How to distinguish the original Sturmanskie (shturmanskie) Gagarin type 2 wristwatch
17 Jewel Shturmanskie
The 17 jewel Shturmanskie was one of the first central second movements from the 1st Moscow Watch factory and based on a further development of the sturmanskie 15 jewels movement.
Production took place on automatic production equipment designed for the LIP R-25, bought from LIP in France.
The watch was only issued to graduate pilots of the Soviet Airforce, called Voenno-Vozdushniye Sily or VVS. The watch was not available to the public, nor was it for sale in the so-called Voentorgs, where military personal could purchase their uniforms and other military related products.
During this period of the cold war, the mainstay of the Airforce were long range Bombers and few short-range Jet Fighters. For this reason, the Soviet Bomber force logo on the watch re-presented the VVS in those times.
Production took place between 1955 up to 1961 in limited quantities.
In order to determine its authenticity, the following visual clues should be observed: (see pictures below)
MOVEMENT OF THE WATCH
1. Serial number of 6 digits, no date (after 1957), or with date on 1954-1957
2. Spring ratchet wheel with 3 stars and 1MChZ (1МЧЗ)
3. Deep jewel recesses on the wheel bridge with 17 jewels and 1 MChZ logo. They reside in recessed openings of the top plate. These recesses are needed because of the stop second mechanism which needs space and moves the top plate up.
4. 17 jewels and 1 MChZ logo (1st Moscow Watch Factory diamond logo)
5. Shockproof balance
6. U shaped spring stopping the balance wheel. The watch has an hack second. When pulling the crown, this U-shaped spring is being pushed against the balance wheel and stops the watch. (Only visible when crown is pulled)
7. Polished Moscow (Geneva) stripes. The movement is nicely finished with polished stripes, like the Pobeda 15 jewel versions. The difference is that for the Shturmanskie’s movement the base plate is also been polished, which visible under the balance wheel
DIAL OF THE WATCH
8. Hands. Second hand should be red coloured, with a “clover leaf” shaped end. Lanzenform (sword shape) hour and minute hand are blue steel with lume. Pay attention - the end of the minute hand must be on the minute scale!
9. Crown. Pill-shaped crown
10. Dial. Type 2 sturmanskie has 28.8 mm dial (in type 1 diameter 30.2 mm)
11. Pay attention that the minute scale is not narrow (if the scale for minutes is narrow, then perhaps the dial came from sturmanskie type 1 and was cut off)
BACK COVER
12. Back cover. Solid screwback back cover (without additional nut)
eBay Listings Analysis
It's incredible, but! There is NO original sturmanskie type 2 on ebay now!