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Differences between Vostok 24XX parts: Introduction I like the Vostok 24xx movements for several reasons, one of them being that they are so affordable. A mistake made never spells financial disaster. They have been reliable Russian/Soviet union workhorses for decades with (perhaps to some) surprisingly good accuracy. Another reason and the reason for this thread is that the parts of these movements most often are interchangeable, but not always! Most of the time the parts used in these movements (2409, 2414, 2415, and 2416 being some of the most popular) are interchangeable, and the sellers on eBay often mix and match parts from non-working movements to build a working watch. For example, don’t be surprised if you find a train wheel bridge stamped 2409 (w/o date complication) mounted on a 2414 (w/ date complication) or vice versa. As far as I know the Vostok 24xx movements have been in production since the early 1970-ties, and there are sometimes slight differences between the same parts between these movements and between generations of these movements. The purpose of this thread is to try to document these differences to facilitate any work made on these movements. I’m a hobbyist, and what follows are my personal observations. I make mistakes and sometimes draw the wrong conclusions. When and if you spot my errors, please let me know! I encourage anyone with any experience of the differences between the parts of these Vostok 24XX movements to contribute. Thank you! My first topic will be about the click. Please see the next post!

I have a few old Vostok 24xx movements which seem perfectly fine except the the hairsprings are ruined. Most of these movements have come from eBay sold as “for parts or service”. So, my plan is to buy a few new balance wheels complete with hairsprings (like these) and replace them. (I just haven't got the tools or skills to just replace the hairspring). I have a pretty good idea about how to remove the hairspring stud (like this, or is there a better/easier way?), but how do I remove and re-fit the hairspring from the regulator arm? Can it just be lifted off and re-fitted with a tweezers, or do I need some special tool or procedure for this operation? I haven’t seen any instructions or videos about this, perhaps because it’s so easy or obvious? Well, at least that’s what I’m hoping!