# From Russia With Love



## Bareges (Aug 18, 2005)

Just arrived form Moscow










I am not a great fan of white faces but this one is not actually white more oyster and llooks absolutely gorgeous even though I say so my self...............It was originally bought because it has the hand set that I need for my black faced 3017 and the black Strela has the hand set (well nearly) that would make this watch original again.

If all goes according to pland - spares, would you believe from Sekonda, yes that's right spare hands and crown for a 3017 arrived from Sekonda 2 weeks ago........my local watchmaker wants to do the work (thankfully I am not up to it).

So we'll see where it all goes


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## mach 0.0013137 (Jan 10, 2005)

Nice looking watch, I`m glad you got the parts you needed and therefore won`t need to strip this one


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## raketakat (Sep 24, 2003)

Maybe I've seen too many "strelas" over the years, but I find this intermediate 3133 more interesting.

I haven't got one of these














.

Are you saying that Sekonda still have stock parts for their older watches Charles







?


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## Bareges (Aug 18, 2005)

Hi raketakat,

That's what a local watchmaker says and he's backed it up by ordering spare hands and a crown for a Strela with a 3017 Movement - lo and behold a tiny little box has arrived with assorted pairs of hands (6/8) hour, minute, second (small dial), large second sweep (various) and chrongraph hour and believe it or not - a set of hour and minute hands that are original Strela (black faced 3017) as well of course as the crown for the Black faced Strela.

In a word "Yes"


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## ETCHY (Aug 3, 2004)

I like that a lot.

Dave


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## Bareges (Aug 18, 2005)

Mach and others than you for your comments.

Mach wrote:



> Nice looking watch, I`m glad you got the parts you needed and therefore won`t need to strip this one biggrin.gif


Mach,

you have caused me to re-think - the whole point of getting this one was to strip the hands but as you and one or two others have said this may not be 'original' but it is a 'rare' and beautiful non-original and should not be messed with...........so I have decided thanks to your comments to leave it as is and simply enjoy it.


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## raketakat (Sep 24, 2003)

Bareges said:


> In a word "Yes"
> 
> 
> 
> ...


That's interesting Charles. I wonder if "Time Products" have any hand sets for old Sekonda autos laying around.

I would like to get rid of the "black sticks" that Slava used on their "Sekonda" badged autos which they produced last year







.

Nice watch you've got there







.


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## Xantiagib (Apr 22, 2005)

Glad it arrived !

Now I cant wait to see the photos of the transformation that will yield 2 great original watches


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## psychlist (Feb 28, 2005)

Bareges I have been following the story of your 3017 with interest as I have been looking for one (have now found one and will post pics when it arrives).

I was fascinated to hear that paddle end hands are available for old 3017s as so many black dialled ones seem to have replacements hands.

However, looking at the old hands which you intend to replace on the 3017 I wonder if they are nearly what would have been originally on the white dial? If so a straight swap between them may do it!


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## Bareges (Aug 18, 2005)

*Psychlist wrote @6.43pm:*



> However, looking at the old hands which you intend to replace on the 3017 I wonder if they are nearly what would have been originally on the white dial? If so a straight swap between them may do it!


The original plan having managed to get a black 3017 with gold hands plus the wrong crown and a white 3017 with, as you say, the original hands for the black one was to do a straight swap and with a little help by way of the 'spare' original crown and a variety of hands of all shapes and sizes sent by Sekonda as 3017 'spares' (approx 2 weeks ago!!). This all going according to plan would leave me with two original 3017s a black and a white with in both cases the correct 'original' hands and crowns....................Well it hasn't quite followed that route because when I put the piccies of the "off-white (real colour) one and then went and asked a couple of other afficiondos for an opion several of them said - don't touch the white one it is gorgeous and the fullset of incorrect hands may actually have been an official variation.

Upshot as I really like the white it hasn't left my wrist since it arrived - keeps very good time by the way - and the balck one is with the local watchmaker to see what he can do about the hands and crown relying solely on spares from Sekonda.

I am, based on conversations, just a tad dubious about how well the work will be done.......I know I shouldn't say that but whilst very keen he did not inspire with confidence of his familiarity working with 'old', we shall see and I hope to be proven completely wrong.

In the meantime I have to stop spening on watches but nonetheless am keeping an eye for another black strela with original hands or a white one with the original hands for the black.

Hope you haven't fallen asleep - that's where we stand at the moment.


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## Xantiagib (Apr 22, 2005)

Bareges said:


> "the fullset of incorrect hands may actually have been an official variation."


This is incorrect - this is true for the later white dialed 'strela' - the non lumimous one with the tachymeter and telemetric scales.

However - as you are going to use your new sekonda supplied hands on the black strela and you like this one the way it is - then I agree with leaving it the way it is.

Its just that I would personally swap the hands on both of them. At least they have strela hands and not some other watches hands as can be seen on the many that pop up on ebay.


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## Bareges (Aug 18, 2005)

Morning Dave,

Thank you very much for your comments.

In principle I absolutley agree with you that it seems stupid ( that may be a bit strong), silly to have with, your and others help, manoeuevered myself into a position where I have very luckily managed to get hold of two beautiful historic (?) watches which gives me the opportunity of returning both to their original configuration.......................whilst I am currently enjoying wearing the 'off-white' and am testing the water with my local watchmaker ultimately I do want to return both to 'original' spec.

If my local watchmaker doesn't prove me wrong to have fears/doubts about his ability to deal with 'old'/vintage russian watches then maybe I can persuade/beg Roy to do the work for me!!


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