Luch: V. P. Chkalov Transpolar Flight
I want to acquire this Luch watches when I first saw it (and I got it), I love this very special dial design illustrating one of first transpolar flight that were succeeded by Valery Chkalov and his team under very harsh condition and pushing their limits. I have learned that this watches is most likely made in year 1987, 50 years after the flight (1937-1987).
The flight started on 18 June 1937 from Moscow and forced to be landed at Pearson field, Vancouver on 20 June 1937 due to insufficient fuels (They couldn't make it to California as planned). The 9,130 KM flight took 63 hours and 25 minutes and considered to be the longest flight of that time.
The world's first transpolar flight landed at Pearson Field on June 20, 1937.
For more details about the flight, you can find tons of information such as -
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tupolev_ANT-25
http://www.polarpost.ru/forum/viewtopic.php?f=7&t=532
https://www.nps.gov/articles/aredboltfromtheblue.htm
http://www.vchkalov.ru/index.php?id=9&Itemid=28&option=com_content&view=article
https://www.ahtubinsk-today.ru/blog/kombrig-valerij-pavlovich-chkalov
There's one interesting idea coming out of this flight, Valery Chkalov suggested that the wings of the plane should be painted with red colour so that it will be highly visible during polar flight where everything seems to be white ;)
Enough history. Lets look at the design of the dial which seems to be very similar to the illustrations below -
However, if you look closely on the dial -
VP CHKALOV
17-20 - 07 - 1937
That's very strange. We have learned that the time of the flight was 18-20 June 1937, however on the dial 17-20 July 1937, that's incorrect. The only logical explanation I have for this would be during year 1987 when the watches was designed, the information was not clear to the watchmaker /designer in the factory (taken into account there was no internet back then), and it is possible to make mistake to misread July as June in Russian Language if the information provided in handwriting (By the way I am just speculating here but if any of reader has more background information, feel free to correct me) -
June = июнь
July = июль
So basically we have this Luch watches with misinformation, this is fun!
As usual we can find the commemorative items for this spectacular historical event -
Can't stop loving Polar Aviation theme watches!
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