[Donato777]

Пожалуйста!
The more I read about Russian watch brands, the more confused I become. Is Strela and Ocean reputable Russian brands apart from Poljot or Volmax? Are they reliable? Is it safe to buy one? Two models intrigue me...Is this genuine? It sells for $320.00. I love it!|> It looks alot like a Buran Skylark.

And this Ocean Automatic:

:thanks:thanks:thanks

 

[Micha]

Actually the Buran Skylark looks like the Strela ;-) It's a long story but here's the shortcut.
Poljot produced the Strela (as a re-issue of the 1960s watch). The Poljot factory was split up among several owners. Volmax got the rights to the brand names Buran, Sturmanskie and Aviator (hence, you will find the newer watches split up in these categories). However, the rights to the name Strela stayed with Poljot. Volmax can't use the name, so you'll find a Buran that looks like a Strela. Due to the historical significance the Strelas are more desirable among collectors
The Ocean brand is more difficult. It appeared a couple of years ago. I don't know where they're from, but their watches don't always use Russian movements. Chinese and Citizen (Miyota) movements are also used. I don't know how good these watches are.

 

[The Flight]

Hi Donato, Strela - Poljot caliber 3017 (vintage), has been the first watch that has done an "Eva" in space, it has been out from the terrestrial atmosphere the 18th of March 1965, it has been weared by Cosmonauts Pavel Belayev and Alexey Leonov, it has a big column-wheel movement it is a manually caliber based on the Venus 150, it is for Soviet Aair Forces an Cosmonauts, it has been produced from 1959 since the end of 1979, in the Kirov's Moscow Watch Factory.
This watch has a great history and is very highly collectible, now there is Strela with caliber 3133 it is larger than the first.

About Ocean sorry i don't know.


Cheers,
Mariangela

 

[Donato777]

OK, then why are there two different Strela models, one with Cyrillic writing and one with an English transcription? I found both these models at www.aviation-time.com for the same price - $327.50. Is one a more "authentic" replica than the other? And at their sister web site, www.poljot1.com, the Cyrillic version sells for $350.00, while the English version sells for $320.00. I especially like the Cyrillic version. спасибо большое!

 

[The Flight]

Hi Donato, I have read about Strela's vintage, that the name of this Cronograph is "Strela", and for export to the Warsaw Pact countries for their Air Forces they issued under the name "Poljot" with English signs on the dial and movement, i think that also at this time for the "new" Strela's is the same (in cyrillic words for Soviet Market and English words for the others markets).

Have a nice day.

Ciao
Mariangela

 

[michele]

The history of the Strela and Okeah watches (vintage) was already described many times, please read the "Articles" section.

Micha is right, the Poljot factory has splitted in several smaller companies, and sometime is very hard to understand the situation (also this argument was discussed many times, read the sticky threads by me and by Irina).
Currently the Strela-branded watches are made always in the Poljot factory, although it is not clear who makes it, among all the companies located in the old Poljot plant (Poljot? Volmax? Moscow Classic? Denissov? etc.). They are always made in the same place anyway, and that's the most important thing in my opinion.

The Okeah name was (and is) used as name by Poljot and Volmax for the well-known Okeah chronographs, but please make attention, because it was used also by the Denissov company to produce a simple non-chrono model with a very common Japanese movement (Miyota 8215).