions, and it's not cheaper than an Elektronika. But that guy has illumination.

Ideally the electronic watch should have the functions of a basic G shock like the 5600, so dual time, calendar, stopwatch and countdown but for 12 or 24h, and illumation, otherwise it's tough to compete against F91Ws sold for $10 on ebay.

For reset press buttons 1,2,3 together (all except lightning). But if watch is advancing 30sec. per day, it seems that quartz is broken.

About limited editions:
1) we can make watches with custom picture (allowed by our technology) on dial, with party >100pcs price will be the same as for serial watches, may be just a bit lower. We also can make just party of 10 watches, but in this case price will be higher (because we need to make a set of special tools for every dial picture).
2) if you are really interested in stainless steel cases and there are enough customers for it -- we can design & make it. But we've calculated price for SS case some time ago, watches with them will cost 150-200$. It's very expensive for our domestic market, we will sell them for a very long time. Shops in Belarus tell us, that just our top-model ChN-01 with price about 40-50$ is very expensive for domestic buyers and many people want to buy it, but haven't enough money :-(
3) about cases from brass with different dimensions -- it's very difficult, because due to our technology we need to order another ingot, and it is very expensive (thousands $). If it's needed to make small party of exclusive cases, SS will be just cheaper, i think. But i need to do drawings and calculations on each order do answer accurately.
4) Today available modules are: ЧН-52,53,54,55, 77А, K60 (slim cases and small LCD), ЧН-01,03 (slightly thicker cases with bigger LCD), K65M (with the biggest LCD, but made in China, i think it's less interesting here :) ). Some of them we've at our storage, some we can assembly in a short time. In Russia the most "classic" and nostalgic models are 55 and 77A.

Anyway, if anyone wave ideas about design of our digital watches -- write them here or to private messages, it's interesting to know opinions from abroad :)
1) I already made a proposal in the previous page, I don't know if you can make what I designed tough, in particular the black line to "separate" upper and lower screen, you said Integral can make custom LCDs but I don't know if it would too expensive. For the projects, at the moment we are stuck in an unpleasant situation, my understanding is that there is another Ratnik project in the pipeline but if the moderation agrees we can discuss, it doesn't need to be a WUS project.
2) I have seen retro LED watches made by microbrands go for that money, I think with the right design it might work. We are ware of the low wages situation in the ex Soviet countries, that is the reason why I would humbly suggest to start to serve the international market, starting from this board! As you have seen people here are helpful and always supportive of new companies that are trying to get in a tough market.
3) That was a proposal to modernise the look of the case (now even Casio makes larger watches) in the optic of international market, if you wnat to survive you need to sell something better. Casio at the moment sell "fake steel" cases, if you can offer a real SS case you might have an advantage over them, a lot of people complains about Casio's plastic. Brass is better than resin but chrome looks different than steel ( you cna see it clearly with bracelets) and it fades away. I understand you offer another coating and if would be good to have better pictures.
4) You have a 79 for sale, interesting case design, it would also work great with an integrated bracelet:

????????.?? - ???? ???????? ?? (? ??????)

 
#49 ·
This is great! The two models that interest me most are ChN-01 and 55, so I'm keen to see more about them.

/
Ah! I just sent the payment for this very watch! 2850 roubles including shipping...I am curious to see the watch in real life and I hope Technochas will be successful in delivering watches to the members here as "secondary" market.
 
#51 ·
Yes that's the logo in Italic, Cyrillic cursive looks good...in my proposal for the WUS dial I wrote Elektronika 57 by Technochas in cursive using the yellow/orange WUS colour stripe on the grey band.

Still I think the octagonal case needs to be beefed up, the other case is still the same from the Soviet times, namely the Elektronika 5 with 206 module.
 
#57 · (Edited)
Surok can you help him? And that's also for me with the Integral 01 manual...

My opinion is exactly the same! We plan to reissue 52,53,54,55 with classic soviet design of dials and cases from 1986-87 (with "Сделано в Беларуси", of course) in few month, it's main project for us now.

I redrew this sketch in color. This dial is suitable for our equipment, we can make it in short time, if here will be interest for it. By the way, this module can work both in English and in Russian.
Thank you Surok, I made few modifications myself...first the lower grey stripe should have the same thickness as the upper one.

Secondly, the logo "Electronika 57 by Technochas" as recommended by Chascomm can be in yellow and in cursive, I would move made in Belarus down and in white.

Finally my obsession, is it possible to modify the shape of the case in order to get a more square shape?

Watch Digital clock Technology Clock Electronic device


I would also recommend to get the 01A module with different fonts.
 
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