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Franken Volna?

1K views 13 replies 5 participants last post by  schnurrp 
#1 ·
I bought this Volna off Ebay, but I did a little research after and discovered how common non-original Volnas are. I haven't seen any with black hands, so is this one a frankenwatch? Does the movement look ok? I bought it more for the movement than for the collectability, so I don't completely mind if it's been altered, but do you think it's worth the little over $50 I paid for it or should I send it back? Thanks in advance!



 
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#2 ·
I am certainly not an expert on these, I don't collect them either...but the hands look awfully new to me. The fingerprints, are they on the dial? If so, that may be a clue to whether the hands have been replaced.
 
#3 ·
Thanks for the response! There's another thing I'm worried about; the gear that's visible in the second picture and closest to the crown wobbles on its axis if i wind the watch. The crown also plays very freely in the non-winding direction. Would this be a problem mechanically? Also, is there such a thing as a fake volna movement? The part that's stamped "22 jewels" in Russian is a little uneven, so the backwards R at the end is barely stamped. I'm not sure if this was common for this movement, or cause for concern.
 
#4 ·
I think that fake movements are highly unlikely as manufacturing a watch movement wouldn't be financially viable for a supplier of fake watches, particularly in the Russian / Soviet marketplace. Soviet made movements are plentiful, robust and inexpensive so faking them wouldn't make sense to me. Regarding the wobbly gear, my knowledge doesn't extend that far i'm afraid. Have you tried tightening the screw? Not a very helpful response I know!
 
#5 ·
I agree with Tarquin...that screw is backwards thread so turn counter-clockwise to tighten.

I also agree with Tactical that there is a chance the hands don't belong. I considered this one but the hands looked a little thick to me...that's alll, just a suspicion and I could be wrong, of course.

Wonderful watches, in my opinion...I own six and as I was attracted to them from the very start of my collecting, I'm sure at least half are franken but the movements are jewels no matter how they are matched up!
 
#6 ·
the watch generally looks ok to me. Even if the hands were replaced, these are hands for this movement model, and also this watch model most likely, because I think it didn't have the earlier, wider type of hands frok previous models...
 
#7 ·
The hands do look pretty shiny on closer inspection; they probably have been replaced. They seem to suit the watch well, though, and it's good to know that the replacements are the right type of hands. So now I'm just worried about the mechanics. I'll see if tightening the screw works for the crown (the one between the two large winding gears is the one connected to the crown, right?). Also, it seems that the movement is not attached to the case with any mounting screws. Rather, the pressure from the screwdown back against the front holds it in place, so when I take the back off the movement flops around in the case, and would come out if it weren't for the crown. Is this typical construction for this type of watch?
 
#8 ·
The crown has no tightening screw... it's released with the button next to the small winding gear. Th escrew you mention is the barrel bridge screw. All you can do if you';re not sure it's OK, is check if the small winding gear's screw is tight (note it's a reverse screw, so tighten it counter-clockwise and not too tight, because breaking it is a real problem - in fact if it doesn't move freely when you touch it with the screwdriver - leave it be). Now about the mvt - it's mounted OK, with two screws, to the centering ring. The centering ring is pressed between the back nad the case - just fine, that's how it works.
 
#9 ·
Thanks! I checked the screw on the smaller winding gear and it's rock solid. It seems that that particular gear has 3 parts that are visible: The screw on the inside with 3 lines, some kind of bushing in the middle, and the outer part of the gear with teeth. The wobble seems to be occurring because it is loose between the bushing and the outer gear. So the axis is fixed securely, but the fit between the outer and middle part is loose enough that the gear wobbles. Has anyone encountered this problem before?
 
#11 ·
Hmm it looks like the right size, though, and the gap is pretty small, although that makes it wobble more than you'd think. It's possible that the gear is incorrect, or maybe it just wore down. It seems to be working for now, at least. I also noticed that the seconds hand is loose, so it will skip about 5 seconds if you shake the watch. Is there a way to tighten the seconds hand? I'm slowly building a set of watch tools so I can teach myself to service and maintain mechanicals (just got some AF screwdrivers the other day), but a quick fix for the seconds hand would be useful for now. This watch is pretty rickety due to the age, but it's kind of neat to tinker with it and see how it works. I can really see why so many here like to collect these old Soviet mechanicals!
 
#13 ·
Pushed the second hand back in place and cleaned up the dial a bit while I was at it. A few of the minute markers wore away so I drew them back on; I think it looks a little better now. The second hand will come loose again with a hard enough shake, though, is there a way to secure it a little better (short of superglue)?

 
#14 ·
I have only had this problem on one watch so far, a 2409 amphibian. I fixed it by replacing the second hand gear and shaft which is easy to do on a 2409. I don't know about the 2809.

You could try pinching the second hand receiver slightly in a small vise or a fine pin vise. I've never done this so it is just a suggestion.

Good luck!
 
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