need help with a poljot marine russian chronometer

[time2tic]

Got recently a poljot marine russian chronometer that probably needs some servicing.

before I break every beautiful part of this marvel, I would like to know if anyone could share with me a manual of the beast, as i am sure such a thing exisits ( even in russian, that would be fine). it would allow me to understand some of the intricate details of this intricate mecanism.

more simply, I need more info than just looking at the thing before I can touch it with a watchmaker screwdriver.

a picture of the marine chronometer:
(can't seem to be able to post a picture, sorry)
a link maybe:


This chronometer is a kind of golden graal for my collection so i really would appreciate any help I can get.

[Janne]

My Father in law has the same marine chrono. Sorry, sans the manual. We tried to figure out how to set the time without any success. To unscrew the crystal and to touch the hands seems not right.
The rest of the handling is really easy. You wind it up by taking the key, the hole is on back of movement under a sliding plate. Before you can turn the watch around, you need to disconnect the watch so it moves freely on the pivots. You really do not need a manual.
The key itself is baffling, it has a friction lock so you can not turn the movement the wrong way.
I have never seen that function on any watch or clock. I guess it shows the level of understanding tech among the soviets.
This time piece is really interesting. A wonderful mix between Soviet fine engineering and Soviet building technique with an ax and hammer.
I am not sure which part of the mechanism you call intricate.
The ticking is really loud, just be warned.

[Crazypeter]

Holy crap Batman...that thing is drop-dead gorgeous!

[richheddy]

It looks like it may have the same setup some of the old pocket watches have. You may have to use the key to turn the hands. Looks like a square head on the hub where the hands attach. Just a thought.

[time2tic]

for setting the time, the system is simple: you use the key in the square axis that is right in the center of the dial. I guess doing it by hand would work as well but there is a risk to bend the gold hands that are simply superb.

I really hope one of the gurus of russian watch has some technical info/docs about this chronometer.

[Mark Gordon]

for setting the time, the system is simple: you use the key in the square axis that is right in the center of the dial. I guess doing it by hand would work as well but there is a risk to bend the gold hands that are simply superb.

I really hope one of the gurus of russian watch has some technical info/docs about this chronometer.

There are no docs, at least not in English.

However, you are correct. The time is set by using the key to rotate the centre pinion on the dial.

BIG caution: NEVER ever turn the pinion anti-clockwise. The time should only be set by rotating the hands in a clockwise direction.

Turning the hands in an anti-clockwise direction will damage the movement.

-- Mark

[Janne]

We tried last week to turn the centre pinion with the key, but it did not work. The actual size of the hole in the key is way too big. We looked on it in magnification, the key is not damaged in any way. The wind up pinion on back of movement corresponds exactly to the hole in the key.

[Mark Gordon]

We tried last week to turn the centre pinion with the key, but it did not work. The actual size of the hole in the key is way too big. We looked on it in magnification, the key is not damaged in any way. The wind up pinion on back of movement corresponds exactly to the hole in the key.

All Russian chronometers utilize the same mechanism for setting the time. Either you were given a non-Russian key or the square hole in the key has been stripped and worn away from use or abuse.
-- Mark

[time2tic]

I suppose russians have probably copied an existing chronometer calibre. Anybody knows which calibre the poljot marine chronometer may have been copied from? (the original calibre may have a doc that could be of use for me).

[Mark Gordon]

I suppose russians have probably copied an existing chronometer calibre. Anybody knows which calibre the poljot marine chronometer may have been copied from? (the original calibre may have a doc that could be of use for me).

Ulysses Nardin
-- Mark