Buran 24h Regulator Chronograph - mission impossible (AWW 11)
Specifications
Name: Buran V.M. Regulator Chronograph
Model Reference: 31681/7248741 (gold plated model)
Movement: Poljot 31681, hand wind chronograph, 25 jewels, 21600 bph, shock protection, number
Time display: 24 hours, minutes, seconds, stop watch with summing up actions
Date: no date
Case: all stainless steel with screw on back, transparent caseback, some models gold plated
Size: 38 mm diameter without crown, 43 mm with crown
Height: 13 mm
Face: black, white (not lumed) numbers and markers, one silver 24h subdial, black chronograph subdials for minutes and seconds, outer tachymeter circle
Text on dial: Buran V.M., 25 jewels
Text on back: stainless steel water resistant 3 ATM N 242/999
Hands and markers: four gold and one black (hours) hand,
Water-resistance: 3 ATM
Crown: main crown at 3, chronograph push buttons at 2 and 4
Crystal: flat sapphire crystal
Lug: 20 mm
Bracelet: black or burgundy leather strap with Poljot signed buckle
Foreword
24h chronographs are rare. And there are not many of them you can get for less than USD 1000, if you are lucky. In AWW8 was one example - Hamilton Chronograph. One pm to me:
djspite said:
… There's apparently a buran regulator chrono which might go for around 500-700 but I haven't been able to find any actually for sale.
That was a good guess - I paid last year USD 660, which was my best offer accepted.
Comments
I know, of course, compliment from
Russian 24 hours » Buran
russianwatch.info said:
This Buran Chronograph is the Rolls-Royce of 24 hour watches and it has plenty of unique features. It is the only Russian 24 hour chronograph, it is the only Russian 24 watch with a transparent "display" back, it is the only Russian 24 hour watch with 25 ruby jewels and a Poljot 31681 mechanism which is a complication of the famous 3133 Poljot mechanism, a Russian variation of the Swiss Valjoux 7734.
This watch is my first Buran and of course I would like to know what is „V.M."? WUS is fantastic source:
VM stands for VolMax/ВолМакс the company founders Volodko Valentin Ivanovich / Володько Валентин Иванович + Makeev Alexei Sergeevich / Макеев Алексей Сергеевич.
In contrary, in wikipedia's Buran article the company founders are not mentioned at all!
BTW. Valuable site russian24hours.info has
interview with Valentin Volodko, containing some words about this current Buran model too.
This watch has Poljot 31681 inside, what is actually the well-known 3133 chronograph movement with additional 24h subdial. In this model they just removed the main hour hand and
presto - you got 24h regulator chronograph.
What is good here?
First, of course, that this watch is appraised by many collectors and if you don't like it you can resell it easily. Second, I believe in Poljot movements.
The transparent caseback and look at the Poljot movement are great. Usually the display caseback is with automatic movements and what you see mostly is this dangling weight with company logo. Here are on display spinning gears, moving levers - a real complicated working movement.
Also, the assembly and components quality are good.
What I don't like here?
The dial. There is a lot of stuff on it, but it looks so random. I just don't like this style. The 24h watch is itself a legibility challenge. The regulator is also a legibility challenge. The 24h regulator, who is additionally a chronograph, is maybe even impossible to make legible. Narrow gold hands only deepen the legibility gaps. Maybe the hands are the weakest point here. They are too narrow and in wrong color, which makes them barely visible. I have to say that on pictures this watch is looking better as in reality.
It was a bold move from Buran to try a 24h regulator chronograph. Unfortunately, I can't say it was successful.
Summary
You think I'm and idiot and I feel like an idiot. Last week I had here plastic cheap Bosch quartz. Today is here Buran, twenty times more expensive and with very good reviews. And I'm writing that like Bosch and dislike Buran…
When I'm wearing a watch two things are important for me. First, when I look at it I have to know immediately, what time it is. Sounds elementary, but this rule is often violated even with expensive watches. Second, when I look at my watch, I have to like the picture I see. Buran failed here twice.
As a collector's item this watch with "a plenty of unique features" is of course acceptable.