Russian Marine Officer's Chronometer

© Brooke Clarke 2007 - 2010



Russian Marine Officer's Chronometer
Suunto Vector Wrist Computer
Lady's Wrist Watch Cuff Links

Russian Marine Officer's Chronometer


Real or Fack
                  Russian Watch

Background

Bought this watch on eBay for considerably less than the current starting price.  But after making this image that's big enough for my eyes it appears that the balance wheel is all brass and that it is a solid circle, not cut and not a bi metal type.

Notice in the photo above the watch is stopped.  This way you can see that the balance wheel is one piece, not cut as would be the case with a bi-metal temperature compensated balance wheel.  Also this one appears to be all brass.

The vertical light colored bars are not part of the watch, but are an artifact from the flat bed scanner.

Another similar, if not identical watch is at:
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=250138676169

3 July 2007 - the replies all say the watch is real.  It may be that the mainspring is compensated.  The Hamilton Watch Co. chronometers do not have a cut in the balance wheel rim which works with slight flexing of the rim.  If the "2-53" marking is a date, then the W.W. II Hamilton technology would be well known all over the world.

7 July 2007 - More responses all say it's a real watch, not a fake.

The red items are rubies used a low friction bearings.

Suunto Vector Wrist Computer

First saw this watch in Japan where it was very expensive.  Planned to buy it in Hong Kong, but all the knock off watches there have hands, i.e. there's no knock off for this watch.  Ended up buying it from a sporting goods store in San Jose at a substantial discount from the price in Japan.

The four buttons are:
(West)
Select
Set
(North)
Mode
Light
(South)
Bearing
-
(East)
On Off
+

Each of the four modes (Time, Altitude, Barometer, Compass) has sub modes and setting modes.
For example when in Time mode pressing select brings you to Alarm 1 mode (there are 3 alarm modes).
Pressing and holding Select in any mode brings you to the setup screens for that mode.
Pressing and holding the Mode button turns on the backlight.


Suunto
                    Vector Wrist Computer
without the CR2430 battery
I have turned the bezel so that N points to true North when the compass display says 0 or 360 degrees.
The bubble level is not centered when the watch is on its side.





To move between Time ->Alt -> Baro -> Comp -> Time
the upper right button is pressed.
Suunto
                    Vector Wrist Computer
Time & Date screen
SAturday
9:46
Dec 25 (2010)

Note the seconds tick mark at about 14 seconds.
Suunto
                    Vector Wrist Computer
Altitude
increasing at 6 feet per minute (not really it's sitting on my desk, but the barometric pressure is decreasing)
1110 feet above Mean Sea Level
at 9:59 am


x
Temperature & Barometric Pressure
68 deg F
28.75" Mercury
at 9:47 am

The graph in the upper left is a history of the barometric pressure.

There is also a recording function that will keep a record of the baro pres for months.
To see what happens when the watch is not level see:
Experiment Relating to the Vertical Component of the Earth's Field
For more on magnetic sensors see my sensors page

x
Magnetic (and True with Bezel set) Compass & Bubble Level
South West
204 degrees
at 9:47 am

The Bezel is turned about 15 degrees to allow an estimation of True North.
When the compass reads 0 or 360 the bezel "N" is where True North is located.

Note:  In order for the compass to read correctly the bubble level needs to be centered.
Here the watch is out of position.



Lady's Wrist Watch Cuff Links

These were a Gift Dec 2013.

Fig 1
x
Fig 2
x



Links

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[an error occurred while processing this directive] - created on 2 July 2007