Chaika 1600

Description

One of the smallest russian movements is the Chaika 1600, a round movement with a diameter of only 16mm, and hence smaller than an one Eurocent coin. With its strongly slanted and angled bridges it is visually very appealing.

Its first version was probably released in the 1960ies.

In terms of quality, it doesn’t need to hide itself. All bearings contains rubies, and the minute wheel bearing at least on the movement side. That’s a pretty good standard for a “better” movement.

The very small diameter requires, that the winding pinion is housed not at the outer edge of the base plate but a little more inside for stability reasons. But that’s too far inside for the crown wheel and so, the crown wheel has got on its inner side a an additional gearing, which is in engagement with the winding pinion.

The Chaika 1600 uses the classical grar train with a relatively large mainspring barrel, followed by the directly driven center minute wheel, third wheel, fourth wheel and steel escape wheel.

The golden colored screw balance, whose screws are evenly spaced and cannot be adjusted at all, beats already with 21600 A/h and regulates a classical pallet lever movement after swiss origin.

It is not shock protected, the variant with shock protection is the caliber 1601 / 1601a.

On the dial side, there’s the yoke winding system with its setting lever spring and the setting lever “screw”, held by a thick spring.

Besides that, the dial side is pretty crude, but that’s without any effects for the functionality.

Technical data

Usage gallery