# The travelling Vostok, who wants it?



## Ratfacedgit

I was thinking about doing this last year. I wanted to send a watch around the world to WUS f10 forumers.

I have a CCCP Vostok 2409A I received in a box lot over the summer. It has a burn mark from sitting in a store display under where the hour hand sat at 2 O'clock. The lume is gone from the hour hand and the dial looks like it never had any. I was told it is NOS. It does not have a band but I'm sure everyone has a bund or NATO to put it on.

I'm not real fond of it but thought why not service it and send it off?

Who ever wants it first, PM me your address and I will ship it on Monday.

When you receive it post a photo wrist shot with a background of your choice and keep it for 1, 2, 3 days or more. When you are ready, post it for the next forumer to send it to. If it goes to Italy it may take 40 days to get there.

How or why did I come up with this? I don't know.

It would be interesting to see where it goes in 1 year.

























Note to mods, if this post is too goofy or too wacky, please delete. :roll:

Dan


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## Timepiece Tenderfoot

What a great idea for an international forum. I love it :-!

Pm on the way


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## Generalskie

Nice idea !
I'm ready to give her a little love.
I send you my address.


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## jose-CostaRica

wonderful idea! well I'm one of those few forumers in Central America and I dare to say (...sadly) the only one in Costa Rica... I'll love to have it some days and to take it to the beach and the mountain  count with me!!!


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## redfever

I'll be in from Sydney Australia.. Will send my details when it has made a couple of rounds.


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## ltri

The watchmaking forum has a similar thread and it is still currently traveling. The watch is a broken watch picked up from somewhere and the forum members send it around and take a shot at fixing it or just taking pictures. https://www.watchuseek.com/f6/wusf6-watchmakers-world-watch-tour-445088.html


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## billbrasky

What a great idea. I am currently working in Afghanistan. I'd say send it to me, but the mail here isn't very reliable and I'd hate for it to get lost.


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## Ratfacedgit

I did not think this would have any interest. 

Colin63 was the first to PM me at 1921.

I'll ship on Monday.


Dan


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## Colin63

Bloodtkr said:


> I did not think this would have any interest.
> 
> Colin63 was the first to PM me at 1921.
> 
> I'll ship on Monday.
> 
> Dan


Thanks Dan, looking forward to it's visit.:-!


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## Lucidor

We had a similar thread in the BDWF Russian watch forum when it was still active. It was set up as a photo competition, and whoever took the coolest photos would win the actual watch. I was participating and provided the photo below, from the helm of a large cruise ship. The Captain though the idea was amusing and alowed me and my family in for a 30 minutes photo session.

However, when the competition was over the forum was no longer active, and a winner never announced. But that doesn't really matter, since the fun part was to read about the watch's journey around the globe and see the creativity that went into the photos. You have my blessing if you want to go for it.


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## Ratfacedgit

Colin63 said:


> Thanks Dan, looking forward to it's visit.:-!


Colin, I shipped the watch today so it should arrive 2 days sooner.

I'll leave it up to you to reveal the destination. :think:

Dan


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## demag

I wouldn't mind giving it a wiz around the Black Country. Maybe show it the birthplace of the industrial revolution and maybe a piccie outside James Watt's Foundry. What I will say here is Daboryder did a similar thing last year on the Affordable Forum only for the watch to disappear on its journey which was an awful shame. 

So I think you should be careful who the watch gets sent to and make sure the journey is fully recorded on the forum so its location is known at all times. We don't want a second watch going walkies. It would be nice if this one made it all the way out and all the way back again. 

Just my two penny worth.


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## cestommek

Great pic Lucidor;-)


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## OhDark30

Cool idea, Bloodtkr!
I'm a long term bookcrosser and find it fascinating to follow a book's journey round the globe from the journal entries online - mine have gone to India, Finland and Iran.
Pics of a watch will be even cooler - I'd love to take part (have cunning plan)
PMing you..


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## Ratfacedgit

ltri said:


> The watchmaking forum has a similar thread and it is still currently traveling. The watch is a broken watch picked up from somewhere and the forum members send it around and take a shot at fixing it or just taking pictures. https://www.watchuseek.com/f6/wusf6-watchmakers-world-watch-tour-445088.html


Thanks everyone for the responses and PM's and likes. I never thought this would gain any traction. I just read some of the threads on the watch makers forum. Those watchmakers are hard core dudes and Pithy is on the ball, nice job Pithy.The OP has handled the whole operation and the watch seems to get back to him to ship out.

There are no rules with this thread. I posted that the first forumer to PM me got the watch. Colin36 can make his own rules for who gets it next. He can choose any method to select the next captor. Just don't PM him until he lays down his rules. Maybe it won't be a PM, who knows?

The watch has shipped and is on the way to ???? Heck, it might have gone 7 miles up the road to my brother-in-law. :-d


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## Colin63

Well, today the postman knocked at the door and delivered a nice watch!:-!

Yes, it has arrived at it's first destination..... just south of London, in the UK.

Photos will be coming soon, just got to get the "work" thing out of the way.


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## chirs1211

Maybe a UK tour before it heads off worldwide 

Chris


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## OhDark30

Cool idea - I'm up for it
Like the Olympic torch perhaps we could physically pass it from hand to hand? (Unlikely to be cheering crowds, though)


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## Colin63

As promised here are the first photo's when the watch arrived.

He was pleased to meet some of his long lost brothers,








and a distant cousin.








After trying on various Nato's, he settled on a nice grey one.








What a handsome fellow!








Unfortuanately, due to work and family, I did not manage to take him out this weekend.

Tomorrow, I will take him to work with me and show him my local town.

More photo's soon.


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## Ratfacedgit

I love it. Your photographic skills surpass mine. The shot with the watch fanned out on different NATO's is the best.

Nice posting. |>


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## jose-CostaRica

wow cool! it looks great with the grey Nato but I like the blue/black stripe one too


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## gekos

Great idea!
This beauty is invited to Norway.


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## Ratfacedgit

Hey, where is it?

No worries, just bumping the thread.


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## Colin63

Bloodtkr said:


> Hey, where is it?


Still here, the weather this week hasn't been good for photo's but here are some from my local town, Croydon.

Public transport.
















The Town Hall.








Some shops








And a bit of work!


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## Colin63

One evening this week another Russian arrived.









The weather this weekend got worse as you can see.


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## Colin63

Well, I think it is time the travelling Vostok travelled again.

1st to PM me their address, is it's new host.:-!


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## Colin63

Update, the watch will be moving on to OhDark30.


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## duna

Colin63 said:


> Update, the watch will be moving on to OhDark30.


damn, this is nice!! 
Thanks for your nice pictures


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## Ratfacedgit

I like it. Don't let the foul weather keep you from taking photos, the photos are great. I have never been to the UK but plan to sometime in my life.


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## Ratfacedgit

Colin63 said:


> Update, the watch will be moving on to OhDark30.


I see Ohdark30 is in the UK also.

Will this be a person to person hand off or sent through the post?


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## OhDark30

He's south of London and I'm about 60 miles north so we're going postal
Looking forward to showing the watch my part of the world


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## Colin63

Well, the watch is on it's way to OhDark30.

I added an old nato strap to keep it company on it's travels.


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## jose-CostaRica

cool!!! who will be the next?


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## duna

jose-CostaRica said:


> cool!!! who will be the next?


I think that OhDark30 will be required to set up his own rules to select the next watchbearer. It appears this project has no pre-organized path, just a sort of 'random walk'. Very fun and interesting.


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## chris.ph

im doing up an old tudor house in the welsh valleys if the watch wants to visit


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## OhDark30

Hi there everyone!
Quick update on the watch's progress (*random walk* is right, duna  )

Colin63's posted it to me here in the English Midlands, should arrive tomorrow. As I'm out of the country from Sunday, I figured to do a quick turnaround before then, and scanning posts saw that the next Brit* was demag, who has kindly sent me his address.

*following up Chirs1211's suggestion that it does a quick UK tour

Looking forward to its arrival and posting pics
O


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## OhDark30

Yer tiz!







The travelling Vostok has landed. It arrived just now sporting a grey NATO - thanks Colin!







Here it is catching up on family gossip. Yes, I seem to have become a Vostok collector








It really is in very good nick (top, compared to 2 dirskies)- Bloodtkr I can see why it was described as NOS (shame about the hand burn & no lume tho)








Running through strap options I'm going to go with this khaki NATO for now.

More later!


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## mr_tayto

What a great idea! I'd love to take him to the Scottish highlands!


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## Daboryder

demag said:


> I wouldn't mind giving it a wiz around the Black Country. Maybe show it the birthplace of the industrial revolution and maybe a piccie outside James Watt's Foundry. What I will say here is Daboryder did a similar thing last year on the Affordable Forum only for the watch to disappear on its journey which was an awful shame.
> 
> So I think you should be careful who the watch gets sent to and make sure the journey is fully recorded on the forum so its location is known at all times. We don't want a second watch going walkies. It would be nice if this one made it all the way out and all the way back again.
> 
> Just my two penny worth.


I don't want to make a big deal of this yet, but Flud Stanley is about to be resurrected.

I'm an infrequent visitor to the Russian Forum since I mostly visit f71, but I would like to spend some time with your traveling Vostok. I could take him to Big Valley Jambouree, arguably the World's biggest outdoor Country Music Festival, it happens in late July. Nearby are also the world's largest Pysanka, Peroghy, and Garlic Sausage. There's also some giant mushrooms in another town. We call that tour the Koobassa Run, throw in a vodka bar at the end of the tour and our Russian comrade will feel right at home.


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## Clay Bergen

It's -25 degrees Celsius here in Canada. Would you like some pics with the watch next to my thermometer? I'd love to be a part of this!

PM for address.


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## dasmi

Definitely a great idea!! I'm in, whoever ends up having it before me, PM for address. I'm in San Diego, California. I can get some beach shots with it. Maybe even a shot with a Russian Foxtrot-class diesel submarine. We have one on display here as a museum.

Is it water tight still? I could get some underwater shots in the Pacific...


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## Ratfacedgit

dasmi said:


> Definitely a great idea!! I'm in, whoever ends up having it before me, PM for address. I'm in San Diego, California. I can get some beach shots with it. Maybe even a shot with a Russian Foxtrot-class diesel submarine. We have one on display here as a museum.
> 
> Is it water tight still? I could get some underwater shots in the Pacific...


I was told the watch is NOS but never tested for water tightness, so lets assume it is not.


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## Ratfacedgit

A reminder about the TV, travelling Vostok. There are no hard and fast rules on who gets it next. The current holder decides. This could be a PM or a 200 word essay on why you get it next. I have PM's with addresses of who wants it next. It's out of my hands now. Stay around for updates.

Dan


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## dasmi

Bloodtkr said:


> I was told the watch is NOS but never tested for water tightness, so lets assume it is not.


Good to know, if it ends up here, I'll keep it dry.


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## OhDark30

Hello from snowy England. I live in Stewartby in Bedfordshire about 60 miles north of London







Until recently it was home to the world's largest brickworks. Now closed, 4 chimneys and some kilns remain








Ampthill is the nearest town. Queen Catherine of Aragon lived here








I've been off work today, catching up on personal admin







Checking the village hall clock against Vostok accuracy







Even the hardest working watches deserve some down time..








Tune in for tomorrow's episode..


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## demag

OhDark30 I see Fred Dibnah never got down your way then!:-d

I just looked out the window, I think it's raining here now. Just bought the wife some grippies for her shoes as well. Will be watching for the postie.


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## OhDark30

Here's why I signed up to this - the perfect excuse to visit the Royal Navy Submarine Museum








From the 1901 Holland 1








a WW2 mini X sub








the inevitable periscope shot








eat your heart out, Panerai! The Vostok in the cockpit of an Italian torpedo sub








A German WW2 Bieber one man sub








A great day had by all - thank you for this great idea, Bloodtkr!


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## duna

absolutely amazing museum, on par with the usual very high standards of UK's military museum, and on top the Amfibia inside his own element. Bieber, x-type, SLC chariot, a Holland... Really complete, a Caproni and all historical famous western mini-subs would have been present, I think .


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## OhDark30

Yes, duna, it was fab
Really recommend the museum

They had loads more stuff but my phone battery conked - a rescue sub, early ROV, bits from HMS Conqueror (including that periscope), torpedoes, a Polaris missile









Armoured diving suit - need a NATO on there!

My only regret is that HMS Alliance is being restored until early March - my guide today served on her, and it would have been great to get the tour around


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## OhDark30

demag said:


> OhDark30 I see Fred Dibnah never got down your way then!:-d
> 
> I just looked out the window, I think it's raining here now. Just bought the wife some grippies for her shoes as well. Will be watching for the postie.










Actually there did used to be a few more chimneys here! I remember 8 chimneys and all the dust in the house being red brick dust.
The poor air quality was why they had to close the works. History here

Yes, still icy snow on the ground here, more falling. Will PM you when I've posted the watch on


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## pyjujiop

OhDark30 said:


> View attachment 948638
> 
> Here's why I signed up to this - the perfect excuse to visit the Royal Navy Submarine Museum
> 
> View attachment 948647
> 
> eat your heart out, Panerai! The Vostok in the cockpit of an Italian torpedo sub
> 
> View attachment 948653
> 
> A German WW2 Bieber one man sub


There's just something so appropriate about a Vostok being shown off in the presence of Italian and German military equipment, especially from WW2. Although I do have to say that the Panerai watches were about the only Italian stuff in WW2 that was actually any good.


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## OhDark30

Cheers, pyjujiop.
Unfortunately the Soviet display was a bit underwhelming









Since this pic was taken they've replaced the sub pic with a fairly dull map, and the uniforms are down to a cap and a t-shirt, so I didn't get a pic that was worth posting

Right, to the Post Office and I'll hand you over to demag


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## dasmi

This is rapidly becoming my favorite thread on wus.


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## demag

Well Vlad the Vostok turned up safe and well this morning after spending some time with OhDark30.

We went out and did some sightseeing and luckily just beat the weather before it turned rough.

















Above: Chatting to a few old relatives.

























Above: James Watt's Foundry in Smethwick, England. It was here that he built his huge steam engines at the start of the industrial revolution.

















Above: Directly over the road from the foundry is a piece of land called the Black Patch where travellers and gypsies used to camp. New found evidence suggests one Charles Chaplin may have been born here, the son of a travelling family.

















Above: On top of Barr Beacon, north east of Birmingham. It is claimed there is no higher point to the east until the Ural Mountains.
The monument on top is being renovated. The second view is looking towards Rowley Hills about ten miles to the west as the storm comes roaring in. It was certainly windy on the top!

















Above: The left (fuzzy) picture is also looking west towards the Wrekin, an old volcano about 20 miles away. It's the blurry blob on the horizon!









Above: Looking north east towards Lichfield and Derby. Midway between the tree and the right edge of the picture it's just possible to make out the 877 feet television masts near Sutton Coldfield.


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## demag

Today was a little disappointing. We still managed to get out and about though. We went for a drive to Coalbrookdale and Ironbridge Gorge in Shropshire about 25 miles away. The cradle of the industrial revolution. I haven't been there for years and things seem to have changed in that time. Consequently I drove round the area for half an hour before actually getting right down into the Gorge only to find many roads closed. I think this was due to the River Severn being very close to bursting its banks into the town. I wanted to walk up on to the Ironbridge itself. The first one ever constructed in the world by the ironmaster Abraham Darby in 1779. However the closest I got was about half a mile away. Sorry Folks.

















Above: L/H shot is the start of the steep drop down into Coalbrookdale Where the Darby family built their ironworks. R/H is the swollen River Severn

















Above: The Iron Bridge can be seen in the distance in both of these shots. The road through the Gorge runs along the left bank and the steel sheets can be seen lying there. These were in the middle of the road presumably ready to be positioned as flood defences. You can see the water is lapping the edge of the road.

















Above: The wet building is the Museum where I parked as the road was closed just behind me.

















Above: A couple more shots of the river.
















Above: Looking back towards Coalbrookdale.










Map!

Tomorrow I have to go to Banbury about 60 miles south for a meeting. If its not too late finishing I'll try and get a few more pics.


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## Ratfacedgit

Nice photos and some history to boot. |>

Who would have thought a simple posting can inspire so many to spend time and take photos and tell a little about their corner of the world?

I look forward to more and where it will end up next.


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## demag

Yes send me a pm if you want to take a few pics with Vlad. I'm sure there's a lot more to be seen of the UK yet.


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## duna

pyjujiop said:


> There's just something so appropriate about a Vostok being shown off in the presence of Italian and German military equipment, especially from WW2. Although I do have to say that the Panerai watches were about the only Italian stuff in WW2 that was actually any good.


Many Italian wartime materials in WWII were in fact low quality (that's true for many other armies, though) or obsolete, but there were many niceties and even some excellencies. Some fighter planes were good (but too expensive to be useful in numbers) and some ships were top-notch (think to the Zara class heavy cruisers). Some weapons were good also (think to the excellent Beretta MAB light machinegun, a little expensive maybe, but not as expensive as a Thompson). Some systems were revolutionary (the SLC/Chariot is by far the best example, another is the often debated Pugliese cylinder) and there were other isolated technological gems (the EC3 Gufo radar set was surprisingly good, but only 12 existed in 1943, enough to raise the interest of the Germans for the machine). Notice Panerai was not on this short list, it was a truly nice watch manifacture, but built basically recased Rolex (or some other special Swiss movement if complications, like 8-days operations before rewinding , were required).


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## demag

I am just about done with Vlad now. I have a few more pictures to post of his visit to the UK Midlands. I have had an offer from dasmi to take him on from me in California. If anyone this side of the pond wants him first you need to shout quick otherwise he will be winging his way back to the States very soon.

Sent from my M2 using Tapatalk 2


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## demag

Here are my last few pictures with Vlad. Hopefully next week he will be off to warmer climes in sunny California to seek out more exciting adventures.























Above: A local brew. Very nice too.































Above: A few shots of the Warwickshire countryside.

















Above left: Wednesbury Rugby Club about two miles from where I live hosts the tallest goal posts in the world at just under 135 feet high!
Above right: At the local superstore with a dramatic sky.


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## OhDark30

Good to see your part of the world, demag

As for the Wednesbury goalposts, I see on wikipedia that 'the *minimum* required height of rugby posts under Law 1.4 (c) is just 11.2 ft (3.4m) - technically a mere 1.3 ft (40cms) higher than the cross-bar' - they must have really wanted that record!

Bon voyage, Vlad


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## demag

Hello sorry for the delay everyone. Work was all consuming last week with no time for play. Anyway I was off work yesterday so managed to get Vlad boxed up and ready. After his short stay in the UK he is now on his way to dasmi in sunny California for some more exciting adventures.


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## dasmi

Vlad the Intrepid has safely arrived in California.









Sent from my SGH-T769 using Tapatalk 2


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## dasmi

It may have taken a beating in transit. I wound it full, but it took a good tap to get things running. 

Sent from my SGH-T769 using Tapatalk 2


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## svorkoetter

If it's going to stay in North America for a while, I'd like it to pay me a visit. Won't be able to take any maritime photos, but I can probably get some good in-flight photos of it.

I'm curious how sitting in a shop window caused a burn mark behind the hour hand? Did the lume catch fire or something?


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## duna

svorkoetter said:


> I'm curious how sitting in a shop window caused a burn mark behind the hour hand? Did the lume catch fire or something?


mmhh.. gamma-ray activity from the lume evidently took a toll on the exquisite varnishing of the dial :-d :-d


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## liahim

Excellent idea! I am ready to participate in it.


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## GlenRoiland

Count me in too.....only I will need somebody to educate me on how to post my pics from my iPad without the little question mark icon being all anybody sees.


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## Ratfacedgit

svorkoetter said:


> If it's going to stay in North America for a while, I'd like it to pay me a visit. Won't be able to take any maritime photos, but I can probably get some good in-flight photos of it.
> 
> I'm curious how sitting in a shop window caused a burn mark behind the hour hand? Did the lume catch fire or something?


This is how I received the watch. I did not see the burn mark until after setting the time. The seller stated it was NOS from a store front. I assume the heat and UV light caused out-gassing from the lume which caused the discoloration. The instant I pulled the hour hand off, the lume crumbled to dust. So why didn't the minute hand do the same???

View attachment 982851


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## demag

Nice to see he's safe and sound.

That's a good old way, I bet it's pushing 5000 miles.

Just been on one of those distance calculator sites: 5351 miles.


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## dasmi

Vlad next to my weekend g shock. Probably won't be able to take any fun pictures until next weekend.

Sent from my SGH-T769 using Tapatalk 2


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## dasmi

View attachment 985281


Reading in my favorite coffee shop on a very lazy Sunday morning. 
Sent from my SGH-T769 using Tapatalk 2


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## jose-CostaRica

nice!


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## dasmi

Hey everyone, Vlad and I are heading out to take some pictures. Who would like it next? I'd like to ship it out Monday if possible.

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## dasmi

Pictures coming shortly. Vlad is off to goh2499 in Las Vegas Monday morning. 

Sent from my SGH-T769 using Tapatalk 2


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## dasmi

Vlad, my wife, and I took a trip to Coronado island today. From here, you can see downtown San Diego, the incredible Coronado bridge, and excellent views of San Diego Bay. It was a perfect San Diego day. Clear, breezy, 80 degrees.

Crossing the bridge to Coronado, looking down at the city of San Diego









Half of the bridge is in Coronado, half is in San Diego.









Glorietta Bay, Coronado, with the Coronado Bridge in the background



























In some San Diego sand


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## dasmi

An "urban tree"


















My favorite shot of the bunch









A local resident









The only downside to Coronado is the traffic. It takes a very long time to get anywhere on the island.









My wife is from Colorado. Her first visit here when we were dating was the first time she saw a palm tree in person. She was pretty surprised to see palms and pines growing together.


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## sq100

Looks like Vlad is gonna get a nice tan over there, just make sure he doesn't get sunburnt :-d


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## Ratfacedgit

sq100 said:


> Looks like Vlad is gonna get a nice tan over there, just make sure he doesn't get sunburnt :-d


He already has a burn at 2 0'clock.


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## Ratfacedgit

Great shots dasmi. |>

I'm still freezing in PA at 28 degrees, -2 celsius for the rest of the world.


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## Goh2499

Vlad has arrived in Vegas healthy and ready to see the town this weekend. I'll be posting some pics come Saturday or Sunday.


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## Roberto Jaksic

This is excellent idea, I really love it. 
I'm located in the Capitol, Washington dc ad I think it's a must see for the Vlad.! 
I would love to have him as a guest. 
Get back to me and I'll send you my address

Thanks

[email protected]


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## Goh2499

Sorry guys I have not been feeling well this weekend and have not been able to get out :-(... I should be better in the next day or to and will have pics up by end of this next week...


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## Goh2499

Went out to Hoover Dam with vlad will take and get some tomorrow on the strip and will be ready to move on...


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## OhDark30

Cool, glad you're feeling better, Goh, and looking forward to seeing your pics


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## Goh2499

Here some pics of Vlad out at Hoover Dam
View attachment 1012725

Yes, Vlad it can be dangerous out here and I know danger is your middle name...
View attachment 1012726

I remember when the dirt and grass in the foreground was about 20 feet under water if not more. and was living in vegas back in 1984 and they actually had to open the spill ways (they're in the background) because the lake was full.
View attachment 1012727

Arizona is on Mountain Standard Time Vlad is set correctly for Pacific Daylight Time
View attachment 1012728

View attachment 1012729

Vlad in both States at once.
View attachment 1012731


Next we have Vlad's whirlwind trip to the Jungle
View attachment 1012732
View attachment 1012734


Then we saw a Roman Statue
View attachment 1012735


The "Eiffel Tower" direct from "Paris"
View attachment 1012737


Of Vlad said it had to be 5 O'Clock somewhere and wanted to goto Margaritavile (he can be such a lush sometimes)
View attachment 1012740


The gondolas of "Venice"
View attachment 1012738

Where we ran into "Micheal Jordan" reminiscing about his days with the Chicago Bulls
View attachment 1012739


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## OhDark30

Great post, Goh!

Two great locations and cool to see Vlad again. An odd feeling, to know that he was on my wrist just a few weeks ago (not like those travelling garden gnomes which people post pics of)

Yes he can be a lush - seems to enjoy sampling local brews!


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## demag

OhDark30 said:


> Great post, Goh!
> 
> Two great locations and cool to see Vlad again. An odd feeling, to know that he was on my wrist just a few weeks ago (not like those travelling garden gnomes which people post pics of)
> 
> Yes he can be a lush - seems to enjoy sampling local brews!


Funny I had the same feeling looking at this. At least he's in the sunshine now and not the Uk wind and rain.


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## Perdendosi

I don't know if I'm cutting in line, or if I'm even already too late, but I'd take Vlad if he's not moved on in his travels, yet. I'm in Salt Lake City, just a few hours up the road from Vegas. I'd hate to miss him when he's touring this part of the country.


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## Goh2499

Perdenosi, sorry the plan is to mail him on Weds. to Roberto in DC at the moment. I wish i could have taking him more places...


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## Roberto Jaksic

Hi everybody 
Vlad arrived safely to Washington DC yesterday afternoon. It works and keeps good time. 
I live just outside DC but I work Downtown DC so I'll post some nice photos with Vlad 
I'm taking him to work with me today 
Here's first pix 








Here's one of downtown DC in the evening.

Sent from my SGH-T999 using Tapatalk 2


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## Goh2499

Glad to hear he arrived safely, look forward to seeing your pics....


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## Roberto Jaksic

Here's one of that crazy spring snow storm yesterday. 
Vlad seems to like snow. 
I had him wind up last night and this morning I found him not ticking?! (hmmm) 
As soon as I picked it up it started to move. 
I left it at home today to see what's up when I get back. 

Sent from my SGH-T999 using Tapatalk 2


----------



## Roberto Jaksic

Hi guys, 
First, it seems that Vladimir is keeping good time. 
For the past day I don't see a lot of deviation. 
Here's a few pictures of Vlad and his vintage cousins and after, in the company of modern divers!
I'm keeping very good care of him and as you can see he's not bored. 
I'll keep him for a short while more(need to make some pictures if White House etc.) and then send him back in to the world, so let me know who wants a visit?! http://img.tapatalk.com/d/13/03/27/y4yqa8y7.jpg
One with classics (all 3 of this watches are coming from my family), Cortobert - from one grandpa, for his 10 years working for one company, he got it in 1962.
Marvin - other grandpa, for becoming a colonel in airforce, got it in 1971. 
Wittnauer - from my father, he got it for his 18th birthday from "colonel" (1970) 
[IMG]http://img.tapatalk.com/d/13/03/27/jura6u8u.jpg

[/IMG]








One with only vintage divers

Sent from my SGH-T999 using Tapatalk 2


----------



## Clay Bergen

Roberto Jaksic said:


> Hi guys,
> First, it seems that Vladimir is keeping good time.
> For the past day I don't see a lot of deviation.
> Here's a few pictures of Vlad and his vintage cousins and after, in the company of modern divers!
> I'm keeping very good care of him and as you can see he's not bored.
> I'll keep him for a short while more(need to make some pictures if White House etc.) and then send him back in to the world, so let me know who wants a visit?! [/IMG]
> One with only vintage divers
> 
> Sent from my SGH-T999 using Tapatalk 2


I think it's time Vladimir comes to Canada! PM me for address.

Clay


----------



## OhDark30

Great pictures, Roberto!
I particularly like the groups with Vlad with your family watches and the vintage divers - some real history going on there!
Thanks for your posts & looking forward to the White House
OD


----------



## svorkoetter

Clay Bergen said:


> I think it's time Vladimir comes to Canada! PM me for address.
> 
> Clay


Indeed! Clay, PM me for where to send him next.


----------



## Roberto Jaksic

Hi everybody 
Here's Vladimir with some of the art pieces I make


----------



## svorkoetter

Nice art! But you're going to get Vlad a bit worried, don't you think?


----------



## Roberto Jaksic

You might be right, I'll Reassure him! 
Huh, that was a good call!


----------



## Roberto Jaksic

Ok guys, here it is, as promised, Vlad finally got to the White House!!! 
You can see in the back Washington Monument (Obelisk) in a first few pictures. 
I hope you like it because we had a perfect weather and beautiful day and Vlad enjoyed flexing his colors in the sun! He'll be soon on his way to Canada. 



Thanks 

Roberto


----------



## sq100

Hah! I bet Obama was looking out of the window hoping to get a glimpse of Vlad :-d


----------



## OhDark30

Was just thinking, I bet Gen Jackson on his horse doesn't get to see too many Vostoks either


----------



## Roberto Jaksic

Hi guys, so Vlad is of to Canada. 
He'll be there in a few days! 
Had a great time with him
Bon voyage! 

Thanks 

Roberto


----------



## Clay Bergen

Vlad has arrived in Canada. I will reacquaint him with his cousins, take him on a bit of sightseeing journey and send him on his way to Svorkoetter in Ontario. It's warming up here, so no REALLY cold shots, but lots of snow to make him feel at home.


----------



## Clay Bergen

Okay...

Here's Vlad with some of his cousins:








...and some newer Russian friends:














... and the three of the "aliens" I live with:





















And I didn't know he was a friend of Master Chief?









I'll take him out a bit tomorrow and show him the sights up here.


----------



## Ratfacedgit

Uh-oh, I just received some news about Vlad. 

Mr. Bergen will fill us in. :think:


----------



## svorkoetter

The dog ate him?


----------



## Clay Bergen

Vlad's Visit - Part II

Okay... Today started off great.

This is my yard, notice this is April 16 and there is still a few feet of snow in a lot of places.









This is the town I live and work in: Big River, Saskatchewan








What better place to show in Canada than the Mountie's Depot:















Then Vlad visited the school where I teach (I'm on education leave this year) I would have taken pictures with some of my students, but division policy prevents me from posting anything to the Internet without prior parent approval.















My wife, the art teacher, (retiring after 30 years of teaching here)









The secretary, or "Chief Commandant" of the organization:









Then... when I was leaving Vlad took a spill out of my hand. Dull thud right onto his face. The thud echoed in my stomach as I literally gasped and bent to see what happened.









o|o|o|:-(

So. Small crack at 3:00, sweep hand and minute hand off. Not working. I opened the caseback at home and no balance wheel spinning. I put the hands back on, but the sweep hand refuses to stay put and I've left it free in the case. So...

I will take the injured Vlad out for a bit of a spin tomorrow to show off some of my town, but he will be packaged off to Bloodtkr at the end of the week, get sorted out, and be back on his way to Ontario. I feel absolutely awful that the watch took a tumble in my possession. Worse still that it has ceased to function in such a spectacular fashion. I'm normally crazily retentive with my watches and ultra careful, so this makes me feel sick. Thanks Daniel, and the rest of the group hopefully, for understanding the "Trials of Vlad" and I hope to get him on his way again.

More pics tomorrow. Albeit without a working Vlad to accompany me.

Again. Sorry. <Sigh>


----------



## Roberto Jaksic

I share your feeling of terror! 
I felt it when I read this post. 
Sorry for the accident, I guess Vladimir is bound to be injured throughout his life. 
He started wit the sunburn! 
Hopefully everything will end up well. 
Good luck, keep us posted! 



Roberto


----------



## Ratfacedgit

Great photos and looking forward to opening him up for surgery. Of course I'll need to do a PT, PTT, CBC w/diff., CMP and cardiac enzymes. Oops, wrong patient.:-d


----------



## demag

Well its a shame but I'm sure these Vostoks are made of stern stuff you know. I'm sure Vlad will be out and about again soon.:-!


----------



## Clay Bergen

Okay. I toured Vlad around a bit more, but I realize I'm posting a bunch of pictures, so I'll just keep them to myself. (Unless you want to see more?)

Anyway, I packaged the watch off to Daniel for repair. Hopefully he gets it soon and Vlad can renew his journeys.

Svorkoetter is the next person in line, so if Daniel could send Vlad off to him when he's had has successful surgery, that would be great.

Sorry again for making this detour. Although it adds an interesting wrinkle to the Traveling Vostok, it's a chapter I would rather have not written.

Have a great day!

Clay


----------



## sq100

Speaking for myself, I like seeing pictures of other places even when Vlad is bleeding awfully from large wounds on them. ;-)


----------



## OhDark30

C'mon, Clay - let's see those pics!
I'm loving this thread for seeing little bits of daily life from around the world
Have you introduced Vlad to the local tipple yet?


----------



## Ratfacedgit

Of course we like more photos from other parts of the marble.

I assume tipple is a pub or drink. :-!


----------



## sq100

In dutch we have a tippel-zone, I sure hope it's not related to what OhDark30 means. Allthough I could understand if Vlad went there


----------



## OhDark30

Oops, sq100, I just checked that out!

Tipple in British English is a rather gentle word for alcoholic drink. A friendly pub landlord might ask 'What's your tipple?'

