An Introduction to Vintage Soviet

Watches: Six Gateway Watches for

New Collectors
2021 - Matt Reudink

If you’re new to the vintage watch game, chances are you’ll start by looking at
Swiss and Japanese watches. And that makes perfect sense; we’re constantly
reminded that these two watchmaking behemoths were instrumental in shaping
the world of watches. From not-so-subtle reminders of the brand’s historic
accomplishments (did you know the Omega Speedmaster was the first watch on
the moon?) to the seemingly endless stream of vintage re-issues, the Swiss and
Japanese have done an extraordinary job of celebrating their history as a core
facet of their brand identity. It’s no surprise, then, that many watch enthusiasts
interested in wading into the sea of vintage watches head straight for brands
with a rich and well-documented heritage, such as Rolex, Omega, and Seiko….
and then they scamper right back out again after seeing how high the prices are
for these vintage pieces and realizing that the vintage market is fraught with
danger (fakes, re-dials, frankenwatches, etc.).

For those brave souls willing to venture a bit offshore, the next stop on their
vintage search may be some of the smaller Swiss brands or any of the myriad
now-defunct brands annihilated by the quartz crisis that were making stellar
watches with parts and movements often coming from the same factories as the
big boys. Venture a bit further, still, and you’ll find the swirls and eddies in which
the collecting subcultures gather. German and British watch collectors, of
course, but then there are the sub-sub-cultures – those dedicated to specific
eras of watchmaking history, like the Dirty Dozen watches worn by the British
Forces, Vietnam War-era Seikos or the East German watches from before
Glashütte was razed to the ground.
Shturmanskie-branded chronograph with caliber 3133 movement. These watches were made for
professional aviation use in 1980s.

It may take some time, but eventually you’re bound to come upon the wild and
wonderful world of Soviet watches. But be prepared, the history of Soviet
watchmaking and the watches produced during this period (early 1930s until the
collapse of the Soviet Union) are so utterly different and unfamiliar that you
shouldn’t venture in unprepared. Luckily, we have three of the best minds in the
Soviet watch collecting community to guide us on our journey:

Blaz Slamic is a self-trained Slovenian watchmaker and electromechanical

engineer who has been obsessed with Soviet watches for the past decade. This
obsession quickly turned to madness, and Blaz has been focused on finding and
collecting rare Soviet watches, with an emphasis on rare and unique
movements.
Yuri Kravtsov blames Blaz for getting him addicted to Soviet watches after
years of collecting a vast array of vintage watches from Rolex to GUB to Grand
Seiko. A local in the beating heart of vintage Soviet watch collecting (Moscow),
Yuri is passionate about both watches and the history of Soviet watchmaking –
be sure to check out his Instagram @sovietwatchmuseum, where he shares his
love for Soviet watches and can help you with your Soviet watch questions.

Andrew Babanin is a prominent Russian watchmaker operating out of Moscow.

His collection of Soviet and non-Soviet watches is extensive (to put it lightly) and
ranges from complicated early pocket watches to Soviet LED Electronika
watches. Andrew writes extensively on Soviet watches, and you can find his
articles here.
 Black dial Poljot chronograph with a 3133 manual wind movement.

If you conjure an image of the early Swiss watchmaking industry and it brings to
mind bespectacled artisans working away on aged oak desks, producing watch
parts with bespoke hand tools passed on from master to apprentice, you’re
really not far off the mark. Early Soviet watchmaking? Not so much. Admittedly,
the history of Soviet watchmaking is not nearly so romantic, but it’s no less
intriguing.
 A nice early 3133 chronograph with Cyrillic dial.

As we’ll learn when we dig into the Kirova Type 1, Soviet watchmaking didn’t
emerge until the 1930s – with help from America, of all countries. The following
decades were a fascinating mix of innovation, scrappy perseverance, and
outright plundering of everything from movement designs to entire factories. If
you’re looking for intrigue and some seriously fascinating stories, you’ll find
them in the history of Soviet watches.
 Rodina: the first Soviet automatic watch. This is a rare version with a gold case.

Keep in mind that, like all manufacturing in the Soviet Union, watchmaking was
state-run and centralized. The watches produced were purpose-built, and
whether for civilians, professional applications, or the military, the watches were
produced as tools. This is a fundamental difference from watchmaking in places
like Switzerland. Sure, many watches were produced as tools, often through
contracts with militaries and governments around the world, but watches were
primarily made to be sold on the open market, allowing for significantly more
freedom in design, complications, and ultimately innovation. But don’t
misunderstand — Soviet watches were nothing if not creative and unique — just
see some of our picks below!
 Second generation ”Telemeter” 3017 caliber Poljot chronograph.

We couldn’t hope to do justice to the entire depth and breadth of Soviet

watchmaking in a single article (or book for that matter), but hopefully we can
introduce you to a few interesting vintage Soviet watches to start you off on the
right foot. This is just a snapshot of the breadth of watches you can find when
venturing into the world of vintage soviet watches, and one thing you’ll
undoubtedly notice is just how reasonable the prices are compared to their
Swiss and Japanese counterparts. So, without further ado, let’s get into the
watches.
Kirova Type 1
If you’re jumping into Soviet watches, why not start at the beginning of Soviet
watchmaking? The Kirova Type 1 was the first watch produced entirely in the
Soviet Union, with early models moving off the factory floor in the 1930s. Soviet
watchmaking was essentially nonexistent in the 1920s, so rather than start from
scratch, the Soviet Union purchased the entire Hampden manufacturing plant
and had it shipped from Canton, Ohio all the way to Moscow. Not just the
machines, mind you, the Soviets purchased everything from spare parts to
expertise – Hampden workers were sent to Moscow right along with the
machinery in order to spend a year teaching Soviet workers how to manufacture
watches.

