Poljot 3133 Sturmanskie Chronograph Restoration Project

[GeorgeClarkson]

As many of you already know, I recently acquired a non running Poljot 3133 Sturmanskie Chronograph.

The seller stated the movement was not running and pictures showed a strange bent on the hairspring.

[GeorgeClarkson]

It is obvious someone tried to adjust the balance wheel in an awkward way but the small eperson probably also put a couple of shims under the balance cock, causing the screw not to go all the way down.

[GeorgeClarkson]

That "small" is a typo, I meant "same"....

[GeorgeClarkson]

A closer look to the watch on the dial side shows some wear on the glass, but no deep scratch.

[GeorgeClarkson]

Apart the dirt specs and other things I failed to recognize on the dial, the hand look not too good to be honest, and so do some lume pips on the hour markers, which show even some small holes.

[GeorgeClarkson]

And yes, the hot markers are a bit misaligned...

[GeorgeClarkson]

And yes, the hour* markers are a bit misaligned...

[GeorgeClarkson]

Now it is time to show some pics... This is the complete disassembly procedure, or at least my way of doing it. I am posting the most important pictures here, to be able to reassemble the movement going backwards.

Let's tart with the case back, that features a retention ring. I have seen this in many Poljots...

Edited January 9, 2017 by GeorgeClarkson

[GeorgeClarkson]

Once the back cover was removed, I was presented with a "clean" looking movement, and the damaged hair spring on top of the balance wheel, preventing it to rotate freely.

[GeorgeClarkson]

The balance cock and balance wheel now rest safely away, after unscrewing the screw. There were in fact 2 thin copper shims under the balance cock.

[GeorgeClarkson]

I then removed the movement from the case. I removed the balance cock/wheel assembly before uncasing the movement, since I didn't know what to expect.

[GeorgeClarkson]

Then, I removed the hands and the dial. The dial itself was only pretty dirty, mainly from traces of paint coming from the hands (the chronograph seconds hand at that), which had become brittle.

[GeorgeClarkson]

Underneath the dial, all components seem in good condition and rather clean.

[GeorgeClarkson]

The date changing mechanism is rather interesting....

[GeorgeClarkson]

The keyless works was also easy and straightforward to remove. All the parts are now submerged in lighter fluid, getting ready for a cycle in the cleaning machine. I will then proceed to reassemble the movement, after cleaning the case. BTW, the case is stainless steel and has little to no scratches.

[GeorgeClarkson]

After cleaning the movement parts I checked the endshake of the balance wheel.the result is clearly visible in the small video I made:

 

Comments?

[GeorgeClarkson]

After a bit more fiddling with the balance wheel, I discovered that the lower tip had broken off. This is presumably the reason why the balance wheel does not move freely even with the shims applied, and presents so much endshake.

In the attached image, the balance on the right comes from another Poljot 3133 chronograph I just received from Russia (more on that later) with intact pivots.

Edited January 10, 2017 by GeorgeClarkson

[GeorgeClarkson]

Takling the hairspring is another issue altogether. Comparing it with the "healthy" hairspring from the other Poljot 3133, you can clearly see how bad it was bent. And mind you also the "healthy" hairspring was slightly bent, having the end turn (how do you call that?) too curved outwards. I managed to straighten that one just fine, and you can see the result in the picture. I just hope I will be able to fix also the one belonging to the Sturmanskie...

[GeorgeClarkson]

Now the question is: should I try and repair the badly bent hairspring or just replace it with the healthier one?

Me being me, I will first try to fix the hairspring, and if I am not successful, I will replace it, while sourcing another one. Wish me luck!

Edited January 10, 2017 by GeorgeClarkson

[frenchie]

Yes, try to fix it, it's very good practice! Slow, and steady hands are the trick. Replacing the balance staff will also be good practice. Mark's video on the subject is excellent.

[Vich]

I don't know whether you have seen Marks bit on straightening hair springs and it may be that unlike myself you already possess the skill, but if you need it the vid is quite illuminating. Best of luck but I do feel you are going to win this one.
Cheers,
Vic

[GeorgeClarkson]

And here another small video, after putting everything back together. The Poljot 3133 Sturmanskie is working, still has some flaws, has not been regulated nor timed, but it's ticking...

 

Enjoy!

[Vich]

Excellent, lovely to see it working.
Cheers,
Vic

[GeorgeClarkson]

It is working, sure, but I am having a bit of trouble in regulating it...

[frenchie]

Very nice! good job!

Is it really out of whack?