Probably best if he didn't ask a Dutchman that, though


----------



## Clay Bergen

Okay... as requested, Vlad's visit to northern Saskatchewan, Canada.

I live in a sawmill town, but the mill has been shuttered for the last 6 years. I live about a 1 km from the mill.















I live about 10 km from Big River in the old town of Bodmin. There is nothing of the old town except some houses. That sign you see in the distance is "KM/hr", lest you think you stepped on to the Autobahn.









This is our public dock. As you can tell the lake that Big River is named for, Cowan, is still frozen over. People will be ice fishing for awhile yet.





















The view up and down Main Street.















What? Australia in Big River? Nope. We just have a friend from Australia who owns this shop. Great coffees and lattes at the Billabong, if you want to stop in.









I didn't stop off for a "tipple", as I believe one of you referred to it as, but here's a pic of our favorite restaurant, Third and Main. Aptly named b/c, well, it's at the corner of Third and Main... I have a bit of a local reputation as a "teetotaler", so no beer muggings for Vlad, sorry. 









So that's going to do it for Vlad's northern adventure. He's on his way back to Pennsylvania, and then hopefully to return to his globe-hopping ways.

Have a good day!
Clay


----------



## sq100

Great pics, thanks for posting! :-!


----------



## Ratfacedgit

Vlad is back in PA.

I opened him up and found the balance swinging when rotating the movement back and forth but the hairspring is not concentric.








I pull out the balance assembly and find the staff is straight but the hairspring is broken right at the..... (I don't know the technical term for this part, so I will call it the "mounting point to the beat error regulator"). It looks like a polymer type glue holds it to the stud, this polymer is crumbled so the hairspring is not connected. Pieces of the glue are found throughout the movement so it will need a total cleaning and relube.








The other strange thing is the second hand will not stay on the pinion. I take nail clippers to the second hand arbor and give it a slight crimp to tighten up the grip on the pinion.

I have to dig through some parts boxes to find a balance assembly and will keep everyone up to date.

Dan


----------



## Clay Bergen

Holy Time Keeping, Batman! I killed Vlad!

I am so sorry. Hopefully you have parts. If not, maybe one of his cousins from my collection will need to donate a kidney or something.

Clay


----------



## Ratfacedgit

Clay Bergen said:


> Holy Time Keeping, Batman! I killed Vlad!
> 
> I am so sorry. Hopefully you have parts. If not, maybe one of his cousins from my collection will need to donate a kidney or something.
> 
> Clay


Don't panic, I have him on life support. We can rebuild him, make him better, faster, more accurate, we have the technology.


----------



## Ratfacedgit

I found a balance assembly and placed it in the movement before cleaning to check for functioning. It all looks good but the amplitude won't get above 200 degrees. I opened up the mainspring barrel to find the tab that engages the barrel break as soon as I unwind it. Could this be the cause of the low amplitude? Maybe. No worries I have another.

Everything is in the cleaner now.


----------



## svorkoetter

Bloodtkr said:


> We can rebuild him, make him better, faster, more accurate, we have the technology.


Yikes! Sounds like you're planning on putting in a quartz movement.


----------



## Ratfacedgit

svorkoetter said:


> Yikes! Sounds like you're planning on putting in a quartz movement.


NEVER.


----------



## sq100

He'll be all new and improved, maybe we should rename him roboVlad.


----------



## Ratfacedgit

Vlad is done and keeping better time then before. Since I do not live in any exotic location or have any attractions I'm willing to drive to, I'll post some photos from around the house.

Here is my little rancher and car/motorcycle shop with pavilion. It sits on 4 acres that is mostly wooded and no neighbors in sight. We are about 600 feet above sea level. The rocks on the far right side at the tree line are part of a glacier that reaches to Canada, so I'm told.
















































This boulder is about 7 feet tall, it's huge.
















That hole in the middle is an entrance to a fox den. I hear him barking at 0330 when I get up for work. He is the reason we no longer have free-range chickens, that and the red tail hawks.









A flowering plant in the back bed that smells like grape juice, I forget the name of it.








This is a walking stick, the branches grow all curly and crooked, when the leaves drop in the fall it looks cool.
























This is "Patches" one of our 2, 12 year old mini long haired Dachshunds.


----------



## GlenRoiland

You reeled me in with the dog!


----------



## Ratfacedgit

DETOUR AHEAD

I had Vlad ready for some time now but work is taking too much of my time. I wanted him to take a detour 2 hours from me. I contacted DolleDolf to arrange to meet him on my classic "airhead". I just don't have the time right now and I wanted to get Vlad back out there travelling the world so he is enroute via mail. DolleDolf will then pass it along to svorkoetter who can make his own rules for who gets him next.

1981 BMW R65 with dual ATE front brakes and Krauser cases.








In case you are wondering what is next to it under the sheet,
1996 Ducati 900 SS/SP which I sold last year. It had 3200 miles on her.


----------



## demag

Nice Beemer Dan. The Ducati was always a bit extreme for my old bones!

Sent from my GT-I9000 using Tapatalk 2


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## Perdendosi

Wow Dan. Thanks so much for all of your care. Vlad (or RoboVlad? or The Six Million Ruble Vlad?) is certainly better off, as are we.


----------



## cnnonyx

So is Vlad ... or roboVlad going to go back on tour soon or what?!? What a great thread ....

He has a nice, cozy home for a few days in Australia if he wishes to visit.... he could visit all of the fantastic landmarks in Sydney, or get taken to some extremely secluded, wonderful rainforests / coast / mountains of New South Wales!

There are also some big, big events out this way that he will most certainly be allowed to attend ....

His bed is ready - let me know, please!

edit - my bad, I see he has started using his passport again. OK; well, when the time comes, as mentioned, his accomodation is ready!


----------



## Ratfacedgit

demag said:


> Nice Beemer Dan. The Ducati was always a bit extreme for my old bones!
> 
> Sent from my GT-I9000 using Tapatalk 2


My Duc was used mostly for track days. There is nothing like the feeling of Michelins coming up to temp and sticking to the track while cornering 80+ MPH with knees dragging, pegs grinding, headers touching down lifting the rear tire off the track. Heart racing, adrenalin pumping, tunnel vision, total focus while on the track, yes it is fun and dangerous.

I remember a quote, "You are never more alive when close to death."


----------



## GlenRoiland

Is vlad in transit?


----------



## Ratfacedgit

GlenRoiland said:


> Is vlad in transit?


Vlad was shipped to DolleDolf last month. He was to ship it off to svorkoetter.

I don't know.

Dan


----------



## DolleDolf

Vlad made it to my door a couple of weeks ago and due to work and family (basically 2 combined families) pressure it sat a little over a week on my desk. 
But it did finally make it out of its box and spent a couple of days on the prowl with me.

A fine watch, nice to see what some attention from a knowledgeable amateur-watchmaker like Dan and some polish can do for a simple amphidirskie. It kept great time.

It is now on its way to Canada.





Normally there is a big queue for this cable ride. Now we just walked on.











Pricey calories. Not much else .....







I thought about subjecting it to the Dolle Dolf's old russian watch waterproof test (TM). Which means taking it to this park on the waterslides and in the wave pool. but I thought better of it. I did it to this watch and, obviously, did not fare too weel. It had to be taken apart and dried out. It works fine now.





People travel for miles to get to this water park. But it is -almost- next door to me. So on a warm day this is where we go and cool off with or season passes. This is an expensive park, so we are in the black after three visits. Don't let the clouds fool you, it was quite warm! But it was very quiet, to my surprise.

The kids thought the whole Vlad idea was very neat.











My third born still has to develop his potential ....





My second born, #4, is a bit of a soccer progeny (unlike his father). So we travel to distant places in the New Jersey /New York metro area for matches of this Elite-Under 9 team. By the time he signs his first UKP200k/week contract with Liverpool FC it will all have been worth it  Knowing my luck it will probably be Everton :roll: or Manchester United o|


----------



## n0ferz

I was wondering if it is possible for Vlad to come to the Caribbean? :roll: 

Hopefully I can get a chance to meet him and show Vlad a few spots here in Dominican Republic :-d


----------



## sq100

Great show Dolf, thanks for the pictures. |>


----------



## GlenRoiland

Nice!

maybe he can make it here to Long Island!


----------



## Ratfacedgit

Ralf, Great post. Thanks for the kind words.

It's nice to see family helping out with the photos. I used to ski Camelback in my yout, nice.:-!

Wow, 4 boys. You have your hands full. Your oldest looks like a serious song writer/musician. A cross between Elvis Costello and Morrissey from The Smiths.|>

Dan


----------



## OhDark30

Great pictures, DolleDolf! Good to see your kids enjoying Vlad's visit


----------



## svorkoetter

Vlad has arrived in Waterloo!









More pictures later.


----------



## Perdendosi

Awesome! I'm glad is making his way around the country again.

I'll put my name in the queue-- the wife will be working in Deadwood, South Dakota over the July 4 weekend -- Vlad with Mt. Rushmore and fireworks might be cool, though I don't want to budge over someone who might be somewhere more appropriate for that holiday (NYC with the Statue of Liberty, or D.C., for example...). Also I'll be in Slovenia/Croatia/Italy the second last week of August -- if I got Vlad on, say, August 5, I coudl take some lovely Utah pics, and then take him with me to Europe for a second European tour, if there's interest.

Just putting all of that out there.


----------



## svorkoetter

Here's a picture of Vlad with some friends and relatives, from left to right: Pilot Berkut chrono (31681), "Sivka" the Frankendirskie (2414A), Vlad, Sekonda alarm (2612.1), Strela chrono (3133).









Here's another shot with most of the lights off (8 second exposure) after charging the lume. Vlad hasn't got much I'm afraid.









Vlad's NATO is too long for me. Rather than make new holes, I took the (temporary) 18mm home-made strap off the Berkut and put it on Vlad (the Berkut now has the strap it came with, but shortened) to try him on.









Vlad is running about 40s/d slow, so if no one has any objections, I'm going to regulate him. No beat error though, and the amplitude looks good.


----------



## sq100

I object if you don't show the pictures here! :-!


----------



## Ratfacedgit

I forget what the rate and amp. was when I fixed him. I have notes somewhere but I'm dealling with a nasty summer time head cold and feel woozy so I'm going to pop some pills and go back to bed.:-x

Sometimes regulators move in transit. By all means, open him up.

Dan


----------



## svorkoetter

Haven't had time to open him up and regulate him, but here are some pictures from this morning. The horse in the first picture is our stallion Mogly.


----------



## REDSWAN13

DolleDolf iv only just saw your post i didnt know you are a Red mate, tell your boy good luck & stay away from the evil empire that is Man utd.


----------



## liahim

Excellent idea. Only I suggest each addressee to add the hours a vintage. The person sent 1 piece to travel and through certain time will receive 20-30-40 и.т.д. I am ready such rare Commander to add.


----------



## DolleDolf

> i didnt know you are a Red mate,


Aye mate, lived on Sevvie park between 1989-1993. Left twenty years ago to the month. Missed it and still miss it more than I ever missed my own country, odd as that may seem.

On the Kop about 2/3 up behind the big steel support just right of the goal, looking at it from the pitch.

Stilll blare out all my Kop chants a few days prior to the match at home, and in the NYC bar where I attend the matches when I can.

My oldest two have taken quite a shine to getting dressed up and waking up early to enter that forbidden adult world, a bar! With adult men, and women, yelling and screaming and carrying on, more than a few in unusual accents and strange vocabularies. My oldest went "How many generations Liverpool fans are there in our family Dad?" My dead pan "one, son" was a bit of a disappointment. Well, I guess it's 2 now.

My SO's oldest did not get it. "We come all this way to watch a football game, on TV????" He thought somehow we were going to make it to the real thing.

Given the current ticket prices watching the game on the telly with your mates in the pub is probably the way to go anyway. Most of my mates gave up their season tickets years ago. A long way from paying into the turnstile with your 2 quid .....

But back on topic: we love you Vlad ;-)


----------



## svorkoetter

I had planned on taking Vlad flying yesterday evening, but mother nature did not cooperate:









It turned out that the weather remained legal VFR, but it was too iffy. Better to be on the ground wishing you were flying, than in the air wishing you were on the ground.

We'll try again next Tuesday ...


----------



## OhDark30

Good call, Stefan!
Wouldn't want you (or Vlad) involved in a WIS - watch-induced smashup


----------



## REDSWAN13

DolleDolf we have probably bumped into each other in the pubs on Lark lane ! I used to stand on the Kop to the left of the goal, happy days mate, i dont go too often these
days what with ticket prices nearly £50 & a 7 year old son wanting all the new kits (another £60 a pop.)


----------



## svorkoetter

Tonight I had some time to regulate Vlad. Just from checking him against an accurate time source every day, I'd determined that he was running at about -40s/d, so I thought a slight adjustment was in order.

First, I clipped on a contact microphone, which is plugged into a pre-amp that I built, which in turn goes into the line-in on my PC.









I then recorded Vlad using Audacity, for just over 20 seconds. I edited the recording so that it began exactly at the beginning of a tick, and then went and looked at the tick nearest the 20 second mark. The screenshot below is a close-up of the 20 second mark:









Notice that the tick that should occur at exactly 20 seconds doesn't occur until 20.009 seconds. That corresponds to a rate of about -39 seconds per day, since 86400 - (20.009 - 20) * 86400 = -39

To fix this, I put Vlad in my case holder,









and opened him up. I moved the regulator, pointed to by the red arrow, a very small amount in the direction of the red arrow:









How small? The photo below shows the before and after positions of the regulator:









I then made another recording like the first one:









Now the tick at 20 seconds starts at 20.001 seconds. That's about -4 seconds per day. Good enough!

I also checked the amplitude:









The length of one tick is about 12ms, which for a movement with 19800 half-beats per hour and a 42 degree lift angle, corresponds to an amplitude of 203 degrees. Not great, but the watch seems to work fine. A complete overhaul would probably improve this (my own Vostok is reading 10ms, which is 243 degrees).

Now I'll see how well Vlad keeps time over the next few days.


----------



## sq100

Awesome, thanks for posting this :-!


----------



## svorkoetter

Today my best friend came to visit, and we decided to do something we hadn't done since we were 12 years old. Vlad came along to ... watch:









Notice that the second hand does not move much between frames. Those 8 frames represent about one quarter of a second, during which time a Vostok second hand would move 2/11 of a second.

By my rough calculations, between the 5th and 7th frames, the rocket is accelerating at about 15G.

Here's a sharper still of Vlad taken a few minutes earlier. The device in my hand is the launch controller.









Unfortunately, the winds aloft were stronger than we thought, and we lost the rocket in the woods. :-(

Ракета пролетела восток


----------



## Ratfacedgit

That brings back memories. In 8th grade my science teacher started a rocket club. I had over 10 rockets. We sent a mouse up once and he came back with no obvious injuries but did not live. Perhaps the g's got to him or he had a heart attack. This teacher also had archery and taxidermy club. We also raised fancy tailed guppies. He was a cool teacher, thanks Mr. G.


----------



## svorkoetter

Hey, I guess the flight could have been in honour of Valentina Tereshkova, since it was technically already June 16th in Kazakhstan at the time of our launch!


----------



## OhDark30

Excellent idea!
Looks great fun - what is your rocket powered by?


----------



## GlenRoiland

A pilot lost a rocket? What's the world coming to?b-)


----------



## svorkoetter

OhDark30 said:


> Excellent idea!
> Looks great fun - what is your rocket powered by?


I'm not sure what the exact composition is, but they are single-use (i.e. non-reloadable) solid fuel model rocket engines. The smoke smells somewhat like sulphur. My friend and I used to fly these rockets a lot when we were kids. They're very easy to build, and not very expensive. What surprised me is that my 35 year old rocket engines still worked perfectly.


----------



## Ratfacedgit

This was the company I used 30 years ago, Model Rocket Engines | Certified Model Rocket Engines | Model Rockets | Hobby Rockets | Mini Rocket Engines | Flight Supplies | Estes Rockets


----------



## svorkoetter

Vlad with my wife Lori, and our Norwegian Fjord Horse, Rjelgrimm:









Vlad with our (Russian!) friend Elena, and our Fjord, Bluebird Lane Kestrel:









With Elena again, and our dog, Iris:


----------



## svorkoetter

Bloodtkr said:


> This was the company I used 30 years ago, Model Rocket Engines | Certified Model Rocket Engines | Model Rockets | Hobby Rockets | Mini Rocket Engines | Flight Supplies | Estes Rockets


Yes, I used Estes engines back in the day as well, although the most recent batch I bought (in about 1978), and the one I used for this flight, were Canaroc, a now long defunct Canadian company. Very cheaply made compared to Estes, but they obviously held up well. I'm going to have to build another rocket to use up the rest of the engines. Perhaps something with a Soviet theme.


----------



## svorkoetter

And now for something completely mundane.










And perhaps even more mundane, although I suspect Vlad never saw this much produce in one place in his early life:










I posted these pictures (sharing the same uploaded copy) to the "At the Controls" thread too. 

Tomorrow, we're going flying, weather permitting. And then it will be time to send Vlad on. But to whom?


----------



## svorkoetter

I noticed something interesting about Vlad on the way in to work this morning as the sun glinted off the dial. Take a look a this:









It seems that the tip of the hour hand touches the dial between about 8 o'clock and 12 o'clock. When I regulated Vlad a few days back, I stopped when I had him at about -4s/d, but subsequent checking against an atomic clock showed that he was actually running at +22s/d. I think this is because I did the regulation at about 9:30, when the hand was dragging, so at that time he was running slower than average.

If I find the time before I send him to the next person, I'll check that the dial is parallel to the movement, adjust the hour hand if necessary, and re-regulate.


----------



## Ratfacedgit

I noticed that before and made sure the hour hand did not drag. I regulated it averaging over 20 hours with a timegrapher. The main spring is weak like many vintage Vostok's and the rate and amplitude varies greatly from fully wound to run down. It runs more consistantly when wound fully then rewound every 8 hours.

Dan


----------



## svorkoetter

Okay, I'll leave it alone then.


----------



## Ratfacedgit

So, that big question is, who gets him next and what do they need to do? 

I'm sure you can come up with something other then the first PM.

Dan


----------



## svorkoetter

Finally took Vlad flying today! It was a beautiful day for it, albeit a little bumpy. Here's our ride, a Diamond DA20-A1 _Katana_, an all glass and carbon fibre two-seater powered by an 80hp Rotax 912, turning a constant speed prop through a 2.27:1 gearbox. Flying this compared to the typical Cessna 172 is like driving a sports car compared to a full-sized pickup truck:









Here we are doing our pre-flight routine. I'm using an electronic checklist app that I wrote for the Palm Tungsten organizer strapped to my knee:









Approaching a wind farm that's about 10km NE of my place:

















Back on the ground post-flight, hanging out on the intstrument panel:









After finishing all the usual paperwork, I went and sat in our flight school's newest acquisition, a Diamond DA-40 _Diamond Star_. This is basically the four seat version of the _Katana_ with a glass panel:

















Vlad says he prefers round dials with hands. 

The first person who can tell me what heading I was flying towards the wind farm (within 5 degrees) can have Vlad next.


----------



## Ratfacedgit

Are we geussing this heading or figuring out from the intstruments? I like it.

Excellent posting Stefan. You must be one busy dude keeping up with everything, abviously a type-A personality.|>


----------



## svorkoetter

Bloodtkr said:


> Are we geussing this heading or figuring out from the intstruments? I like it.


Any way you want. There are plenty of clues.


----------



## GuessWho

Is heading 060 a good guess?


----------



## svorkoetter

That was quick! Which clue did you use?

So, if you want Vlad, PM me your mailing address.


----------



## GuessWho

svorkoetter said:


> That was quick! Which clue did you use?
> 
> So, if you want Vlad, PM me your mailing address.


You had written down some headings on the third last picture, also I could just see that the heading indicator was pointing <090 and figured it was resting on the 060 mark (in that first picture with the wind farm) that you had written down.

Sending you a PM now


----------



## svorkoetter

Bloodtkr said:


> You must be one busy dude keeping up with everything, obviously a type-A personality.|>


I find myself with way more things that I want to do than I have time to do. And for some reason, I like writing about them all too. Keeps me busy (and out of trouble). I'm always somewhat surprised that not everyone has as many interests, although I have often encountered (on-line) people who share two or more of mine.


----------



## svorkoetter

GuessWho said:


> You had written down some headings on the third last picture


The headings listed under the compass? That's just the compass correction card that indicates what the magnetic compass actually reads when the plane is pointed to 000, 030, 060, etc. It's part of the plane, and gets updated during the annual inspection.



> also I could just see that the heading indicator was pointing <090 and figured it was resting on the 060 mark (in that first picture with the wind farm) that you had written down.


Yes, that was the best clue! Other clues are the direction of shadows on the ground (or even the shadow of the watch on my wrist) given the time of day (a benefit of photographing a watch), and the direction the wind turbines were pointing given the wind direction at that time (which can be looked up on-line).


----------



## GuessWho

svorkoetter said:


> The headings listed under the compass? That's just the compass correction card that indicates what the magnetic compass actually reads when the plane is pointed to 000, 030, 060, etc. It's part of the plane, and gets updated during the annual inspection.


Ooops, then my guess was more of a guess than I thought!:-d


----------



## Ratfacedgit

svorkoetter said:


> I find myself with way more things that I want to do than I have time to do. And for some reason, I like writing about them all too. Keeps me busy (and out of trouble). I'm always somewhat surprised that not everyone has as many interests, although I have often encountered (on-line) people who share two or more of mine.


I too have many interests including watches of course, fountain pens(thanks to WUS member Seele), playing piano, unicycling, motorcycling, shooting and reloading ammo, photography and looking to buy my first pro-street 1967 Chevy II Nova .
I smoke the occasional pipe in vintage pipes from England, Ireland, Italy, Turkey and the US. I sell vintage tobacco as well. I like cigars too.


----------



## svorkoetter

Well, I guess we have 2.5 interests in common: watches, fountain pens, and I play (and fix) the organ.

It's funny, since I got into watches due to a post on the Fountain Pen Network.

That reminds me, I need to get a picture of Vlad with one of my fountain pens, which I can also post on the pen & watch combo thread.


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## svorkoetter

One more Vlad photo before I pack him up and send him to GuessWho! Here's Vlad with my 1960-ish Pelikan 140 fountain pen. The page in the background is where I've been keeping track of my watches' rates until I get the timing nailed down (Vlad has his own page because he arrived after I started, and he's not staying).









I'll be putting Vlad back on his grey NATO before sending him off.


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## svorkoetter

Vlad back on his grey NATO, with his new reusable shipping container:

















He may as well travel in comfort. I also put a neatly typed permanent customs label on the back for his cross border adventures, although he won't need it for his upcoming trip.


----------



## GuessWho

svorkoetter said:


> Vlad back on his grey NATO, with his new reusable shipping container:
> 
> View attachment 1128125
> 
> 
> He may as well travel in comfort. I also put a neatly typed permanent customs label on the back for his cross border adventures, although he won't need it for his upcoming trip.


That re-usable box looks great! I will make sure to keep it (and Vlad) in good condition when it arrives!


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## svorkoetter

GuessWho said:


> That re-usable box looks great! I will make sure to keep it (and Vlad) in good condition when it arrives!


I tried to make it as reusable as possible. Just cut the tape carefully along the three sides of the box top, and it should just pop open. The box is mostly pre-coated in tape, so all the labels should just peel off (except the permanent customs label, which is under the tape).


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## GuessWho

Vlad has arrived! But i am at a client site in Toronto so I will have to wait before I can do a proper update.

Sent from my SGH-I727R using Tapatalk 2


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## svorkoetter

Wow, that was fast!

If you can, check him against an accurate time source (such as an Internet-time-synchronized PC) and let me know how much fast or slow he is. He's been underway for short enough of a time that he should still be ticking.


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## GuessWho

Just got home now, long day of driving around. Vlad was about 25 seconds slow when I first opened up the package, probably because he hadn't been wound in a while. 

Pics to come soon!


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## GuessWho

Vlad only took one day to arrive, and came in the new re-usable box by svorkoetter, it even had instructions on it!




























Vlad even came with the time set and running, albeit a few seconds behind (was in the mail/on my desk for about 34 hours, probably just needed a good wind)

Took some quick pictures out on my balcony, I am pretty tired and I will try and get some better pictures tomorrow morning


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## GuessWho

It is humid as heck today, it really has zapped all of my energy (I am a person who MUCH prefers the cold), no A/C so I am making due







Went to the grocery store to with Vlad, exciting right?







Driving back:








After that, Vlad had some visiting time with the my other watches







The winder box:







And the family photo:








Sorry for the crap pictures, I am hoping to borrow my mother's expensive digital camera tomorrow


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## DolleDolf

OhDark30 said:


> Excellent idea!
> Looks great fun - what is your rocket powered by?


Raw eggs and protein sha..... eh ..... oh well, never mind ;-)


----------



## GuessWho

Took Vlad with me to work today














Pretty quiet day all in all







Had to go to a client location at a local Wal-Mart because the fax machine was "broken", my diagnosis: it needs to be plugged in for it to work!







At least I got a little shopping done while I was there


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## sq100

So did you let Vlad have a go at that Dell server? I bet he'd wreck it in a matter of seconds, Vlad doesn't look like he has affinity with such stuff, but of course I could be wrong :-!


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## ENRGZR

Wow! Just read through the whole thread. What an amazing idea! I would love to be able to tour Vlad around Oahu. Maybe a trip to the USS Bowfin could be arranged. That is, if I am worthy enough to see Vlad.


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## GuessWho

sq100 said:


> So did you let Vlad have a go at that Dell server? I bet he'd wreck it in a matter of seconds, Vlad doesn't look like he has affinity with such stuff, but of course I could be wrong :-!


Funny you mention that, I had a Dell server catch on fire today (not that one, it was in Regina) after the RAID card failed. It was only a year and a half old too, Vlad (and almost any other watch) is obviously much tougher than any Dell


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## GuessWho

Brought Vlad in to work with me again, rainy day out today, didn't get out as much as I wanted this week as I have been getting sick.









I figured it was time Vlad went on his next adventure. Jackrobinson is the next recipient, so I got Vlad ready for his long trip (not sure if Jack wants me posting where he lives, but it is pretty far away)! I used some extra bubble-wrap and Svorketter's box to prepare Vlad for a trip across the high seas (don't worry, I wiped down Vlad/cleaned my hands before packaging so no one else gets sick) 









I enjoyed having Vlad for a bit, I think I can see myself buying a watch that is similar in the (near) future.

A big thank you to everyone in this thread, things like this are part of what makes this place so great!|>


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## duna

svorkoetter said:


> One more Vlad photo before I pack him up and send him to GuessWho! Here's Vlad with my 1960-ish Pelikan 140 fountain pen. The page in the background is where I've been keeping track of my watches' rates until I get the timing nailed down (Vlad has his own page because he arrived after I started, and he's not staying).
> 
> View attachment 1127612
> 
> 
> I'll be putting Vlad back on his grey NATO before sending him off.


excellent choice of FP, btw. I have one 140 from my grandmother that still works great after some 55 years. Thanks for sharing.


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## ENRGZR

Any updates on Vlads whereabouts?


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## jackrobinson

Vlad's reception by compatriot brethren.
You couldn't imagine the noise they made with all the backslapping and Vodka toasting and heartfelt laughing.
Mind you, Vlad and young Aircraft Carrier got into a little fight, Vlad being a submariner the rivalry is intense.
As you can see here, young AC couldn't keep his liquor and is a bit offside.


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## jackrobinson

Vlad arrived today at my place near Tel Aviv, Israel, after travelling for 51 days by ocean and land from Canada.

The box is slightly dented and had been opened by authorities from the bottom, slightly tearing a couple of flaps and the molded sponge cushion is missing. All that can be easily fixed before I ship.
Another thing is the minute and hour hands are not aligned. I'll give Vlad to my Russian watchmaker to fix that. I wonder how that happened in shipping.
See pic:


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## OhDark30

Great posts, jackrobinson!
Good to see that Vlad has arrived safely and to suitable revelry. He wears his battle scars proudly I see
Looking forward to exploring Israel though your eyes


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## svorkoetter

Happy to hear that he made it! That must have been quite a blow to dislodge the hands! Looking forward to your updates. Maybe you can get a picture of his visit to the watchmaker?


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## GuessWho

Glad he made it in one piece, too bad about the hands and the box getting wrecked. Keep us posted!


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## jackrobinson

I promise to take interesting photos, hopefully some at the WM.

Regarding the hands unsync:
Theory #1:I would have expected the watch fell on the floor during the security check but could not find any marks on the case, unless... possibly it was linoleum flooring or the sorts.
Theory #2: Seeing the bottom sponge was missing and the watch was out of the bubble wrap since inspection and was routed via several branches before arriving at the final postal branch it may have been a coincidental combination of Vlad jumping from side to side in the box during transit and if to add to that (possibly) the hand pinion hole is a few microns too large after being removed and replaced several times (two services are documented here).

One thing I can add is that in 13 hours of monitoring accuracy is great. I don't check to the second but minutes are good indicating that the movement is a-ok.


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## jackrobinson

Man, almost 30 hours after setting the old lad and the minutes hand is accurate (seconds deviation doesn't interest me, healed from the OCD ;-)).
No more pics till the hour/minute hands are synced.


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## jolurove

I live in Spain. Can Vlad come here? Who has him now?

Enviado desde mi Nexus 4 usando Tapatalk 4


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## jackrobinson

It's up to the owner Bloodtkr. What do you say Bloodtkr?
If yes then you'll need to be a bit patient cause Vlad needs a fixing and then I gotta wear him and take some interesting pics. Where he is now? Read back a couple of posts and you'll see...


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## jolurove

Oh. So you're next then? I'll pm the owner today. Thanks!

Enviado desde mi Nexus 4 usando Tapatalk 4


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## sq100

jackrobinson said:


> It's up to the owner Bloodtkr. What do you say Bloodtkr?
> If yes then you'll need to be a bit patient cause Vlad needs a fixing and then I gotta wear him and take some interesting pics. Where he is now? Read back a couple of posts and you'll see...


Bloodtkr stopped posting here abouth a month ago and it's unsure if he'll be back soon. See https://www.watchuseek.com/f10/farewell-891951.html
As for Vlad, I don't think he intended for asking his permission for each place the watch goes. The person at which Vlad currently resides decides where he goes next.


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## jackrobinson

Oh. Wow. I missed that obviously.
Jolurove - then he'll be going your way next.



sq100 said:


> Bloodtkr stopped posting here abouth a month ago and it's unsure if he'll be back soon. See https://www.watchuseek.com/f10/farewell-891951.html
> As for Vlad, I don't think he intended for asking his permission for each place the watch goes. The person at which Vlad currently resides decides where he goes next.


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## jolurove

jackrobinson said:


> Oh. Wow. I missed that obviously.
> Jolurove - then he'll be going your way next.


That's awesome! I'll be waiting. PM me whenever you're ready. thank you!


----------



## OhDark30

In the absence of Bloodtkr, is it worth someone going back through the thread and making a list of everyone who wants to host Vlad and hasn't had him to stay yet?
Then we can get a logical and economic(!) progression for his visits. I'm happy to do this later today, Jack, if you'd like
Kath


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## jolurove

Oh. Sorry. I didn't know there was a autumn list. My apologies.

Enviado desde mi Nexus 4 usando Tapatalk 4


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## jolurove

Waiting not autumn. Auto correct.

Enviado desde mi Nexus 4 usando Tapatalk 4


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## OhDark30

Not so much a waiting list jolurove, as a bunch of people who've expressed an interest throughout the thread. I'll get on to it, and maybe tidy up the order a bit to optimise postage costs. 
Back in an hour or two
K


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## OhDark30

Hi folks
Bit of an update on who would like to host Vlad on his travels. Bloodtkr said way back in the thread that each person who gets him can pick the next - eg we handed him round England, svorkoetter set a quiz. 
For handy reference, here's everyone who'd like him to visit, with their locations (let me know if I've missed you). 
My suggestion to keep postage costs down would be to do Europe (Spain, Netherlands, Portugal, Norway and Russia) next, then keep heading west to Oz, Hawaii, Central America and the US/Canada, then the last bits of the UK and back to Bloodtkr in PA
Or then again to visit places at the best times, spectacular winters etc??
How does that sound?
Timepiece Tenderfoot - ?USA
Generalskie - Quebec, Canada
Jose CostaRica - er, Costa Rica 
redfever - Sydney, Australia
billbrasky - Afghanistan (but concerned about mail safety)
chirs1211 - UK
gekos - Norway
chris.ph - Wales, UK
mr_tayto - Scotland, UK
Daboryder - Edmonton, Canada
liahim - St Petersburg, Russia
GlenRoiland - Long Island, NY, USA
Perdendosi - Salt Lake City, USA
cnnonyx - Sydney, Australia (+ NSW scenery)
N0ferz - Dominican Republic
ENRGZR - Oahu, Hawaii, USA (+ USS Blowfin)
jolurove - Spain
sq100 - Netherlands
Miguelcarmor - Portugal
JRMTactical - Arkansas, USA
Haydennedyah - Australia
Patnmand - Kent, England
Edit: plus, any other Russian watch fans out there want to join in the fun?