The Kirova Type 1 (the Type 1 appellation bestowed upon the watch because it
represented the first true Soviet caliber) came in both pocket and wristwatch
versions in a variety of styles depending on the application. However, what
unifies the Type 1 watches are the movements housed inside – Soviet
reproductions of the Hampden size 16 “McKinley” caliber. In fact, during the first
few years of production, many of these watches still contained spare parts that
came over on the ship with the factory (take a look for American markings on
these early movements). Like so many things concerning Soviet watches,
however, the origin of any one particular Kirova Type 1 can be a challenge to
track.
 The Kirova Type-17 watch was the first truly Soviet-designed watch, with a completely Soviet-
designed and manufactured movement. Very few were ever produced and, sadly, examples in
good condition are nearly impossible to find today.

Though the first Type 1 watches to roll off the line came from the original facility
in Moscow, or the First Moscow Watch factory (also known 1GChZ, 1MChZ,
Kirova, and eventually Poljot), the demand proved too much for a single factory
and the Second Moscow Watch Factory (2MChZ, now known as Slava) started
production of wrist and pocket watches in the late 1930s. That Moscow location
was short-lived, however, as the bombings of Moscow during World War II
forced a relocation of both factories…then the history gets complicated with
production moving to different cities and locations across the Soviet Union and
two more factories beginning to produce Type 1 watches – ChChZ (Chistopol
Factory, now known as Vostok) and ZChZ (Zlatoust Factory).
The “Vodolaz” Zlatoust diver Type 1 was produced for hard hat divers and can withstand extreme
water pressures. The large size (~60mm diameter) won’t be for everyone.

Despite this tumultuous history, Type 1 watches were produced continuously

until the 1960s, with Zlatoust being the last of the factories continuing to
produce Type 1 watches for the military. With a massive amount of variation in
style and type – everything from field to dive watches – the Type 1 watches
remain united by their history and movement. If you’re looking for a place to
start your search and are interested in military watches, be sure to check out the
black-dialed Paratrooper. The paratroopers are housed in a distinctive two-piece
“sauce pan” case (the bottom looks like a cheap cooking pan), massive numerals
and hands coated with radium lume, and you’ll find a military record number
stamped or just painted on the dial (although some examples don’t have these
numbers at all).
The “Paratrooper” Type 1. These lumed, black dial versions that bear unique soldier’s numbers on
the dial are difficult to find.
Ultra rare example of special black lume dial Type 1 in a special case. Only a few examples of this
watch are known to exist.

Movements on the paratroopers typically don’t bear any signs or gravures but
be sure to look for the brass-colored upper balance jewel plate indicative of
being made in the 2MChZ or ChChZ factory. Keep a close eye out for redials –
the original Paratrooper dial will be in rough shape and will definitely not have
any logos, deathheads, red stars on the dial, only a faint white handwritten
military record number. Depending on the quality, Paratroopers can be found
starting at around $300 USD.
1st and 2nd Generation Shturmanskie
The Kirova Type 1 launched the Soviet watchmaking industry, but after World
War 2, it was time for innovation. After all, the Kirova Type 1 watches were based
on a movement initially developed in the 1800s. By this time, the Europeans and
Japanese had developed movements that well-surpassed the Type 1 in both
accuracy and durability. Luckily, the Soviets had planned ahead – prior to the
war, the Soviets partnered with French Watchmaking giant LIP to build a new
watch factory in the town of Penza. After successful completion of the T-18
(Zvezda, translation: Star) caliber, the Soviet/LIP team set their sights on a new,
modern movement codenamed Pobeda (translation: Victory). The result of this
collaboration was a manual-wind, 15-jewel sub-seconds movement ideally suited
to wristwatches of the era.
 Shturmanskie 1st generation with a distinctive “pillow crown”, and non-water resistant case.
These watches, with their rich history and gorgeous designs, are one of the nicest Soviet watches
that still be had for a reasonable price (though you’ll have to look carefully).

Production of the Podeba caliber began in Penza in 1945, but due to demand
production was moved to the First Moscow Factory (1MChZ) in 1946 (and later to
other factories) with the goal of improving the caliber to suit the needs of
military personnel, especially pilots. Until this point, the Soviets didn’t have a
watch that was accurate and reliable enough for pilots – hence the name
Shturmanskie (translation: navigator or pilot). A few short years later, in 1949,
the first Shturmanskie watch rolled off the line, complete with a direct-drive
central seconds hand, hacking functionality, and accuracy that was up to military
standards. That said, the Soviets were now getting into their stride and were
making constant strides in improving their watchmaking.
The second generation Shturmanskie is the rarer of the two versions and the true Gagarin watch.

Over the years, the Shturmanskie saw several different improvements, with the
most important occurring in 1954, when a new line of Shturmanskie watches
were launched. In collector circles, this year marks birth of the second
generation Shturmanskies – these included 17 jewels, incabloc shock protection,
a new water and dust resistant case (including screw-down caseback), and the
loss of the first generation’s pillow crown. Though small by today’s standards,
the watches came in an era-typical 33mm with 16mm lug-width.
Early (1947) example of a Pobeda watch, with solid silver case and a dial referred to as “Red
Twelve.”
Movement from an early Pobeda. In the early stages, these movements were high quality, but the
quality gradually dropped. The Zim factory Pobeda movements were produced almost until the
fall of the Soviet Union.

