Old Sekonda

[KNOCKER88]

Picked up this old Sekonda today... spares or repair £0.99. wasnt hoping for much, after getting the back off and being greeted with some old dried up kinda sealant!! The batterys were green and after getting them out the contacts were white and furry too....
A quick clean and 2 new batterys it came to life!!! Will be attacking the screen with some Polywatch later see it tidys up a bit more.

I believe its from 1974 and there was an elektronika version in the same case...B6-02???? any other info would be apprieciated..

[quietman]

The reality seems to be that there were two 'first' Soviet Digital watches that are both unfortunately referred to in most of the 'authoritative' references as 'THE FIRST' Soviet Digital watch - the B6-02. Both watches have simple four digit display and three recessed buttons in a chrome plated case.

Identifiable dates indicate 1975 for the first type and 1976 through to 1978 for the second type. Other markings on apparently later watches indicate that the second type may also have been made in 1980 - but these markings are more ambiguous than the clearer ones on the 1970s watches.

The earliest evidence that I have seen with a date on it so far is November 1974 however it is not on a watch but on one of the chips from inside the watch and so the watch itself may not have been assembled/produced/sold until early 1975. Both types of watches are each based around two chips, a display and a quartz oscillator that are each individually marked with a date of manufacture. A typical watch will have chips and display dated 3 or 4 months earlier than the movement assembly date.

There is a statement on one of the Russian Language sites that development of the К2СД004Б and К2ДЧ002 chips was begun by Пульсар ('Pulsar') in Moscow in 1973 and that the chip designations were changed to К512ИК2 and К512ПС2 when manufacture was transfered to Minsk. The clear markings on the chips found in all available examples however indicate that the FIRST (1975) watches were produced with К512ИК2 and К512ПС2 chips and that the SECOND (1976 to 1978) wathes were produced with К2СД004Б and К2ДЧ002 chips. In addition to the different chips the LC panel and PCBs are also different.

So, your Sekonda is an example of the second Soviet digital watch commonly referred to as the B6-02. Your movement will be based around two chips К2СД004Б and К2ДЧ002 - both manufactured by Integral, Minsk (then USSR, now Belorus). Each will be marked with a month and year of manufacture in arabic numerals. The display will be marked ЦИЖ-6 and have a date (month in roman numerals / year in arabic numerals printed on the back of the mirror (stuck to the back of the LC panel....). This movement appeared in a succession of different case styles and brands (Elektronika, ZIM, Sekonda) for different markets. Based on the case style of your watch I think you will find that your watch has a 1976 date.

The white or green 'sealant' was actually once a flat rubber gasket. They either dry out and crumble to dust or reflow into a kind of chewing gum consistency.

[KNOCKER88]

Hi.
Thanks for that....have read a few things since working on it but nothing that informative ! The screen has a bit of bleed but overall is as good as any I've seen on sites upto now.