----------



## jolurove

Wow! This is actually getting more and more exciting! If this goes on Vlad is actually going to travel around the globe!  I feel lucky I'm getting the chance of being part of it. 

So Israel! I'm sure Vlad's getting some really cool pictures there! I'll be waiting them!


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## svorkoetter

OhDark30 said:


> we handed him round England


I didn't realize he'd been in England already. When was that?


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## jolurove

svorkoetter said:


> I didn't realize he'd been in England already. When was that?


That was the first place he went!


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## sq100

Vlad is welcome to stay here in the netherlands with me a few days too if he wants. ;-)


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## OhDark30

sq100 said:


> Vlad is welcome to stay here in the netherlands with me a few days too if he wants. ;-)


I've edited the list to add you, sq - welcome aboard!
A summary of his Vlad's journey so far:
England: Colin63, OhDark30, demag
San Diego, CA, USA: dasmi
Las Vegas: Goh2499
Washington DC: RobertoJaksic
Saskatchewan, Canada: Clay Bergen
Back to Bloodtkr in Pennsylvania for R&R
Also in PA: DolleDolf
Waterloo, Ontario, Canada: svorkoetter
London, Canada: GuessWho
Now in Israel with jackrobinson
Vlad has visited town centres, a submarine museum, the cradle of the Industrial Revolution, basked in San Diego sunshine, hung out in coffee shops, stood on a dam, seen the White House, visited a school, undergone surgery, thrilled at a waterpark, fired rockets, been flying, gone mowing and shopping, helped mend a Dell server and met many many of his Vostok relatives on his odyssey. 
Where will he go next?
How can one watch stand all this excitement?


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## svorkoetter

OhDark30 said:


> England: Colin63, OhDark30, demag


I had no idea he had visited you. Not sure how I missed that.


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## jackrobinson

Well done taking initiative mate.
Actually, two days ago when the bloke arrived I went through the whole thread and filled an MS Word table with recipient-username/location (country city)/date of arrival for all past recipients.
If you want me to send it to you PM me your email address.

Fun things can be done with such data such as:
gmaps.kaeding.name :: Map results
Better solutions can probably be found with joining lines, arrows, date labels.



OhDark30 said:


> I've edited the list to add you, sq - welcome aboard!
> A summary of his Vlad's journey so far:
> England: Colin63, OhDark30, demag
> San Diego, CA, USA: dasmi
> Las Vegas: Goh2499
> Washington DC: RobertoJaksic
> Saskatchewan, Canada: Clay Bergen
> Back to Bloodtkr in Pennsylvania for R&R
> Also in PA: DolleDolf
> Waterloo, Ontario, Canada: svorkoetter
> London, Canada: GuessWho
> Now in Israel with jackrobinson
> Vlad has visited town centres, a submarine museum, the cradle of the Industrial Revolution, basked in San Diego sunshine, hung out in coffee shops, stood on a dam, seen the White House, visited a school, undergone surgery, thrilled at a waterpark, fired rockets, been flying, gone mowing and shopping, helped mend a Dell server and met many many of his Vostok relatives on his odyssey.
> Where will he go next?
> How can one watch stand all this excitement?


----------



## jackrobinson

*Vlad Visits the Watchmaker*
By J.R. rolling-the-roads

I visited the Russian watchmaker today, in a small town on the hills leading to Jerusalem.
Removal of hands were performed using tweezers and little screwdrivers and remounting with tweezers.
No special hi-tech hands remover tools, no hands pushers, no dial protector film. All old school.
At his age of over 70 he has such control of subtle delicate actions. It is absolutely astonishing.























































*Verifying that the Hours and Minutes have clearance all around*
I saw he spotted the hour hand touching the dial like Svorkoetter had mentioned and he adjusted the hours and minutes hands accordingly.





























*Initial setting of the Seconds Hand - a subtle press of the tweezers handle*























































*End Result*










*Old School Custom Made Tools*
The multi-tool on the right he used with a much thinner rod inserted instead of the one you see on which he leaned some part at the bottom of the movement to provide support when he secured the seconds hand. I didn't want to take pics while he was doing that, not to distract him.





























*Old School Custom Made Power Tools and Supports*




























*

Holding Vlad After I Got Home to Demonstrate All Is Well with Hands Sync*
(it was an hour drive each way and still worth the experience)












*He started meddling with a parts box he found in his drawer*
searching for something. Then he takes this out and hands it to me. My friend translated the Russian and said he wants to give it to me. An old Pobeda. Movement and case around 50 years old, don't know about the dial. Scars of age are apparent.
He says he will try to service it to life and obviously change the crown to a silver tone.
He has no idea what the colored stripes design represented. I am curious. This is a super kitsch looking dial and I love it.


















​


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## jolurove

Great. So you took him to a Russian spa. He's looking great! I love the photos of the watchmaker doing his magic on good old Vladimir. And congratulations on your new watch! It has a very nice dial

Enviado desde mi Nexus 4 usando Tapatalk 4


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## Miguelcarmor

Nice post, great idea. If vlad wants I can show him a little bit of Portugal 


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk HD


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## OhDark30

Great pictures, jackrobinson, and thanks for taking the journey for us! Nice Pobeda - what a great gesture from your watchmaker

Miguelcarmor - I've added you to the list, welcome!

Stefan - yes, Vlad visited me back near the start of his voyages. And I've recently hosted Stan 2, the f71 travelling watch:
https://www.watchuseek.com/showthread.php?p=6671106#post6671106
Perhaps I should start a watch hotel? :think:


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## Miguelcarmor

OhDark30 said:


> Miguelcarmor - I've added you to the list, welcome!


Thanks for adding me to the list. What I need to do now? To whom I send my address?

Miguel

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk HD


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## OhDark30

Nothing as formal as that, Miguel. The list is just bringing together the people who'd like Vlad and their locations in one place.
Then, when it comes to time to send him on, whoever has Vlad can check out the list and PM someone on there for their address to post him to
Btw, jackrobinson, didn't thank you for the map - nice idea to keep track of Vlad's progress! For added accuracy, Colin's in Croydon, Surrey, and I'm near Ampthill, Bedfordshire in England. Cheers!


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## GuessWho

I made a quick little map of Vlad's journey so far:
https://mapsengine.google.com/map/edit?mid=z5Biyiqsj8U0.kMROznAD2dyo


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## jackrobinson

Cool!


GuessWho said:


> I made a quick little map of Vlad's journey so far:
> https://mapsengine.google.com/map/edit?mid=z5Biyiqsj8U0.kMROznAD2dyo


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## jackrobinson

*Vlad has a casual Friday*
By J.R.
No, nothing special happening here. Just a mundane day.
Background info: it's a non working day

At the neighborhood grocery store by the Hummus fridge










All done. Now for the long 2 minute walk home










Just hanging around the hedge










The adjoining town.
Someone at the municipality is a WIS for sure as they put up 2-3 clocks like this and a few red LED digital clocks.
It is not a regular thing around this region.










Later at my Mom's place with the kids










And a half can of this local brand.
Not bad at all vs popular international beers. IMHO way better than most of the ultra commercial ones.










Crumpets (pancakes :-s) - mixed by Mom, fried by myself.








​


----------



## ENRGZR

awesome to see Vlad made it. Great series of updates


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## JRMTactical

Hey everybody, I really do love this thread and hearing of Vlad's exploits across the globe! OhDark30....add me to the list whenever you get the chance! I'll be glad to host him and shoot a few pics of him in my home State of Arkansas! 

Feeling a little sad that Dan has had to move on.....he helped me a TON over the last couple of years. One hell of a guy and I will miss him.


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## OhDark30

Hi Bobby, good to see you round! I've added you to the list. 
Wow, we've got Vlad busy for a few years to come, I'm guessing


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## JRMTactical

Yeah, it sounds like he's going to be one WELL TRAVELLED timepiece! Not that he doesn't already have QUITE a few miles behind him (along with a few scrapes, bruises and reconstructive surgery).... LOL!


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## jackrobinson

*Vlad Visits The Dead Sea*
By J.R.

I needed to do some work at my customer on Sunday and Monday so I decided to stay over at a nearby town 25 minute drive (rather than traveling 2.5 hour in each direction twice) The customer is a chemical plant which manufactures products based on dead sea water and which is situated some 55km from the Dead Sea.
So on the second day I said what the heck - I'll treat you guys to some Dead Sea pics and take Vlad to *the lowest place on Earth's land*.


At the place I stayed for the night - in Arad, Some 20 minutes from the plant elevated 800m above sea level



















On the way to the plant



















Magnesium compound Factory











The journey begins after a long intense 2 days

















That's the

The Dead Sea, I need to decline










Getting closer




















And to the south - continuation of The Arava desert in the Jordan valley rift




















Already in the rift - southern dead sea and the Hotels










Electric or telephone poles in the water - look at the salt buildup at the bottom of the pole










Dead sea Works - where they extract Potash from the waters used as fertilizer
sister company of my customer



















Vlad at *423 meters below sea level*, the lowest place on earth's land




























The mountains of Edom in the background, in the State of Jordan
In Biblical times it was part of the land of Israel











A promenade deck going inward into the sea
This beach was seriously developed in this past year










Giant butterfly sculptures nearby










The Hotels
A great place to spend a serene holiday











On my way back - to home sweet home, around 3 hour drive
Gotta climb 1300m up to 800m above sea level, to Arad on the twisty turny road
and then decline gradually to almost ocean level




























With big brother










The city of Arad










Oh, he's always pushing into the frame
a true fame thirsty attention leach











Factories which produce health and spa products based on Dead Sea extracts










 On the road back home








​


----------



## sq100

Awesome picture set jackrobinson, thanks for sharing :-!


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## Patnmand

This is a fantastic thread which I'm really enjoying. OhDark30, I'm in Kent, UK (the Garden of England) and would be happy to take Vlad to see a bit of Kent next time he's in the UK.


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## JRMTactical

jackrobinson said:


> *Vlad Visits The Dead Sea*
> By J.R.
> 
> I needed to do some work at my customer on Sunday and Monday so I decided to stay over at a nearby town 25 minute drive (rather than traveling 2.5 hour in each direction twice) The customer is a chemical plant which manufactures products based on dead sea water and which is situated some 55km from the Dead Sea.
> So on the second day I said what the heck - I'll treat you guys to some Dead Sea pics and take Vlad to *the lowest place on Earth's land*.
> 
> 
> At the place I stayed for the night - in Arad, Some 20 minutes from the plant elevated 800m above sea level
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> A promenade deck going inward into the sea
> This beach was seriously developed in this past year
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> Giant butterfly sculptures nearby
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> The Hotels
> A great place to spend a serene holiday
> 
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> On my way back - to home sweet home, around 3 hour drive
> Gotta climb 1300m up to 800m above sea level, to Arad on the twisty turny road
> and then decline gradually to almost ocean level
> 
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> The city of Arad
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> Oh, he's always pushing into the frame
> a true fame thirsty attention leach
> 
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> Factories which produce health and spa products based on Dead Sea extracts
> 
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> On the road back home
> 
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> ​


Absolutely cool there, jackrobinson! I hope I can make it to Israel one of these days.....I know it's a wonderful place to live and work.... Had the honor of training with several Israeli soldiers during my military time and really enjoyed their company. Anyway, the Dead Sea has always amazed me....watching people float on topof the water as if defying gravity! 
Great pictures and yet another great story to add to Vlad's travel log!!


----------



## jackrobinson

Thanks for the nice words JRMTactical buddy.
I'm sure Vlad will just love being in Arkansas and I'm convinced the pics will be interesting.
Possibly he could meet ol' Slick Willie when he happens to pop over for a visit. b-) ;-)


----------



## jackrobinson

What has Vlad been up to today?
Well he's on a different NATO for one.
He visited a QC analysis lab and saw the instruments...
He participated in cooking chow...
(unborn chicken and grown chicken)

















​


----------



## redfever

If Vlad wants to take a trip to Sydney Australia, I'd be happy to show him some sites.


----------



## haydennedyah

keen for an aussie one  would love to take some pics


----------



## OhDark30

Added you to the list, haydennedyah; and redfever, you're already on there! Summary at post #216. Looking forward to the antipodean pics to come
Jackrobinson, you're doing a grand job there, so cool that Vlad has now visited the lowest place on the Earth's land surface! And the chicken and egg combo looks delish


----------



## svorkoetter

jackrobinson said:


> Vlad at ​*423 meters below sea level*


And working great! Those Rolex Subs are wimps, being rated to only 300m.


----------



## jackrobinson

Good one :-!


svorkoetter said:


> And working great! Those Rolex Subs are wimps, being rated to only 300m.


----------



## OhDark30

Hey, Patnmand, nearly missed you there! Added you to the list. Vlad is going to be a busy boy!


----------



## Patnmand

OhDark30 said:


> Hey, Patnmand, nearly missed you there! Added you to the list. Vlad is going to be a busy boy!


Thanks, I'll look forward to meeting him, and showing him a bit of Kent!


----------



## Roberto Jaksic

Roberto Jaksic said:


> Ok guys, here it is, as promised, Vlad finally got to the White House!!!
> You can see in the back Washington Monument (Obelisk) in a first few pictures.
> I hope you like it because we had a perfect weather and beautiful day and Vlad enjoyed flexing his colors in the sun! He'll be soon on his way to Canada.
> 
> Thanks
> 
> Roberto


Guys, I'm sorry for this intrusion but as I was going through the thread I noticed that there was no pictures from Vlads visit to DC so I tried to edit my original post.


----------



## jackrobinson

Sweet Roberto! b-)


----------



## jackrobinson

*Presenting: Jaffa with Vlad*

A mixed Arab-Jewish "city" part of "Tel Aviv Jaffa" municipal rule.
Arab population consist of Muslims and Christians, hence the many churches.
Jaffa has an ancient Roman port (not depicted), which was the door to this historically strategic region by different rulers of the land throughout the centuries.

These first three pictures are of the famous clock tower built, now I discovered, in the turn of the 20th century by no other than a watchmaker.

































This beautiful chapel has real nice clocks. Now I wonder if it has 4 clocks...


































































Realty and land in this place is crazily expensive, people with means buy anything and restore. People with yet more means, foreigners mainly, buy property on the slopes leading down to the sea and build palaces from ground up.










Interesting mural











































Abu El Abed - my favorite Jaffa restaurant - Arab cooking


























































One of my favorite dishes - cauliflower slightly roasted and after sprinkled with lemon zest, salt, fresh garlic and parsley


















Coffee and Baklawa filled with nuts to end the meal (or as foreigners call it Baklava)


















Just some artsy pic scenes


































On the one side of the road









On the other side of the road










I just discovered this development of the south Jaffa beachfront with promenade. Aparently it's been developed for 2 years but I hadn't visited these parts of Jaffa.

































Palace vs. shanty


















One of the houses being built by the super wealthy on the slope leading to the sea. Love the way this door looks.
Pity, though, a couple of trees had to be killed, and then maybe 5 trees.










Got home, with a super-affordable bottle of wine.
I looked in the supermarket for the cheapest reasonably looking bottle of wine, just for the fun of it. Normally I would pay 3 times that. But I don't normally buy wine.
Locally made, Efrat winery Cab-Argaman-Carignan blend only $5 / £3.2 / €3.7 .
Very surprisingly nice wine, for the price surpassed my expectations by 1000%.
Fruity and light, nicely colored, not sour or ultra bitter.
Finished 2/3 all by myself.
















​


----------



## jackrobinson

Guys, I wanted to give you "Vlad visits Jerusalem" too but I don't know when I will be able to travel there as I don't have anything special to do in Jerusalem.
So Vlad will be on his way soon.
I highly recommend on letting Vlad tour the Europe region including Russia and UK before moving him to the Americas and then Pacific.

I think jolurove of Spain is next in line.


----------



## jolurove

That's awesome news! Thanks!

Enviado desde mi Nexus 4 usando Tapatalk 4


----------



## jolurove

But I don't think I will be able to match those lovely pictures

Enviado desde mi Nexus 4 usando Tapatalk 4


----------



## jackrobinson

Well, you'll just have to try your best ;-).
Naaa, I'm sure you'll do just fine.



jolurove said:


> But I don't think I will be able to match those lovely pictures
> 
> Enviado desde mi Nexus 4 usando Tapatalk 4


----------



## zanderanski

jackrobinson said:


> Guys, I wanted to give you "Vlad visits Jerusalem" too but I don't know when I will be able to travel there as I don't have anything special to do in Jerusalem.
> So Vlad will be on his way soon.
> I highly recommend on letting Vlad tour the Europe region including Russia and UK before moving him to the Americas and then Pacific.
> 
> I think jolurove of Spain is next in line.


Been lurking around for a good while and this post has sparked my interest. I am a US soldier living in Germany and I would be glad to give him a tour of the military base I am at along with a few of the local sights. (Nurnberg area).

As a matter of fact I will be returning back to america in very early december permanently and wouldnt mind taking him back to the states personally.


----------



## JRMTactical

zanderanski said:


> Been lurking around for a good while and this post has sparked my interest. I am a US soldier living in Germany and I would be glad to give him a tour of the military base I am at along with a few of the local sights. (Nurnberg area).
> 
> As a matter of fact I will be returning back to america in very early december permanently and wouldnt mind taking him back to the states personally.


I'd love to come back to Germany to see how much has changed since I was there from 1989-1991. My old Kaserne in Augsburg has been razed to the ground..... The Cold War was a much different time.


----------



## OhDark30

Great pics of a fascinating day in Jaffa, jackrobinson! What a great time Vlad has enjoyed with you in Israel. Baklava, mmm!
Onto Jolurove is a good plan, then Europe, though I personally think it would be great to then continue eastwards to Australia, so Vlad does a full circumnavigation. Back to the UK later, to keep the variety going
I'll re-order my list in post 216 - tomorrow morning now. And I'll add you, zanderanski, your barracks in Nurnberg will be good to see


----------



## jackrobinson

Thanks OhDark.
Yes, east is logical because he has already seen NA and UK.


----------



## mitadoc

Hi guys!First I want to congratulate the author of the thread - I think it`s a marvelous idea!Then I want to thank all the folks that took Vlad temporarily in their homes.Really - I am impressed!
Due to this wonderful idea and thread - I decided to start the same thread in our domestic watch forum and to start the journey of another Wostok.The rules will be the same - different user,different places,couple of days with them and many pictures to be posted after that.
I hope the author won`t be offended with my activity.If yes - I will stop the project.
Again - great idea,even greater thread and results!
Keep posting guys!


----------



## jackrobinson

Peace on you man.
<jack passes the peace pipe over to *mitadoc*>
This is not the first and will not be the last of such projects.
Go for it and enjoy.



mitadoc said:


> Hi guys!First I want to congratulate the author of the thread - I think it`s a marvelous idea!Then I want to thank all the folks that took Vlad temporarily in their homes.Really - I am impressed!
> Due to this wonderful idea and thread - I decided to start the same thread in our domestic watch forum and to start the journey of another Wostok.The rules will be the same - different user,different places,couple of days with them and many pictures to be posted after that.
> I hope the author won`t be offended with my activity.If yes - I will stop the project.
> Again - great idea,even greater thread and results!
> Keep posting guys!


----------



## jackrobinson

Vlad spends some time (20 seconds) with Crunchy
Any attempt to insert the strap on his leg resulted in refusal and him playing with the strap








​


----------



## jackrobinson

It appears that Vlad has vanished with* jolurove*.
He received the watch on October 21 2013.
I have PM'ed him several times and he said he is swamped with work.
Hope Vlad reappears soon with a photo of Granada, Spain.


----------



## GuessWho

I was wondering where Vlad was, thanks for the update. Hopefully we will get to see Vlad again soon!


----------



## jolurove

Hello. Yes Vlad's with me. I'm not holding him hostage or anything. Is just I'm way too busy. As a matter of fact I'm working right now at the hospital. Sorry guys. And the last weekend I had visit at home and didn't have time either

Enviado desde mi Nexus 4 mediante Tapatalk


----------



## Mikgsxr

I am in Perth, western Australia if Vlad comes this way, I would love to have him for a few days


----------



## WilliamT1974

If Vlad makes it back to the United States, I would be more than happy to extend some Southern hospitality.


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## jackrobinson

*jolurove* I suggest you forward Vlad to the next recipient soon.
I think that will be the right thing to do.


----------



## jolurove

jackrobinson said:


> *jolurove* I suggest you forward Vlad to the next recipient soon.
> I think that will be the right thing to do.


I guess so. I'm really sorry for this horrific delay . But, I'm uploading pictures of a little trip I made yesterday with Vlad as I write this.. They'll be up in 5 minutes. I'll go to another trip next week and will get Vlad going to his next destination. Again I'm really sorry, but I'm on vacations now. I had to bring my work home and getting pretty much exploited so I did not have time.


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## jolurove

Well. Finally after a 2 month delay, I have taken Vlad to Baeza, a town 130km from where I live, which is a UNESCO World heritage site (basically, the whole town is like a museum, with every building, square and stone unchanged since it was put there). I hope you enjoy the photos as much as I enjoyed myself taking them.

This is Vlad et al, on our way to Baeza.




























This is Vlad, contemplating the gorgeous view from the mountainside, very peacefull!



















As we enter the town we go back in time to the Renaisance era, with everything in place as it was 400 years ago! b-)




































































































After a little sightweeing we wanted to get some souvenirs, and what better souvenir than the staple of this region, Extra virgin Olive oil!



















After seeing that much Olive oil, we wanted to get something to eat, so we decided to go looking for some nice restaurants, which lucily where conveniently marked on the streets










After having a nice meal, we took a little more photos!




























After a long walk, we decided to head back home, but not before taking a picture of that nice sundown! 










PS: hope you don't think, this is too little too late, but as I said in my last post, I'm just holding on to Vlad for another week or so and then he'll get on his way.


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## sq100

Love the scenery! Thanks for the pictures.


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## OhDark30

Wow, jolurove, great pics! Well worth the wait - what a beautiful town, and stunningly photographed.
Thank you for bringing some Spanish sun into my December


----------



## JRMTactical

Great stuff jolurove! Awesome pics!! Vlad looks happy  :-d


----------



## jolurove

We decided to go for a little walk around Granada last night. The holidays are getting near and you can tell!


----------



## Miguelcarmor

So vlad is in Spain now... Why not come to Portugal next? 

Miguel

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk


----------



## GuessWho

Great to see Vlad out and about again! What great pictures too, it was worth the wait!


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## jackrobinson

nice pics there, lovely scenery. very similar to what we have here.
and the preserved city is a real wonder.


----------



## ben_m

When Vlad makes it back to the UK, I can give him a tour of the sites of Oxford.

Great idea and great photos so far.


----------



## jmreynolds

I would love to take Vlad to Philadelphia, run up the art museum steps like Rocky or something.


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## jackrobinson

Taking a video spoof of the Rocky stair run would be great! b-)



jmreynolds said:


> I would love to take Vlad to Philadelphia, run up the art museum steps like Rocky or something.


----------



## jmreynolds

Where is his next destination? To whom is he promised next?


----------



## jolurove

I took the liberty of taking Vlad with me on my vacations to Italy (Pisa and Florence), so he could see the fine arts and a little more sightseeing!

This is the Pisa airport, just arrived and already found something interesting!










From there we went on to see the leaning tower of Pisa (after getting lost for about 2 hours courtesy of my wife :-s)























































I'm particularly proud of this lovely picture. I hope you like it as much as I do!










After spending the day in Pisa we went on to Florence. 
This is the Cathedral. That thing is so big that I wasn't able to take a photo were you could see all of it :-(























































Then we came across some of Vlad's rich cousins, though I don't think they're having such a good time! b-)





































This one is called the Palazzo Vechio (the old palace) where we can see Michelangelo's David (actually the one standing here is a replica, the original is in a museum where I wasn't able to take pictures, but this is where the David originaly was)














































That's my wife taking a picture of me taking a picture of Vlad :-s




























I hope you enjoy the photos. Now is timeto send Vlad to the world again so he can keep travelling! I'll let you know who's getting him next ASAP.

Thanks for bearing with me for such a long time!


----------



## sq100

Yet another awesome set of pictures. It was quiet for a long time, but these definitely make up for it :-!


----------



## redfever

Vlad has made it safely to Sydney Australia. I'll be wearing vlad to work tomorrow and I hope to take a few snaps of him enjoying the Sydney summer.


----------



## BennyL

I just read through the entire thread... it's fantastic!! I look forward to seeing more photos of Vlad's travels. I also hope to host Vlad at some point. Put me on the list, OhDark30... if you're still keeping one. And jackrobinson, I really enjoyed the photos around Israel. I love that red white and blue strap. Where did you get it?


----------



## ffeingol

Please add me to the list too. Summer in Milwaukee is always fun with all the festivals.


----------



## Ratfacedgit

Wow, It looks like Vlad has seen much of the world. Don't forget the current owner makes the rules on who gets him next.

I started another thread for part II for the US but it did not gain any traction, here is the link,
https://www.watchuseek.com/f10/travelling-vostok-part-ii-963901.html

Come guys, check it out.:-!

Dan


----------



## JRMTactical

Great pics!! Love it!!!


----------



## redfever

Sorry for the delay, but between work commitments and a few rainy days, vlad caught up on some well deserved rest.

I did manage to take good old vlad for a walk around Sydney today. 

Firstly, a quick photo outside my building at work. Vlad and I then took a walk along the foreshore and took a couple of shots of the Sydney harbour bridge and of our famous opera house. A couple of shots of "The Rocks" area around town, a meeting with our indigenous people and a few random city shots. I hope to take Vlad out of the city on the weekend for some more happy snaps before Vlad heads out again. 

Are there any aussies who would like to take Vlad to the outback? Somewhere like Sofala/Hill End or outback Queensland or WA would be neat.


----------



## sq100

Nice set of pictures! This brings back memories for me. I stayed in Queanbeyan for 3 months in '96 and we went up to Sydney for a few times. Keep those pictures coming :-!


----------



## jackrobinson

Thank Benny. I enjoyed the production.
The strap I bought from cheapestnatostraps although i think crown&buckle have the same design.



BennyL said:


> I just read through the entire thread... it's fantastic!! I look forward to seeing more photos of Vlad's travels. I also hope to host Vlad at some point. Put me on the list, OhDark30... if you're still keeping one. And jackrobinson, I really enjoyed the photos around Israel. I love that red white and blue strap. Where did you get it?


The dude abides


----------



## jackrobinson

Redfever - wonderful pics. Keep up the good work.


The dude abides


----------



## BennyL

So, has the watch been sent to it's next host?


----------



## JohnFromOz

Hi folks, I'm the current caretaker of Vlad - I've been a member for ages but this is my first post.

I live in Australia, near Canberra, and I took Vlad to the Centenary of Military Aviation air show at Point Cook in Victoria over the weekend. I was working there anyway so it seemed like a good opportunity:

Vlad with a Hercules C-130H










Here's a Heron Remotely Piloted Aircraft we use in Afghanistan










A WWII fighter










Finally, I dual-wristed with these two Russkies at work on Wednesday










I'll take Vlad on a tour of the nation's capital soon and post some more pics asap.

Cheers
John


----------



## redfever

Great to see Vlad again John, awesome pics of the show. Good one!


----------



## Seele

John, you might have to photograph Vlad in front of that famous McDonald's sign!


----------



## sq100

Awesome update, more pictures of the direct surroundings in and outside Canberra are greatly appreciated :-!


----------



## jackrobinson

googled it. good one. :-d



Seele said:


> John, you might have to photograph Vlad in front of that famous McDonald's sign!


----------



## jackrobinson

cool pics JohnFromOz.


----------



## Ejekutor

Amazing pics John!
I like this project. Vlad is welcome in Perú, I could show the city very well and it will meet some friends, hehe.


----------



## JohnFromOz

No probs, stay tuned...


----------



## Ratfacedgit

It's nice to see Vlad on the moved once again. Great photos everyone.|>

Dan


----------



## jackrobinson

Must give you lots of satisfaction as project initiator |>


Bloodtkr said:


> It's nice to see Vlad on the moved once again. Great photos everyone.|>
> 
> Dan


----------



## redtissot

I would love to show it round Manchester, home of the red devil's

Tissot Touch T013420A
Orient M Force Automatic
Casio Gshock MUDMAN
Rocha's Automatic
Omega Seamaster*
Vacheron Constantin*
Bvlgari*
Tag Monaco*
Breitling*


----------



## coldCellar

If it ever makes it back to Canada, I would love to show it around our nation's capital, Ottawa.

Thanks,
John


----------



## Totoro66

Ejekutor said:


> Amazing pics John!
> I like this project. Vlad is welcome in Perú, I could show the city very well and it will meet some friends, hehe.


I am surprised that Vlad has survived all this time without being kidnapped by Garden Gnome Liberationists. Of course, once he gets to Peru, all bets are off.


----------



## BennyL

So, JohnFromOz, what's going on? Any new adventures? Are you going to send Vlad on to the next host? I'm interested in showing him around Toronto!!


----------



## Miguelcarmor

I'm lost  I know there is a list of future hosts somewhere but I don't know where and I also don't know if there is an the order for the next host.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk


----------



## jolurove

Miguelcarmor said:


> I'm lost  I know there is a list of future hosts somewhere but I don't know where and I also don't know if there is an the order for the next host.
> 
> Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk


There isn't one. The current host decides who gets Vlad next.

Enviado desde mi Nexus 4 mediante Tapatalk


----------



## pepperami

I truly can't believe Vlad hasn't been to Ireland for a Guinness! I would love to have it in the Emerald isle


----------



## sq100

jolurove said:


> There isn't one. The current host decides who gets Vlad next.
> 
> Enviado desde mi Nexus 4 mediante Tapatalk


There is a list of people who have shown interest to host Vlad somewhere earlier in this thread. But still, the current host decides where he goes next.

Sent from a cottage high in the mountains


----------



## BennyL

Send Vlad on to his next host!

Sent from my Nexus 5 using Tapatalk


----------



## sq100

Miguelcarmor said:


> I'm lost  I know there is a list of future hosts somewhere but I don't know where and I also don't know if there is an the order for the next host.
> 
> Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk


This is the post you're referring to.



OhDark30 said:


> Hi folks
> Bit of an update on who would like to host Vlad on his travels. Bloodtkr said way back in the thread that each person who gets him can pick the next - eg we handed him round England, svorkoetter set a quiz.
> For handy reference, here's everyone who'd like him to visit, with their locations (let me know if I've missed you).
> My suggestion to keep postage costs down would be to do Europe (Spain, Netherlands, Portugal, Norway and Russia) next, then keep heading west to Oz, Hawaii, Central America and the US/Canada, then the last bits of the UK and back to Bloodtkr in PA
> Or then again to visit places at the best times, spectacular winters etc??
> How does that sound?
> Timepiece Tenderfoot - ?USA
> Generalskie - Quebec, Canada
> Jose CostaRica - er, Costa Rica
> redfever - Sydney, Australia
> billbrasky - Afghanistan (but concerned about mail safety)
> chirs1211 - UK
> gekos - Norway
> chris.ph - Wales, UK
> mr_tayto - Scotland, UK
> Daboryder - Edmonton, Canada
> liahim - St Petersburg, Russia
> GlenRoiland - Long Island, NY, USA
> Perdendosi - Salt Lake City, USA
> cnnonyx - Sydney, Australia (+ NSW scenery)
> N0ferz - Dominican Republic
> ENRGZR - Oahu, Hawaii, USA (+ USS Blowfin)
> jolurove - Spain
> sq100 - Netherlands
> Miguelcarmor - Portugal
> JRMTactical - Arkansas, USA
> Haydennedyah - Australia
> Patnmand - Kent, England
> Edit: plus, any other Russian watch fans out there want to join in the fun?


----------



## Robot L337

Vlad is welcome to visit San Francisco, CA, USA anytime. Just PM me!


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


----------



## Ratfacedgit

Lest anyone thinks I want Vlad back, I do not. Unless he needs repair as I have done before. 

I assume he can travel the world forever.
Dan


----------



## duffhessian1776

Add me to the list! Currently in the eastern mountains of Afghanistan (Pakistan Border - Khyber Pass).
No worries about the mail - Military takes the mail very seriously.
Waiting for Vlad's arrival. I will take him with me to Dubai get photos there and send on his way.


----------



## soopad00pa

duffhessian1776 said:


> Add me to the list! Currently in the eastern mountains of Afghanistan (Pakistan Border - Khyber Pass).
> No worries about the mail - Military takes the mail very seriously.
> Waiting for Vlad's arrival. I will take him with me to Dubai get photos there and send on his way.