Of all the watches on this list, the Shturmanskie is almost certainly the most
famous, thanks to its association with the one and only Yuri Gagarin, the first
human to journey into outer space. Now, whether or not Gagarin wore a
Shturmanskie when he broke the bonds of earth’s gravity remains a mystery,
what is certain is that Gagarin (a General and Army pilot in addition to being a
cosmonaut) wore a 2nd generation model when planted on terra firma. Hence,
the Shrumanskie is also referred to as the Gagarin Shturmanskie or Gagarin
watch.
 Yuri Gagarin wearing what is likely a Shturmanskie on his left wrist.

Unfortunately, getting your hands on a 2nd generation is considerably more

difficult than finding a first generation for sale. If you’re on the hunt for a
Shturmanskie, you can certainly find examples, but finding them in decent
condition is a near impossible task. Part of the issue is that Shturmanskie
watches were only given to professionals and never made available to the public
(well, mostly anyway…the Shrturmanskie did make its way onto the wrists of
some high-ranking party members and other VIPs), meaning that these were
often put to hard use. In addition, the dial quality was quite poor, resulting in
massive patina. Given that radium was used for lume on the dial, if you happen
to have a dosimeter, that’ll help you determine whether it’s an original dial. The
biggest issue is that most of the watches you’ll find for sale have been redialed
or “frankened” to some degree. For some tips and tricks for finding a decent
example, check here, but expect to spend $300 or more, depending on the
condition.
Vostok Precision
By the 1950s, the Shturmanskie was widely deployed across the military and
beating away reliably on the wrists of Soviet pilots. However, major innovations
in horology were taking place just west of the Iron Curtain with companies from
across Europe (and later Japan) competing in the Neuchatel chronometer trials –
a celebrated 30-50 day event that tested the limits of accuracy (well, well beyond
modern COSC certification). Though the Soviets weren’t looking to compete
directly in these trials, they didn’t want to be left behind in the race to achieve
chronometer-level accuracy. To do so, a new movement was required.
 You can easily see how well the Precision movement is built: 22 jewels, micro regulation, and
chronometer standard are the main features of this gem.

Rather than start from the ground up (and stretching the limits of intellectual
property and patent law), the Soviets decided to reverse engineer the Zenith
caliber 135. A good choice, considering Ephrem Jobin’s caliber was one of the
most highly awarded movements ever built. Among other innovations, in the
Zenith caliber 135 the center wheel was moved to the side in order to create a
larger mainspring barrel and balance wheel to improve accuracy. Now, to be fair,
the Soviet versions of this caliber (the 2809 and 2802) were not complete copies.
Sure, there are similarities in design since both were aiming to have the largest
balance wheel with escapement underneath the balance, and the Soviets
certainly borrowed a few design decisions, but the Soviets modified the
movement extensively and the calibers are certainly distinct (take a look at the
layered photo of the the two movements below).
The comparison above shows that even if though the concept for the layout of the watch is same,
the Soviet 2809 movement is far from being a copy of the Zenith 135. The movements have been
resized for this image because because of the differences in movement diameters.

A note on soviet caliber designations: Every Soviet watch has a four-digit number
designation; the first two digits stand for the diameter of the movement and the
second two digits describe the properties of the movement. The 2809 was
28mm in diameter and had a central second hand, manual wind, and balance
shock protection (09), while the 2802 had the same diameter, sub seconds, and
no shock protection.
Nice example of a typical Vostok Precision watch.
Vostok 2802 movement that features a micro regulator and, in contrast to caliber 2809, does not
have balance shock protection.

The first movements (2802 and 2809) rolled off the line at the Chistopol factory
(ChChZ, now known as Vostok) in 1956, though the lifespan of the 2802 was
quite short (good luck finding one, these are the grails of Soviet watch
collecting). The short lifespan of the 2802 likely resulted because by this point
the 2802 was outdated, lacked shock resistance, and still contained a subsidiary
dial. Switching over to the 2809 (which was based on the 2802 and required few
modifications to production), with its added shock resistance and central
seconds hand (helpful if you want to know exact seconds) was simply a matter of
time. Regardless, the 2809 became a major success and was produced until
1970 with three dial names: Vostok, Volna, and Almaz. Each of these watches
clocks in around 34-35mm in diameter with 16mm lugs in the first generation
watches and 18mm lugs for later generations. Because of the high precision of
these watches, many were utilized in industrial applications and even sat on
vehicle dashboards in special holders rather than solely on wrists. Between the
three primary types (details below) and the many dial variations, there’s plenty
to discovery in the Precision watch family. Decent condition versions start
around $100 USD with prices increasing for rare, new old stock, or early
versions.
 Special issue Volna watch made for celebrating 40 years of the Tatarstan Republic. There is a
picture of the Kremlin in Kazan on the dial.

Vostok Precision – These are the most accurate and well-tuned of the bunch;
though it never received chronometer trial certification, official specs listed them
as running between -10 to +5 seconds/day. These watches had swan neck
regulators, 22 jewels, and a central seconds hand. The Soviet testing system
differed from COSC certification, but all watches went through a series of tests
with timing tracked for ten days, in four positions, and three temperatures (0ºC,
20ºC, 40ºC).

