Molnija 3602

Description

The Molnija 3602, which was produced for almost half a decade, between 1960 and 2008, is the most popular russian pocket watch movement.

It goes back to the Cortebert 616, which was produced in Switzerland in the 1930 and 1940ies, whose machines probably were sold to Russia afterwards, and first produced the caliber Molnija ChK-6.

During its production time, this movement was modified quite often, especially the height was increased one millimeter and the decoration were reduced, until at the end, there weren’t hardly any decorations applied any more, and the screw balance was replaced by an anular balance.

The gear train remained the same all the years, it is a classical Lepine construction with center minute wheel and subseconds at 6 o’clock. All bearings, even those for the minute wheel, are ruby beared, for the escapement wheel, on both sides, cap jewels are used.

Unlike the caliber 3603, the caliber 3602 has got a non shock protected screw balance, whose screws (in the screw balance version) are lacking slots and so have got only aestetically functions. It beats with 18000 A/h and regulates a conventional pallet lever movement. The hairspring is in all versions, even in the last, made as a Breguet hairspring - a detail, which is normally only found in expensive movements.

The dial side of this late specimen seems raw and is not decoreated. Apart from the two cap jewels for the balance bearing and the escapement wheel bearing, you see the yoke winding system. There’s no setting lever screw any more, since Molnija used in their late movements only a spring loaded pin, the spring can be seen very well at the far end of the winding stem at the movement.

In the lab

Technical data

Usage gallery