Man, I spent a good chunk of time hanging out on those hills a coupla years ago working out of Tillman. Gets chilly up there, fo'sho.


----------



## JohnFromOz

Hi folks, sorry about the 'Vlad hiatus' but I had some serious ICT dramas and couldn't post anything for a while... Vlad visited the country town of Gundaroo on the weekend where he watched my wife and I eat wood-fired pizza before saying hi to the local Zebra...










This week I will take Vlad on a little tour of Canberra, Australia's capital, then it will be time for him to go to his next caretaker and destination...

Cheers
John


----------



## duffhessian1776

soopadoopa!
When were you at Tillman? 
I was there late 2011 - early 2012. Yeah, 9000+ feet elevation gets a bit nippy!!!
I loved Tillman! Best kept secret in the country. Closed down Oct 2012. Most shuffled off to BAF. I was lucky to go to Sharana.


----------



## soopad00pa

duffhessian1776 said:


> soopadoopa!
> When were you at Tillman?
> I was there late 2011 - early 2012. Yeah, 9000+ feet elevation gets a bit nippy!!!
> I loved Tillman! Best kept secret in the country. Closed down Oct 2012. Most shuffled off to BAF. I was lucky to go to Sharana.


i wasn't there when they broke ground, but i did help build several of the beehuts, so pretty freakin' early. didn't even have showers for months, just buckets and hescos. 2006? we actually just called it l'wharra (sp?) for most of the time i was there. wasn't until we were about to leave that they changed it to tillman. that was actually the best time i had in the army. it was the wild west, right outta recruitment commericials.

when you gettin' home?

topical - there are a buncha redheaded afghanis around there b/c of all the russians banging everything they could back in the 80s. it'd be like coming home for this ticker...


----------



## duffhessian1776

In 2011 it had not changed much. Still pretty wild west. Incoming every day at 1200 - 1215. Always tried to hit the mess. Never did. 
Funny you should say that - in Kunar we have a lot of gingers here. Kind of freaky in a way. Now I have a logical explanation.
Hope to make it home in August for wife's birthday.
Here are a couple of shots from my current location, just so you can remember what you are missing.


----------



## soopad00pa

Beautiful country :/

Stay safe. At least it's warming up...


----------



## jackrobinson

yeah, I recently saw a nature film about Afganistan Lone Survivor (2013) - IMDb
keep safe guys.



soopad00pa said:


> Beautiful country :/
> 
> Stay safe. At least it's warming up...


----------



## is that my watch

lol took me todays to read this thread and what can I say but this is the essence of watch loving and as it already been near my local I will just wait and watch for now an enjoy


----------



## sq100

JohnFromOz said:


> This week I will take Vlad on a little tour of Canberra, Australia's capital, then it will be time for him to go to his next caretaker and destination...
> 
> Cheers
> John


Any updates from Vlad? ;-)


----------



## Patnmand

All,

I'm going to ask to be taken off the list of hosts for Vlad please. I'll enjoy following his progress, but have quite a lot going on work-wise with travel etc so won't be able to give him decent hospitality at the moment.


----------



## JohnFromOz

Folks, please accept my apologies for the length of time between Vlad posts - I won't bore you with excuses but various factors have gotten in the way of me carrying out my duty. It is time for Vlad to go to a new caretaker - I'm not sure how that works so perhaps an Admin could PM me with the how-to? In the meantime please enjoy these (albeit Vlad-less) images of Canberra, Australia's capital:

Parliament House










The Australian War Memorial










The National Library










Telstra Tower and Lake Burley Griffin










Parliament house during the balloon festival










The national Arboretum










Finally, some of the company Vlad has been keeping while in my care










I can assure you that Vlad was at all the above locations during his stay with me but for one reason or another an image with the watch wasn't possible. :-(

Thanks for your patience and I look forward to guidance on moving Vlad along!

Regards
John


----------



## Ratfacedgit

JohnFromOZ,

Only you can determine who gets Vlad next.

Dan, OP


----------



## hantms

Has he been to Asia yet?

I'm in Northern Thailand. Tracked EMS mail quite reliable.

Cheers,
Han.


----------



## Ratfacedgit

Hey where is he??

Dan


----------



## hantms

Yes.. did he go AWOL?

Again, would be happy to entertain him in my place.


----------



## Ratfacedgit

I sent a PM to Johnfromoz with no response, perhaps he is gone. :-(


----------



## jolurove

Ratfacedgit said:


> I sent a PM to Johnfromoz with no response, perhaps he is gone. :-(


That's really sad news. I hope he reappears soon

Enviado desde mi Nexus 4 mediante Tapatalk


----------



## Ratfacedgit

Still no word.


----------



## HolgerDanske

Is this stilll going around and has it been in Denmark?

Sendt fra min GT-I9505 med Tapatalk


----------



## sq100

HolgerDanske said:


> Is this stilll going around and has it been in Denmark?
> 
> Sendt fra min GT-I9505 med Tapatalk


Looks like it's lost :-(

Sent from my Vostok by winding backwards


----------



## dutchassasin

I guess we need to add Vlad to the Interpol missing watches list. :-(


----------



## Ratfacedgit

I finally got a response from Johnfromoz. 

Vlad is on the move.:-!


----------



## Sekondtime

dutchassasin said:


> I guess we need to add Vlad to the Interpol missing watches list. :-(


Don't worry! I have Interpol on standby if he goes missing again.

Sekondtime


----------



## moneyman85

Hi, I am going to Hawaii on 6th november if you want some nice shots, Also going on a cruise to all the islands so I can also get some volcano shots too 

im in Sydney , Australia right now though


----------



## LaMusette

Vlad the travelling Vostok just arrived in Adelaide, Australia.

He will be visiting a few sights along the beachfront, and then off to his next assignment. PM me to be next on the list.
Photos soon.


----------



## LaMusette

Vlad is spoken for now, as he continues his Australian tour on to Perth next. Photos of Adelaide up in a day or so.

Thanks for the enquiries.


----------



## mariomart

I look forward to greeting Vlad in Perth 

I'll start posting photo's once he arrives ;-)

Cheers  Mario


----------



## LaMusette

Some pics of Vlad having a cracker of a time by the beach ....

















These are all taken using a soviet-era Russian mechanical camera, shot on expired soviet-era film !! Very grainy, and some obvious "ghosts" from the cracks in the shutter curtain (which only show up on very bright days) I love my Russian mechanical camera as much as my Russian mechanical watches ! Every image is a surprise.

I will post some "modern" pics of Vlad soon, using a digital camera before he heads off to Perth tomorrow 

Enjpy


----------



## WFH

LaMusette said:


> I love my Russian mechanical camera as much as my Russian mechanical watches !


Amen, brother!


----------



## thelegacy

Nice to see Vlad has made it to Aus and particularly to beautiful Perth. I would love to be involved and have a visit from Vlad and let him chat with another beautiful Vostok i have that i got from Russia earlier in the year. I have the next few weeks holiday and am up in the northern coastal suburbs and would love to show Vlad a good time. PM if you would consider passing him on up the coast, would love to show him some great sights and get some great pics up


----------



## Ratfacedgit

I feel something is on the horizon. I cannot say yet but stay tuned.:think:

Dan


----------



## mariomart

Just a quick update.

Vlad must still be in transit as he has not yet arrived in Perth, Western Australia.

I'll post when he eventually arrives.

Cheers


----------



## awcwsp01

Can I still get on the list? Do I need to PM OP to get on it? Im in S Korea, but will be travelling to the states for Thanksgiving if Vlad needs a ride.


----------



## LaMusette

post re-submitted below


----------



## LaMusette

WFH said:


> Amen, brother!


Too true !

I managed to fix the Fed good and proper, and then put a roll of Ektar 100 through it. Absolutely stunning results - what a super piece of kit ! Some of the shots have so much pop, I would have a real hard time coming close to that on anything digital. I think I am going to have to get into something that shoots medium format film next. Its a blast for sure.


----------



## mariomart

@LaMusette it appears your attachments are not working.



LaMusette said:


> Activity on the Vlad front at last.
> 
> He has been pretty busy looking after the coffee shop - hanging out between beans, keeping an eye on the time.
> View attachment 1731738
> 
> 
> He has been hanging out with the barometer, talking about how hot it is "down under"
> View attachment 1731754
> 
> 
> Sitting on the Steampunk'd Computer .... showing all the new watches how its done.
> View attachment 1731762
> 
> 
> But then - DISASTER STRIKES !
> 
> Vlad is abducted by Biker Chicks, who strap him to their handle bars, and take him for a ride up in the Adelaide Hills.
> View attachment 1731770
> 
> 
> But he safely returns later in the afternoon.
> View attachment 1731778
> 
> 
> Sitting around the campfire at night, swapping war stories with all the other Vostoks and Raketas in the cabinet.
> View attachment 1731810
> 
> 
> Actually - a LOT of people coming through the shop have been told the story of Vlad the travelling Vostok, and it is raised a lot of interest in Russian watches / vintage watches in general. Most people find it pretty amazing that such a thing as could possibly happen on an internet forum between complete strangers all over the world ... but there you go ... that's the watch lover community for you !
> 
> Vlad is now in happily transit - off to Sunny Perth !
> View attachment 1731818


----------



## LaMusette

Bugga ! will fix when I get home tonight - thanks for the heads up.


----------



## LaMusette

Activity on the Vlad front at last.

He has been pretty busy looking after the coffee shop - hanging out between beans, keeping an eye on the time.


----------



## LaMusette

He has been hanging out with the barometer, talking about how hot it is "down under"


----------



## LaMusette

Sitting on the Steampunk'd Computer .... showing all the new watches how its done.


----------



## LaMusette

But then - DISASTER STRIKES !

Vlad is abducted by Biker Chicks, who strap him to their handle bars, and take him for a ride up in the Adelaide Hills.


----------



## LaMusette

But he safely returns later in the afternoon.


----------



## LaMusette

Sitting around the campfire at night, swapping war stories with all the other Vostoks and Raketas in the cabinet.


----------



## LaMusette

Actually - a LOT of people coming through the shop have been told the story of Vlad the travelling Vostok, and it is raised a lot of interest in Russian watches / vintage watches in general. Most people find it pretty amazing that such a thing as could possibly happen on an internet forum between complete strangers all over the world ... but there you go ... that's the watch lover community for you !


----------



## LaMusette

Vlad is now in happily transit - off to Sunny Perth !


----------



## sq100

LaMusette said:


> But then - DISASTER STRIKES !
> 
> Vlad is abducted by Biker Chicks, who strap him to their handle bars, and take him for a ride up in the Adelaide Hills.
> View attachment 1738498


Thanks for this update, it's about time Vlad got into some action 
I remember going cycling in the Canberra and Sydney area and getting alot of "honks and dirty words" thrown at me. Is it the same in that area?


----------



## mariomart

Vlad has arrived in sunny Perth, Western Australia 

Over the coming weeks I'll show Vlad the local sights. His first real outing will be this coming Sunday where he will be helping me cook several hundred sausages for a community event.








Vlad arrived safe and sound after his crossing of Australia from East to West.








Here he is, he looks so cute when he is sleeping. Wakey wakey Vlad 








After a stretch and a yawn (and a wind up) Vlad takes in his surroundings.








I could imagine Vlad would be a little confused, so I introduced him to Ivan. He seems to be getting along with Ivan quite well 

Stay tuned for further updates from the region South of the Swan River in Perth.

Cheers  Mario


----------



## mariomart

Vlad spent the day with my family celebrating my fathers 81st Birthday.


----------



## Neognosis

I live in Rochester, NY, but in the next few months I'll be traveling for business to Japan and the UAE. I would love the chance to bring Vlad with me, if the timing works out. New to this forum, so not sure what the procedure is here, but just putting it out there...


----------



## sq100

mariomart said:


> Vlad spent the day with my family celebrating my fathers 81st Birthday.


Congrats! :-!


----------



## mariomart

Vlad continues his tour of Western Australia and has been passed to @thelegacy 

Looking forward to seeing what he gets up to :-D


----------



## thrillhouse

LaMusette said:


> But he safely returns later in the afternoon.
> View attachment 1738506


It appears I used to live around the corner from you, on Pier St! Small world.


----------



## thelegacy

I can confirm Vlad is with me here in beautiful Perth, Western Australia. He arrived beautifully packaged and has been with me through Christmas and out and about. Here's a few pics so far, plenty to follow in the coming week or two. Also anyone over the east coast of Australia want him next? I will be heading over east next week for a few weeks and can send him on. Cheers


----------



## thelegacy

Arrived beautifully packaged, and on a comfy well broken in leather strap


----------



## thelegacy

Here is Vlad resting on the nativity set in front of the Christmas Tree. And secondly post Christmas after some tennis on blue Australian Open surface tennis courts


----------



## mariomart

Good to see him in a festive spirit 

Hope you have a Happy New Year


----------



## LaMusette

@thrillhouse >> It appears I used to live around the corner from you, on Pier St! Small world.

Amazing !

We have only been in here a few years .. and the place has changed so much in such a short time. Looking at moving shop in the new year sometime. Might see you there


----------



## thelegacy

Anyone over the east coast of Australia want to take care of Vlad. I have him, and can send him out in the next week or two.

On a side note...can anyone attest to Vlad's water resistance


----------



## Applied

Would love to take care of Vlad for a few days, show him around one of the oldest cities in Sweden 
pm for adress


----------



## Ratfacedgit

thelegacy said:


> Anyone over the east coast of Australia want to take care of Vlad. I have him, and can send him out in the next week or two.
> 
> On a side note...can anyone attest to Vlad's water resistance


As the OP, I would advise against taking Vlad under water.


----------



## wtma

Wow... I just came across this thread, such a great idea! Awesome!!
Nice to see Vlad's been all over the world all this time.
I think, it would be better if the holder always take photo with the city landmark/building or scenery as background. Some of you have done that I can see.


----------



## teddyc1

Shalom from Israel! Great fun to watch where Vlad will go.. I would like to have a turn with Vlad sometime


----------



## thelegacy

Ok guys i have vlad, and ready to pass him on. Preferably someone in australia or close by, or how much is international postage from Australia anyone?
I see Sweden, Indonesia and Israel keen to have him, anyone closer? Indonesia is closest, whats postal service like there, is it likely to make it through customs etc?
cheers


----------



## The Corner

Hey, its time for Vlad to visit Sweden in wintertime, there is many reasons for Vlad to visit Sweden even in summer, but after Australia I think it´s time for some snow!


----------



## _Denis_

Where is Vlad?


----------



## Dimy

Hows about next stop in Ottawa, Canada? I know it might be far from its current location but still - next on the list


----------



## thelegacy

I have vlad safely here in Australia looking to pass him on. Preferably somewhere not too far away


----------



## Seele

I can play host to Vlad for a bit.


----------



## jackrobinson

is this second or third round in Straya?


----------



## Mikede

How about Newfoundland, Canada?


----------



## thnewkid

If it comes back to North America, I'd take for a few days in the midwest.


----------



## Ratfacedgit

All right Vlad, show yourself.


----------



## Lokifish

Might be able to get Vlad on a WWII battleship and a modern carrier if he comes back U.S. way.


----------



## The Corner

OK, Vlad: It´s not winter any longer here up in the north of Sweden. Welcome in january 2016, if you want to!


----------



## kev80e

Is Vlad still in Australia with thelegacy ?


----------



## nitroproof

Has it been to Pittsburgh PA??? If not I can show it the sights!


----------



## hseldon

Just discovered this thread. What a brilliant idea. Have been loving seeing the pictures of Vlad's journey. If he'd like a visit to London and the glorious summer we're having here I'd be very happy to host him. Is he still in Australia?


----------



## mariomart

I've just sent a PM to thelegacy, who I sent Vlad to in December 2014. Hopefully we can find this lost wandering soul  and get him travelling again.


----------



## congo

This is my first post here. Found this thread yesterday, and it was great fun reading about World Traveler Vlad, and checking out the pictures.
Hope he will turn up soon. I would be honored to have him for a visit in Hungary!


----------



## mariomart

Well, I haven't heard back from thelegacy, who received Vlad back in December, so it doesn't look good. As Vlad still technically belongs to Ratfacedgit I'm going to pass on thelegacy's real world details to assist in having Ratfacedgit's legal property returned to him. Sorry :-(


----------



## Ratfacedgit

I received a PM from thelegacy. |>

Vlad will return to me soon enough. I'll look him over, check for magnetism and check his ticker before sending out again.


----------



## claradead

*claps*
if he wants to come to Asia for a good clean and oil up, I will be here waiting for him in Hong Kong!!!


----------



## antilucem

He can come to Cebu while he is in SE Asia for a tropical swim.


----------



## komokino

Ratfacedgit said:


> I received a PM from thelegacy. |>
> 
> Vlad will return to me soon enough. I'll look him over, check for magnetism and check his ticker before sending out again.


so is vlad safe and sound with you?


----------



## yellowbarleycorn

I always ignored this thread. What a huge mistake! I just went through the complete Vlad-saga (41 pages) and it was IRRESISTIBLE.


----------



## The Corner

VLAD, WHERE ARE YOU! I´m worried about you! Have you got out of time?!


----------



## The Corner

thelegacy said:


> I have vlad safely here in Australia looking to pass him on. Preferably somewhere not too far away


Is Vlad STILL under your wings, "thelegacy"?


----------



## mariomart

Any updates on Vlad?


----------



## mattbeme

mariomart said:


> Any updates on Vlad?


I have discovered Vlad's father.

He happens to be one of my old Amphibias.

As he is aged and senile, he has requested that Vlad be sent here, so that he can see him before he loses his eyesight completely.


----------



## thelegacy

Hi guys
Looking to pass vlad on for a while now. Anyone in Australia want to take care of him for a while? Someone did message me previously but I think you're overseas and I can't find the message anymore.
Contact me with interest PM me
Take care


----------



## mariomart

thelegacy said:


> Hi guys
> Looking to pass vlad on for a while now. Anyone in Australia want to take care of him for a while? Someone did message me previously but I think you're overseas and I can't find the message anymore.
> Contact me with interest PM me
> Take care


G'day,

Good to see Vlad is still alive 

Hopefully you will get another Aussie to carry the torch.

Cheers


----------



## Ticonderoga

svorkoetter said:


> Haven't had time to open him up and regulate him, but here are some pictures from this morning. The horse in the first picture is our stallion Mogly.


Only 15 pages and finally someone who knows how to set the focus on the watch and not the background! :-!


----------



## Dimy

Where is going next? I would love to have it for a day or two


----------



## mattbeme

Dimy said:


> Where is going next? I would love to have it for a day or two


That makes 2 Canadians !!

I'm sure Vlad would enjoy the cooler Canadian weather after the baking heat of the Outback.


----------



## LBPolarBear

Well if Vlad would like to visit the beaches of NY after touring Canada I'll be more than happy take him fishing, boating and even introduce him to some bikini-clad babes!


----------



## oscarfranciscovich

What a great idea!! I would be pleasant to have Vlad here in South Spain and to meet my Vostoks!!

Here you have a PM 

I hope to meet him!


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


----------



## coupeborgward

I'm interested. I'm in Melbourne in OZ


----------



## thelegacy

Hi Guys,
Vlad is now with Rob @kissmywhat in Melbourne, Australia. Enjoy, looking forward to some pics of Vlad in Melbourne 
Have fun


----------



## thelegacy

Hi Guys,
Vlad is now with Rob @kissmywhat in Melbourne, Australia. Enjoy, looking forward to some pics of Vlad in Melbourne 
Have fun


----------



## oldfox

At what point it stared to be called Vlad?


----------



## mariomart

oldfox said:


> At what point it stared to be called Vlad?


Here is the first mention of "Vlad", post number 54

https://www.watchuseek.com/f10/travelling-vostok-who-wants-798210-2.html#post5916449


----------



## oscarfranciscovich

I would like to have it too! Im in Spain!

Enviado desde mi Aquaris X5 Plus mediante Tapatalk


----------



## Matt_Bored_O

.
I have a Vostok that needs a vacation on a nice warm beach or a trip to the mountains.


Anyone interested in taking him?


The problem, however, is that he is attached to a Canadian who also requires a vacation.

Postage will then cost slightly more.


----------



## kissmywhat

Hi everyone.

Vlad has just arrived in the bottom right hand corner of Australia, I'll take him out for a wander and get some photos next weekend.


----------



## joecool

kissmywhat said:


> Hi everyone.
> 
> Vlad has just arrived in the bottom right hand corner of Australia, I'll take him out for a wander and get some photos next weekend.


You know what would be cool,If Vlad and Roman the travelling 3133 could meet up in Melbourne
For a photo shoot! As Melbourne is gonna be Romans next destination shortly
Also,even cooler would be swapping hosts!Saves on postage costs......!


----------



## oscarfranciscovich

Matt_Bored_O said:


> .
> I have a Vostok that needs a vacation on a nice warm beach or a trip to the mountains.
> 
> Anyone interested in taking him?
> 
> The problem, however, is that he is attached to a Canadian who also requires a vacation.
> 
> Postage will then cost slightly more.


For me will be a pleasure to have the watch and to take pictures with him in the warm beaches in the south of Spain 

Enviado desde mi Aquaris X5 Plus mediante Tapatalk


----------



## coupeborgward

Rob I will have the travelling Roman in Melbourne very soon. Let's meet and maybe even swap the watches.


----------



## Matt_Bored_O

Matt_Bored_O said:


> .
> I have a Vostok that needs a vacation on a nice warm beach or a trip to the mountains.
> 
> Anyone interested in taking him?
> 
> The problem, however, is that he is attached to a Canadian who also requires a vacation.
> 
> Postage will then cost slightly more.





oskita89 said:


> For me will be a pleasure to have the watch and to take pictures with him in the warm beaches in the south of Spain


I apologise for my strange humour.

I do not have a 'Travelling Vostok' to send. It was only a bad joke.

However, if desired, I will certainly assemble a Amphibia using the many parts I have.

Then I will send him to you.

Spain is very nice I am told. It lacks only the English humour...;-)


----------



## oscarfranciscovich

Matt_Bored_O said:


> I apologise for my strange humour.
> 
> I do not have a 'Travelling Vostok' to send. It was only a bad joke.
> 
> However, if desired, I will certainly assemble a Amphibia using the many parts I have.
> 
> Then I will send him to you.
> 
> Spain is very nice I am told. It lacks only the English humour...;-)


No prob Matt! We are kind and funny people! No need to apologise 

Of course if one day you decide to assemble an Amphibia I will be always pleasure to give it a walk through the south beaches!

Enviado desde mi Aquaris X5 Plus mediante Tapatalk


----------



## Matt_Bored_O

oskita89 said:


> No prob Matt! We are kind and funny people! No need to apologise
> 
> Of course if one day you decide to assemble an Amphibia I will be always pleasure to give it a walk through the south beaches!


I love the Spanish.

If you have an extra 500 Euros the watch will be sent with its own personal repair man....me.


----------



## Matt_Bored_O

double post


----------



## oscarfranciscovich

Matt_Bored_O said:


> I love the Spanish.
> 
> If you have an extra 500 Euros the watch will be sent with its own personal repair man....me.


 maybe one day! Anyways you will always be welcome in Cádiz!

Enviado desde mi Aquaris X5 Plus mediante Tapatalk


----------



## kissmywhat

Vlad's about ready to move on, I'll upload a few photos in the next few days, but PM me if you're willing to give him a good home and show him a good time for a few weeks. I'll select someone at random and send him on his way.

Just to prove he's still alive and ticking, here he is hanging out on my dining room table with my watches:


----------



## joecool

Any possibility of Vlad meeting up with Roman while they are both in the same City?


----------



## kissmywhat

Not likely, I'm very time-poor at the moment and will be for quite a while, which is why I'm keen to move Vlad on.


----------



## joecool

You could always just move Vlad on to comrade Coupborgward,as he seems more than happy to host him


----------



## Barry the Wino

kissmywhat said:


> Not likely, I'm very time-poor at the moment and will be for quite a while, which is why I'm keen to move Vlad on.


Hi kissmywhat

I'm in sunny old Canberra, send him this way and I'll take a photo at Parliament House or some other august destination before moving him along!

cheers
john


----------



## coupeborgward

joecool said:


> You could always just move Vlad on to comrade Coupborgward,as he seems more than happy to host him


more than happy to host vlad as well. more than happy to pick it up


----------



## peterk31

im in sydney australia
send him my way just before january 26th 2017, will do photos of him in Sydney at "Australia Day" celebrations in city


----------



## Barry the Wino

I confirm I have received Vlad "the travelling watch" and I'll post up a picture of him by the weekend in a suitably iconic Canberra location. I don't intend using the tired old cliches (Parliament House) or the museums so I guess you'll all just have to wait and see!

cheers john

ps/..

peterk31 or coupeborgward PM me to see where he goes next (first in best dressed)


----------



## Barry the Wino

Ticonderoga said:


> Only 15 pages and finally someone who knows how to set the focus on the watch and not the background! :-!


Just noticed that Vlad's strap appears to have mysteriously morphed from the Brown in Ticonderoga's last post to the Black strap he now wears. On the plus side he did arrive in a nifty little wooden chest.


----------



## joecool

Barry the Wino said:


> Just noticed that Vlad's strap appears to have mysteriously morphed from the Brown in Ticonderoga's last post to the Black strap he now wears. On the plus side he did arrive in a nifty little wooden chest.
> 
> View attachment 10194082


Ratnik leather strap,but without the deployment clasp,if I am not mistaken!


----------



## joecool

Oops!daym,double post:-x


----------



## Barry the Wino

Hi guys an update...

I've now read the 'Travelling Vostok' thread from beginning to end (something I should probably have done before putting my hand up to host him!) and I feel I need to apologise to the rest of the watch wearing world especially for those patient members of the WUS community in places other than North America or the UK.

Vlad has been in Australia since 30 Jan 2014 and is now in Canberra for his SECOND visit, this is inexcuseable there are other far more worthy places where he could be rather than here. 

If there is any silver lining to this story it's that by happy circumstance (or serendipity) I will be hosting 'Roman' shortly as well so these two well travelled watches will get to meet before they go their separate ways. I intend getting 'Vlad' out of the country BEFORE 30 Jan 2017.

My preferred destination is to send him to someone who requested his visit way back in 2013 and to a part of the globe he hasn't yet visited... I'm going to PM jose-CostaRica
and ask him if he can come to Costa Rica, hopefully after that he will tour S America and who knows, maybe Asia after that?

Regards
john


----------



## Barry the Wino

The miracles of modern technology...

Jose in Costa Rica got back to me (in under 30 minutes) unfortunately he cannot host Vlad at this time, so I am moving onto the next victim (I mean 'luck recipient"!).

I'll keep you posted

Photos will commence from tomorrow 

cheers
john


----------



## tylehman

i was an early host for Roman here in Texas, and would be happy to host Vlad sometime if he makes it back to the states.


----------



## Barry the Wino

OK another update

Bear with me here... some basic about Australia for those of you not familiar with the continent. You can skip this if you like and head straight to the pictures below.

Australia is BIG. How big? Almost as large as the Continental USA

check it out here Compare Australia's Size To Other Countries

It's interesting to note that the comparison overlay map they use doesn't even include Tasmania which is probably larger by itself compared to some countries.

Why does this matter?

Well... it's a long story, our population is very small (19m) compared to the size of the country and we are mostly spread out on the eastern seaboard (with some pop centres north, south and west) what this means is that it is still possible to go places in Australia and not see another person for days or even weeks. We sometimes take for granted how much space we have, and how relatively unpolluted this country is.

This brings me to where I live, Canberra.

Canberra is called the 'bush capital' and with good reason, its in the middle of nowhere (as in there was nothing here before they built the city), it has no heavy industry, the elevation is 600m+ and the city was planned from the outset. Canberra's current population is about 300,000

The weather here in Canberra (Australia) has been unseasonably inclement the last few days, we should be in the middle of warming up for summer but instead we are enduring a cold spell 17C (62F) and in addition to being cool its also humid due to the rain! Very unusual, we are used to having variable weather but this is quite strange.

So I thought what sort of pictures would you like to see whilst we are waiting for 'Roman' to arrive. The picture postcard stuff you can google for yourself and although I plan something different for Monday when I go back to work I thought I would post up some shots of the area where I live.

I live in the Tuggeranong Valley, it's about 30kms from the city centre and its where the suburbs meet the 'bush' it's very similar in layout and design to 'The Burb's' the world over but its a pleasant enough place to live and raise kids. Anyhoo on with the pictures!

This is the pond across from my house, local realtors call it 'Pelican Pond' when they are showing buyers around properties but its official (ie Gazetted) name is "Water Quality Pond no 4"... aren't Realtor's funny? They make me laugh.








Turning 180 degrees we have the 'Brindabella's' a low mountain range that is part of Australia's Great Dividing range, if I marched west from here it's over 70km to the next town.








We've now marched up the hill at the edge of the valley and climbed vertically about 250m it took about 30 minutes and you'll note that Vlad hasn't budged... yep Vlad is dead. I'm no watchmaker or tinkerer, so at this stage I'm thinking Vlad's joined the ranks of the zombies.








A shot of the valley from N to SE noting the weather has not improved!








From our last position we've moved S about 1km and are approaching the end of the populated end of the valley, this is where the houses stop and it's open country till Cooma (gateway to the Australian Alps). Vlad still asleep.








Same position slightly different angle the hills in the distance are the Monaro High Plains








Following the road down you can see the end of surburbia (literally) and the start of the 'bush' or in this case grazing land.








And the road ends here... a typical Aussie home right on the edge of civilization! Some people say we aren't civilized but I beg to differ!








No cars... thats how we roll. Only kidding its just dead quiet!








OK, thats enough for today I hope you enjoy these pictures and I'll follow up with some more next week from work which should be of interest hopefully.


----------



## Barry the Wino

Oookay...

A quick update

Vlad will be leaving Australia BEFORE 30 Jan 2017, I'm absolutely determined he will recommence his world tour. Hopefully Roman will be here shortly and we'll get some shots of them together.

As stated previously I'm looking for Vlad's next 'lucky recipient' and I'm going back through the forum listings to find people who are NOT from the following places

- North America
- UK
- Australia

Unfortunately Jose from Costa Rica is unavailable to host, as is Gekos from Norway so I have moved on down the list...

Hopefully we'll have some success as Vlad is in need of some TLC

The next candidate fits the bill nicely, both geographically and in terms of skillset. See if you can work out who it is?

Regards
john


----------



## Barry the Wino

OK as promised here's some more pictures of Vlad and Canberra hopefully from a viewpoint few will have seen.

The venue is General Bridges memorial which is atop Mt Pleasant at Duntroon which is located on the Royal Military College precinct, although its accessible to the public its not widely publicised or known about.

General Bridges' Grave - Canberra Tracks

The memorial is an easy walk for those of reasonable fitness and Officer Cadets from Duntroon regularly run to the top from the confidence course approximately a kilometre away.

The views are of Lake Burley Griffin, Black Mountain, the Parliamentary triangle, Defence Headquarters, the surrounding suburbs and the airport.

The National Flag and Royal Australian Artillery memorial, Vlad slumming it with my Citizen Pro diver orientation is west.








In the centre of frame at the edge of the lake is the Carillion (Bell Tower) a gift from the British Government, to the right that in the centre of the ADF precinct is the US/Australian memorial (the spire topped by an eagle) a gift from the US Government after WWII. The hills in the far horizon are the Brindabella's which run south to the Monaro High plains.








The 'Gunners' memorial...








Another shot to the west turning slight north to show Black Mountain Tower in the distance.








Looking south we can see the Brindabella's marching southward towards Australia's Alps (way over the horizon).








The two ancient cannons guard the memorial itself








Well that's it for today

Vlad's tour of duty in Canberra is almost over, we are just waiting for 'Roman' to arrive for some fraternal photo's and then both will rejoin their world journeys.

Regards
john


----------



## Barry the Wino

An update

Liahim from St Petersburg has agreed to host Vlad, this is good news for the following reasons

1. He's going 'home'... ok not home but you get the idea
2. Liahim is a watchmaker (according to his profile) and Vlad needs an overhaul
3. It hopefully kicks off a new leg of his world tour away from the anglo centric nations

Regards
john


----------



## Barry the Wino

An update...

Roman has arrived, he comes well packaged in his own travel wallet and a whole heap of bits and pieces that people have included. It made me feel sorry for poor old Vlad...

So after the holidays when the boys go their separate ways Vlad will have a better case to travel in ,and I will include some things for him to show for his extended stay in Australia.

cheers
john


----------



## Barry the Wino

An update

I have posted a picture of Roman and Vlad together in 'Romans' thread.

Here's a picture of the two of them together.









Vlad is in his new travel container, I am just waiting on Liahim to forward me his address in St Petersburg so I can get him on his way!

Regards
john


----------



## mariomart

Barry it appears the photo attachment isn't working.