Volna – Similar in most respects to the Precision, but less finely tuned (+/- 30
seconds/day), you’ll find slight differences in the movement (different font on
the movement inscription, different recess holes for the train jewels) to
distinguish the two. The Volna also had 22 jewels and a swan neck regulator, but
the Volna was produced in much greater quantities and in different styles – keep
an eye out for the Jubileinie versions, which were created for the 40-year Jubilees
of the Tatarstan and Kazakhstan Republics.

Almaz – This is the low-end version of the Precision, containing only 18 jewels
and no micro regulation.
Slim Watches (Vimpel 2209 and Ultra-thin 2200)
By the late 1950s and throughout the much of the 1960s, Soviet watchmaking
was at its apogee. Gone were the days of outsourcing (or downright copying)
movement plans – the Soviets were now producing truly in-house calibers from
initial planning, to movement design, to final production. All was done in the
Soviet Union. Despite the factories all being state run and centralized, there was
still plenty of competition and bragging rights on the line for producing the best
watches possible.

Up until this point, most Soviet watches were utilitarian in nature: military
watches, chronographs, and precise chronometers for industrial applications.
The missing piece was a compact caliber for slim, elegant watches that could go
head-to-head with the Swiss. Three factories (ChChZ, PChZ, and 1MChZ) set to
work and, in short order, produced the 2209 movement (22mm in diameter,
with the “09” indicating shock protection, central seconds, and manual winding).
Though the specifications were the same, each factory’s solution to producing
this slim caliber was entirely different.
 2209 movement from the Raketa “Rekord.”

ChChZ (Vostok) 2209: The Vostok factory took the approach of improving upon
the precision caliber 2809, or Almaz caliber. Nicknamed Mir (“Peace” or “World”–
though this simple translation doesn’t do justice to a word that resonates with
history and meaning), this movement, launched in 1960, kept the basic
architecture of the 2809 caliber but slimmed it down by 60%. The movement,
which included 18 jewels and a 3.3mm height, was hugely successful and
eventually went on to power the famed Amphibia line of Soviet dive watches.
Two Raketa 2209 slim watches; the watch on the right was made for the 50th anniversary of the
October Revolution.

PChZ (Raketa): The Raketa factory took a radically different approach than the
other two, creating what may be one of the most unusual movements in the
history of watchmaking. The entire winding mechanism is located on the dial
side over top of the stem mechanism, with train wheels off center so as to allow
the mainspring barrel to sit next to the balance wheel – both of which are quite
large for the diameter of the movement. Originally released in the early 1960s
under the Rekord brand (these watches are unicorns, almost impossible to find
today), this caliber later powered other Raketa watches. As interesting as this
slim, 2.7mm high movement was with its 23 jewels, it sadly was not as reliable as
the slim calibers from the other factories and was not nearly as successful.
 Raketa slim watch with 2209 movement and October Revolution commemorative dial.

1MChZ (Poljot): First produced in 1961 and branded the Vimpel (“Pennant”, after
the small flags given to factories to celebrate an achievement), Poljot’s caliber
featured a four-wheel winding mechanism (rather than the standard two
belonging to the crown and ratchet wheel). This layout, which had never been
seen before, won first prize at the 1963 Leipzig Trade Fair and powered
numerous Pojot dress watches. The Minsk Luch factory later took up production
of this 2.9mm high, 23 jewel movement and kept producing the caliber until the
1980s.
Typical example of a Vimpel 1MChZ watch – a slim and elegant watch, which can easily be worn
as a dress watch today.

If you’re interested in vintage dress watches, the 2209 watches are the way to
go. This was the height of Soviet watchmaking and the quality of the 2209
watches easily rivalled the Swiss. You’ll find these watches branded under the
Vimpel name, but also Orbita, Poljot De Luxe, Poljot, and even Sekonda and
Cornavin. Most will be gold plated, but they were also produced in steel, with
most case sizes around 33-35mm in diameter with 18mm lugs. You can easily
pick up a nice example Vimpel for around $100 – or about half that for a similar
Luch version.
The famous Poljot 2200 – if you ask a Soviet watch collector to name one ”grail” watch, this will be
the first watch they name. With less than 3 mm thickness, this watch is amazingly slim even by
today’s standards.

Now, we can’t talk about the 2209 without bringing up the 2200. Given the
success of the 2209 watches, the watchmakers at 1MChZ were feeling at the top
of their game and decided to produce a high-end watch that, for the first time,
was never intended as a tool for the common folk. This watch was to be the
height of prestige and luxury and as slim as it was humanly possible to make.
The watchmakers stuck with a 22mm diameter, but slimmed the movement
down to an incredible (even by today’s standards) 1.85mm height. Every watch
was housed in a full 14k gold case that measured in at 33mm in diameter with
18mm lugs. Because this was a time only watch (no shock protection and not
even a seconds hand), it received the “00” designation.
2200 movement, which was inspired by the VC 1003 calibre. The movement is only 1.85 mm thick
and is quite fragile. The movement has no shock protection and no seconds hand.

