Vostok Volna Calibre 2809H: A 1964 Zenith 135 Homage

G99 · 2014-04-16T13:47:18Z

Explore the Vostok Volna Calibre 2809H, a 1964 Russian watch with a movement inspired by the Zenith Calibre 135. Discover its quality and historical context.

G99

WPS member · Horological Meandering forum

12 replies2240 views6 photos

As many of us know, in the 1950's Zenith made a superb chronometer grade handwind movement, the calibre 135. it had a snail cam precision regulater and has gone down in history as being one of the best movements of its period. well sorry to disappoint you but i havent managed to get one of those. wh

well sorry to disappoint you but i havent managed to get one of those.

what a lot of us know is that the Russians are masters of imitation. over the years the Russian watch industry has copied the JLC 8 day flight timer/clock that they purchased for their airforce and came up with the Poljot 5 day flight timer/clock, one of which i happen to have. it is identical in all ways except for the brand name, movement and length of power reserve.

it appears that the Russian watch industry were so impressed with the cal 135 that they also copied that and came up with the Vostok Volna cal 2809H, a 22 jewel movement made to a very high standard. it is pretty much one of the Russian watch industries best accomplishments and best kept secrets. its build quality is very high, it has the same snail cam regulater and is reported to be extremely accurate and robust.

most of the models you see have poor condition cases with chrome plating missing etc, but i was lucky enough to find one from 1964 with a steel case in pretty good condition. it could do with a polish, but it is 50 years old like me and i could do with a polish.

the dial is original and very nice with sunburst patterning, gold coloured numerals, gold hands and a second hand with a red tip. it is 33mm diameter, so the same as most Swiss watches of the period.

it has a caseback with screwdown ring similar to the 214 Bulova Accutron, so not waterproof as far as i'm aware.

the movement looks great, clean, well finished, or to be more precise, far better finished than any other Russian movement i have ever seen.

it only arrived today, but is running very well and winds smoothly keeping good time so far, but i'll need a few days to really test that.

to top it off this one was as cheap as all the others with poor cases.

the movement might be a copy of the 135, but they say that imitation is the sincerest form of flattery.

i consider it to be an interesting addition to my collection as it is an unusually good quality movement from a country not normally known for their quality. it also dates from the correct year.

i hope you enjoy the pics.

Graham

About the Horological Meandering Ref. Cal135

The Zenith Caliber 135 is a manually wound chronometer-grade movement produced by Zenith, notably from 1949 to 1962. It is recognized for its large balance wheel and oversized barrel, designed to optimize chronometric performance. This caliber was primarily housed in wristwatches, often achieving high distinctions in observatory trials. Its robust construction and precision engineering made it a significant movement in mid-20th century horology. The Caliber 135 is a testament to Zenith's commitment to accuracy and technical excellence during a period of intense competition in chronometer development. It remains a sought-after movement among collectors for its historical importance and mechanical integrity.

Specifications

Caliber: 135

Diameter: 30mm

The Discussion

Andy

Apr 16, 2014

Glad to see your keeping busy and hope to catch up soon :) Yours, Andy.

bimbeano

Apr 16, 2014

.. 'inside' :-) .... I'm still enjoy,g my Russian watch you once 'gave' me ... or did i still have to pay you back ? ;-) Bim

G99

Apr 17, 2014

just enjoy it and we wont worry about who owes who. glad you like it. G

G99

Apr 17, 2014

the Russians are full of tricks like that :)

G99

Apr 17, 2014

thanks Buddy, check the Seiko page to see my just purchased Grand Seiko. i wont tell you about the camera toys i've bought....yet. best G

SteveW

Apr 17, 2014

This is an older model of the Cal 135 which has brass-coloured movement plates. Not long after Zenith were finishing the plates like yours.

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Vostok Volna Calibre 2809H: A 1964 Zenith 135 Homage

About the Horological Meandering Ref. Cal135

Specifications

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