Is Molnija a good movement?

[TheOmegaFan]

Hi all! Is Molnija a good movt? I saw one at parts sale for 60$, and many people used it in PAM homages. I also saw that it is almost similar to one Rolex (not remember which one). I also found one in Belarus for sale for 6-7$.
Cheers and have a nice day!

 

[Luthier]

Buy me 5-7 of them.

 

[davylloyd]

Molnija movements are made in Chelyabinsk, Russia, which is probably why you can pick them up cheaply in Belarus. Although they do make wristwatches, their major line is pocket watches, which is why the movements are well suited to PAM homages.

In general, the movements are sturdy and well designed, and when cleaned and serviced properly can be regulated to perform quite well. Hope this helps.

 

[Z3BR4]

They are good movements and one of the closest alternatives to the original rolex/cortebert handwinds used in the vintage Pams.. the 3601's lack the shock protection of a 6497 and are generally poorly finished. The 3602's are finished nicely and have better shock protection. Generally good movements, just a little more finicky than your standard Asian or Swiss 6497.

 

[TheOmegaFan]

Thank all of You for help! I've also read that these movts have a trouble with dial/hands. They have different sizes, but You can get and improve dial/hands by Yourself.

Buy me 5-7 of them.

I actually found only one for that price
It's not only movt, it is also a pocket watch included
I've also found a bunch, pack/bag of watch parts (movements, cases, dials etc for only 50$. Some movements had nice Geneve Wave!


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[huntergreene]

Before I started on reps, I was (and still am) collecting Soviet watches. One thing I can say is they are tough, almost serviceable with a hammer, sickle, and tractor grease.

 

[TheOmegaFan]

Before I started on reps, I was (and still am) collecting Soviet watches. One thing I can say is they are tough, almost serviceable with a hammer, sickle, and tractor grease.

Thank You for help!


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[Suncoast]

You can find some good info over on homage forum a lot of the Pam 6152 builds use this movement. There are different grades as well which you should be aware of ...if you are in Belarus it could be worth your while to source out the choice movements after you do some research..

 

[frigpig]

The reason they are used in vintage Pam's is because they look remarkably similer to Rolex Cal .618s.

 

[TheOmegaFan]

Thank You! I've seen that some people change a bridge to Rollie. Also will it be suitable for JacksonTse/ Getat case and dial/hands?


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[Luthier]

You better contact with the factory, who make these movements. Maybe, they'll sell a dozen or two.

 

[TheOmegaFan]

You better contact with the factory, who make these movements. Maybe, they'll sell a dozen or two.

I dont remember, but I think I've read that it closed some time ago. So, we are able to only buy old watches

 

[Alex_P1]

I've been reading up on this recently and agree with what has been posted so far.

They look a lot like the Rolex 618 but aren't as well made or robust as the A6497.

If you're after open caseback authenticity then the 3602 is a good choice (if you can't get a 618!) or Hamilton 917. If you want greater reliability and ease of parts/swap out, then the 6497 is the one.

I'm building a vintage PAM homage at the moment and am trying to get a Rolex engraved 3602 for it with a Panerai engraved 6497 as a back-up.

 

[TheOmegaFan]

I've been reading up on this recently and agree with what has been posted so far.

They look a lot like the Rolex 618 but aren't as well made or robust as the A6497.

If you're after open caseback authenticity then the 3602 is a good choice (if you can't get a 618!) or Hamilton 917. If you want greater reliability and ease of parts/swap out, then the 6497 is the one.

I'm building a vintage PAM homage at the moment and am trying to get a Rolex engraved 3602 for it with a Panerai engraved 6497 as a back-up.

Are the dial, hands nad case compatible with it?

 

[olworthers]

If you are building a PAM with a Molnija then you can find compatible hands, movement rings etc at nightwatchparts. I'm in the process of build a vintage mini Fiddy using a Jackson case, and I sourced the rest of the parts there!


-OW

 

[Z3BR4]

Athaya also has compatible parts over on HomageForum.

Additionally you'll need a Molnija movement ring and Molnija stem.. But I think there is a way to mod a 6497 stem to work with Molnija.

Molnija's were essentially Russian copies/clones of the Rolex Cal 618 and Corteberts. Rolex sourced those movements from Cortebert and just branded them rolex. So, the most accurate movement you can get after a Rolex Marked Cortebert is a regular Cortebert as it is essentially the same exact movement. Some parts are interchangeable between Cortebert and Rolex 618's from what I have read/experienced. If you can't source either of those two then the Molnija is your next best option for authenticity. Some of the 3602's also have a nice finish on the bridges that replicates Rolex finishes pretty well.

Some things to keep in mind when searching~!
Otherwise you're good to go!

 

[mitchbaria]

You better contact with the factory, who make these movements. Maybe, they'll sell a dozen or two.

Preach it Brother! They're excellent movements....

 

[KBH]

The problem with them is the ugly movement 3601 has the tall canon pinion set and the finished movement 3602 doesn't.

 

[TheOmegaFan]

Is it a 3601 or 3602?

 

[KBH]

3601


oops! I'm wrong......