Now, how did the watchmakers at 1MChZ come up with this movement? Well,
seeing as he’s fully serviced both movements, Blaz can tell you that it’s no
coincidence that the 2200 caliber bears striking similarities to the Vacheron 1003
caliber. In any case, the production life of the 2200 was short lived, starting in
1965 but only lasting two years. The problem with such a slim watch was their
extreme sensitivity – you can literally bend the watch with your fingers. Plus,
they were a bear to repair. The number of watches produced is debatable
(probably only a couple thousand or so), but there are likely only a few hundred
at most left in the world. In Soviet watch collecting circles, this is the Holy Grail.
They do come up occasionally and if you happen to be in the right place at the
right time, you’re still looking at a hefty $6-10k price tag. That said, not bad when
you compare it to trying to purchase a vintage Rolex Daytona Paul Newman.
Amphibias
No list of Soviet watches would be complete without including Amphibias. While
the term today refers to many different watches from the Soviet (and later
Russian) brands and come in a mind-boggling array of styles, these dive watches
tend to conform to a few key characteristics: 200m of water resistance,
compressor case, screw down crown, rotating bezel, lume (at least for the
hands), and a stainless-steel case.

The first of the Amphibias mass-produced by the Chistopol (Vostok) factory were
released in 1967, though other factories later created their own versions of the
Amphibia. That said, there are some examples that suggest there was an early
Amphibia made before 1967 in a very small run; however, we’ve been unable to
find supporting documentation. For purists, the Vostok Amphibias are the “true”
Amphibias. The first watches produced at Chistopol contained the manual wind
2209 (Mir) caliber found in the precision watches. By the late seventies, the 2209
was swapped out for the manual wind Vostok 2409 caliber – a caliber that’s only
seen a few minor changes over the decades and is still in production today.
Interestingly, this movement was first designed by the Petrodvorets (Raketa)
factory, which later handed production over to Chistopol.

Back side of the first issue Amphibia. The style of these engravings are unique to this watch; be
sure to check the engravings to avoid frankenwatches.

Technically, the 2409 was a step backward compared to the 2209 – it’s larger, but
more importantly, has an indirectly driven second hand (rather than direct
drive). If this sounds like a bad idea, it is. It’s a notoriously bad design that
frequently results in rough movement and erratic behavior of the seconds hand.
Unfortunately, the quality issues of Amphibias don’t end with the movements;
the build quality of the entire watch suffered a marked decline over the years,
despite the massive popularity and production numbers. In many ways, you can
consider the story of the Amphibia as an allegory for the decline of the entire
Soviet watch industry after the 1960s. Yet, despite all the objective quality issues,
these watches remain almost absurdly robust. Watch stopped running? Squirt
some engine oil in the movement, give it a good smack, and it’s back to new.
Joking, joking, but the point remains that these watches just keep running
despite the odds stacked against them.

Amphibia Albatross with a “Radio Room” dial, named for the red dial indicators showing the
periods at every hour when the non-distress naval radio frequency is banned.

Though the Soviets had already created the Type 1 Vodolaz professional watch
for military divers, it was massive and not suitable for everyday use. The Soviets
needed a smaller, water-resistant watch. At this point, the Swiss had already
created various designs to attain high water resistance, but most required the
type of production accuracy that the Soviets simply couldn’t produce at the
time…not to mention the fact that most case designs were protected by patents.
To solve the problem, the Soviets took their tried-and-true path of finding a
simple and effective solution — one which would take the form of a compressor
case. This was not a new idea, but it was straightforward, cost-effective, and
avoided pesky patent issues. In a compressor case, the caseback and crystal are
not fixed but can move in the direction of the rubber gasket. As you go deeper,
the increase in pressure pushes the case parts together, increasing the strength
of the seal.

The Albatross is a later era of Amphibia with a newer Vostok 2409 movement.

One of the many quirks of the Amphibia watches is the screw down crown. If
you’re used to high-precision Swiss or German screw-down crowns, you’re in for
a surprise. The Amphibia crowns are wobbly and you’d be forgiven for thinking
the crown is broken. Keep in mind, most Amphibias are hand-wind, so even
though the crown will feel wobbly and, well, broken, they’ve stood up to decades
of regular use. As the saying goes, if it’s stupid and it works, it’s not stupid.
 “Wire Lugs” version of 1st generation NVCh-30 Amphibia.

The Amphibias are dive watches and, as such, all are equipped with a rotating
bezel. Typically, these are bidirectional friction bezels, a departure from typical
unidirectional 60-click or 120-click bezels. The bezels are often painted with
distinct markers, numerals, and designs. Swapping bezels is easily done, making
these a go-to for the modding community, but also a danger for collectors
looking for Amphibias in all-original condition. While the Vostok factory was
certainly the first and most prolific of the factories producing Amphibias, other
factories soon followed suit, Poljot chief among them. The Poljot Amphibias
typically have plastic two-tone bezels and automatic movements, but they’re
relatively rare and hard to find. You’ll also find Amphibias from Raketa (including
a quartz version), Slava (nice to look at, terrible to maintain), Chaika (quite small
by today’s standards), and Zaria (also small).
 Case back of the “Wire Lugs” version of a 1st generation NVCh-30 Amphibia.

If you’re on the hunt for an Amphibia, early models out of the Chistopol factory
will only feature Amphibia or Vostok branded dials and feature handwinding
movements. In later years, you’ll find plenty of sub-branded dials like
Komandirskie, Generalskie, Admiralskie, Ministerskie, Albatross, and Neptune,
some of which will also feature a 2409 movement with manual winding. For an
affordable, fun, and historically interesting option, take a look at the Albatross
“Radio Room” – a distinctive black, red, and pink dial that demarcates four 3-
minute periods in order to replicate ship radio room clocks used for monitoring
maritime distress calls.
 “Wire Lug” Amphibia seen from the side.