----------



## Barry the Wino

Fixed mate!


----------



## Barry the Wino

I have posted up some pictures in 'Roman's' thread...

I'll post some final pictures up here later today, and after that hopefully Vlad will be off to St Petersburg I just need Liahim's address

cheers
john


----------



## Barry the Wino

OK I have now sent Roman onto his next port of call...

Virginia, USA

I had hoped Vlad would be going as well to St Petersburg, Russia but I have been unsuccessful in my PMs with Liahim, he responds in Russian which I translate using Google but I'm not getting a forwarding address.

Its been 2 weeks now and I feel I must move on to another sponsor in order to stick my agreed timetable (which is have Vlad out of Australia by 30 Jan 2017).

So I'll move on down the list...

Regards
john (Barry the Wino)


----------



## Barry the Wino

OK final update from Australia

I haven't been successful in finding a sponsor who WASN'T from the US, Canada or the UK, it appears that interest or enthusiasm for Vlad has dwindled away during his extended hiatus in Australia. Therefore with advice from JoeCool I have packaged Vlad up for the next leg of his journey where hopefully he will receive refurbishment and be put back into wider circulation.

As promised I have sent him on his journey prior to the 30 Jan 2017 deadline.

Vlad has proved to be a stoic, humourless individual who has manfully shouldered every obstacle thrown his way. I wish him the best on his future travels.

As promised he now travels in a much stouter vessel which has been customised to suit his dimensions, hopefully this new sarcophagus will protect him from further harm.

Regards
Barry the Wino (John)


----------



## congo

Sad to hear that John. I volunteered to host Vlad in the summer of 2015 from the EU. After his long visit in Australia I gave up hope to host him, and returned to this thread when you posted the status update and recognition of the problem. But maybe it is better this way because I lack any watchmaking skills.


----------



## MattBrace

Comrades, Vlad the World travelling Vostok has made it to my watch bench after crossing the globe from Australia. The plucky chap has been on the road now for just over 4 years! Sadly though he's not to well and needs some time off. He will be residing with me for a while until he's fixed up.

This brings me to a question for you ALL, in the absence of RFG (Dan) to whom Vlad belongs it falls to you to decided how he should be fixed up.

Of course I will do my best to service the movement and bring it back to a reliable state, my question is-

Lume on the hands is missing and crystal is damaged, leave as is or replace? The lume was missing on the hour hand from day one according to RFG.

So you decide.

Thoughts please. Cheers

Don't worry Vlad the Vostok will return in (You only get serviced twice) or (From Chistopol with love) other Bond puns are available!


----------



## mariomart

I would say to just replace the crystal to retain waterproofing and give the poor fella a service only. The unlumed hands are part of who Vlad is now and help show the hardship of travelling the world.


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## tylehman

mariomart said:


> I would say to just replace the crystal to retain waterproofing and give the poor fella a service only. The unlumed hands are part of who Vlad is now and help show the hardship of travelling the world.


i tend to agree, just the basics to get him running well. there are several issues with his total appearance and that is what makes him unique. i dont think cosmetic things should be done, just get his ticker ticking again, and get him out for some pictures.


----------



## scouser

Haven't read the whole thread...has he been to New Zealand yet?


----------



## willjackson

Im new to Vlad, shouldn't it have a red seconds hand or silver? 

I am one with The Force, The Force is with me.


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## MattBrace

I will replace the Crystal with another used one that I have. The hands will stay as is.
Service movement and clean case.
Cheers


----------



## Barry the Wino

Hi Matt

How are things going with the travelling Vostok (Crazy Ivan) I kinda got attached to the little guy when he was with me!



MattBrace said:


> I will replace the Crystal with another used one that I have. The hands will stay as is.
> Service movement and clean case.
> Cheers


----------



## MattBrace

A Quick update- he's doing well but currently awaiting a clean in my Elma. More soon.


----------



## MattBrace

All back together Vlad is running again! More adventures soon......!


----------



## joecool

MattBrace said:


> All back together Vlad is running again! More adventures soon......!
> 
> View attachment 11398930


Matt yoo da mayn! Your efforts are much appreciated by all the Comrades here!


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## Ticonderoga

I am sure he fells just great after getting a bath.

I have followed this thread from the beginning. It would be great if he could be passed around, in a geographic area, on time and on schedule, and then moved to the next region.

That said, I have family coming from the US to Spain in August. If Vlad has a go at N. America for a few months, I'd love to have him hand carried here and then tour the EU for a few months following.


----------



## tylehman

i would be glad to how Vlad here is Texas if back in the US. not sure about who is on the list anymore. i really had thought he was lost after about a year of not hearing from him.


----------



## hseldon

This is brilliant news! Well done Matt. Looking forward to following Vlad's global adventures again. Would be very happy to host him in London soon if no one else is scheduled to take him. 


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


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## Ticonderoga

hseldon said:


> This is brilliant news! Well done Matt. Looking forward to following Vlad's global adventures again. Would be very happy to host him in London soon if no one else is scheduled to take him.
> 
> Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


I guess that's the million dollar question: is there a list?

I guess that question is best answered by Joecool


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## hseldon

I think the old rule was first to PM the current host when they are ready to send him on. I'm assuming Matt would like to spend some time with him now he's put work into getting him back in shape! 


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


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## Cafe Latte

I duno, kind of a shame the lume is not fixed, the burned dial is what made Vlad IMO.
Chris


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## MattBrace

I intend keeping hold of Vlad until the end of April just to make sure he keeps performing well and to show him a little of my part of the UK, after that i'm happy to send him on to any other member but in UK please. 

To answer Chris's question, the lume on the hour hand was missing from day one, it was discussed and consensus was to leave alone and not replace. I have removed what was left of the lume on the minute hand so as it does not cause further damage to the dial or movement.

Cheers


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## marcunha

I would love to take part of this project, I have family in UK that can bring it to Portugal in June

Mário


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## MattBrace

Vlad's been out and about with me, first off the Spinnaker Tower in Portsmouth.









Time for Lunch!









Tour of HMS Victory

















Lastly in Homage to his last port of call Australia, the Old Sally Port. From here many convicts set sail for down under!
The Monument has a twin in Sydney, perhaps someone could take a picture of there Russian watch next to it.

































Cheers


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## kev80e

Great work on Vlad Matt. HMS Victory looks great and well worth a visit.


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## munichjoe

If the ol boy ever was to want a nice German brew, I'd love to take him out for a couple here in Munich. 

Sent from my ONE E1003 using Tapatalk


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## Stan Lee

I will love to take my incoming russians to tour asia. 

Sent from my LG-H815 using Tapatalk


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## MattBrace

Vlad has now left my care and moved on to his next host, my time with him was short most of it spent in pieces! I hope I have given him a new lease of life and he will continue his round the world trip, lets keep him moving and looked after, more adventures with his new host soon i'm sure.

All The Best...


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## joecool

Excellent work Matt!,pics are excellent,I especially like the tie in with OZ,his last port of call


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## kev80e

Vlad is currently in my care and nestled safely with my collection. I hope to get him out and about soon , I've been busy since his arrival . He looks in fine shape after his visit to to Dr Matt.


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## tylehman

i hosted Roman some time ago, but i would be glad to get on the list to have Vlad come to Texas.


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## kev80e

As I've been busy since Vlad arrived I thought I'd take him to work with me tonight as I'm just moving the train tonight. Hopefully he will bring me some luck and get me home on time with no delays. 
This is his job tonight, the page will update as we travel so you can track him live and see how he is doing.
Realtime Trains | FRGT 2108 Ely Recp. to Romford Engineers Sidings

This is what we are taking.


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## kev80e

Finally a day off ! And as I live in the UK obviously its raining. I took Vlad out today for a quick look round the small town I live in . Oakham is a small market town in Rutland , England's smallest county . 
First order of the day is take Millie out for a walk , she's not allowed her ball at the minute due to a swollen paw, she's not amused.








Back home for a coffee and a dry out. 








A trip into Town and to Oakham Castle. Not actually a castle as only the Great hall is left. It is tradition for visiting VIP's to present a Horseshoe to be hung on the wall. 




































The castle is still occasionally used as a court , but the rather stuffy keeper of the Castle didn't let me put Vlad in the dock.
The Horseshoes are hung this way up, most are hung the other way up , to stop the Devil building his nest in them . A very old tradition.

A visit to the stocks next.














By now the rain was getting worse so a few jobs in the High Street , not looking its best due to major roadworks . Unfortunately the Rutland flags are not that visible due to the weather. The sun dial is useless today.














Sorry for the delay getting Vlad out but I've just been busy. 
Who wants to host him next? Anybody in the UK or is he off to drier climates?


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## Ticonderoga

It is 26 today and sunny, he needs some sun. I'll take him!


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## joecool

All I can say Kev,is you must have some bleedin big orses around them thar parts
Goin by them shoes.
I would host Vlad but I'm,kinda busy at the moment,so I really couldn't do him the justice he deserves


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## tylehman

i would host him in Texas if he come back to the US, i have his near twin


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## kev80e

I'm thinking a stop in Spain with Ticonderoga makes sense before he heads out to the States . I know Ticonderoga is very keen to host him. 
I will PM you .


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## Ticonderoga

kev80e said:


> I'm thinking a stop in Spain with Ticonderoga makes sense before he heads out to the States . I know Ticonderoga is very keen to host him.
> I will PM you .


Looking forward to a visit!


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## Chascomm

kev80e said:


> A trip into Town and to Oakham Castle. Not actually a castle as only the Great hall is left. It is tradition for visiting VIP's to present a Horseshoe to be hung on the wall.
> View attachment 11854778


Bloody big horses in your part of the world.


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## sq100

Good to see this thread moving again! I volunteered to have Vlad visit the Netherlands when his journey started, would still love to see him here someday, but like many I have other priorities currently. Keep him moving around folks! :-!


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## Ticonderoga

I've followed this thread and the Roman thread for quite a while now. Even though Vlad has been on his travels for more than two years longer than Roman, he's been to far fewer places. Roman (in two years) had about 55 visits at an average visit of about 26 days per host. Poor ole Vlad got lost for more than two years in Australia and has averaged only one visit every 2 months and a week (~ 9 weeks each hosting).

The few folks who didn't follow through with Vlad didn't seem to be regular visitors to this thread but instead seemed to happen upon it and thought it was a great idea at the time, but didn't invest as much effort as many of us would. Reminds me of so many Christmas puppy dog purchases that turn into unwanted pets a year or two later.

Vlad spent more than 1/2 of his time with only two hosts. 2 years and 4 months between two guys deprived a lot of other hosts the opportunity to share.

The OP made the rules that each Vlad host can select whomever they want to send him to next. * I would only encourage that as each of us select the next participant, we give fair value to those who check in, inquire, and most of all, express a desire to host.* It should have been no surprise, that folks who had never posted to this thread were selected as hosts and then failed to post updates. If they didn't have time to post before they got him, we shouldn't be surprised if they continue in the same manner.

And I hate to say this but, if you can't afford postage to send him to his next host, please don't volunteer. It seemed that Vlad couldn't get off the southern continent because some hosts were unable (or unwilling) to provide postage to an international destination.

I'm very keen to see Vlad, to share my town, to pass him along and to enjoy his future travels and to learn more about other WIS folks and to see their towns from their eyes.. And I'll be tickled pink if we're still reading about his exploits in ten years!


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## congo

YES! Great news


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## Ticonderoga

I received word from Kev80e that Vlad has been posted to Spain. I'll be keeping an eye on the mailbox ;-)

In reading through this thread, I saw that there was a LOT of interest in hosting early on but it seems (to my eye at least) to have died off. And so, I'm putting out the call:

Who wants to host Vlad?

We would like to bounce him around Europe a bit. So far, he's only been to Spain and the UK. Anyone else in Europe interested in playing host? So far I'm in contact with congo who wants to host in July (he's going on holiday & wants to take Vlad for a trip down south) but I've received no other interest otherwise. MunichJoe, if you're reading this: check your email inbox.

After the EU, we have had interest expressed in the US and Singapore. While Vlad has been to the US, I don't think he's yet been to Asia.

I made up a quick Powerpoint map of (roughly) where Vlad has been and how much time he's had in each location.

If you're interested in hosting, please speak up!


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## Ticonderoga

I decided to send out an "extra" Komandirskie that I have acquired through happenstance - I hope that it will run in parallel with this and the Roman thread (I'm also posting this message in that thread). I put it in the Public Forum - I hope it will pique some interest for this thread and also for f10.

Commander Yuri, world travelling Russian watch - who wants to host him?


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## Ticonderoga

Just arrived:


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## Cafe Latte

Ticonderoga said:


> I've followed this thread and the Roman thread for quite a while now. Even though Vlad has been on his travels for more than two years longer than Roman, he's been to far fewer places. Roman (in two years) had about 55 visits at an average visit of about 26 days per host. Poor ole Vlad got lost for more than two years in Australia and has averaged only one visit every 2 months and a week (~ 9 weeks each hosting).
> 
> The few folks who didn't follow through with Vlad didn't seem to be regular visitors to this thread but instead seemed to happen upon it and thought it was a great idea at the time, but didn't invest as much effort as many of us would. Reminds me of so many Christmas puppy dog purchases that turn into unwanted pets a year or two later.
> 
> Vlad spent more than 1/2 of his time with only two hosts. 2 years and 4 months between two guys deprived a lot of other hosts the opportunity to share.
> 
> The OP made the rules that each Vlad host can select whomever they want to send him to next. * I would only encourage that as each of us select the next participant, we give fair value to those who check in, inquire, and most of all, express a desire to host.* It should have been no surprise, that folks who had never posted to this thread were selected as hosts and then failed to post updates. If they didn't have time to post before they got him, we shouldn't be surprised if they continue in the same manner.
> 
> And I hate to say this but, if you can't afford postage to send him to his next host, please don't volunteer. It seemed that Vlad couldn't get off the southern continent because some hosts were unable (or unwilling) to provide postage to an international destination.
> 
> I'm very keen to see Vlad, to share my town, to pass him along and to enjoy his future travels and to learn more about other WIS folks and to see their towns from their eyes.. And I'll be tickled pink if we're still reading about his exploits in ten years!


Very good point re the postage, I am also a hifi nut and I got involved in a travelling tape (cassette) which was great fun, but I could have bought another tape deck with what it cost me to post the tapes on as Aus post is expensive. All the same my tapes were posted in a few days. People should not hold on to the watch the fun for everyone is seeing were Vlad gets too.
Chris


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## Ticonderoga

Cafe Latte said:


> Very good point re the postage, I am also a hifi nut and I got involved in a travelling tape (cassette) which was great fun, but I could have bought another tape deck with what it cost me to post the tapes on as Aus post is expensive. All the same my tapes were posted in a few days. People should not hold on to the watch the fun for everyone is seeing were Vlad gets too.
> Chris


Really, how much can a 200 gram watch case cost to ship overseas? You can see the package in the pic above, its not big at all.


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## Ticonderoga

Wanted to open the package when it arrived but had other things to do. Finally got it open; looks no worse for travel:









Vlad with the newest member of the family, Yuri:









With some Russian friends that I've recently accumulated. This modding thing is addictive!


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## Miguelcarmor

Hi, I don't remember when, and/or in which post but I showed my interest in hosting Vlad. 
I'm from Portugal 

If you decide it's a nice place to send it, give me a heads up and I will be very happy. 

Miguel 

Sent from my Mi 4i using Tapatalk


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## kev80e

Ticonderoga said:


> Really, how much can a 200 gram watch case cost to ship overseas? You can see the package in the pic above, its not big at all.


.
I think it was around £7 or £8 . I don't think it's always the cost but time . Anyways glad he arrived safely.


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## Ticonderoga

Vlad got his first sunshine today. I had a business call in the nearby town of San Juan. I was just a block from the beach so I drove over and was able to find parking as the tourists aren't fully here yet. Disclaimer: I was at a stop sign, no cars behind me, car in park :-d









I took a walk out on one of the wooden boardwalks that leads down towards the sea to get a better shot. From here, you can see the beach stretch off to the north with the next town of Playa Mucha Vista, and then El Campello, and on and on and at the edge of the coast, some 45 minutes drive away, you can see the tall apartment buildings of Benidorm.









I've had Vlad strapped on all day save for a 45 min swim in the sea (go Orient Ray!) - plan to keep him on all week - tomorrow we will take Yuri to the post office to begin his journey to California (looks just like Spain).


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## Ticonderoga

Today I took a walk to the post office in Alicante and stopped at a few "cool" spots along the way. Forgive me for drooling over European history but, having been raised in a new world country (US), I have to pinch myself daily when I see thousand year old things as I walk to the grocery store.

Today's mission was to deliver Commander Yuri to the post office for the beginning of his world tour.

As I walk into the Cascua Antigua (old city), I see a plaque on the wall that explains that the old Roman name for the town is Lucentum. Later, during the Moorish occupation, they called the town Laquant. "Al" in Arabic is "the," and so The Laquant is Al Lacant. And later, the Spanish called it Alicante.

My first stop in the old town is at the Iglesia Santa Maria (Saint Mary Church). The little plaza in front of the church has a pair of cafes and a peeking view of the Santa Barbara Castle.









In the plaza, some of the stones aren't smooth like the rest. If you get closer you see a small plaque that describes that when the plaza was restored, these medieval stones were left in place so that you can imagine what it looked so many centuries before.









Working my way down the plaza steps towards the (seaward) side of the church, we can find the remnants of a late 18th century French naval bombardment that destroyed much of the city.









In the top left, you can see that one of the cannon balls is still stuck in the wall. I've walked by as the tour guides blame the attack on the Brits (why not?) and I've read that it was caused by Spanish naval ships during one of the many wars of succession (1873). But, the most compelling historical narrative I've read was that the French did it. So, blame it on the Brits, French or the Spanish. Either way, I think it is pretty cool.









A close up of the cannon ball in the church wall.

Just before arriving to the Plaza Santisima Faz, you find an old water fountain that still works. There are many of them throughout the city. You can see the city crest chiseled into the stone above the spigot and the Ayuntamiento building behind.









Looking slightly left, I can see the 500 year old Ayuntamiento (City Hall) and its clock tower. The passageway below is one of the old city gates. While building an expansion of the town hall, old city walls were discovered and preserved. Parts of the building foundation are cut away, supported by iron I beams and behind the glass windows, you can see the old ruins preserved below.









Passing through the gate, I come to the Town Hall square. Tourist season is starting and we can see a group listening to their tour guide. Here we can find wedding celebrations every Saturday, bonfires in June, live music, cafes and even fountains. Behind the tourist group there are fountains embedded into the stone floor that shoot water up into the square. They are especially popular with the kids during the summer evenings and the entire square looks like a water park. There are lights embedded in the fountains and it lights up the whole square at night.









Passing across the square to the far corner and looking back, we can see the clock tower and town hall from the other side and the Santa Barbara Castle above.









Finally, I made it to the Plaza Gabriel Miro - a lovely park with huge ficus trees, their roots reaching into the ground making a nice little green park right in the middle of the city. It is edged by cafes and you can smell coffee, wine, freshly cooked fish and hear the murmur of Spanish and a dozen other languages as people chat and enjoy the warm day. The fountain is popular with the birds and the children and at night, once a week or so, the old folks come out and dance meringue around the park. The white building in the back is the post office, my final destination.









And now, Commander Yuri is posted, he should be in California in a week or two. Vlad and I head home, ready for the next adventure.


----------



## MattBrace

Great Pictures, nice to see Vlad is still ticking!


----------



## Cafe Latte

The pack of audio tapes was 35 dollars to post, there was 5 tapes and a few mini discs. Really not a big pack at all, a watch should be cheaper, but Aus post is rather expensive especially when you post abroad.
Chris


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## sq100

Well done Ticonderoga, keep the pictures coming :-!


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## joecool

Yep! Certainly some awesome pics!the scenery is quite nice too


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## kev80e

A beautiful place to live , nice to see Vlad out and about in such an interesting place.


----------



## Ticonderoga

Vlad is still touring around in Spain. He had the pleasure of attending a wine tasting a few nights ago and today he climbed the Castle Santa Barbara. I'll post the castle pics in a day or two, for now, the wine tasting.

The one thing that I do love about Spain, is that you can see what your tax dollars are spent on. There is always this festival or that, nice parks, fireworks shows, and great museums. I'm not even sure who organized this wine tasting but as it was at the Archaeology Museum, it had to be at the city council level.

On the way to the museum, we passed the Plaza Santisima Faz. The tables were filling with tourists for dinner and a few musicians were playing creating a wonderful summer ambiance:









Down Calle Mayor (Main Street), the pallela restaurants were almost full and the smell was very inviting.









As we approached the Archaeology Museum, I was surprised that the crowds were getting thicker and thicker. This seemed to be a much more popular venue than I had expected. When we cleared the summit of the hill and I could see into the museum grounds, I saw more than a thousand people and a long entrance line stretching down the street.

















Just before we went in I saw the moon peeking between the trees.









I tried to get Vlad to pose with a bottle of wine but he refused. He said he was strictly a beer and vodka man and could occasionally handle some Scotch. I'll see what I can find back at home ;-)


----------



## Ticonderoga

Last night I took my kid up the hill to visit the Santa Barbara Castle. It overlooks Alicante, the harbor, beaches, the downtown and provides a 360 degree view of the mountains to the north and the coastline all the way up to Benidorm about an hour away and all the way down the coastline to Santa Pola. This is a regular hike for my family, we usually go up once or twice a week. The 2 1/2 year old usually makes it about 2/3rds of the way before asking to be carried and sometimes makes it to the summit on her own feet. I thought Vlad would appreciate the view.

Our first stop, at the foot of the hill, is the Plaza del Puente. If my Spanish serves me correctly, this is Plaza of the Bridge. There is a nice little cafe and some tables set out and there are usually a few families and friends enjoying a coffee or beer. The park that winds up the hill starts here as does the hydro museum (built into the old medieval underground water wells).









In this photo (above), you can see the damaged caused to the castle in the 19th Century during one of the (many) Spanish wars of succession. The forces that had besieged the castle dug a tunnel under ground and placed thousands of pounds of dynamite. The detonation was expected to bring the castle down but all it did was make the western wall steeper - and harder to assault and left a large hole in the side of the hill. When you look at the two cliffs, one on either side, and see the missing center section, you can only imagine how much explosives they used in the attack. The lingering legacy of this attack is occasional landslides. The city has placed many walls and ramparts to catch falling rubble and boulders.

At the western edge of the plaza are the remains of ancient city fortification walls from the times of the Moorish (Muslim) occupation. These walls were covered by modern houses and when they were torn down, the walls discovered. An archaelogic effort discovered that there was a tower here (Torre de la Polvora); the walls and tower have been preserved and parts have been restored. The bottom part of the wall is original and new stone and brick has been added above to show what the old wall and tower looked like.

















About 1/3rd of the way to the top, we stopped for a quick photo. We are well above the trees and apartments and the view of the city and marina start to open up. Vlad had been complaining all week about being in the watch box so he was very happy to see some blue skies and views.









I learned later that this ship is a nautical university - 600 maritime (university age) students learning to be ship's officers. They attend university classes from September to May for 4 years and each summer, go out on this ship for 3 months. They had 4 days in Alicante and are set to sail to Portugal on Saturday.

The climb leads around the hill in a clockwise direction. From the southwest in the old town we work our way towards the north. At the halfway point, we can see into the northern part of the city and the old bull fighting ring is visible. This little Colosseum is one of the oldest buildings that is still in use today. If my memory serves me correctly, it is about 500 years old. One of my neighbors tells me that they still have bull fights there but I have yet to see one.









As we continue climbing on the north face, we can see off towards the mountains in the north. Every day, this place reminds me of southern California; the landscape and climate are a dead match. I can see why the Spaniards liked California so much.

As we approach the castle walls, we pass through one gate and then another. Each one has a little moat below and I imagine that in times of antiquity, there were little draw bridges here.









And then, finally, we are about to enter the castle.









There is a certain "desert" feel to it; the climate, the palm trees, the color of the stone (brown) - sometimes it looks to me like Morocco or Jerusalem.









We can see what used to be the Castle Chapel in medieval times:









And then finally, we arrived at the top of the castle. There are some iron soldiers placed here and there to show the tourists the typical armaments. I was surprised to see this soldier sporting a shield, spear, and a Komandirskie!:









The most popular place to take a photo is at the southwest bartizan (small tower sticking out from the wall). If you stand out on the ledge, with your back to the door, a friend can take a panorama photo of you floating above the harbor, beach and city.









Vlad posed as all the tourists do but as he had a feathered friend, I decided to go vertical with this shot:









While the absence of "too many" lawyers in Spain has limited frivolous litigation, it does have some effect on safety measures. There are many places where there are no hand rails and the only thing keeping so many tourists from a 50 meter fall is keeping their eyes on where they are walking. It was all I could do to keep my eyes on a watch, a camera, and keep a 2 1/2 year old (or myself) from walking off the parapet.

Before we left, we stopped to visit an iron archer on one of the tower roof tops. Sure enough, he was wearing a Vostok too!


----------



## saturnine

Ticonderoga said:


> Before we left, we stopped to visit an iron archer on one of the tower roof tops. Sure enough, he was wearing a Vostok too!


You must have a patient spouse. 

Thank you for the beautiful photos.


----------



## Victorv

Ticonderoga said:


> Last night I took my kid up the hill to visit the Santa Barbara Castle. It overlooks Alicante, the harbor, beaches, the downtown and provides a 360 degree view of the mountains to the north and the coastline all the way up to Benidorm about an hour away and all the way down the coastline to Santa Pola. This is a regular hike for my family, we usually go up once or twice a week. The 2 1/2 year old usually makes it about 2/3rds of the way before asking to be carried and sometimes makes it to the summit on her own feet. I thought Vlad would appreciate the view.
> 
> Our first stop, at the foot of the hill, is the Plaza del Puente. If my Spanish serves me correctly, this is Plaza of the Bridge. There is a nice little cafe and some tables set out and there are usually a few families and friends enjoying a coffee or beer. The park that winds up the hill starts here as does the hydro museum (built into the old medieval underground water wells).
> 
> View attachment 12082338
> 
> 
> In this photo (above), you can see the damaged caused to the castle in the 19th Century during one of the (many) Spanish wars of succession. The forces that had besieged the castle dug a tunnel under ground and placed thousands of pounds of dynamite. The detonation was expected to bring the castle down but all it did was make the western wall steeper - and harder to assault and left a large hole in the side of the hill. When you look at the two cliffs, one on either side, and see the missing center section, you can only imagine how much explosives they used in the attack. The lingering legacy of this attack is occasional landslides. The city has placed many walls and ramparts to catch falling rubble and boulders.
> 
> At the western edge of the plaza are the remains of ancient city fortification walls from the times of the Moorish (Muslim) occupation. These walls were covered by modern houses and when they were torn down, the walls discovered. An archaelogic effort discovered that there was a tower here (Torre de la Polvora); the walls and tower have been preserved and parts have been restored. The bottom part of the wall is original and new stone and brick has been added above to show what the old wall and tower looked like.
> 
> View attachment 12082354
> 
> 
> View attachment 12082362
> 
> 
> About 1/3rd of the way to the top, we stopped for a quick photo. We are well above the trees and apartments and the view of the city and marina start to open up. Vlad had been complaining all week about being in the watch box so he was very happy to see some blue skies and views.
> 
> View attachment 12082370
> 
> 
> I learned later that this ship is a nautical university - 600 maritime (university age) students learning to be ship's officers. They attend university classes from September to May for 4 years and each summer, go out on this ship for 3 months. They had 4 days in Alicante and are set to sail to Portugal on Saturday.
> 
> The climb leads around the hill in a clockwise direction. From the southwest in the old town we work our way towards the north. At the halfway point, we can see into the northern part of the city and the old bull fighting ring is visible. This little Colosseum is one of the oldest buildings that is still in use today. If my memory serves me correctly, it is about 500 years old. One of my neighbors tells me that they still have bull fights there but I have yet to see one.
> 
> View attachment 12082450
> 
> 
> As we continue climbing on the north face, we can see off towards the mountains in the north. Every day, this place reminds me of southern California; the landscape and climate are a dead match. I can see why the Spaniards liked California so much.
> 
> As we approach the castle walls, we pass through one gate and then another. Each one has a little moat below and I imagine that in times of antiquity, there were little draw bridges here.
> 
> View attachment 12082490
> 
> 
> And then, finally, we are about to enter the castle.
> 
> View attachment 12082498
> 
> 
> There is a certain "desert" feel to it; the climate, the palm trees, the color of the stone (brown) - sometimes it looks to me like Morocco or Jerusalem.
> 
> View attachment 12082530
> 
> 
> We can see what used to be the Castle Chapel in medieval times:
> 
> View attachment 12082538
> 
> 
> And then finally, we arrived at the top of the castle. There are some iron soldiers placed here and there to show the tourists the typical armaments. I was surprised to see this soldier sporting a shield, spear, and a Komandirskie!:
> 
> View attachment 12082578
> 
> 
> The most popular place to take a photo is at the southwest bartizan (small tower sticking out from the wall). If you stand out on the ledge, with your back to the door, a friend can take a panorama photo of you floating above the harbor, beach and city.
> 
> View attachment 12082674
> 
> 
> Vlad posed as all the tourists do but as he had a feathered friend, I decided to go vertical with this shot:
> 
> View attachment 12082690
> 
> 
> While the absence of "too many" lawyers in Spain has limited frivolous litigation, it does have some effect on safety measures. There are many places where there are no hand rails and the only thing keeping so many tourists from a 50 meter fall is keeping their eyes on where they are walking. It was all I could do to keep my eyes on a watch, a camera, and keep a 2 1/2 year old (or myself) from walking off the parapet.
> 
> Before we left, we stopped to visit an iron archer on one of the tower roof tops. Sure enough, he was wearing a Vostok too!
> 
> View attachment 12082762


Espectacular la foto que recoje el puerto de Alicante, muy chula compi.

Un saludo desde Valencia 😁

Enviado desde mi ALE-L21 mediante Tapatalk


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## Ticonderoga

saturnine said:


> You must have a patient spouse.
> 
> Thank you for the beautiful photos.


LOL - clearly you haven't read my signature!

I made a "deal" with her, "Dear, take my credit card and go shopping at the mall; I'll take our kid for a walk."


----------



## Ticonderoga

Victorv said:


> Espectacular la foto que recoje el puerto de Alicante, muy chula compi.
> 
> Un saludo desde Valencia 
> 
> Enviado desde mi ALE-L21 mediante Tapatalk


Hola Valencia! Tendremos que reunirnos para una cerveza en algún momento.


----------



## Ticonderoga

Vlad's Spain visit is nearing its end. I hope to get him into the mail in the next day or two. Possible destinations are Germany, Hungary, and/or Portugal (coordinating with the guys via PM).

He's been on two more adventures this week, will try to get pics up in the next day or two.


----------



## meranom

Send the watch us. 
It will be serviced at the factory and pictured at the Chistopol views. 
We can also fill the hands with luminous and apply dots onto the dial. 
Promise to keep all original parts. 
All the services steps will be photographed as well.


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## mariomart

meranom said:


> Send the watch us.
> It will be serviced at the factory and pictured at the Chistopol views.
> We can also fill the hands with luminous and apply dots onto the dial.
> Promise to keep all original parts.
> All the services steps will be photographed as well.


Time for Vlad to go see Mama and Papa and the whole family


----------



## Ticonderoga

meranom said:


> Send the watch us.
> It will be serviced at the factory and pictured at the Chistopol views.
> We can also fill the hands with luminous and apply dots onto the dial.
> Promise to keep all original parts.
> All the services steps will be photographed as well.


That really sounds like a great idea.

I've been in chats with three other members for the last 3 or 4 weeks and we've worked out a schedule that looks something like this:

Vlad is heading to Miguelcarmor in Portugal on Monday. Miguel is going to tour him around Portugal and then take him on holiday to Poland on 10 July. After a week in Poland, Miguel will mail Vlad to Congo in Hungary who will tour Vlad in Hungary and then take him to Croatia for holiday in late July.

MunichJoe has his holidays in August so Vlad will go from Hungary to Germany and then from Germany to Chistopol sometime in last August or early September. I'm sure Vlad will need a bath and massage by then 

In the meantime, I took Vlad early this week for a tour of some spots he hadn't seen yet.

Took Vlad to see the Promenade. Alicante's brick tiles are a city icon and picture stop for all the tourists. The Promenade runs parallel with the beach road and marina and ends at the intersection of the old town, Postiguet beach, the Melia Hotel pier and the marina.









At the entrance to the marina we find a replica Spanish Galleon that serves as a restaurant/bar and is co-located at the historic location of the end of the Spanish Civil War. It is here that the last of the Republican/Communist soldiers waited for rescue ships that never came. A few thousand escaped on a Welsh freighter but the remaining >20,000 met their fate in a Franco concentration camp.

