# Just Thought I' Say @[email protected]



## Bareges (Aug 18, 2005)

As possibly the latest recruit to the site I just thought that I would say hello and throw a few random thoughts into the pot.

Have been watching from the wings for a while and am humbled by the depth and breadth of knowledge....have found it very useful and enlightening, enough to try and buy a Sekonda Strela, black face green hands etc, very like the gorgeous picture in the recent "Strela" post - sadly missed it by a few days (didn't say on the site that it had gone!!).

Have found another - to look at anyway - apparently 'mint' 1964 labelled as a Gagarin Strela and is being slod by a gentleman in Hungary. Just can't bring myself to commit - something silly to do with a gut feel that although I can be superbly fleeced by a western european (as opposed to eastern bloc) I can possibly do something from a retrieval point of view in Western Europe - as I don't speak Russian wher do you start.

Recently bought another Vostok, a 'Commander' from RLT, lovely little watch and where else can you get a wateproof automatic for Â£30!

Having been reading all your posts etc have developed a sever hankering for an original Strela but may in the meantime settle for the modern version with the 60 sweep as opposed to the one with the 45(?). I have seen them around at $320 which equates to Â£180+or -........3133 movement as opposed to 3017.

Whilst here must service both emailed information and packet delivery to the CI by RLT has been fantastic.

Well I will wish you all a good evening and lleave you in peace unless anything catches my eye!

Regards

Charles


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## pg tips (May 16, 2003)

Welcome to the







forum Charles.

good look on the Strela hunt.


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## jasonm (Nov 22, 2003)

Good to see you expose yourself Charles...









Hope you find your Strella, I really like the white 'new' version, but its just yet another one on the list....


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## pg tips (May 16, 2003)

Jase just how long is "the list" now?


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## mach 0.0013137 (Jan 10, 2005)

pg tips said:


> Jase just how long is "the list" now?
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If its anything like mine, horrendously









I`ve started telling myself I`ve got 85 watches now, I really should start being sensible and stop at 100









Yeah right, like thats going to happen





































Welcome to the forum Charles, wise choice going for the Vostok and Strela, excellent watches


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## Stan (Aug 7, 2003)

Charles,

Good to meet you mate, bring on those Russian watches buddy.

Do you have a red Rekord?









I do.























Picture on request.


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## Xantiagib (Apr 22, 2005)

welcome charles,

getting a 'new' strela will make you want an 'old' one even more...

be careful with vintage strela vendors - most of them are redials and whilst still worth buying - they're not worth the high prices being asked

If you have any doubts just message me and I'll tell you whether to go for it or not...


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## pmsbony (Oct 22, 2003)

mach 0.0013137 said:


> pg tips said:
> 
> 
> > Jase just how long is "the list" now?
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85 - christ my missus moans at mean and I've only got 5 and suggested another one for my birthday would go down well. I think I will print your post out accompanied with a "See it could be worse" cheeky chappy grin.









pete


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## rhaythorne (Jan 12, 2004)

Welcome to the forum Charles and good luck in your quest









Whilst on the subject of these particular Poljot 3017 powered chronographs, there seems to be some confusion over the naming convention (which I've no doubt contributed to by incorrectly naming the picture of my Sekonda that made its way into the Photo Gallery).

As far as I know, there's actually no such thing as a "Sekonda Strela" or a "Poljot Strela". All the Strela watches I've seen are branded 1st. Moscow Watch Factory Kirova. Later, both Sekonda and Poljot branded versions were made, but these don't bear the Strela mark.

Agree? Disagree?


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## Bareges (Aug 18, 2005)

Thank you all for your welcome and good wishes.









Interesting comment Rich, I was told yesterday by a 'knowledgeable' local (Jersey) watchmaker that the name Sekonda was dreamt up by the russians for their entry into the British market. There is in fact no such actual make.

Regards

Charles


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## blackandgolduk (Apr 25, 2005)

Bareges said:


> Thank you all for your welcome and good wishes.
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My Pa (who used to be a watchmaker) says the same. He always used to buy me Sekondas, despite the fact that he hated Derek Hatton (who was used in the ads at the time)

Interestingly (for me at least) the first watch I 'loved' was an 18 jewel Sekonda alarm watch which cost me 12 quid from Argos - that was a Poljot, but rebadged for the UK market. I'm not sure about the current ones though, I think that Sekonda may now be a privately owned buying consortium that sources movements from all over - good market share though.


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## pg tips (May 16, 2003)

Sekonda were / are just an import company for the russian watch industry they used many different russian movements.

Laterly they source worldwide and I've seen one with a French movement and many with made in Tiawain on them!


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## Roy (Feb 23, 2003)

Welcome to the forum Charles.