There are plenty of Amphibias to pique the interest of just about any collector.
Simply search around on eBay and you can find a decent-condition piece for
$50. However, we suggest exercising caution, especially if you’re after a rarer
model, as there are plenty of fake and franken watches in the mix. A word of
advice: if the watch has anything more than letters, numbers, and lines on the
dial (say, images of tanks, submarines, stars, logos, faces, etc.) – stay away! The
exception to the rule, however, is the Scuba Dude dial. If you’re looking for
something truly special and you’re more interested in military history, take a
look at the NVCh-30 watches – these were the first generation of military
Amphibias, first produced in the late 1960s, with production continuing until the
fall of the Berlin wall. Superficially, these don’t look much different from a
standard Amphibia, but the thicker caseback and crystal allowed them to gain
300m of water resistance. Those will set you back at least $1000.
Typical 1970s Poljot Amphibia with an automatic Poljot movement inside. A nice balance of price,
performance, and rarity for a new collector.

Finally, if you like the Amphibias, but don’t want to deal with the minefield of
fakes and frankens on the vintage market, keep in mind that Vostok continues to
produce many different versions of the Amphibia for around $100. You don’t
have to go vintage to enjoy the history of Soviet watchmaking.
Strela Chronograph
If there’s one watch that stands out from all the rest on the list, it’s undoubtedly
the Strela chronograph. Sure, the Shturmanskie is often described as a Soviet
space watch due to its association with Cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin, but the Strela
chronograph was the true space watch, built explicitly for Cosmonauts in the
Soviet Space Programme as well as members of several branches of the military.
Launched in 1959 and equipped with the new caliber 3017, the Strela
chronograph was born at the height of Soviet watchmaking and displays a
maturity of design and craftsmanship that truly sets it apart.

The stories behind the watches are one of the most captivating parts of vintage
watch collecting and, frankly, it’s hard to find a more romantic story that
captures our collective imagination more than space exploration. It’s this
indelible link to history that created the monolithic success of the Omega
Speedmaster Professional (or the Moonwatch). But, in Soviet watch collecting
circles, it’s the Strela chronograph that is seen as the true space watch. In 1965,
Soviet cosmonaut Alexey Leonov became the first person to brave the vast
emptiness of space on a spacewalk outside Voskhod 2 that lasted over 12
minutes. On his wrist — a Strela chronograph equipped with the calibre 3017
movement…probably. There is some debate and speculation that Leonov may
have worn an early Omega Speedmaster Professional, but documentation from
the mission reveals that Leonov and fellow cosmonauts were issued Strela
watches for the Voskhod 2 mission, making it much more likely that Leonov was
indeed wearing the Strela underneath his suit on mankind’s first spacewalk. And
Leonov certainly wasn’t the only famous cosmonaut to wear a Strela—others,
such as Vladimir Komarov (the first man to travel to outer space more than
once) proudly wore a Strela chronograph before his untimely death in 1967.
Cosmonauts Aleksei Yeliseyev, Vladimir Shatalov, and Nikolai Rukavishnikov onboard the Soyuz-
10 spacecraft on April 22, 1971. Yeliseev and Rukavishnikov are wearing cal 3017 chronographs.

To get back to the origins of the Strela chronograph, we need to consider the
period in which it was developed. By the late 1950s, the space race was in full
swing; the Soviets were flexing their muscles in the realm of technological
development, and a chronograph that could keep up with the demands of
military aviation and space missions was sorely needed. The stakes were high
and national pride was on the line. Cosmonauts and Soviet aviators needed a
watch they could count on; one that could handle everything from flights in
experimental aircraft to space walks in microgravity. In other words, it was time
for a new watch and a new movement. It was time to welcome the caliber 3017.

Left: a prototype 3017 watch made at the NII Chasprom. Right: the first official massively
produced series were made in 1MChZ factory.

Keeping with the traditional 4-digit nomenclature for Soviet watches, the 3017
movement featured a 30mm diameter (the first two digits), while the 17
designated a manual wind chronograph movement with no date or shock
protection. Whether the Soviets licensed the design or “borrowed” it, there’s no
doubt that the 3017 was based on the Swiss caliber Venus 150. At this point, the
Soviets had plenty of practice reverse engineering Swiss movements, so the
latter is certainly a strong possibility. Regardless of its provenance, caliber 3017
was most probably designed at NII Chasprom (the main scientific research
institute for Soviet watchmaking) prior to 1958 and made in a very small trial
run. Production was then transferred to 2MChZ where it also had a short run
and finally moved to the First Moscow Watch Factory (1MChZ) for mass
production. The 3017 was an absolute workhorse and was produced largely
unchanged for two decades until eventually being replaced by the even longer-
standing caliber 3133. The 3017 had a slow beat rate (18,000 kbph) with the
chronograph driven by a standard style clutch and column wheel. The small
running seconds hand is positioned at 9 o’clock, while a 45-minute register is
positioned at 3 o’clock. The only real changes to the 3017 you’ll find over time
are on the logo stamped on the mainplate and a change to the chronograph
minute intermediate wheel.

Another first-generation 3017 chronograph, referred to as the “12-6 Strela.” Great watches, but
hard to find.

Aesthetically, what really sets the Strela chronograph apart is its maturity of
design. With the Strela, the Soviets moved away from bold colors and wild
designs to an aesthetic that had more in common with their Swiss counterparts.
The cases were simple and elegant with a 36mm diameter that will look right at
home on most wrists today. Almost without exception the cases were chrome
plated, though there were a few limited editions produced with gold plated
cases and possibly solid gold (if you’re searching for a Strela chronograph, we
strongly recommend you stick with chrome plated examples since so few of the
gold were ever made and the risk of getting an overpriced fake is too high). As a
quick indication of when the watch was produced, take a look at the caseback.
The first (and early part of the second) generation chronographs feature linear
brushing while later generations feature circular brushing on the caseback.
Along with the circular caseback brushing, the later generations also saw a
change in the lug shape from faceted to straight lugs. Speaking of different
generations of the watches, let’s break those down a bit:
 The 2MChZ 3017 chronograph is one of the rarest Soviet watches.