Unfortunately, the plaque is missing. They are doing some work, maybe it is a temporary removal. You can see what it looks like here.









On the far side of the marina we have a great view of the galleon and the Santa Barbara Castle on the hill. During the summer, many many of these yachts sail out on Friday and are on the water until Sunday afternoon. As Madrid is only 2 1/4 hours away by high speed train, many in the capital have weekend boats here.









Extending out past the nearby Hotel Melia there is a nice walkway that stretches well into the sea. It is from here that we have a great view of town:

From left to right: the blue tents are at the Volvo Ocean Race Museum, the center building (below the castle) is the Hotel Melia, just in front of the apartment buildings is Postiguet Beach. The sea that is to the right in the photo is the location of the Volvo Ocean Race in port race (Oct 15) and the first leg of the 6 month around the world race (Oct 22). This pier, the center coastline and the peninsula on the right form the perimeter for the races.

In about 4 months, this pier will have thousands of people standing on it and there will be hundreds of boats in the water.









And finally, Postiguet Beach. This beach will be the epicenter of the massive San Juan festival in about 2 weeks. It is an epic two week long party that goes all night, lots of planned arson, alcohol, parades, fireworks. Imagine this beach with twenty or thirty thousand people on it.


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## MattBrace

Massive thanks to Ticonderoga for some amazing pictures and historical info, you have done a great job in rejuvenating this thread and organising Vlad's onward travels.

Spasibo Comrade!


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## MattBrace

meranom said:


> Send the watch us.
> It will be serviced at the factory and pictured at the Chistopol views.
> We can also fill the hands with luminous and apply dots onto the dial.
> Promise to keep all original parts.
> All the services steps will be photographed as well.


This sounds like an amazing opportunity, it would be great to see Vlad return to his makers, i'm sure the guys/girls in Chistopol will take great care of him.
I would like to voice my opinion on a few points, a professional service would of course be welcome for Vlad, but luming of the dial and hands for me would take away from the character of the watch.

From day one Vlad has been a special example, an Amphibia in a Dirsky case with a burnt and lume less dial, missing lume on one hand to boot! If you have not already done so please take some time and read the thread from page 1 and get an idea of the travels and trials that make this watch so special.

Lets by all means keep him healthy and moving around the world to some amazing destinations with stunning back drops and great history, but please don't give him a makeover and make him look like any other Vostok!

Just my opinion of course, what's yours?


----------



## Ticonderoga

MattBrace said:


> This sounds like an amazing opportunity, it would be great to see Vlad return to his makers, i'm sure the guys/girls in Chistopol will take great care of him.
> I would like to voice my opinion on a few points, a professional service would of course be welcome for Vlad, but luming of the dial and hands for me would take away from the character of the watch.
> 
> From day one Vlad has been a special example, an Amphibia in a Dirsky case with a burnt and lume less dial, missing lume on one hand to boot! If you have not already done so please take some time and read the thread from page 1 and get an idea of the travels and trials that make this watch so special.
> 
> Lets buy all means keep him healthy and moving around the world to some amazing destinations with stunning back drops and great history, but please don't give him a makeover and make him look like any other Vostok!
> 
> Just my opinion of course, what's yours?


Thanks for sharing, I've been thinking about this topic for the last two weeks as well.

Before Vlad came to visit, I was in complete agreement with you. But, after wearing him a bit, I find that I would prefer if his minute hand had the lume filled in. I find that when its in the lower part of the dial, near dusk, it is very difficult to make out the time. Even if the minute hand was filled in with just toothpaste, it would be a lot easier to read.

After having worn my new Scuba Dude this week, when it is at night time and there is some light and the dots and hands light up, it makes reading it a breeze. I have Vlad sitting here on the sofa and I'm imagining his hour and minute hand relumed and some lume dots and I think that he would look very much the same in his "old character" but at the same time, just a bit improved.

If this was a 57 Corvette and we wanted to keep the same rims, old glass, and paint, and if the headlights or taillights burned out and we couldn't find replacements, would it look bad if there were LED bulbs installed? I think that it would still look authentic.

If we relumed a 60's Rolex, it might lose value. What is Vlad worth on eBay, thirty bucks? He is getting a lot of wrist time around the world, it might encourage more wrist time if he is comfortable for the hosts.

I have to say, I'm slightly in favor of (60/40) relumed hands and dots.

Just my humble opinion - if the majority of members are for a lume or no lume, I would be happy either way.


----------



## Ticonderoga

On Wednesday we had occasion to go to a small town to the north: L'Alfas del Pi. The name sounds more French than Spanish to me. This being the Valencian region might have something to do with it. In Valencia, the Valencian language is spoken ~ it is about the same as Catalonian and Valencia used to be a Catalonian enclave in centuries past. Today, Valencian is mandatory in schools and all signs and placards are in both Castillian (Spanish) and Valencian (Catalan).

The town is just full of northern Europeans. I would estimate that 9 in 10 are from Sweden, Scotland, etc. It certainly has a different look than Valencia to the north or Alicante to the south. Mountains hem in this town (and nearby Benidorm) and block out the cold winter winds from the north, and so, the tourists come here year-round.

I took this photo for those of you in colder climates :-d


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## Miguelcarmor

Hi all,
I extend MattBrace massive thanks to Ticonderoga for ressurecting this thread and for being a dream host to Vlad.

I'm very excited to be the next Vlad host, but'following Ticonderoga... it's going to be a challenge and I'm afraid Vlad is going to be bored with me 




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## Ticonderoga

Miguelcarmor said:


> Hi all,
> I extend MattBrace massive thanks to Ticonderoga for ressurecting this thread and for being a dream host to Vlad.
> 
> I'm very excited to be the next Vlad host, but'following Ticonderoga... it's going to be a challenge and I'm afraid Vlad is going to be bored with me


Thanks for the kind words Matt & Miguel. I've never been to Portugal so please show us around(Vlad and the WIS community). For me, Vlad was a great inspiration to get out and see and photograph parts of my town I had not yet been to. As today is my "last" day with Vlad, I'm trying to pack in as much as I can.









Today, I took Vlad to Lucentum, the Roman town that gives Alicante it's name. The site of the town is known to have been settled since 2,600 years ago. For a guy from a country that is only ~ 240 or so years old, I am in amazement of this place (and others like it). It was an Iberian settlement since the 5th Century BC and it took on the characteristics of a Roman town in the second or first century BC. The Romans fortified the town with a "proper" city wall (looks like a castle wall to my eye) and added in indoor plumbing, big civic buildings and a municipal spa (hot tub and steam room).

To think, this two and a half thousand year old settlement is only 10 minutes from my house and I had yet to visit. Thanks Vlad!

In this photo, you can see the two thousand year old city wall and the base of what used to be a defensive tower. Just above the placard sign you can see two stone balls - about the size of bowling balls - that were fired from a catapult or trebochet at anyone who may try to attack the town.









Vlad wanted in on the action so I let him pose in front of this grave stone and placard.









The inscription on the stone reads:

_*To the gods Manes, Primigenia Sinponiaca, age 25, rests here.*_

Our next stop takes us to the hot tub. Please excuse me if this is old hat to you, but for many in the "new world" who have not yet seen a Roman ruin, this may be new: the vertically stacked bricks hold up the floor of the pool - in the middle right and the middle center, you can see the flat tiles that were laid above the vertical stacks. An oven to the right passed hot air under the floor of the swimming pool, heating the water making a large communal bath.









At the entrance to the Roman forum, archaeologists made a fascinating discovery. The placard reads:

*In 1998 a series of human and animal (goad and dog) footprints were discovered in front of the Southwest gate to the forum. These were left impressed in the ground in the second half of the first century AD, probably preserved by the rain. This is important evidence as this type of find is rarely made in archaeological sites.

*(the prints are just above the placard)









Near the northeast gate of the forum a sculpture fragment was found:

*"The original fragment of sculpture was found here, where the reproduction is now positioned. It was found in a destruction layer with the burnt remains of the north east gate of the forum. It is part of a large bronze statue measuring about 2.2 meters high, probably depicting an Emperor in military dress. No other remains of the sculpture have been found. The hand held a sword hilt with a pommel decorated with the two eagle heads looking in different directions. This figure was unknown in Roman iconography until now, which makes this piece of sculpture unique in the Roman Empire. There is a ring on one of the fingers which is engraved with the image of a lituus, the staff of the Roman auger priest. The piece of sculpture was found in a 3rd century AD context - corresponding to the moment it was abandoned. This was probably some time after the statue had been destroyed for its metal content. Given the high quality of the metalwork and the finished sculpture, we believe that it was made in the 1st century BC. It was probably erected some time during this century on a pedestal in the forum square, or maybe presiding over the inside of a public, civil or religious building (temple, senate building or basilica, etc).

*








And wouldn't you know it, the Vostok was popular in Roman times too!:









At the highest point in the ruins we find a room that faces north (away from the sea and towards the mountains) with some still intact tile mosaic flooring:









I try to imagine someone, 2,000 years ago, sitting here, enjoying the sweeping views.

In the photo below, you can see the forum (surrounded by vertical column fragments) and the location of the temple (covered in black plastic).









I can see why the Iberians, and later, the Romans, built here. The small hill has a 360 degree view with about 1/3rd of the view facing towards the sea. To the west, a natural lagoon was fortified on its sides allowing for boats to port and make out towards the open sea. The hill has good defensive positions on all sides and stunning views. Unfortunately, the area around the site was not preserved and urban building blocked out the natural view - you can see the sea between the apartment buildings and imagine what a nice view they used to have here.


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## Ticonderoga

Vlad has been posted to Portugal.


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## Miguelcarmor

Here it comes


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## joecool

Awesome hosting comrade Ticonderoga!...that is what hosting a watch such as Vlad is all about.
Using the opportunity to get out and about in your own,sometimes unexplored back yard....and at the same time entertain and educate others to the attractions around where you stay...perfectly hosted my friend!


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## sq100

Yup, this is a great comeback, we can finally enjoy his travels once more :-!


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## Miguelcarmor

Hi all,

Vlad is now in Portugal. A few shots of him getting out of is traveling suit.










Now a wrist shot. At this point my companion cat (camila) is checking out the new arrival.










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## Miguelcarmor

Hi all,

I´m afraid Vlad decided to take a really long nap? Fully wound he runs for about 10sec and stops. I think he misses home and want to go back to Chistopol and see the family 

Since he made it to Aveiro, Portugal, I?m going to show him the town and when he wakes up he can always look at the photos and proudly say: I?ve been there!

Aveiro is a very old and lovely city in center/north of Portugal. We are located 60kms south of Porto and we have around 120.000 souls. 
Historical records trace people living in this area from the great dolmens of pre-history. It receive the name Aveiro in 959 ?Alauario et Salinas?, meaning "a gathering place or preserve of birds and of great salt"

Aveiro and Venice are sisters cities because of their lagoons and channels of sea water. Aveiro Lagoon (Ria de Aveiro) covers an area of 110 km2. Since it is sea water, this very big lagoon has is water changed every 6 hours, from low and high ties.

For now I leave you with a few photos of part of the lagoon and scenery I?m lucky enough to have from my window. Sorry for the bad quality, sunset and a bad photographer? Not Vlad?s fault, he is a sleep, remember? 





































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## Ticonderoga

Great pics - I hope we see more before he moves on - running or not.

Maybe it is time for him to head back to Meranom ~ a bit fortuitous that his travels were working towards a lube and cleaning. Looks like Spain Post and Portugal Post got the best of him!

I say we let Congo decide: he is next on the list - if he is up for touring Vlad, broken or not, I think he should get his shot. If he wants to let him slide to Meranom that works just as well also - would love to hear everyone's (including Congo's) opinion on the matter.

And for those who did not register their opinion on the matter of luming his minute hand - I'd love to hear more voices on that topic also.


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## MattBrace

Ahhhhggg!! That's a real shame he seemed to be running so well, I would blame the guy who last serviced him (oh! that was me).

It sounds like it could be mainspring related, Miguelcarmor perhaps you could remove the caseback so we could have a look?

He needs to be wound down, its pretty simple to do, we could then see if he runs as hes wound back up...


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## Miguelcarmor

The photo without the case back. What I'm I looking for?










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## MattBrace

The Hairspring looks ok so lets try winding him down.









Unscrew the crown to the winding position, put a little pressure on the crown as if your going to wind it up, you should be able to twist and hold the click out of the way.
(red arrow shows the click)
gently let the pressure of the crown and it should spin around as the power is released from the mainspring.

Give him a wind back up but not fully and see if he runs, see also how the mainspring feels...


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## Miguelcarmor

Hi all,

I did what MattBrace suggested with no luck. Vlad insists on keep napping.

After PM with congo and munichjoe, the next in line for hosting Vlad, we decided to send him home to see the family. So Vlad?s next stop is Chistopol to the care of meranom.

Today I took him out of bed and we went to see the artisanal salt production. 
Salt production in Aveiro was of the utmost importance to establish the town and the nation economy. The first known document related to salt production in Portugal dates back to 929 AD, which is before the formation of the nation, and refers to the donation of one salina in Aveiro.

In 1970, approximately 270 salinas were still active in the lagoon, covering 1661 ha and producing an average of 60.000 tons of salt per year?

Now we keep only 7 or 8 Solar salinas mainly for education and tourism. Most of the salinas were abandoned and converted into aquaculture facilities.

It was a very brief visit but I intend to go back on the weekend and take a few more photos.

This photos are from 1 of the smallests salinas, one aquaculture. The building is our new and most needed Municipal Center of Environmental Interpretation.





































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## Miguelcarmor

Hi all,

I don't understand how a sleeping watch made me walk a few Km's in and around my city... but that's what Vlad made me do. Now I have a big problem. To many photos, not a clue how I'm going to sort things out 

I'm going to start with the city center channel. Just a few photos.




























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## joecool

As I said before that is what hosting such a watch as Vlad or for that matter Roman is all about


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## MattBrace

Great Pictures, shame he's still not running, go on open him up again and give that balance wheel a little flick you never know he may tick!


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## Miguelcarmor

MattBrace said:


> Great Pictures, shame he's still not running, go on open him up again and give that balance wheel a little flick you never know he may tick!


I already tried and I don't want to do any more harm. Tomorrow he his going home to be taken care. Maybe in the second round he can visit me again working and wearing his new lume 

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## Miguelcarmor

Hi all,

Today i decided to post photos from one of the two beaches Vlad and I visited.

Has you can see from the photos it was cloudy, not the usual weather we have around here, especially in July, but we went to the beach anyway.

First we visit Praia da Barra (Barra beach), located between the São Jacinto Dunes and the Costa Nova beach (another post soon).

Beside the beach itself, with the marvellous white sand (like all the beaches in Portugal), Barra beach has a lighthouse marking the site where the Aveiro Lagoon meets the sea.

Rising 60 meters over the sea, Barra Light is the tallest lighthouse in Portugal and the second tallest in Europe. It was built in 1893.

You are welcome to visit and climb his 283 stairs all the way to the top, no elevator  but when you are upstairs the view is really amazing. I ask Vlad if he wanted to have a go&#8230; he didn't reply and I assumed he was not interested.

In the first photo the lighthouse is behind us and you can see where the sea meet the lagoon. It's the very small space in the middle of the photo between the 2 rock pears. The distance between the two pears is around 100 meters. All the water coming in and out of the 110 square Km lagoon flow every 6 hours between this two points. You can imagine the tidal stream power.


















































































Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk


----------



## Miguelcarmor

Hi,

Vlad his on the way to Motherland. but I still have lots of photos.

Today I'm posting our photos from Costa Nova Beach. We took too many photos on this beach, even after a selection, I end up with too many so I'm going to use collages, I don't like it, but I think I need to&#8230; I really, really like this beach 

EDITED - In my obsession with the photo quantity i forgot to "paste" a small description of the place 

The name Costa Nova do Padro (New Shore of the Meadow) first appeared in the early 19th century when the fishing town of Costa Nova was founded. The name "Costa Nova" was introduced when the Aveiro Lagoon was reopened in 1808, in order to separate it from the "old shore" which was located at São Jacinto beach and was used by fishermen until then. As for "do Prado" (of the Meadow), it simply indicates the fact that there is an extensive green meadow next to the beach.

The Costa Nova Haystacks

Throughout the 19th century, fishermen from Ílhavo began to move to Costa Nova because the new shore line gave them easier access to sea than in São Jacinto. So, they began to build haystacks, storages and shelters for the seamen and the fishing boats of the Lagoon. The first haystacks were built with local materials and stood on top of stakes pitched on the dry sand of Costa Nova. The outside planks were horizontal and painted in bright red welcoming the sea with colour and energy. The interior space was wide and didn't have any divisions as it was simply a storage house. As the years went by, some fishermen began to transform the haystacks and turned them into living spaces where several families would live during the summer.


----------



## sq100

Excellent show Miguelcarmor :-!


----------



## Ticonderoga

Miguelcarmor said:


> Hi all,
> 
> Today i decided to post photos from one of the two beaches Vlad and I visited.
> 
> Has you can see from the photos it was cloudy, not the usual weather we have around here, especially in July, but we went to the beach anyway.
> 
> First we visit Praia da Barra (Barra beach), located between the São Jacinto Dunes and the Costa Nova beach (another post soon).
> 
> Beside the beach itself, with the marvellous white sand (like all the beaches in Portugal), Barra beach has a lighthouse marking the site where the Aveiro Lagoon meets the sea.
> 
> Rising 60 meters over the sea, Barra Light is the tallest lighthouse in Portugal and the second tallest in Europe. It was built in 1893.
> 
> You are welcome to visit and climb his 283 stairs all the way to the top, no elevator  but when you are upstairs the view is really amazing. I ask Vlad if he wanted to have a go&#8230; he didn't reply and I assumed he was not interested.
> 
> In the first photo the lighthouse is behind us and you can see where the sea meet the lagoon. It's the very small space in the middle of the photo between the 2 rock pears. The distance between the two pears is around 100 meters. All the water coming in and out of the 110 square Km lagoon flow every 6 hours between this two points. You can imagine the tidal stream power.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk


super pics! Lucky Vlad gets to see everything!


----------



## Miguelcarmor

Hi,

Vlad is an ingrateful bastard. I took him out to a sweet treat, order two "Ovos Moles", and believe it, or not, he didn't even want to taste. Of course I had to eat them both&#8230; 

If you find yourselves visiting Portugal do try not to miss out on tasting the long fabled, sweet goodness of the confectionery known as the Aveiro Ovos Moles. Of course the experience is best if you eat then in Aveiro city.

"Soft Eggs from Aveiro" were first made in several convents of the region. The egg whites where used to produce starch for the nuns to iron their habits and priest vestments from neighboring monasteries and for clarify wines. So the nuns decided to put the yolks to good use and, mixing them with sugar, started creating what became true icons of the Portuguese cuisine and which recipes ended up surviving the extinction of most of the convents in the 19th century.

The "Soft Eggs from Aveiro" are an outstanding example of this fine art, and come either in pure paste form inside miniatures of the wooden barrels carried by the local fishing and transport boats that ply the "Ria de Aveiro" routes, or enclosed in a wafer-thin pastry shaped like oysters, clams, cowries and fish, as a tribute to the maritime traditions of the region.
A delight to the senses, this regional sweet.
It was the first conventual sweet to be certified within the European Union. The certification seal assures the quality and authenticity of this product.


----------



## munichjoe

Any word on Vlad? 
Has he made it back home for his obligatory family reunion? 

Sent from my ONE E1003 using Tapatalk


----------



## Miguelcarmor

munichjoe said:


> Any word on Vlad?
> Has he made it back home for his obligatory family reunion?
> 
> Sent from my ONE E1003 using Tapatalk


The tracking system informed me that Vlad is already at home. But we need to ear from meranom.

Miguel

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk


----------



## MattBrace

Any Vlad news please?


----------



## munichjoe

I asked Dmitry on the 31st, but hadn't arrived yet. 

Sent from my ONE E1003 using Tapatalk


----------



## meranom

Arrived.
But factory now on vacation till September,4


----------



## saturnine

I miss the exploits of Vlad. Will he be enjoying the holidays soon or is he still unconscious on an operating table?


----------



## meranom

Hello
We need new address for sending
Sorry for delaying


----------



## steve_AU

I'd love to show him around Sydney Australia. How do I go about it?


----------



## mariomart

steve_AU said:


> I'd love to show him around Sydney Australia. How do I go about it?


I'm pretty sure that the next few destinations and hosts for Vlad has already been secured.

Meranom, I believe that congo and munichjoe are the next hosts, hopefully they will chime in and get the ball rolling 



Miguelcarmor said:


> Hi all,
> 
> I did what MattBrace suggested with no luck. Vlad insists on keep napping.
> 
> After PM with congo and munichjoe, the next in line for hosting Vlad, we decided to send him home to see the family. So Vlad?s next stop is Chistopol to the care of meranom.
> 
> ........
> 
> Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk


----------



## steve_AU

mariomart said:


> I'm pretty sure that the next few destinations and hosts for Vlad has already been secured.
> 
> Meranom, I believe that congo and munichjoe are the next hosts, hopefully they will chime in and get the ball rolling


Thanks @mariomart how do I get added to the list.


----------



## congo

Great news  I applied at meranom in PM.


----------



## mariomart

steve_AU said:


> Thanks @mariomart how do I get added to the list.


You might want to send a PM to member "joecool" who I believe has a list of future hosts (I may be wrong lol)


----------



## tylehman

i am still available in texas if needed


----------



## MattBrace

meranom said:


> Send the watch us.
> It will be serviced at the factory and pictured at the Chistopol views.
> We can also fill the hands with luminous and apply dots onto the dial.
> Promise to keep all original parts.
> All the services steps will be photographed as well.


Did I miss this part?


----------



## joecool

mariomart said:


> You might want to send a PM to member "joecool" who I believe has a list of future hosts (I may be wrong lol)


Nope! Vlad The travelling Vostok has no expansive list of hosts in waiting that I know of,I think you just express an Interest in hosting and you are in line after the last person who has hosted.
In saying that I think there is a bit of a queue at the moment and Tylehman is in it as one of the next hosts from whar I can remember.


----------



## meranom

Hello.
Vlad shipped to *congo

*Some photos from *Chistopol.

















http://www.kazan-mitropolia.ru/temples/poblagochiniym/chistopolskoe/nikolskiysobr/








Kama river





















*


----------



## Cafe Latte

meranom said:


> Hello.
> Vlad shipped to *congo
> 
> *Some photos from *Chistopol.
> 
> View attachment 12642943
> 
> 
> View attachment 12642945
> 
> 
> ?????????? ????? (?. ?????????) | ??????????? ? ??????????
> View attachment 12642949
> 
> 
> Kama river
> View attachment 12642951
> 
> View attachment 12642953
> 
> View attachment 12642955
> 
> *


Nice pics!! Looks like Vlad has has a relume, when was that? I think it looks much better..
Chris


----------



## congo

*- What is zis? Where I am?
*- You have just arrived in Hungary. Remember sitting into the box in Chistopol? That is more than 2000 kilometers away. Quite a trip!
*- Hungary? Is part of the Soviet Union?*
- Not really, but let's not talk about that. Come on, have a welcome drink and meet some fellow expats!









*- What is zis drink? Not vodka! Vlad likes vodka.*
- The drink is called Pálinka. It is our natio...
*- You drink zis instead of water?*
- No, mostly on family events like weddings, reunions, or after a special guest arrives for a visit after 2,5 years.
*- Ohh, understand. What happened with me? I feel like reborn!*









- Dr. Meranom in Chistopol patched you up. You seem to have new lume on your dial and hands. Other changes, I can't tell for sure. You were always a handsome fella'!
*- Good! Спасибо comrade Meranom! And now what?
*- Now you can stay for a few weeks and we have some fun. Then I put you back in the box and you can visit another great place.
*- великолепный! *


----------



## Al Faromeo

Great to see the Traveling Vostok traveling again!


----------



## congo

- Vlad, as you see, today we had our first snowfall.
*- Nice! We have much snow in Russia! Specially in Siberia.*
- I don't think we will have as much  And what do you do for fun in the winter in Russia?
*- Of course we run from bear! Great fun... if you run fast...*
- Umm... we usually build snowmen...


----------



## congo

*- Where are we?*
- We are in the city named Debrecen. It is the second largest Hungarian city by population (third, if you count in London).
*- What is zis light???*
- It is our most important street, called Piac utca. (Market street) Used to be a market a hundred years ago. It is currently decorated for Christmas.
*- Now it is again like market.*
- Yes, it is converted to a walking place now with fountains in the summer, and something like a fair near special occasions like Christmas.
*- великолепный! What can we eat and drink here?*
- Well, artisanal cheese, strawberry wine, pálinka, gingerbread and chimney cake come to mind as mostly Hungarian specialties.
*- What is zis big round thing?*
- That is the Debrecen Eye, a 33 meter ferris-wheel put here just for December.
*- And the church?*
- That is the Great Church of Debrecen, built about 200 years ago.
*- Interesting... not. We should go have a drink! Nazdarovje!*


----------



## congo

*- Why did you wake me zis ungodly hour???*
- We had to go.
*- Go where? I am not happy with you! You get me to your country and take only few sh1tty pictures.*
- You are right, this is not going how I planned...
*- Yes and you don't even drink pálinka with me! Only apple juice and water like some animal!!!*
- Totally right, I didn't drink any alcohol since the middle of October.
*- You portray my personality like total Russian prejudice! Like I can't even say zis correctly! Zis, zis, zis, you see I can say it!*
- Umm... (Guilty)
*- And no travel with me! I see beautiful places in Spain and Portugal not long ago!*
- Again, you are right.
*- Okay so what is your plan to make zis right?*









- Well, this is the place I was preparing for in the last few weeks by staying at home and avoiding alcohol. I am confident you will participate in something very special, and something that maybe you will never again experience. I did not plan to bring you here, but I am happy you are here with us in this special moment. I am sure you will never forget it.
*- What are you talking about?*
- We are in the hospital. That is my wife on the delivery room bed, and she will give birth to our first child soon. Our daughter called Laura. You will be here with me the whole time.


----------



## saturnine

congo said:


> *- Why did you wake me zis ungodly hour???*
> - We had to go.


This is a highly entertaining manner in which you are writing, and this simple "traveling watch" thread just took an interesting, personal turn.


----------



## mroatman

congo said:


> - That is the Great Church of Debrecen, built about 200 years ago.
> *- Interesting... not. We should go have a drink! Nazdarovje!*


You definitely win for most entertaining captions ? Well done and keep it up.



congo said:


> *- What are you talking about?*
> - We are in the hospital. That is my wife on the delivery room bed, and she will give birth to our first child soon. Our daughter called Laura. You will be here with me the whole time.


Congratulations, congo!! What a wonderful Christmas gift. May Laura be everything you anticipate and so much more ❤


----------



## REDSWAN13

Congratulations to you and your wife congo, a Christmas baby is something special believe me.


----------



## kev80e

Very entertaining Congo. Hope all goes well and little Laura joins you soon. A daughter is a great blessing .


----------



## sq100

congo said:


> *- What are you talking about?*
> - We are in the hospital. That is my wife on the delivery room bed, and she will give birth to our first child soon. Our daughter called Laura. You will be here with me the whole time.


Congratulations to you and your wife for a wonderful new addition to the family!


----------



## Neruda

Hope all is going well and you have happy news.

Update please - the suspense is killing me (and I'm not talking about Vlad, the Palinka-soaked lush!)


----------



## deangc

congo said:


> - We are in the hospital. That is my wife on the delivery room bed, and she will give birth to our first child soon. Our daughter called Laura. You will be here with me the whole time.


Wow - well, this will definitely be the highlight of Vlad's career. Nobody is going to come close to this.

I envy you a little, congo. Mine are all grown now, but I remember the joy of their births.


----------



## congo

*- Hey, you hijacked my forum zread with your daugther!*
- Umm, sorry, I did not mean to do that. Just thought it would be a cool thing to cross out from your bucket list.
*- Maybe. Now I want you upload a picture of me!*
- Well, what do I get in return?
*- I told you time of birth when nurse asked, no? So now about that picture...*
- Ok, here you go...









(Thank you everyone for the good wishes and gratulations! Everything is fine and dandy. And now back to our regular programming...)


----------



## deangc

congo said:


> *- Hey, you hijacked my forum zread with your daugther!*
> - Umm, sorry, I did not mean to do that. Just thought it would be a cool thing to cross out from your bucket list.
> *- Maybe. Now I want you upload a picture of me!*
> - Well, what do I get in return?
> *- I told you time of birth when nurse asked, no? So now about that picture...*
> - Ok, here you go...
> 
> View attachment 12750281
> 
> 
> (Thank you everyone for the good wishes and gratulations! Everything is fine and dandy. And now back to our regular programming...)


There aren't enough likes for this. Wow, congratulations. Conga-ratulations.


----------



## saturnine

congo said:


> *- Hey, you hijacked my forum zread with your daugther!*
> - Umm, sorry, I did not mean to do that. Just thought it would be a cool thing to cross out from your bucket list.
> *- Maybe. Now I want you upload a picture of me!*
> - Well, what do I get in return?
> *- I told you time of birth when nurse asked, no? So now about that picture...*
> - Ok, here you go...
> 
> View attachment 12750281
> 
> 
> (Thank you everyone for the good wishes and gratulations! Everything is fine and dandy. And now back to our regular programming...)


Congratulations. May you and Vlad enjoy some celebratory Pálinka when you return home.


----------



## Chascomm

Congratulations!

(I also wore a Vostok for the birth of one of my children)


----------



## kev80e

congo said:


> *- Hey, you hijacked my forum zread with your daugther!*
> - Umm, sorry, I did not mean to do that. Just thought it would be a cool thing to cross out from your bucket list.
> *- Maybe. Now I want you upload a picture of me!*
> - Well, what do I get in return?
> *- I told you time of birth when nurse asked, no? So now about that picture...*
> - Ok, here you go...
> 
> View attachment 12750281
> 
> 
> (Thank you everyone for the good wishes and gratulations! Everything is fine and dandy. And now back to our regular programming...)


Congratulations Congo and Mrs Congo. And welcome Laura.


----------



## joecool

Yes Comrade Congo,you have added a very special chapter in the travels of Vlad.
Congratulations to you and your wife,and a long and bountiful life to you all.
Who knows,maybe sometime in the future your beautiful daughter will also wear Vlad with the knowledge that he was there with her father at her birth.....now wouldn't that be something!
I love the travels of Vlad and Roman on this forum,because of unexpected hapenstance of things like this


----------



## congo

*- Zis lights are beautiful. What is it?*
- That is the Grand Forest Water Tower (Nagyerdei Víztorony).
*- Cool! What's inside?*
- We can go inside and have a drink if you want.
*- You keep Pálinka inside water tower? Wonderful! Now I love Hungary much more! We go inside NOW!*
- No no no. There is a bar inside, and you can have a drink. We do not store beverages in water towers. 
*- Ooh. Disappointed another time! No idea why call it Grand Forest then...*








(Better picture alas without Vlad)


----------



## congo

- You seem to be in a very festive mood today, Vlad.
*- Da. I love Christmas. All ze chocolate, good food. And drinks! Best part of year.*
- Let's make a photo and upload it to your forum thread.
*- Ok. Just wait I climb ze tree.*
- Do you have any message for your many fans?
*- Schastlivyye rozhdestvenskiye tovarishchi! *_(Merry Christmas, comrades!)_
- Maybe a Christmas wish?
*- My dream is ze continue world travels until my gears give out. Visit many countries and meet comrades who like famous Russian watchmaking. And of course taste prekrasno drinks of all nations. Zat very important!

*


----------



## congo

- How about going by tram to buy some groceries?
*- In Russia we travel in Volga Limousine, but OK...*
- This is a special tram, with Christmas lights. I think you will like it.
*- Not bad, not bad. Make photo but not a sh1tty one like you always do!
*- Umm... Ok.
*- Thanks.*
- In our capital city we have an even better Chrismas tram, but sadly I am unable to show it to you at this time.
*- What is special about it?*
- It is a very old tram with many lights. I will upload a photo to your forum thread. Budapest would have been nice for you to see. :-(


----------



## congo

- Well, Vlad, I have good news and bad news...
*- In Russia we always start by bad news! So what is bad news?*
- Your stay in Hungary is almost over. I will send you on your way tomorrow.
*- Where I go next?*
- You travel to Germany. It is a fantastic country. The bad news is that New Year's Eve will probably happen with you inside a box lying in some postal warehouse.
*- Zat is unfortunate! In Russia we celebrate New Year and eat our "S Novim Godom" salad. Then we drink of course!*
- So now about the good news. I decided to put a small flask of Pálinka into your box, so you can have a drink at midnight. No fireworks, but a small celebration for you.
*- Thank you, thank you, thank you!*
- No problem. I was honoured that you were my guest. And you are welcome again in Hungary anytime for a drink or two.
*- Spasibo comrade congo! Do svidaniya!
*- Do svidaniya comrade!









