I found a new watch brand.............not

[gagarin]

I recently visited a watch store and looked at some nice pieces from Oris when the sales person started to take up a pleasurable conversation about watches. I got excited and started raving about cool soviet stuff and made his face crinkle somewhat, promising to show him my seventies, silver faced 3133 Sturmanskie someday.
Then he says something like: well I sure don´t like those crappy bocktock watches from the eighties with anchor movt. Since he pronounced the world Boctok as if written in english and I furthermore have not the slightest idea what an anchor movt is I did the most logical thing - I said ´yeah right I see what you mean ´instead of just saying that I had never heard of a brand that sounded as a toy in my ears and I wouldn´t recognize an anchor movt if it hit me in the head. I often do that - dont let on that I´m incompetent.

When I had left the store it hit me - Vostok

But what is an anchor movt?

Regards Erik

[NEG]

This might help:

http://www.timezone.com/library/horo...73198118416858

[Chascomm]

IBut what is an anchor movt?

The same as what is in an Oris or a Rolex, or a Patek, or a Blancpain, etc.... :oops:

Anchor escapement is also known as a lever escapement or 'Swiss-lever'. I think what he meant to say was pin-lever (or pin-pallet), which is a cheaper type of escapement (Oris were specialists in this type until about 1950).

'Pin-lever' is often used as a sort of insult by Swissophiles when refering to any watch from a Communist state. In fact it was the Swiss who were the major producers of pin-levers (Swiss-made pin-levers being the most common type of movement in production world-wide until about 1980). The Soviets wouldn't touch pin-lever, and the Chinese merely toyed with them. Both countries' watch industries focussed primarily on fully-jewelled lever movements.

It was Communist East Germany that initially provided the easy target for Swiss snobs by producing the cheap and nasty Ruhla calibre 24 in quantities befitting a Biblical plague. I've got a couple of good runners and am crazy enough to like them

[soviet]

The same as what is in an Oris or a Rolex, or a Patek, or a Blancpain, etc.... :oops:

Anchor escapement is also known as a lever escapement or 'Swiss-lever'. I think what he meant to say was pin-lever (or pin-pallet), which is a cheaper type of escapement (Oris were specialists in this type until about 1950).

'Pin-lever' is often used as a sort of insult by Swissophiles when refering to any watch from a Communist state. In fact it was the Swiss who were the major producers of pin-levers (Swiss-made pin-levers being the most common type of movement in production world-wide until about 1980). The Soviets wouldn't touch pin-lever, and the Chinese merely toyed with them. Both countries' watch industries focussed primarily on fully-jewelled lever movements.

It was Communist East Germany that initially provided the easy target for Swiss snobs by producing the cheap and nasty Ruhla calibre 24 in quantities befitting a Biblical plague. I've got a couple of good runners and am crazy enough to like them

The only Chinese pin-lever watch is the "Five Stars" of 1955, also the very 1st Chinese watch made by Tianjin Watch Factory, now the quite famous Seagull. The only known example of the "Five Stars" is displayed at Seaull's museum. Maybe only a few pin-lever watches were made by Tianjin before Shanghai made the 1st Chinese full jewelled watches a couple of months later.

[Mort]

I learned also from a Russian watchmaker I visited with on Saturday that the brand name is pronounced "Pollie-ot," not "polljot."

[gagarin]

The same as what is in an Oris or a Rolex, or a Patek, or a Blancpain, etc.... :oops:

Anchor escapement is also known as a lever escapement or 'Swiss-lever'. I think what he meant to say was pin-lever (or pin-pallet), which is a cheaper type of escapement (Oris were specialists in this type until about 1950).

'Pin-lever' is often used as a sort of insult by Swissophiles when refering to any watch from a Communist state. In fact it was the Swiss who were the major producers of pin-levers (Swiss-made pin-levers being the most common type of movement in production world-wide until about 1980). The Soviets wouldn't touch pin-lever, and the Chinese merely toyed with them. Both countries' watch industries focussed primarily on fully-jewelled lever movements.

It was Communist East Germany that initially provided the easy target for Swiss snobs by producing the cheap and nasty Ruhla calibre 24 in quantities befitting a Biblical plague. I've got a couple of good runners and am crazy enough to like them

Funny thing is that Oris,and I like them for that, was looked down upon by the Swiss horology establishment for making cheap pin lever watches, so what did they do? They made one that won a chronometre contest.

Regards
Erik

[Chascomm]

Funny thing is that Oris,and I like them for that, was looked down upon by the Swiss horology establishment for making cheap pin lever watches, so what did they do? They made one that won a chronometre contest.

Regards
Erik

Did you ever hear about Sicura's pin-lever chronometer from the 1970s? They found that COSC certification would cost more than the retail value of the watch, so it never entered production

[wocio19]

Funny thing is that Oris,and I like them for that, was looked down upon by the Swiss horology establishment for making cheap pin lever watches, so what did they do? They made one that won a chronometre contest.

Regards
Erik

A really interesting story, very nice for me to hear as well, because I own one Oris with pin-lever escapement from 1950's and it's one of my favorite watches

[zippofan]

The same as what is in an Oris or a Rolex, or a Patek, or a Blancpain, etc.... :oops:

Anchor escapement is also known as a lever escapement or 'Swiss-lever'. I think what he meant to say was pin-lever (or pin-pallet), which is a cheaper type of escapement (Oris were specialists in this type until about 1950).

'Pin-lever' is often used as a sort of insult by Swissophiles when refering to any watch from a Communist state. In fact it was the Swiss who were the major producers of pin-levers (Swiss-made pin-levers being the most common type of movement in production world-wide until about 1980). The Soviets wouldn't touch pin-lever, and the Chinese merely toyed with them. Both countries' watch industries focussed primarily on fully-jewelled lever movements.

It was Communist East Germany that initially provided the easy target for Swiss snobs by producing the cheap and nasty Ruhla calibre 24 in quantities befitting a Biblical plague. I've got a couple of good runners and am crazy enough to like them

I have one of those Swiss pin-lever watches from the 1970's. It means a lot to me, and I can't find any watchmaker even willing to look at it, much less clean it (which is all it needs). I hear the same thing, "no parts", which would be fine if it needed any!

Timex made a lot of pin-lever watches too. I know some collect them specifically

Cheers,
Griff

[michele]

I have one of those Swiss pin-lever watches from the 1970's. It means a lot to me, and I can't find any watchmaker even willing to look at it, much less clean it (which is all it needs). I hear the same thing, "no parts", which would be fine if it needed any!

Timex made a lot of pin-lever watches too. I know some collect them specifically

Cheers,
Griff

I own two Ruhla watches from the former DDR (Wocio probably know them well), and i find them very interesting. Unfortunately, with those dull watchmakers, the only option is the "DIY" (do it yourself)