1st generation: The first prototypes of the Strela chronograph rolled off the line
in 1958, though the watch went into full production in 1959 and continued into
the latter half of the 1960s. At the start of production, these watches were made
solely for professional use and were issued to pilots, special military personnel
(and of course, some high-ranking functionaries). On the dial of these early
watches, you’ll find Strela written in Cyrillic (СТРЕЛА), with Arabic numerals for
the hour counters. That said, there are a few unicorn versions out there if you
get lucky, including one with a brass color movement inscribed with NII
Chasprom on the dial and the platine, and another with 2MChZ on the dial and
the platine (even though it was produced in the 1MChZ factory), a split-second
chronograph designated K-30, and a super-duper-maybe-not-even-real version
with the 1MChZ logo on the dial.
 First generation 1MChZ Strela chronograph. After the NII Chasprom prototype and 2 MChZ
experimental run, this was the first line of 3017 watches. This line was made in relatively low
numbers, so finding a good quality example is challenging.

As production ramped up, the Strela chronographs quickly gained a reputation

for being better made than any previous chronograph and, frankly, a damn fine-
looking watch. The Soviets quickly saw an opportunity and began pushing
forward with new designs and made the chronographs available to the public.
When these were launched for the public, the Arabic numerals were dropped
from all the markers except 12 and 6 o’clock. This new version, also referred to
as the “baton,” came with three names on the dial:
 Second-generation 3017 chronograp, called the “Telemeter,” with one of the most distinctive
designs of the 3017 series.

Strela (in Cyrillic) — These watches were made for professionals, but also
available to the domestic market and was only available for a few years during
the mid 1960s. Some of these watches also featured an inscription of KL 1, which
stood for first class, indicating that these were the best pieces that were subject
to additional testing for accuracy (similar to COSC chronometer testing). Not
surprisingly, these KL 1 versions were destined for the wrists of professionals.
Third-generation 3017 with lume dial and hands. The watches branded Sekonda were made for
the foreign market.

Poljot and Sekonda (both names written in Latin script) — These models were
introduced in the mid-1960s and were primarily produced for the export market.
However, these watches were still available domestically – primarily because
demand for exported goods was high, fuelled by a false belief that factories
applied higher standards to exported goods. Sekonda-branded watches were
destined primarily for sale in Great Britain.
 Pavel Popovich and Yuri Artyukhin boarding the Soyuz-14 spacecraft on July 3rd 1974 with 3rd
generation black dial caliber 3017 chronographs.

Every model in the first generation will have straight brushing on the caseback
and a pentagonal or rhombus logo on the movement. The lugs aren’t as useful
an indicator as they can be either faceted or straight. It is a popular theory
among collectors that Strela on the dial is always associated with faceted lugs,
but we have seen early examples with straight lugs. Although the case was
slightly different than the straight lug case from later 2nd and 3rd generations of
3017 watches. To put it simply – don’t immediately dismiss a 1st generation
Strela with straight lugs!
 Cosmonauts Vyacheslav Zoudov and Valeriy Rozhdestvenskiy preparing for the Soyuz-23
spacecraft mission on Oct 14th, 1976. Both are wearing 3rd generation black dial caliber 3017
chronographs strapped to their left wrists.

2nd generation: Beginning in the late 1960s and lasting for approximately 10
years, the second generation introduced some new features (aside from just the
brushing on the caseback and straight lugs), most prominently on the dial. The
second generation added a tachymeter scale to the dial of all the watches and
the watches continued to be branded as Strela, Poljot, or Sekonda.

3rd generation: The final generation of 3017 chronographs, these watches were
made throughout the 1970s, with production finally ceasing in 1979. With the
3rd generation, things take a major turn aesthetically. Featuring luminous
markers and hands and futuristic details, these watches were nothing if not on-
trend for the 1970s. Nicknamed the “paddle hands 3017”, these watches all
feature straight lugs, circular brushed caseback, the Poljot crown logo under the
balance, and a full intermediate chronograph wheel. At this point, the Strela
brand name was completely abandoned, along with the KL 1 designation
(presumably because all the watches now met these requirements). Another
major departure with this generation was the fact that these watches came in
both black and white dial versions. At this point, Pojot also added a new brand
variation, Exacta, intended for the German market and other parts of Central
Europe. The Exacta versions were available only in black and are decidedly more
rare than the others.

If you’re on the hunt for a Strela chronograph, be warned, there are plenty of
fakes and franken watches to lead you astray. Follow the common adage of “buy
the seller” and be prepared to pay a bit extra for a quality example from a
trusted seller.

Special thanks to (Dmitry Troshin aka rastafar80), David Abishov

(@authentic_soviet_watches on Instagram), Yury (aka feindselig), and (Ollie Halls
@the_second_hand_ on Instagram) for help with photos and fact checking.

