Accy cyclist
Legendary Member
- Location
- The hills of Accrington
I'll quote you on it and tell you that it is correct. I've brought a number of miyota movements for sekonda watches. The cheapest are basically obtainable for a couple of quid, for the entire movement. It really isn't worth replacing parts for.
(I want a moonswatch)Nice to know the old grey matter is still working...
Yeah, a lot of stuff at that end of the price ladder isn't designed to be serviced, same as the mechanical Timexes back in the day. They're essentially disposable.
Although what *I* don't get is why anyone would buy a Moonswatch. Around 300-ish notes for a colourful plastic Speedy look-a-likey, and if it goes *fzzzzzt* into the bin it goes... OK, they are attractive in a weird sort of way, but they seem to be a watchy version of all mouth and no trousers.
(I want a moonswatch)
Similar process I believe if a VISA. She should be able to find the info on her bank‘s website
I presume that is another genuine Rolex.
This is why I keep saying to do your homework. It's as much about heritage and history as it is about the actual end product. Which is why you don't seem to know that Sekonda was an umbrella brand name used to sell Russian watches (mainly Chaika and Luch) on the UK market from the 70s through to the early 90s.
When the Soviet Union collapsed in late December of 1991, they switched to sourcing from Japan. I believe that Sekonda now uses Miyota internals, but don't quote me on it. They're effectively the Skoda or Dacia of watches - no frills, reliable and at an affordable price point for someone who just wants a watch to do the job without having to drop a wad of cash.
Soviet-made Sekondas tended to be a bit pot luck at times (they had to meet government targets after all), so you could get a good one, or, if someone on the assembly line was having a bad day, you could get a bit of a botch job. That said, Russian watches do have a bit of a cult following, especially the Vostoks and Raketas.
Edited to add - cos I just remembered it - that Russian watches (largely) aren't copies or knock-offs. Their factories bought out all the unneeded tooling lock, stock and barrel when Swiss companies (and some French too, I believe) upgraded / changed the range of movements they made. So the movements were decent, but borderline obsolete and sometimes poorly finished. Although they did come up with a few weird variations of their own.
I have a few USSR era Sekondas, a couple of pocket watches from Molnija, Chelyabinsk, a chronograph, and a military-issue (Poljot?) all keep excellent time, the pocket watches especially so, gaining on average about 20 seconds a week, these are manually wound, the only fault is the balance staffs are a bit fragile. I also have a MOD issue Rolex I bought cheap when they changed over to CWC, (I call it “the pension”) the Poljots are easily equal to it in reliability. The all round best spring driven, however, must be the Seikos, especially a Japanese Railway issue one that just keeps going and keeping time to, well, Japanese Railway standards.
It's a fakeroonie. The script on the face of a real Rollocks (and Tudor) isn't simply printed type, is actually tiny letters made from real silver somehow embossed onto the surface.
Also the enamelling on the bezel ring isn't as clean and crisp as a real one.