(I also put the brand new Vostok leather band back into the box. I think it may be something that Dmitry of Meranom added, but not sure about that.)


----------



## kev80e

Loved reading your posts Congo. Hope Vlad arrives in Germany safely.


----------



## congo

I am happy to report that Vlad is on his way in his comfy box to comrade Munichjoe as recommended by comrade Ticonderoga.

As Munichjoe was busy when I first messaged him about Vlad, I did some searching and found that comrade sq100 has been interested in hosting Vlad since 2013.
He has also been a regular participant in this thread and lives in the Netherlands, which would fit perfectly into Vlad's planned European tour.
So with Vlad I send my friendly recommendation of sq100 being the next host after Munichjoe. (Of course the actual host is free to find someone else he wants to send Vlad to.)


----------



## munichjoe

So, a quick update. Vlad made it to Germany safe and sound on Tuesday. Bad news is that Ive been sick for 2 weeks now. I hate head colds/ bronchitis.......
So even though all of the holiday festivities in Munich are now over, Ill see if I can try nonetheless to show Vlad a good time.


----------



## dasmi

If this is still going on, I've relocated to Colorado Springs, and would love to get some Vlad shots around here.


----------



## sq100

3 Months later and Vlad is off the grid, any word from Munichjoe?


----------



## saturnine




----------



## Al Faromeo

munichjoe said:


> .../... Vlad made it to Germany safe and sound on Tuesday. .../...


That was on January 6th, 2018.

Munichjoe was last seen on line about 10 hours ago so he apparently still visits occasionally.
Joe, if you read this: give us a shout please!


----------



## munichjoe

Al Faromeo said:


> That was on January 6th, 2018.
> 
> Munichjoe was last seen on line about 10 hours ago so he apparently still visits occasionally.
> Joe, if you read this: give us a shout please!


Sorry for the absence everyone.

Yes I'm still alive.
Yes, Vlad is also still alive.

Yes, we've been all over town, and seen quite a few places.

Vlad doesn't want to leave, but I told him last week that it was really time to move on.

And I really apologize for not getting pictures of our adventures posted sooner.

As I'm in school during the day, I'll have to wait until I get home to get my pictures sorted and uploaded.

I also need to dig back in the thread to check out where he is supposed to be heading next.

Sent from my ONE E1003 using Tapatalk


----------



## munichjoe

So, after finally getting my phone backed up and all pix onto my laptop, let the show begin.
(it will probably be a few posts, and more than likely not all tonight.)

Comrade Vlad arrives shortly after the new year





























So, we decided we needed a few new things. Annnnnnnd off to IKEA we go








and it wouldn't be a complete trip to IKEA without having a swedish hotdog









Oh look, new tools!!!!








oh and let's see who just arrived!








OK Vlad, I hear you..... So, let's head into town

Let's take the subway

HEYYYY WTH!!!! People are surfing in the city.... in the middle of winter.....
hey Vlad, have you seen the Berlin wall? No? Well, I know its been torn down, but here is a piece of history.

ok, so after getting all pictures ready to be posted, and its been a long day, the rest will have to wait until tomorrow.


----------



## munichjoe

ok, so its all a bit out of whack in re: timeline.... will fix tomorrow.
its almost 3am,so i am off to bed


----------



## LBPolarBear

Well if Vlad would like to visit Long Beach NY I can assure him some good time on and under the water and at the beach surrounded by bikinis!


----------



## munichjoe

so after the last post scattered all the pics, ill try again.

after Vlad got here, we went for a walk around town.

first stop, was to see the crazy surfers on the Eisbach




















then, just a stones throw away, we walked by the Haus der Kunst














a bit farther next to the American Consulate, at the south end of the English Gardens, Vlad got to see a piece of the wall.














then we took a small stroll into the start/south end of the English Gardens














Before heading back towards downtown, with a small detour through the Residence Courtyard garden


----------



## munichjoe

and through the courtyard to Odeonsplatz, where the Theatinerkirche and Feldherrnhalle are to be found


























Oh and while we're at it Vlad, lets take a look and see what the local Mercedes dealer has on the floor 
Oh Vlad, I'm sorry, there's nothing to see here.... just an old race car and a new one as well.....














so with not much there to see, lets head on into town, but not before we make sure to rub the Lions' nose in front of the Residence; it brings luck you see.














Hey Joe, whats that on the ground behind us? Oh, hey Vlad, those are the golden bricks of the Schleichersgasse, or Shirkers Alley, a rememberance to the times in WWII when people took the back way around the Feldherrnhalle, so that they didn't have to salute or pay respect to the, at that time, current chief of state.














Wow Joe, that's some crazy history.... It almost makes me need to sit down and have a beer!
Well Vlad, you're in luck, as Munich is known worldwide for its beer. But we still have a little ways to go, so it will have to wait for a bit. 
In the meantime, how about a look at the Cathedral of Our Lady?





















Around the corner is the (new) city hall. But Joe, that looks pretty old! Well, it is, kinda... It was started in the late 1800s, and was finished in 1906. But the funny part is. It is older that the Old town hall! And it is the home of the Glockenspiel.







...but lets keep going, I think I know where we can sit down for a minute and relax.
the Victuals Market, its one of the largest open-air markets. And in the middle..... is a Biergarten!!!














So it's time for refreshments!








....to be continued


----------



## munichjoe

*so we left off after stopping for a breather after walking around for quite a bit.

Hey Vlad, we still have a bit of time before dinner. so, lets finish our beer and walk a little bit more.





















Hey look over here Joe, those look like some tasty pig knuckles!!!
Wow, those do look pretty tasty, but we're on a mission!








Oh hey Vlad, take a look, here is the world famous Hofbräuhaus!
Damn Joe, that looks like quite the tourist trap!
Oh Vlad, I'm glad you saw that! It is!








but let's keep going

How about the National Opera House at night?
Hmm, that looks awfully pretty!








...and we pass back by the cathedral, but at night.
Holy Cow Joe, its beautiful! especially at night!








hey Vlad on our way, there is that Bavarian National Hunting Museum...
OMG!!! that is a pretty big boar, and a REALLY big Catfish!














Joe!!!!! Look, there is Augustiner Beer!!!!
Yes I know Vlad, that is the original brewery, now a Gaststätte/Bierhalle. They have since moved the brewery.

But Joe, you promised me more beer and great food....?
Yes Vlad I did, but we have to keep going. 
....and we are going to Augustiner!




















So Vlad, you have met my friends at my regulars' table, it was a good evening, but its time to go home. I hope you had a good time!








TBC.....


----------



## munichjoe

btw, Im trying to do this over uploading attatchments...... and that whole thing.... but apparently Im not so tech saavy that i can get it in all the right order..... :-(


----------



## Al Faromeo

Here's looking forward to your adventures, Joe and Vlad!


----------



## munichjoe

For the wife's birthday I decided it was time that she got to experience a home game in the Allianz Arena... and of course I couldn't tell Vlad that he had to stay home.




























Vlad decided he wanted to follow me to school one day as well. (I'm currently doing an abbreviated apprenticeship to become an industrial mechanic)




























Being January and all, we had a bit of snow, and even in the winter, the fleamarket at the Olympic park is still open on Saturdays. 
So, I took Vlad on a stroll through the park, home to the 1972 Summer Games in Munich.














































ice skaters out on the frozen lake




























old ticket booths in need of some love

























the fire dept practicing ice rescues on a different part of the lake



























the fleamarket in the parking lot on the back side of the park




























On the way back to the car, we decided to stop on one of the pedestrian bridges over the highway to admire the neighbors' buildings.


----------



## Ticonderoga

munichjoe said:


> So, after finally getting my phone backed up and all pix onto my laptop, let the show begin.
> (it will probably be a few posts, and more than likely not all tonight.)
> 
> Comrade Vlad arrives shortly after the new year...
> 
> OK Vlad, I hear you..... So, let's head into town
> 
> Let's take the subway
> 
> HEYYYY WTH!!!! People are surfing in the city.... in the middle of winter.....
> hey Vlad, have you seen the Berlin wall? No? Well, I know its been torn down, but here is a piece of history.
> 
> ok, so after getting all pictures ready to be posted, and its been a long day, the rest will have to wait until tomorrow.


Excellent!

I came out of WUS retirement just to check on Vlad.


----------



## munichjoe

So, a few more for the evening....

Our regulars' table has attendance regulations, late = 1€, no-show or cancelling after 4pm=5€....
anyways, at the end of the year a few €€ come together, and aside from our treasury splurge on christmas, usually we go candlestick bowling (Kegeln).





































Vlad even decided to help me out down in the basement, playing with my bikes and truing my wheels





































oh and im pretty sure that Vlad has his reasons for not wanting to leave..... ie. Munich's favorite beer, Augustiner!










AND he even helps me welcome new members of the family!










to be continued...

in other news, who is on the list for wanting to host Vlad, or in general who is interested. I'd prefer to keep it EU, but we'll see what happens.


----------



## Al Faromeo

If noone else here in Europe has older rights then I'll be happy to host Vlad in Maastricht for a couple of weeks during summer!


----------



## sq100

munichjoe said:


> So, a few more for the evening....
> 
> in other news, who is on the list for wanting to host Vlad, or in general who is interested. I'd prefer to keep it EU, but we'll see what happens.


I'd say it doesn't really matter as long as he doesn't go underground again...


----------



## wis_dad

Al Faromeo said:


> If noone else here in Europe has older rights then I'll be happy to host Vlad in Maastricht for a couple of weeks during summer!


Add me to the list too. I've never handled a Russian watch so would be an interesting experience.


----------



## Al Faromeo

I've not heard from Joe from Munich...

Will keep you posted!


----------



## Al Faromeo

.


----------



## FernandoFuenzalida

Hi you all!!
Love this post,think it's great that vlad has kept travelling all this time!!
Don't know how the destinies list goes, but if he ever wants to travel to the bottom of the world (Chile), I'm more than willing to show him around!! 

Sent from my Redmi 4X using Tapatalk


----------



## munichjoe

Underground he has not been, though, I love how Tapatalk keeps me updated on posts on this thread....

That said, I've been a bit busy, have been *needing to post the last batch of pix, and need to find the next host.

Now, Al Faromeo pm'd me with a request to be the next, but as I have no idea who is or was in line.... especially after having all hosts gotten mixed up by heading to meranom in between,.....

I asked in my last post, who was in line for wanting to host vlad. I was pretty sure there were a cpl past me, though if not, OK.

I'll try to get the rest of the pix up tomorrow, and if no one else raises their hand in the meantime (til the end of the week), Al should be the next.....

Sent from my ONE E1003 using Tapatalk


----------



## Al Faromeo

.


----------



## Al Faromeo

Thanks Joe! 

I agree: let's wait and see a show of hands and if none is shown then I'll happily host Vlad for a couple of weeks before sending him on to the next one in line.

I think Aid1987 would then like to welcome Vlad to Essex, UK, 
From there it could then very well go to FernandoFuenzalida in Chili... 
Traveling Vostok indeed


----------



## sq100

munichjoe said:


> Underground he has not been, though, I love how Tapatalk keeps me updated on posts on this thread....
> 
> That said, I've been a bit busy, have been *needing to post the last batch of pix, and need to find the next host.
> 
> Now, Al Faromeo pm'd me with a request to be the next, but as I have no idea who is or was in line.... especially after having all hosts gotten mixed up by heading to meranom in between,.....
> 
> I asked in my last post, who was in line for wanting to host vlad. I was pretty sure there were a cpl past me, though if not, OK.
> 
> I'll try to get the rest of the pix up tomorrow, and if no one else raises their hand in the meantime (til the end of the week), Al should be the next.....
> 
> Sent from my ONE E1003 using Tapatalk


Today exactly 6 months, no worries I'll stop posting here now and won't ask again. :-x


----------



## munichjoe

So, the last few pics of Vlad's adventures in Munich.

Field Trip!!!!
Deutsches Museum Verkehrszentrum
(The German Museum of Mobility)










just an old bike trainer...









our city's subway train...


















a few random cars.....









NSU, the first car(s) with a rotary engine









nice Kharmann ghia coupe









a nice MK1 Golf GTI

























and then we go around the corner, and it gets a bit older....





































and contrasting to a new one.....









a pink '59 Caddy...









a train that climbs mountains...









and then a few old F1 pix


















and how about a stainless steel Porsche 911?









a really pretty BMW...









a few othe race cars...









... or the first "aerodynamically-designed" car....


















ooooor, 
how about the first suspension bike wheels......


----------



## Dub Rubb

That MKI!!!!  I am glad to see the watch making it's rounds. He might need to make his way out to California sometime.









Sent from my LG-M322 using Tapatalk


----------



## munichjoe

and then couple randoms from a couple bike rides.....


















1 of 6 worldwide....



























summer days in the Biergartens...









and Vlad managed to talk us all in to going toth Frühlingsfest...


----------



## munichjoe

so, kiddos, ...... Im pretty much done with pics of Vlad and myself, we had a great time together, though a tad longer than should have been, but whatever, we digress...

as in my last couple posts, he who was in the line for vlad, please let me know.


----------



## Al Faromeo

munichjoe said:


> .../... as in my last couple posts, he who was in the line for vlad, please let me know.


SQ100 has staked a claim 


sq100 said:


> Today exactly 6 months, no worries I'll stop posting here now and won't ask again. :-x


----------



## munichjoe

I saw that. So he has a PM from me to confirm.


Al Faromeo said:


> SQ100 has staked a claim


Sent from my ONE E1003 using Tapatalk


----------



## saturnine

Love the transportation museum! Thank you for being a good host and sharing photos of your fabulous city.


----------



## wis_dad

Al Faromeo said:


> Thanks Joe!
> 
> I agree: let's wait and see a show of hands and if none is shown then I'll happily host Vlad for a couple of weeks before sending him on to the next one in line.
> 
> I think Aid1987 would then like to welcome Vlad to Essex, UK,
> From there it could then very well go to FernandoFuenzalida in Chili...
> Traveling Vostok indeed


Sure would! Although I'm slightly worried this might open up another long line of watches to add to the list.


----------



## parrotandpitbull

Inquiring mind wants to know what the he## is the wonderful green 3 wheeler? <>the very 1st conveyance is this set of photos above. I cant make out the name. It reminds me of an Italian 3 wheeler that opened from the from the front, that belonged to Louis Kahn the famous architects girlfriend, Alice Ting back in the 50s.

Im a Soviet watch lover in general but do not like most Komandirskies or Vostoks of the type travelling round the world. Dislike is a mild adjective. But I like to think Im open minded as well. If you give me a chance I would wear it for a bit and send it on, like all others have in this great Thread. You guys have the chance to make a convert, cause theres no other way one will wrap my wrist or just think me a jerk and ignore me. In any event Im going over to post my Luch 2209 sculpted square on WRUW right now.


----------



## MWHarper

Been following this thread a while and would love to house the watch in Tennessee (currently in North Carolina but moving in a month). Would be take and shown the best parts of Memphis!


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


----------



## mariomart

parrotandpitbull said:


> Inquiring mind wants to know what the he## is the wonderful green 3 wheeler? <>the very 1st conveyance is this set of photos above. I cant make out the name. It reminds me of an Italian 3 wheeler that opened from the from the front, that belonged to Louis Kahn the famous architects girlfriend, Alice Ting back in the 50s.


It is a Messerschmitt KR175. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Messerschmitt_KR175


----------



## Al Faromeo

Vlad has been invited to (as far as I was able to make out from the last couple of pages):

SQ100 - NL (???)
Al Faromeo - NL (Limburg)
AID1987 - UK (Essex)
Parrotandpitbull - ???
MWHarper - USA (Tenessee)


----------



## dwczinmb

If it makes it to the U.S., it's welcome here in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina.

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G891A using Tapatalk


----------



## FernandoFuenzalida

Add to the list:

FernandoFuenzalida (Santiago, Chile) 


Al Faromeo said:


> Vlad has been invited to (as far as I was able to make out from the last couple of pages):
> 
> SQ100 - NL (???)
> Al Faromeo - NL (Limburg)
> AID1987 - UK (Essex)
> Parrotandpitbull - ???
> MWHarper - USA (Tenessee)


Sent from my Redmi 4X using Tapatalk


----------



## Dub Rubb

Vlad is more than welcome to spend some time in wine country as well as San Francisco too. I would be glad to reuinite him with some of his old friends as well. 

Sent from my LG-M322 using Tapatalk


----------



## tylehman

If back in the US he can come to Texas. I hosted Roman a few years ago and would like to get some pictures with Vlad as well

Sent from my LGUS997 using Tapatalk


----------



## Al Faromeo

Updated list of Vlad's open invitations:


SQ100 - NL (???)
Al Faromeo - NL (Limburg)
AID1987 - UK (Essex)
Parrotandpitbull - ???
MWHarper - USA (North Carolina)
FernandoFuenzalida - Chili (Santiago)
Dub Rubb - USA (San Francisco)
Tylehman - USA (Texas)


----------



## munichjoe

So, after writing to and not getting a response from sq100, I spoke with and have sent Vlad off to the Netherlands to Al.
He should be getting there any time now. 

Sent from my ONE E1003 using Tapatalk


----------



## Mercs

This thread has been an adventure to read! Can’t wait to see Vlads adventures in NL


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


----------



## Al Faromeo

Vlad has just this minute been delivered to our offices in Maastricht!


----------



## Al Faromeo

Vlad appears to not be feeling well. It felt as if the day was dragging on forever. Vlad told me: it's 14:00. My a-13a was saying that it was closer to 16:00. My biological clock tells me the a-13a is right and Vlad has lost some of his ability between Munich and Maastricht...

He works only intermittently; the crown feels a bit dodgy. 

I'll try and have it looked into over the weekend.


----------



## dim_kolev

Dear Comrade, come to Bulgaria.


SQ100 - NL (???)

AID1987 - UK (Essex)
Parrotandpitbull - ???
MWHarper - USA (North Carolina)
FernandoFuenzalida - Chili (Santiago)
Dub Rubb - USA (San Francisco)
Tylehman - USA (Texas)
dim_kolev - Bulgaria


----------



## dasmi

I'd love to be on the list if possible. Colorado Springs, USA.


----------



## Al Faromeo

Updated list:


SQ100 - NL (???)
AID1987 - UK (Essex)
Parrotandpitbull - ???
MWHarper - USA (North Carolina)
FernandoFuenzalida - Chili (Santiago)
Dub Rubb - USA (San Francisco)
Tylehman - USA (Texas)
dim_kolev - Bulgaria
Dasmi - Colorado Springs (USA)

Quick update: Vlad is back up and running. There was really nothing wrong with him that a kisss on the cheek couldn't fix 

I've been absent from the site for a bit myself and will be scarce on here for some time to come as I've had to have surgery performed on my right eye. I'll see how it goes and may send Vlad to Essex sooner than expected...

Also be aware that I sent SQ100 a message to ask whether he's still interested.

Cheers,
Al


----------



## Xspect

Put me on the list please


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


----------



## jmreynolds

It has been a couple of years since I was here but it is good to see Vlad still running and making his way around the world.


----------



## Kamburov

Al Faromeo said:


> Quick update: Vlad is back up and running. There was really nothing wrong with him that a kisss on the cheek couldn't fix
> 
> I've been absent from the site for a bit myself and will be scarce on here for some time to come as I've had to have surgery performed on my right eye. I'll see how it goes and may send Vlad to Essex sooner than expected...
> 
> Also be aware that I sent SQ100 a message to ask whether he's still interested.
> 
> Cheers,
> Al


Hope the surgery was a success and you get well soon, Al!


----------



## Al Faromeo

Thank you so much! 
Eyesight slowly returning - I'll be my old self in about 8 or 9 weeks!

Updated list:


SQ100 - NL <=========== this is where Vlad is going next; I'll be sending him off tomorrow.
AID1987 - UK (Essex)
Parrotandpitbull - ???
MWHarper - USA (North Carolina)
FernandoFuenzalida - Chili (Santiago)
Dub Rubb - USA (San Francisco)
Tylehman - USA (Texas)
dim_kolev - Bulgaria
Dasmi - Colorado Springs (USA)
Xspect - Louisiana (USA)


----------



## sq100

So Vlad has made it safely to the other side of the Netherlands. Thanks Al Faromeo! Speedy recovery!










Travelling from the Maastricht area in the province of Noord-Limburg to Middelburg in the province of Zeeland.



















After giving him a wind he seems to be running fine without issues, so apparantly the PostNL delivery guy handled him with care :-!



















Not being a fan of wearing a watch on a leather strap, I asked one of his siblings if it was Ok to let Vlad use his bracelet during his stay here. Besides some Russian mumbling it seemed there were no objections, so the swap was made and the leather stored safely in Vlads box.



















And the obligatory wristshot b-)


----------



## Negroni

Well, dear old Vlad is a traveller...if he wants to see Copenhagen, I'll be more than happy to host him for a week or two.
Five and a half years since he first started globetrotting and still going strong (thanks to a few horoligists and Dmitry from Meranom)
THIS is why I'm on WUS, you guys have soul, a helpful attitude and a fun attitude. 

Sent from my SM-G930F using Tapatalk


----------



## sq100

Vlad and me went on a roadtrip yesterday (excuse the bad smartphone quality pictures). We had a bit of traffic along the way, so arrived a bit later than expected, but weather was good, which made up for the delay.


----------



## sq100

We ended up in the Bourgonge in France. Parc naturel régional du Morvan to be precise. If you're into quiet rural areas this certainly is a place to visit.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Burgundy
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Morvan
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Parc_naturel_régional_du_Morvan



















We went for a small hike today and I'll let the images do the talking.


----------



## sq100

No exceptional wildlife, but lots to enjoy.


----------



## sq100

An old Massey Ferguson 825



















A mountain water well, used by the local community for drinking water. This is strange to me since we're so used to (drinking) tap water in the Netherlands.




























Although there's no wine production in the Morvan, the Bourgonge is famous because of it's wines. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Burgundy_wine


----------



## sq100

The area is facing depopulation and signs are visible all over the place























































Ending this series for today with a picture of the local municipality (Mairie)


----------



## sq100

For now some more hikes and some more images.


----------



## sq100




----------



## sq100




----------



## sq100

Over here you don't wait for people to cross the road, you have to wait for the cows to cross :-d


----------



## munichjoe

Glad to hear and see that the good old boy is over his "cold" and doing well and in good hands.
I was afraid that the German postmen gave him a bad roughing up. But alas, he only apparently got too close to a magnet....
Cheers Vlad! 

Sent from my ONEPLUS A5010 using Tapatalk


----------



## sq100

Contact was made with Aid1987 today to host Vlad next. Vlad will continue his tour in the UK and will most likely be shipped off this coming week.

After the heatwave of the last few weeks, today finally was I day for me to go out and tour Vlad through Middelburg.

We started at the outer rim near the village of Nieuw- en Sint Joosland to see the windmill.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_windmills_in_Zeeland










Followed by the local Porsche dealer










From there on we passed the Middelburg penitentiary Torentijd


----------



## sq100

This is the small fire brigade of Middelburg Torenweg










One of three Middelburg police stations. It will be abandoned in 2020 when the new office, to house all three stations, is due for completion


----------



## sq100

What station is this Vlad?










This is the backside of the Middelburg train station










For those of you that don't know the color of our trains by the Nationale Spoorwegen
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nederlandse_Spoorwegen










And the front view of the train station


----------



## JimmyOlber

A great joy to have discovered this thread and to see all of Vlad's travels!


----------



## sq100

Middelburg is packed with tourists at the moment. Mostly Dutch, Belgian and German. As a local I don't go center village that often, but when I do these bridges are a big source of frustration. They always open at the wrong time haha.
This time Vlad and me could just enjoy watching the boats pass by.


----------



## sq100

A closer look at the Stationsbrug, this one slides open. They're about to remove this in September for maintenance.


----------



## sq100

A look at our current Town Hall










And from the other side of the canal










The Middelburg courthouse


----------



## sq100

Some more mills, these are actually in Middelburg center



















Somehow we ended up in 's Hertogenbosch
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/'s-Hertogenbosch


----------



## sq100

The old Town Hall as seen from the market square
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Town_hall_of_Middelburg



















A local clock workshop


----------



## sq100

Another striking building is de Kloveniersdoelen










Tourists everywhere










Another common feature of Dutch streets, parked bikes










Just somewhere in the middle of the city center


----------



## sq100

The Zeeuws Museum
https://www.zeeuwsmuseum.nl/en










The Coat of arms of the province of Zeeland, luctor et emergo
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zeeland



















Queen Emma of Waldeck and Pyrmont as found in Middelburg
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Emma_of_Waldeck_and_Pyrmont


----------



## sq100

The Middelburg Marina





































We end our tour with a glimpse of the Middelburg golf course as I happen to live close by


----------



## elsoldemayo

Beautiful area you live in, every photo could be a postcard.


----------



## sq100

elsoldemayo said:


> Beautiful area you live in, every photo could be a postcard.


Thank you, some of the pictures turned out nicely


----------



## slls

Who’s next in line to get the watch? I love those tourist pictures. I should do the same for Hattem and Zwolle (Netherlands).


----------



## Al Faromeo

slls said:


> Who's next in line to get the watch? I love those tourist pictures. I should do the same for Hattem and Zwolle (Netherlands).



SQ100 - NL <=========== this is where Vlad is currently.
AID1987 - UK (Essex) <=========== this is where Vlad is going next.
Parrotandpitbull - ???
MWHarper - USA (North Carolina)
FernandoFuenzalida - Chili (Santiago)
Dub Rubb - USA (San Francisco)
Tylehman - USA (Texas)
dim_kolev - Bulgaria
Dasmi - Colorado Springs (USA)
Xspect - Louisiana (USA)


----------



## saturnine

sq100 said:


> Thank you, some of the pictures turned out nicely


Outstanding tour, sq100. Dank u wel!


----------



## sq100

saturnine said:


> Outstanding tour, sq100. Dank u wel!


Graag gedaan! :-!


----------



## skyefalcon6

sq100 said:


> What station is this Vlad?
> 
> For those of you that don't know the color of our trains by the Nationale Spoorwegen
> https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nederlandse_Spoorwegen


I've been up close and personal with those trains! I used to travel to The Hague on business often, arriving at Schiphol then taking train to The Hague. Beautiful part of the world.


----------



## sq100

Last update from me on Vlads whereabouts. He was shipped to the UK on August 18th and confirmed arrival by AID1987 on August 22nd.
So from now on expect updates from him.


----------



## wis_dad

sq100 said:


> Last update from me on Vlads whereabouts. He was shipped to the UK on August 18th and confirmed arrival by AID1987 on August 22nd.
> So from now on expect updates from him.


Well I received Vlad safe and sound from sq100 and thankfully he sent me a link to a little video and Vostok as I've never handled a Russian watch before.

Vlad came with a couple of leather straps but thought he'd look better on a black nato I had. Lucky as this is the only 18mm strap I own!

Anyway, here's a few photos. Nothing too exciting but I'm really enjoying this little guy, especially the shape and slimness of the case.


----------



## Al Faromeo

Hi!

Any updates to share 6 weeks on?

Currently in line for a visit from Vlad:


AID1987 - UK (Essex) <=========== this is where Vlad is currently;
Parrotandpitbull - ??? <=========== this is where Vlad should likely be going next;
MWHarper - USA (North Carolina)
FernandoFuenzalida - Chili (Santiago)
Dub Rubb - USA (San Francisco)
Tylehman - USA (Texas)
dim_kolev - Bulgaria
Dasmi - Colorado Springs (USA)
Xspect - Louisiana (USA)


----------



## MWHarper

Al Faromeo said:


> [*]MWHarper - USA (North Carolina)
> [/LIST]


I don't know it is really makes a difference but I am in Tennessee now

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


----------



## Al Faromeo

Thanks, it doesn't make a difference but since you mentioned it, I'll update it in the next list update 

That means you're still interested - let's see how things progress.

@Vlad: let us know how you're doing, mate!


----------



## sq100

How about giving an update on Vlad Aid1987?


----------



## wis_dad

Evening all!

Apologies for the severely lacking content from Vlad and me, work and home life have been hectic to say the least.

Anyway, I've come to the conclusion that this little Vostok is damn near perfect! Now I know it's not in great shape but the size, case shape and crystal as so pleasing to me.

Does anyone have some info whether this case type is still available? I couldn't find much after a little searching.

This was after a quick visit into Cambridge, forgot I was wearing Vlad until I was leaving. 









At work (in construction)



















A little bit of what I build, although a lot smaller that what some of my American cousins are probably used to!










This is a nice little view from my commute to work. There's a nice little walk near this village which was lovely in late summer.





































At home...


----------



## wis_dad

So I'm assuming Vlad will be off to Parrotandpitbull next. I'm not sure where you are based but I'm looking forward to sending Vlad off to continue his journey!


----------



## Avidfan

Aid1987 said:


> Does anyone have some info whether this case type is still available? I couldn't find much after a little searching.


It's a type 34 Komandirskie case, unfortunately not made for a long time now, but lots of used examples available on the usual auction sites.


----------



## Al Faromeo

Thanks for the pictures Aidan! Hope you and yours are all right and that life is a bit less hectic going forward.

And you're right: Parrotandpitbull is next in line.No idea where (s)he's located... MWHarper from Tenessee would then be next in line.


----------



## wis_dad

Avidfan said:


> It's a type 34 Komandirskie case, unfortunately not made for a long time now, but lots of used examples available on the usual auction sites.


I love it, the proportions are just brilliant.


----------



## wis_dad

Al Faromeo said:


> Thanks for the pictures Aidan! Hope you and yours are all right and that life is a bit less hectic going forward.
> 
> And you're right: Parrotandpitbull is next in line.No idea where (s)he's located... MWHarper from Tenessee would then be next in line.


We are well thank you. Starting a new job and being a new father has been a bit of a rollercoaster but I wouldn't change it for anything.


----------



## Al Faromeo

Congratulations!


----------



## wis_dad

Hey Parrotandpitbull! I've sent you a DM.


----------



## JustAWatchFan

Any news on Vlad? I've been lurking around the forums and have enjoyed following him on his exploits for a few months. But since he's been MIA for a while now its starting to get worrisome.
Have we lost him to the post gods?


----------



## Al Faromeo

Aid1987 is trying to contact the next in line (Parrotandpitbull) but he's apparently not responding.
If Parrotandpitbull doesn't respond, then MWHarper from Tenessee would be next in line.


AID1987 - UK (Essex) <=========== this is where Vlad is currently
Parrotandpitbull - ??? <=========== this is where Vlad should be going next.
MWHarper - USA (Tenessee)
FernandoFuenzalida - Chili (Santiago)
Dub Rubb - USA (San Francisco)
Tylehman - USA (Texas)
dim_kolev - Bulgaria
Dasmi - Colorado Springs (USA)
Xspect - Louisiana (USA)


----------



## MWHarper

Has there been any word from Parrotandpitbull yet?


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


----------



## wis_dad

MWHarper said:


> Has there been any word from Parrotandpitbull yet?
> 
> Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


Yes. He said he wasn't on the list and not sure how he ended up on it....

Who's next?

Edit: I see you are Harper! Do you want to drop me a message with your contact info.


----------



## Slm643

Hi, I just found this thread, what is the current status? What a cool idea! 

Sent from my LG-H871 using Tapatalk


----------



## Joespeeder

Just found this thread, love to get on the list. 

I’m thinking I could drive down to Hell, Michigan with it for some photos. It would truly have gone to Hell and back. lol

I’m sure there are other cool shots I can get depending on the timing of its visit. 

Joe


----------



## Slm643

Joespeeder said:


> Just found this thread, love to get on the list.
> 
> I'm thinking I could drive down to Hell, Michigan with it for some photos. It would truly have gone to Hell and back. lol
> 
> I'm sure there are other cool shots I can get depending on the timing of its visit.
> 
> Joe


Stop by the Capitol on your way, watch meet-up!

Sent from my K92 using Tapatalk


----------



## Joespeeder

Maybe an El Azteco enchilada wrist check... lol


----------



## Al Faromeo

Added Joespeeder.

Currently in line for a visit from Vlad:


AID1987 - UK (Essex) <=========== this is where Vlad is currently to the best of our knowledge
Parrotandpitbull - (???) <=========== this is where Vlad is supposed to be going next.
MWHarper - USA (Tenessee)
FernandoFuenzalida - Chili (Santiago)
Dub Rubb - USA (San Francisco)
Tylehman - USA (Texas)
dim_kolev - Bulgaria
Dasmi - Colorado Springs (USA)
Xspect - Louisiana (USA)
Joespeeder - (???)


----------



## Joespeeder

Thanks for the update. I’m in Michigan. 

