Poljot means flight in Russian. They were the first watches in space, worn on April 12, 1961 by Yuri Gagarin and, but this is just rumor, but Strelka and Belka, the first dogs in space. This Poljot is a limited edition Aviator with sword hands, date a 6 o???clock, and a sweep second hand at 9 o???clock.
This 43mm monster is actually very light. It has a solid steel case, but the metal is thin and 17-jewel movement is very small, offset by a ring of plastic inside. It is water resistant but by no means is it a diver. There is a thin gasket under the case back.
The Aviator has a screw down crown. Unscrewing it allows you to wind the watch and the winding mechanism is smooth and feels solid. Pulling the crown out all the way allows you to change the time but it does not have an auto-date position so to advance days you have to roll around the entire face twice.
Design wise the Aviator resembles the IWC Big Aviator, with the obvious quality of movement differences. The Poljot uses a 17-jewel Russian-made movement, unaltered, which is smooth but ran about 10 minutes fast over four days. The hands glow for about two hours after exposure to light and are very bright.
The black face, big numbers with sub-numbers, and fat sword hands make for a striking watch and the craftsmanship is impressive for such an inexpensive piece. If you???re looking for a low-end aviator with some style, you won???t go wrong.
Quality: 3/5
Style: 4/5
Overall: 4/5
