Description
AT A GLANCE
SERIAL DATED
Circa 1965
DIMENSIONS
Ø36 mm (excluding crown)
CASE
Stainless steel Oyster Type Classic
CASE BACK TYPE
Snap Down Case Back
DIAL
Black Dial with Silver hour markers and Silver "stick" hands
CRYSTAL
Acrylic
BRACELET:
Steel President type
MOVEMENT
CALIBER NUMBER 3017
Poljot Strela 1959-1979, ca. 100000
Design based on Venus 150
The first watch worn in space
When, on June 12, 1965, Cosmonaut Aleksej Leonov left the safety of his spacecraft to become the first astronaut ever to make a space walk, he was wearing the same watch that many cosmonauts would use on missions.
The watch was the Strela. It would be the first watch worn in open space, outside a spaceship. This was a mechanical two register chronograph with a 45 minute totaliser and a continuously running second hand.
Issued in the 1960's to Russian pilots, this became the watch issued to cosmonauts for 20 years, until it was retired in 1979. It is the Russian speedmaster!
The "Strela" or Russian "Arrow" Constructed for the CCCP military and specifically aviation. These were made to military specifications. They were ONLY to senior military government and party officials and were not on sale to the general public.
In the 1960s these were used by russian cosmonauts in the very first days of russian space explorations.
Most famously Aleksej Leonov who was wearing a 3017 at the time he became the first person to ever perform a space walk on march the 18th 1965 (oh yes well before omega!)
Two Calibers?
Almost in a parody to the Speedmaster (calibers 321 and 861) the Strela was also produced with two calibers there is the Poljot. 3133 (mimicking the Swiss Valjoux 7733)
Then there is THIS ONE! the one we are selling the "Early One" Retired in 1979 before the watches became widely available. The 3017 Column Wheel was made in a total number of only 100,000 movements and is a higher precision better quality and more desirable and Considerably Rarer column wheel chronograph based on the Venus cal. 150.
This Sekonda was worn by Aleksey Aleksandrovich Gubarev on the Sojus 28 mission in march 1978.
Picture from the Book "time capsule" Copyright OMEGA SA
THE CASE
Iconic Classic Almost "Oyster" style case. this one is 36mm in diameter (excluding crown & pushers) 38mm (inclusive)
45.5mm Lug tip to lug tip with 18mm lug spacing
Snap down case back and fixed bezel
THE DIAL
In superb condition all original Black dial super crisp white detail tachymeter scale outer and telemetre scale inner chapters.
High polish steel indexes those very funky (very Russian very CCCP Chic) Colored "Stick" hands and "mini lollipop" red tipped seconds
A rarity on any dial this well executed is the signature at 6 "MADE IN USSR"
This is NOT a "re-dial" as if we needed to say it!
THE STRAP
A very nicely matched classic "president" strap in stainless steel suits the watch well.
THE MOVEMENT
No dodgy repairs or frankens here!
EXCELLENT condition ultra clean movement no mashed up screws and over serviced movements no "Franken" parts
Movement is in excellent condition
Poljot 3017 Strela
Remarks
1959-1979, ca. 100000
Design based on Venus 150
Features
manual-wind chronograph, 60s, 45 min, pillar wheel
sub second
19 jewels
f = 18000 A/h