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## mach 0.0013137 (Jan 10, 2005)

pg tips said:


> Sekonda were / are just an import company for the russian watch industry they used many different russian movements.
> 
> Laterly they source worldwide and I've seen one with a French movement and many with made in Tiawain on them!
> 
> ...


I was told by a old local watch repairer that Sekonda started being imported by The Services Watch Co., Leicester as a side line but I don`t know if this is true


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## mach 0.0013137 (Jan 10, 2005)

pmsbony said:


> mach 0.0013137 said:
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> > pg tips said:
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Pete, there is a Forum Member ( I can`t remember which one) who has approx 500 watches!!!!


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## rhaythorne (Jan 12, 2004)

Bareges said:



> Interesting comment Rich, I was told yesterday by a 'knowledgeable' local (Jersey) watchmaker that the name Sekonda was dreamt up by the russians for their entry into the British market. There is in fact no such actual make.


Quite possibly. Come to think of it, I've never seen a Sekonda with Cyrillic writing, all the ones I've seen are "English" (or whatever the proper term for our A-Z is







)

Having said that, Juri Levenberg's "Russian Wristwatches" book features a small section on watches used by the Cosmonauts in the late 60's and 70's. Many of these would appear to be the black-faced version of the Sekonda chronograph so I would guess that the brand was used within Russia as well as in Britain - maybe that was part of the marketing campaign?

Am I right in thinking that the name "Sekonda" is now owned/registered in the UK?


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## Bareges (Aug 18, 2005)

Rich said:



> Am I right in thinking that the name "Sekonda" is now owned/registered in the UK?


Rich,

I found the following on companies house register - the free bit!!

Name & Registered Office:

SEKONDA LIMITED

23 GROSVENOR STREET

LONDON

W1K 4QL

Company No. 00245489

Status: Active

Date of Incorporation: 01/02/1930

Country of Origin: United Kingdom

Company Type: Private Limited Company

Nature of Business (SIC(03)):

7499 - Non-trading company

Accounting Reference Date: 31/01

Last Accounts Made Up To: 31/01/2004 (FULL)

Next Accounts Due: 30/11/2005

Last Return Made Up To: 05/10/2004

Next Return Due: 02/11/2005

Last Members List: 05/10/2004

Regards

Charles


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## rhaythorne (Jan 12, 2004)

Just around the corner from my workplace then. Might have a look later. Hope there are not some shady KGB types lurking outside


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## blackandgolduk (Apr 25, 2005)

rhaythorne said:


> Just around the corner from my workplace then. Might have a look later. Hope there are not some shady KGB types lurking outside
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What, like Derek Hatton?


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## mach 0.0013137 (Jan 10, 2005)

Weird Sekonda`s web site gives the head office address as..

Time Products (UK) Limited

Alexander House

Chartwell Drive

Wigston

Leicester

LE18 2EZ

England


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## Bareges (Aug 18, 2005)

Hi Mach,

Could be that the companies house address is their registered office - administered by lawyers or accountants and the address you found is their trading HQ.

By the way this address may interest you:

*Link removed in accordance with forum Guidelines*

Search for Poljot, location Europe and there's a 'mint' white 2004 Strela for GBP 101 from a guy in France!! Assuming it hasn't gone - Don't how you deal on Chrono but there ia email address and phone number - Go on live dangerously I'm sure your wife wouldn't mind..........really!!


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## jonsedar (Mar 13, 2005)

Bareges said:


> By the way this address may interest you:
> 
> *Link removed in accordance with forum Guidelines*
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aha! small world!

I found this a few days ago and emailled the guy to state my interest. No reply so far, so he might be on holiday / summer hibernating / hates the english or else has sold and cant be bothered to update the page.......

..thought it has to be to good to be true!


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## Xantiagib (Apr 22, 2005)

The 'strela' is the collective name given to the watch with the 3017 movement in it

the early cyrillic dialed ones had 'strela' on them, later on just

Poljot or Sekonda on the black or white dialed ones from the late 60's to end of production - I've seen some badged Poljot-Exacta too.

Depending on how early or late the model is under tha balance wheel would be the '1wmf Kirova' lozenge or the poljot crown logo


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## adrian (May 23, 2004)

chrono24 do not update their ads. I had an experience with a watch listed there, e-mailed only to see it was not available anymore. If the seler is a web retailer and not a private person, try to google his name and find his webpage (if any). There are some bargains but there are traps too. For example the prices shown for some Zeno and Angular Momentum models are higher than the ones displayed by the authorised retailers.


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## Polo_Step (Aug 24, 2005)

mach 0.0013137 said:


> Pete, there is a Forum Member ( I can`t remember which one) who has approx 500 watches!!!!


Yes, but I'll bet he doesn't have such a splendid calico cat!


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