Russian Pilot's Chronograph

the Outside This is a fully-manual, limited function chronograph which appears to have served the Soviet military in a few variations. It's still in production today. The movement appears to be similar to (or cloned from) a Swiss movement from the 1940's. Playing with the buttons reminds me of a mechanical alarm clock - there are loud clicks and snaps as the movemant switches into different modes. Other versions have a rotating GMT bezel under the crystal. This one has only a plain bezel, and the smooth shape of the crstal dome and the stainless case seem to press the dial up to the surface of a clear bubble. It's a viewable, touchable design.

the Guts It's too bad this watch doesn't have a display back. The movement is just the right size for looking at. Contrary to what you might think from the outside, the movement is very intricate. Its complex appearance shows through the "skeleton" nature of the plates. Most of the levels are cut away and show an open puzzle of screws and gears.

Technical

Winding: Manual.
Crystal: Plastic.
Case: Stainless, polished. Stainless snap-on back.
Crown: Not screwed down.
Hack Set: No.
Buttons: Not screwed down.
Top Button Functions: Chrono start, then stop, no re-start.
Bottom Button Functions: Chrono reset.
Jewels: 25
Thickness: ___mm
Diameter: ___mm
Lug Spacing: ___ mm

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