Chip,

I am collector and want to warn you to be careful as owning mechanical watches can cause strange behavior regarding timepieces.

Among the 40 plus watches I have are two chronographs with the Poljot 3133 hand wound movement. I consider them to be of good value and quality for the price paid. They have no snob appeal but to me they sure beat the hell out of a quartz watch priced at any level. My favorite is the Buran Regulator Silver which you cas see at this url:

http://www.poljotwatch.com/page/PW/PROD/Hand_Wound/31681-7241740

This model is a regulator dial chronograph which is quite unusual and attractive.

Here is some info regarding the 3133 movement. Since the late 70’s, Poljot launched a new chrono movement: the 3133. It was a 23 jewels, manual winding (43 hours), a modified Russian version of the Swiss Valjoux 7734 of the early 70’s. Poljot 3133 were taken into space by cosmonauts from Russia, France, Germany, Ukraine. On the hand of V.V. Polyakov Poljot 3133 chronograph movement-based watch set a space record for the longest space flight in history. At the beginning, watches were intended for military officers of the navy fleet council with an “Okean” (Ocean) name. Later, the factory started to make a modification intended for military aviation staff, with a “Shturmanskije” name (model 31659, a watch with a second hand arrester and pointer of zone time) and watch “Shturmanskije” with a pointer of time zone (model 3133). The production of these watches was limited and subjected of military inspection. Just after nine years, in 1983, watches with a 3133 movement started being generally available.

Here are urls for some more info:

http://www.poljotwatch.com/page/PW/SFNT

http://www.poljotwatch.com/Questions.htm

http://www.poljotwatch.com/Movements.htm

Remember, buy only what you and you alone prefer so that at least one person will be happy.

David