Joe


----------



## wis_dad

Al Faromeo said:


> Added Joespeeder.
> 
> Currently in line for a visit from Vlad:
> 
> 
> AID1987 - UK (Essex) <=========== this is where Vlad is currently to the best of our knowledge
> Parrotandpitbull - (???) <=========== this is where Vlad is supposed to be going next.
> MWHarper - USA (Tenessee)
> FernandoFuenzalida - Chili (Santiago)
> Dub Rubb - USA (San Francisco)
> Tylehman - USA (Texas)
> dim_kolev - Bulgaria
> Dasmi - Colorado Springs (USA)
> Xspect - Louisiana (USA)
> Joespeeder - (???)


Vlad is on his way to MW Harper in sunny Memphis!


----------



## Al Faromeo

Thanks for the update & have a happy 2019!


----------



## bogray57

Any updates on Vlad? Is he walking to Tennessee? :-d


----------



## Al Faromeo

He may be on a bicycle, high on Tennessee Whiskey...

No news to date, I'm afruid...


----------



## MWHarper

He is here in Memphis! Unfortunately my apartment complex office did not tell me they had a package for me so Vlad has been waiting in the office since Thursday but I will be retrieving him tomorrow so expect a update on our planned adventures!!


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


----------



## Dub Rubb

Oh man, it's almost my turn! I just had this thread pop into my head the other day too. Have fun in Memphis and Chile Vlad! See you in the Bay soon.

Sent from my LG-M322 using Tapatalk


----------



## 24h

Dub Rubb said:


> Oh man, it's almost my turn! I just had this thread pop into my head the other day too. Have fun in Memphis and Chile Vlad! See you in the Bay soon.


Hello neighbor


----------



## Al Faromeo

MWHarper said:


> He is here in Memphis!


YEAH!


----------



## tylehman

i have not been on the fourm so much lately but an still in texas. i have been wearing a lot of his brethren lately, one that is almost a twin.


----------



## JacobC

I wouldn't mind taking it for a week or two at some point. I've started a new clinical rotation so a new friend might be nice!


----------



## Al Faromeo

JacobC said:


> I wouldn't mind taking it for a week or two at some point. I've started a new clinical rotation so a new friend might be nice!


Currently in line for a visit from Vlad:


MWHarper - USA (Tenessee) <=========== this is where Vlad is currently
FernandoFuenzalida - Chili (Santiago)
Dub Rubb - USA (San Francisco)
Tylehman - USA (Texas)
dim_kolev - Bulgaria
Dasmi - Colorado Springs (USA)
Xspect - Louisiana (USA)
Joespeeder - Michigan (USA)
JacobC - USA (Texas) 

JacobC added to the list - I gess we're all waiting to hear from Memphis...


----------



## tylehman

JacobC said:


> I wouldn't mind taking it for a week or two at some point. I've started a new clinical rotation so a new friend might be nice!


if it get to austin we can meet and do some of that together, i am in austin as well.


----------



## FernandoFuenzalida

Waiting for Vlad to come!!


Sent from my Redmi 4X using Tapatalk


----------



## DocTone

VLAD is welcome for spring time in Germany


----------



## Al Faromeo

DocTone said:


> VLAD is welcome for spring time in Germany


Added to the list!


MWHarper - USA (Tenessee) <=========== this is where Vlad is currently
FernandoFuenzalida - Chili (Santiago) <===== ... and this is where Vlad wants to go next
Dub Rubb - USA (San Francisco)
Tylehman - USA (Texas)
dim_kolev - Bulgaria
Dasmi - Colorado Springs (USA)
Xspect - Louisiana (USA)
Joespeeder - Michigan (USA)
JacobC - USA (Texas) 
DocTone (Germany)

Now what say you who wait for Vlad?

Should we combine JacobC and Tylehman?
And also: move Bulgaria (dim_kolev) to a European stint to be combined with DocTone (Germany)?

Your input - especially from those who wait - is appreciated!

Both changes taken together would get the following list:


MWHarper - USA (Tenessee) <=========== this is where Vlad is currently
FernandoFuenzalida - Chili (Santiago) <===== ... and this is where Vlad wants to go next
Dub Rubb - USA (San Francisco)
Tylehman - USA (Texas) *and* JacobC - USA (Texas) 
Dasmi - Colorado Springs (USA)
Xspect - Louisiana (USA)
Joespeeder - Michigan (USA)
dim_kolev - (Bulgaria)
DocTone (Germany)


----------



## Dub Rubb

24h said:


> Hello neighbor


Forgot to reply to this! When Vlad comes my way, we should probably meet up for some Vodka in his honor!

Sent from my LG-M322 using Tapatalk


----------



## pump 19

I enjoy following Vlad's travels but not much news lately. How about a current photo or two?


----------



## Al Faromeo

*@MWHarper *- Any chance of an update anytime soon?

Thanks!
Arthur


----------



## MWHarper

Hello all! Sorry I have been so MIA with Vlad since he arrived! I have been having week after week of hectic schedules with work and school. Vlad has got to see cool stuff here around Memphis! He has got to go stroll by the (flooded) Mississippi River morning and night since he arrived here (we live right on the water), he spent a oddly warm day walking around the Memphis Zoo on one of my free Sundays ( I love this zoo so much space and so much to see!)he has got to go The Pyramid (it was a sporting area but now is the big Bass Pro Shop), he has got to explore my favorite places to eat, shop and hangout here as well including a killer burger joint named Huey's and some world class BBQ at the downtown joint Rendezvous! We also make many trips to the dog park here on Mud Island ( which you can also see the Hernado de Soto bridge in the background ,that is the I-40 Bridge from Memphis to West Memphis Arkansas across the Mississippi River) so the pup stays happy and healthy. I'm not sure if anyone else has said anything but Vlad is getting a little hard to wind up he will freewheel and unwind after about 10 turns which makes winding him about a 7-10 try event. I have not opened him to get a closer look mainly since I don't trust myself working on watches I plan to have working after I'm done with them, let alone Vlad. Any ideas on what would help(other than a service) would be something I would be willing to try! He will soon be headed off to the next stop since I believe he has stayed here long enough. Sorry for the little number of pictures here I'm not huge on taking pictures I have the I'm the moment mindset so since I got Vlad these are about the only pictures my phone has taken.

















Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


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## Sekondtime

Al Faromeo said:


> Added to the list!
> 
> 
> MWHarper - USA (Tenessee) <=========== this is where Vlad is currently
> FernandoFuenzalida - Chili (Santiago) <===== ... and this is where Vlad wants to go next
> Dub Rubb - USA (San Francisco)
> Tylehman - USA (Texas)
> dim_kolev - Bulgaria
> Dasmi - Colorado Springs (USA)
> Xspect - Louisiana (USA)
> Joespeeder - Michigan (USA)
> JacobC - USA (Texas)
> DocTone (Germany)
> 
> Now what say you who wait for Vlad?
> 
> Should we combine JacobC and Tylehman?
> And also: move Bulgaria (dim_kolev) to a European stint to be combined with DocTone (Germany)?
> 
> Your input - especially from those who wait - is appreciated!
> 
> Both changes taken together would get the following list:
> 
> 
> MWHarper - USA (Tenessee) <=========== this is where Vlad is currently
> FernandoFuenzalida - Chili (Santiago) <===== ... and this is where Vlad wants to go next
> Dub Rubb - USA (San Francisco)
> Tylehman - USA (Texas) *and* JacobC - USA (Texas)
> Dasmi - Colorado Springs (USA)
> Xspect - Louisiana (USA)
> Joespeeder - Michigan (USA)
> dim_kolev - (Bulgaria)
> DocTone (Germany)


Just an observation but at the current rate of travel, Vlad is not likely to leave the Americas until late 2021 at the very earliest. His passport could expire before he leaves the States. Is there no one in Asia, the Pacific or any other part of the world (Bulgaria and Germany excepted) willing to host to make it viable to keep him on the move? We need to keep him moving around the world to keep his air miles rewards up!


----------



## FernandoFuenzalida

Sekondtime said:


> Just an observation but at the current rate of travel, Vlad is not likely to leave the Americas until late 2021 at the very earliest. His passport could expire before he leaves the States. Is there no one in Asia, the Pacific or any other part of the world (Bulgaria and Germany excepted) willing to host to make it viable to keep him on the move? We need to keep him moving around the world to keep his air miles rewards up!
> 
> View attachment 14026167


Im next in list, and would be happy to host vlad!!
I think ill have him for a week to ten days and then ship him again, so he can move around fast and get to visit as many places as possible!!

Sent from my Redmi 4X using Tapatalk


----------



## Al Faromeo

Thanks for the update MWHarper - looks like Vlad is having the time of his life


----------



## Dub Rubb

FernandoFuenzalida said:


> Im next in list, and would be happy to host vlad!!
> I think ill have him for a week to ten days and then ship him again, so he can move around fast and get to visit as many places as possible!!
> 
> Sent from my Redmi 4X using Tapatalk


I am thinking the same. I will give Vlad a quick tour through the redwoods and an obligatory trip to the golden gate bridge. Probably a couple breweries (even though I am in wine country). Maybe try and meet up with comrade 24h for some vodka in his honor and off he goes!

Sent from my LG-M322 using Tapatalk


----------



## FernandoFuenzalida

Little update for everyone:

Vlad is finally headed my way!!
Thanks MW Harper!

Hoping to receive him soon, give him a look around and send him to continue his travels!
Will be updating as soon as I have any news.


----------



## Al Faromeo

Good to hear that this is still going!

Updated itinerary:


FernandoFuenzalida - Chili (Santiago) <===== ... here is where Vlad is on its merry way to
Dub Rubb - USA (San Francisco)
Tylehman - USA (Texas)
dim_kolev - Bulgaria
Dasmi - Colorado Springs (USA)
Xspect - Louisiana (USA)
Joespeeder - Michigan (USA)
JacobC - USA (Texas) 
DocTone (Germany)


----------



## FernandoFuenzalida

Just received Vlad today!!
Will post photos later.
Thanks MWHarper for a perfectly packed watch and a nice note!!


----------



## Sudhakar

It will be interesting to create a travel map of this watch using https://travelmap.net/ or similar


----------



## JacobC

Sudhakar said:


> It will be interesting to create a travel map of this watch using https://travelmap.net/ or similar


We should totally do that


----------



## dropmyload

I am probably the only member here based in Kenya. I'd love to take Vlad on safari......


----------



## stevarad

dropmyload said:


> I am probably the only member here based in Kenya. I'd love to take Vlad on safari......
> 
> View attachment 14168799


Oh yeeeaaaah!!! I would so like to see that!

Послато са SM-N950F уз помоћ Тапатока


----------



## dropmyload

I have two forwarding addresses, one in the US and one in the UK.

Vlad will get to Nairobi if shipped to either of them.

I would then happily courier him off to his next destination.

Hope I can be on the list!


----------



## bogray57

Any updates on Vlad? No word since May and no pictures since April...


----------



## DocTone

Waiting for travel details. 
Time for Vlad to visit Germany


----------



## Al Faromeo

Sudhakar said:


> It will be interesting to create a travel map of this watch using https://travelmap.net/ or similar


https://travelingvostok.travelmap.net/

And the list (updated with Kenya!)


FernandoFuenzalida - Chili (Santiago) <=== Vlad is here currently 
Dub Rubb - USA (San Francisco)
Tylehman - USA (Texas)
dim_kolev - Bulgaria
Dasmi - Colorado Springs (USA)
Xspect - Louisiana (USA)
Joespeeder - Michigan (USA)
JacobC - USA (Texas) 
DocTone (Germany)
dropmyload (Nairobi, Kenya)


----------



## Sudhakar

Awesome! Travelmap definitely looks good. I think a few pictures can be added for each location on the map.


----------



## sq100

This thread is turning into a sad story guys, why are there no updates at all. People keep going missing as soon as Vlad arrives....


----------



## MattBrace

sq100 said:


> This thread is turning into a sad story guys, why are there no updates at all. People keep going missing as soon as Vlad arrives....


I totally agree, it seems both the F10's travelling watches are lost, Vlad for months and Roman for over a year.
It's a real shame and an insult to all the people who have kept the watches moving and posted such great pictures and stories. As always a few spoil things for the masses.

Cheers...


----------



## stevarad

There is still very good chances for Vlad to, I think. He is currently at FernandoFuenzalida who is still very active member, so I think that one PM could resolve mystery, probably lack of time. But, Roman....I am so sad. There are two explanations - either something bad happened with member Shai1, either something bad happen to Roman. He was active, posting photos and thrilled, and then quiet....for too long time.
So sad, as it was like Polmax3133 legacy..


----------



## FernandoFuenzalida

Hello everyone!!

First of all, my deepest apologies for my forum silence during these past months.
I understand many of you are upset, and I'm really sorry for that.
My wife was interned in a hospital 9 weeks ago, with pregnancy complications, wich left me alone to take care of our two first sons (aged 3 and one-and-a-half years old). As any of you who has children can imagine, that left zero time to waste, which reduced my social life (on and off-line) to nothing. It is by no means an excuse, but I believe you deserve at least an explanation.
As of today the wife is ok, and our premature little one is doing fine too.
Regarding Vlad (our main concern here), I'm glad to report he's fine, albeit completely bored, since he has spent this time reclused in my watchbox.
As I said, I've had no time at all to show him around, but at least he got to meet his two relatives living here at the bottom of the world.







I would have loved to have more time with him, but I know there's people waiting.
I've already PM'd the next in list for details to put Vlad on his way.

Best Regards!

PM:Thanks to those who PM'd me asking if everything was OK, your courtesy is much appreciated. To those who wrote in...harsher terms, I understand your anger, and I apologize again. I wasn't hiding or anything, just couldn't spare the time for a hobby in the middle of a family crisis.


----------



## MattBrace

FernandoFuenzalida said:


> Hello everyone!!
> 
> First of all, my deepest apologies for my forum silence during these past months.
> I understand many of you are upset, and I'm really sorry for that.
> My wife was interned in a hospital 9 weeks ago, with pregnancy complications, wich left me alone to take care of our two first sons (aged 3 and one-and-a-half years old). As any of you who has children can imagine, that left zero time to waste, which reduced my social life (on and off-line) to nothing. It is by no means an excuse, but I believe you deserve at least an explanation.
> As of today the wife is ok, and our premature little one is doing fine too.
> Regarding Vlad (our main concern here), I'm glad to report he's fine, albeit completely bored, since he has spent this time reclused in my watchbox.
> As I said, I've had no time at all to show him around, but at least he got to meet his two relatives living here at the bottom of the world.
> View attachment 14346955
> 
> I would have loved to have more time with him, but I know there's people waiting.
> I've already PM'd the next in list for details to put Vlad on his way.
> 
> Best Regards!
> 
> PM:Thanks to those who PM'd me asking if everything was OK, your courtesy is much appreciated. To those who wrote in...harsher terms, I understand your anger, and I apologize again. I wasn't hiding or anything, just couldn't spare the time for a hobby in the middle of a family crisis.


I completely understand your situation and of course your family comes first in this time of crisis, I am happy to hear all is OK. Vlad is of course very important to the forum and it's members. Perhaps just one line to say you were unable to update would have set our minds at ease.

Cheers...


----------



## stevarad

Well, those are all good news. Wife ok and third kid! Congrats and prepare yourself for nosleeping for couple of years more )))

(yes, I am also father of three little kids, without sleeping last 6 years...)

And resurection of Vlad is just nice bonus!!

Now, you must take photo with baby around for "punishment"...



Послато са SM-N950F помоћу Тапатока


----------



## FernandoFuenzalida

MattBrace said:


> I completely understand your situation and of course your family comes first in this time of crisis, I am happy to hear all is OK. Vlad is of course very important to the forum and it's members. Perhaps just one line to say you were unable to update would have set our minds at ease.
> 
> Cheers...


Completely agree, should have done just that.

Sent from the bottom of the world using a really big slingshot


----------



## 24h

FernandoFuenzalida said:


> Hello everyone!!
> 
> First of all, my deepest apologies for my forum silence during these past months.
> I understand many of you are upset, and I'm really sorry for that.
> My wife was interned in a hospital 9 weeks ago, with pregnancy complications, wich left me alone to take care of our two first sons (aged 3 and one-and-a-half years old). As any of you who has children can imagine, that left zero time to waste, which reduced my social life (on and off-line) to nothing. It is by no means an excuse, but I believe you deserve at least an explanation.
> As of today the wife is ok, and our premature little one is doing fine too.
> Regarding Vlad (our main concern here), I'm glad to report he's fine, albeit completely bored, since he has spent this time reclused in my watchbox.
> As I said, I've had no time at all to show him around, but at least he got to meet his two relatives living here at the bottom of the world.
> 
> I would have loved to have more time with him, but I know there's people waiting.
> I've already PM'd the next in list for details to put Vlad on his way.
> 
> Best Regards!
> 
> PM:Thanks to those who PM'd me asking if everything was OK, your courtesy is much appreciated. To those who wrote in...harsher terms, I understand your anger, and I apologize again. I wasn't hiding or anything, just couldn't spare the time for a hobby in the middle of a family crisis.


I'm glad to hear that everything is OK and the baby is doing well.
Congrats!


----------



## FernandoFuenzalida

stevarad said:


> Well, those are all good news. Wife ok and third kid! Congrats and prepare yourself for nosleeping for couple of years more )))
> 
> (yes, I am also father of three little kids, without sleeping last 6 years...)
> 
> And resurection of Vlad is just nice bonus!!
> 
> Now, you must take photo with baby around for "punishment"...
> 
> Послато са SM-N950F помоћу Тапатока


Will send that photo for sure!! 
Dub Rubb has already sent me his details, wil ship Vlad tomorrow!

Sent from the bottom of the world using a really big slingshot


----------



## SuffolkGerryW

I've been reading the tales of the travelling watches - great idea and really good to see forums with the trust in their members, was a tad worried, but glad this hiatus has a happy reason.
Nice to see that he's on the move again & congrats on the addition to the family (can easily understand that 'real' life gets in the way of 'forum' life)


----------



## Dub Rubb

Very excited to have Vlad on his way to California! Looking forward to showing him around. He will(temporarily) fill the slot in my collection where my own Komandirskie once sat. That watch is on a journey of it's own around the world for another forum, so what fitting timing.

Sent from my LG-M322 using Tapatalk


----------



## JacobC

Glad all turned out well!


Instagram: @open_escapement


----------



## bogray57

Sometimes, the stories within the stories are as fascinating as the travelling watch stories! So glad that everything is progressing well for your family and congratulations on number 3. The Universe works in mysterious ways and perhaps Vlad was meant to have a rest break at the bottom of the world during this time?

And so the journey continues...


----------



## Al Faromeo

Congratulations on Number 3 and glad to hear all is well!


FernandoFuenzalida - Chili (Santiago) <== Here's where Vlad is traveling from 
Dub Rubb - USA (San Francisco) <== and here is where he's going
Tylehman - USA (Texas)
dim_kolev - Bulgaria
Dasmi - Colorado Springs (USA)
Xspect - Louisiana (USA)
Joespeeder - Michigan (USA)
JacobC - USA (Texas) 
DocTone (Germany)
dropmyload (Nairobi, Kenya)


----------



## Al Faromeo

Dub Rubb said:


> Very excited to have Vlad on his way to California! .../...


Has Vlad arrived yet?


----------



## Dub Rubb

Al Faromeo said:


> Has Vlad arrived yet?


Not yet. I will definitely let you guys know when he gets here. I have no idea what shipping from Chile is like, but it's got to be better than from Russia!

Sent from my LG-M322 using Tapatalk


----------



## Dub Rubb

Okay, so maybe shipping from Chile is as slow as Russia. Just keeping you guys posted. I will update the thread the second Vlad arrives. Hopefully very soon!

Sent from my LG-M322 using Tapatalk


----------



## stevarad

Any news?

Послато са SM-N950F помоћу Тапатока


----------



## SuffolkGerryW

:-(


----------



## Al Faromeo

I'm sitting here in a corner sobbing silently and mourning Vlad's disappearance.


----------



## MattBrace

Was any tracking number given when Vlad was sent from Chile?

Somehow I'm not surprised this has happened. 

Cheers...


----------



## JacobC

Al Faromeo said:


> I'm sitting here in a corner sobbing silently and mourning Vlad's disappearance.




Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro


----------



## joecool

Anybody that is involved in the latest handover of Vlad care to give an update on his current whereabouts,such as.....
Has he been sent from the last host yet?
Has he been received by the latest host yet?

If he has not been sent yet it's a rather poor show by this particular host.

If still in transit all is still hopefull,as when I sent Roman to Cebu, it took about a month to arrive with his new host.

If the new host has received Vlad or has any info on his whereabouts,Let the guys here know ASAP


----------



## stevarad

joecool said:


> Anybody that is involved in the latest handover of Vlad care to give an update on his current whereabouts,such as.....
> Has he been sent from the last host yet?
> Has he been received by the latest host yet?
> 
> If he has not been sent yet it's a rather poor show by this particular host.
> 
> If still in transit all is still hopefull,as when I sent Roman to Cebu, it took about a month to arrive with his new host.
> 
> If the new host has received Vlad or has any info on his whereabouts,Let the guys here know ASAP


+1

Послато са SM-N950F помоћу Тапатока


----------



## Al Faromeo

As per a couple of previous messages:

Watch has been sent from Chili (July 30 2019) to Dub Rubb in San Fransico who promised to "_definitely let you guys know when he gets here_" (3 weeks ago).

Dubb's been on line a couple of times (last time I checked was yesterday) but so far no word on Vlad...


----------



## MattBrace

PM sent to Dub Rubb for situation update. 

Cheers...


----------



## Dub Rubb

Sorry for the lack of updates, but sadly that's because there hasn't been anything to update! Still waiting patiently and optimistically checking the mail every day as soon as it comes.

And no, no tracking info was sent to me. I am still holding out hope though. I keep telling myself that today will be the day! Hopefully I am right soon.

Sent from my LG-M322 using Tapatalk


----------



## Al Faromeo

Thank you for the update, mate!

Fingers crossed for Vlad.


----------



## stevarad

I just send PM to FernandoFuenzalida, asking for any news and tracking number. I hope there will be some answer.


----------



## stevarad

His last activity on forum was two weeks ago, so I hope that he will see message and give us some answer and hope.


----------



## Jake_P

I've been following this thread on and off for some time and thought I'd offer up some advice on shipping in case it helps. I've sent out a lot of things all over the world (from the UK), some with tracking and others without for 7 years now. In that time, I've maybe only had a few things go missing from over 1000 shipments so that's a pretty good ratio. That said, the arrival time can vary MASSIVELY! Sometimes for example, a UK to USA shipment can take a week, and other times a lot longer! In the UK, the local postal service will print you a 'proof of postage' (when sending non tracked) which you can use to claim for an item that gets lost. It's around one month if I remember correctly before they consider it lost. Annoyingly you HAVE to ask for this otherwise you don't have any recourse which is actually pretty scandalous. Not sure if other countries have this option. With a tracked parcel, you'll get default insurance up to a certain amount and then you can opt to upgrade that insurance if the item is especially valuable. I've since switched to sending everything as a trackable tariff as it's so much easier and you have a bit more peace of mind.

I'd recommend that Vlad gets sent as a tracked parcel but obviously this will add extra cost - Vlad would only be 'small parcel' I believe in the UK system..I realise this puts quite a lot of financial strain on Vlad's travels and takes out some of the inexpensive fun of it all. I haven't checked the whole thread but I'm going to assume Vlad was sent untracked for the whole global tour he's been doing which makes his success rate pretty impressive considering he's been to every corner of the world!

So I'd say, he might be lost, or prehaps stuck in customs processing or failing that under some parcels in a corner of the sorting office that will eventually get found. All hope is not lost!

EDIT: So how long has Vlad been in transit?


----------



## stevarad

Jake_P said:


> EDIT: So how long has Vlad been in transit?


It should be in transit from July 30th

Послато са SM-N950F помоћу Тапатока


----------



## Sekondtime

You could have popped him inside a bottle thrown him into the sea off the coast of Chile and he would have arrived on a beach in San Fransisco by now!


----------



## sq100

What an unfortunate turn of events...


----------



## Jake_P

stevarad said:


> It should be in transit from July 30th
> 
> Послато са SM-N950F помоћу Тапатока


Oh okay - I didn't realise it had been sent so long ago..Well as it's coming up for 2 months it doesn't look too good  
I think the sender needs to contact the postal service and log a 'no show' and see what they say. Some financial compensation may be available depending on the countries terms and conditions. It's not about getting the money back I know but it could be part used to buy a Vlad v2.0?

It still may arrive but it would be classed as lost now in the UK postal service..


----------



## stevarad

I hope also that it will arrive somehow

Послато са SM-N950F помоћу Тапатока


----------



## MattBrace

I think making the assumption that the watch has been sent would be wrong, it's probably still in Chile, I would be amazed if it's lost in the postal system, another reason why the travelling watches should be sent via a tracked method.

Cheers...


----------



## sq100

You're missed Vlad


----------



## stevarad

There is no answer from Fernando. I send him PM six days ago. No answer.

I think that Vlad story is ended.

I don't get it still, why?


----------



## Jake_P

Well, there's only really two possibilities. Like MattB said, it either didn't actually get sent or it's lost in transit. To be fair to Fernando, he may have some 'life' things going on and that's why he hasn't responded. Who can know for sure. As with all things in life though, relying on other people can be a really positive thing and also quite the opposite. 

So..if nothing comes of Vlad, I wonder if we should create a Vlad 2.0? Maybe someone has spare parts to build another or has an ill watch that someone could fix and put into service? Going forward, people that were interested in taking part would have to agree that only tracked shipping could be used.. I guess it's left a bit of a scar though with what's happened so maybe nobody would want to take the risk?


----------



## mariomart

I'm thinking of restarting another Vostok on a journey, if the interest is there.

Meet "Sergei the dateless Scuba Dude" :-!

This is a new Vostok Amphibia Classic 670920, so it should stand up to the rigours of travel.

























If there is enough interest I'll start a new thread.

Obviously there will be a few checks and balances required to ensure Sergei is sent safely, so I'm intending on adopting the same rules that MattBrace has suggested for the other possible travelling watch to replace "Roman" the Poljot watch that went missing.

1. Duration of hosting 4 weeks max.
2. Host must have been an active member for 6 months.
3. Host to have a minimum of 100 posts.
4. Host must be willing to send Sergei via a tracked shipping method.
5. Real world details (Name, Address, Phone Number) must be PM'd to both Mariomart and the sender.

Might add more rules depending on feedback.

Let me know what you think 

Cheers


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## RSW46

I've only just discovered this thread but have spent far too much time reading it already! I'd be happy to take Vlad for a tour of Essex and Central London (UK) if he ever gets found. I hope he does!


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## schumacher62

i’ll gladly host for two weeks in northern california- and lovingly and securely send him on his way when it’s time for a new home. such a thoughtful idea! i would greatly enjoy taking part and even sharing any expenses to get him moving!


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


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## SuffolkGerryW

mariomart said:


> I'm thinking of restarting another Vostok on a journey, if the interest is there.
> 
> Meet "Sergei the dateless Scuba Dude" :-!
> 
> This is a new Vostok Amphibia Classic 670920, so it should stand up to the rigours of travel.
> 
> View attachment 14514797
> 
> 
> View attachment 14514801
> 
> 
> View attachment 14514803
> 
> 
> If there is enough interest I'll start a new thread.
> 
> Obviously there will be a few checks and balances required to ensure Sergei is sent safely, so I'm intending on adopting the same rules that MattBrace has suggested for the other possible travelling watch to replace "Roman" the Poljot watch that went missing.
> 
> 1. Duration of hosting 4 weeks max.
> 2. Host must have been an active member for 6 months.
> 3. Host to have a minimum of 100 posts.
> 4. Host must be willing to send Sergei via a tracked shipping method.
> 5. Real world details (Name, Address, Phone Number) must be PM'd to both Mariomart and the sender.
> 
> Might add more rules depending on feedback.
> 
> Let me know what you think
> 
> Cheers


I applaud your generosity, and love the spirit of the idea - but it's such a shame that while 'Sergie' is to start his travels, that the 6+ years of 'history' of 'Vlad' is (seemingly) lost.
If I may be so bold, (and can increase my post-count over the next few months) I'd like to be able to show Sergie the East Suffolk town of Ipswich (might even introduce him to 'Grandma Giles')


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## kiwi.bloke

SuffolkGerryW said:


> I applaud your generosity, and love the spirit of the idea - but it's such a shame that while 'Sergie' is to start his travels, that the 6+ years of 'history' of 'Vlad' is (seemingly) lost.
> If I may be so bold, (and can increase my post-count over the next few months) I'd like to be able to show Sergie the East Suffolk town of Ipswich (might even introduce him to 'Grandma Giles')


Sling Sergie over to the East coast for a week and I'll start him on his way!


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## Kamburov

mariomart said:


> I'm thinking of restarting another Vostok on a journey, if the interest is there.
> 
> Meet "Sergei the dateless Scuba Dude" :-!
> 
> This is a new Vostok Amphibia Classic 670920, so it should stand up to the rigours of travel.
> 
> View attachment 14514797
> 
> 
> View attachment 14514801
> 
> 
> View attachment 14514803
> 
> 
> If there is enough interest I'll start a new thread.
> 
> Obviously there will be a few checks and balances required to ensure Sergei is sent safely, so I'm intending on adopting the same rules that MattBrace has suggested for the other possible travelling watch to replace "Roman" the Poljot watch that went missing.
> 
> 1. Duration of hosting 4 weeks max.
> 2. Host must have been an active member for 6 months.
> 3. Host to have a minimum of 100 posts.
> 4. Host must be willing to send Sergei via a tracked shipping method.
> 5. Real world details (Name, Address, Phone Number) must be PM'd to both Mariomart and the sender.
> 
> Might add more rules depending on feedback.
> 
> Let me know what you think
> 
> Cheers


I wish all the good luck to Sergei, Mario! As to Matt's and Joe's Roman II.
Hope he meets good people and visits cool places. Count me in! 
The recently restarted (hopefully) Roman II made me think - is the travelling watch supposed to travel indeffinately? How about fixing a time period (3 years, 5 years, I don't know), after which the watch should return to it's owner? After Vlad and Roman I just wish for a happy ending to look forward to. Hope I make sense.
Ivan


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## SuffolkGerryW

Kamburov said:


> The recently restarted (hopefully) Roman II made me think - is the travelling watch supposed to travel indeffinately? How about fixing a time period (3 years, 5 years, I don't know), after which the watch should return to it's owner? After Vlad and Roman I just wish for a happy ending to look forward to. Hope I make sense.
> Ivan


Know what you mean - I like the indefinite trip though, also liked the idea of a 'passport' which gets stamped at a local Post Office - though think that that was on the other travelling watch.
Thinking about it, how about a set time, then he returns home for a 'rest' then off again?


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## stevarad

Nomad (Roman's successor) is starting his life.

It would be god to start life, thread & jorney for this vostok also.

So, Mariomart should have honour to do that for Sergei..


Послато са SM-N950F помоћу Тапатока


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## mariomart

stevarad said:


> Nomad (Roman's successor) is starting his life.
> 
> It would be god to start life, thread & jorney for this vostok also.
> 
> So, Mariomart should have honour to do that for Sergei..
> 
> Послато са SM-N950F помоћу Тапатока


I'm working on getting Sergei ready, I will start a new thread when the time comes :-!


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## mariomart

Sergei is progressing towards his adventures :-!

Just waiting on his Passport to arrive (about a week) and then I'll get the thread running.

I will start the process of selecting the first few hosts on the new thread, however Sergei will first tour Australia's West coast (with me  ) and then hopefully travel to the East coast before seeking the wider world.

Here he is in his travel suit, and also getting a health check at the Doctor's :-!


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## stevarad

mariomart said:


> Sergei is progressing towards his adventures :-!
> 
> Just waiting on his Passport to arrive (about a week) and then I'll get the thread running.
> 
> I will start the process of selecting the first few hosts on the new thread, however Sergei will first tour Australia's West coast (with me  ) and then hopefully travel to the East coast before seeking the wider world.
> 
> Here he is in his travel suit, and also getting a health check at the Doctor's :-!
> 
> View attachment 14530167
> 
> 
> View attachment 14530169


His heart is doing pretty well!!

Послато са SM-N950F помоћу Тапатока


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## mariomart

stevarad said:


> His heart is doing pretty well!!
> 
> Послато са SM-N950F помоћу Тапатока


I'd prefer a flatter trace and slightly higher amplitude, but all up he's doing fine with a current positional variation of less than 10 seconds :-!


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## MattBrace

Nice job Mario, please count me in for the new travelling Vostok. 

Cheers...


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## mariomart

The adventure begins https://www.watchuseek.com/f10/serg...ing-vostok-part-2-a-5049899.html#post50039961


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## stevarad

It is right time to close this thread with honoor and respect...

Послато са SM-N950F помоћу Тапатока


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