>
Why You Should Be Collecting Vintage Soviet Watches
Watches produced in Russia during the 20th century are fascinating. They're
also cheap.
BY ANDREW CONNOR
UPDATED: OCT 5, 2021
Okeah

Not long after the Stock Market crash of 1929, Dueber-Hampden, a

watchmaker based in Canton, Ohio, went bankrupt. Slow sales and the
tumultuous financial state of the world no doubt played a factor. But
according to some historians, the operation was using outdated
technology while other watchmaking outfits in the U.S. were the envy
of the world. In 1930, Dueber-Hampden’s tooling and equipment were
loaded into boxcars. Their destination, along with 21 former Dueber-
Hampden employees? Moscow.

This equipment and the know-how of these employees — along with

additional gear from Ansonia Clock Company (another failed U.S.
clockmaker) — would help form the basis of the First State Watch
Factory, and subsequently the beginnings of the entire Russian watch
industry, which would become one of the most successful in the world.
Up to this point, watches in were in short supply in Russia and were
either imported or cobbled together in small workshops from Swiss-
made movements and parts. In either case, watches were not an of the
people kind of good.

An exploded view of a Raketa Polar watch with 24-hour dial.

Raketa
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Within the next decade, Russia was producing hundreds of thousands
of watches. Many were based on old Dueber-Hampden pocket watch
designs, but the Russians eventually collaborated with watch
companies abroad to further their development. For example, the
Russian government set up a contract with French watchmaker Lip in
the 1930s to collaborate on movement production — it lasted all the
way until the 1950s, resulting in many high-end movements that
Soviet watchmakers ended up improving on.

In fact, improving watches from outside lands, generally for

reliability’s sake, seemed to be the Russian watch industry’s modus
operandi, sometimes in an apparently illicit capacity. For example, as
Swiss watchmaker Zenith’s chronometer-grade caliber 135 gained
traction in the 1950s, the Russians sought to create their own hyper-
accurate watch by copying the design. According to noted Russian
watch collector Mark Gordon, it’s a mystery as to how it happened.
“Nobody is quite sure what happened, but the Zenith caliber 135
blueprints ended up at the Tschistopolsky factory, where a modified
version was then produced called the Volna,” he told the New York
Times in 2007.

The Volna was not a direct copy. For starters, the small seconds hand
of the Zenith caliber was swapped for a centrally-mounted hand, there
were more jewels added and a larger balance wheel was utilized.
Finishing was pretty much non-existent. And that gets to the crux of
the matter: the watches of the USSR were almost never ostentatious,
lacking in finishing or frivolous complications — they were first and
foremost time-telling tools, built to be robust and reliable. After all,
wouldn’t anything else just be an affront to the Soviet ideal of
utilitarianism?
Raketa

In fact, following WWII, Joseph Stalin was afraid of an influx of

foreign watches. As explained in Charles L. Mee Jr.’s 1975
book, Meeting at Potsdam, “Millions of Russian soldiers had seen
foreign lands, foreign wealth, foreign freedom. Thousands and
thousands had traded everything they had with British and American
soldiers for — wristwatches. Wristwatches, gold plated, silver plated,
with seventeen-jewel movements: what unimaginable wealth they
represented, and every single British and American soldier seemed to
have one, and treat it casually, as though it were a mere convenience
… [Stalin] did indeed fear that the Russian people would be infected
by contact with the West, its wristwatches and its ideas.”

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More flashy pieces did come into vogue. Commemorative

wristwatches were common, such as the numerous watches
celebrating the 1980 Summer Olympics held in Moscow, or watches
made in honor of the Sputnik launch. Dials were often branded with
logos and illustrations depicting military might or celebrating space or
polar explorations by the USSR. Propaganda-dialed watches were
even produced to promote political policies like Perestroika and
Glasnost. Some were simply adorned with a hammer and sickle.
That’s just scratching at the surface, and even watches that didn’t
feature branding or propaganda came in all sorts of different designs.
That’s the thing about the Russian watch industry: it produced
millions upon millions of watches. According to one expert, by the
’50s and ’60s its production was only outpaced by Switzerland. Given
their ubiquity and their simplicity, and the general lack of interest by
most collectors compared to European-made watches, they can be
found easily and cheaply online.

Raketa

As with a lot of low-priced, ubiquitous vintage watches, you need to be

wary of Frankenstein’d timepieces or watches with shoddy, reprinted
dials, as these tend to be particularly common with these timepieces.
These tend to pop up on eBay and Etsy. Online sources, such as Mark
Gordon’s extensive collection and watch forums like WatchUSeek, are
vital in educating yourself on how to spot what’s correct and what
isn’t, so that you’re paying the right price for a watch, be it original or
not.

Still, from a historical standpoint, it’s worth it. Watches have always
been a reflection of the time and place they were created in and that’s
always been part of the draw of vintage watch collecting. But old
Russian watches seem even more so to be fascinating artifacts of a
tumultuous period in human history and the oppressive regime in
which they were created, their dials and movements mirroring the
progression of the Soviet Union’s history for decades, all the way up to
its downfall in the 1990s. It may not be pretty, but history rarely is. It's
worth remembering that.

5 Watches to Get You Started

Chistopol Sputnik

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This watch was made to celebrate the launch of Sputnik in 1957. It was
a simple time-only watch with a small-seconds dial, but in place of a
regular hand the watch has a disk with an illustration of Sputnik
orbiting Earth that makes a full rotation every minute. An aperture
makes up the main body of Sputnik and shows the running seconds
time.
Poljot Okean Chronograph

This chronograph was made primarily for the Soviet Navy during the
’70s and ’80s. It was one of the first watches to use the Poljot 3133,
itself basically a reworked version of the Swiss-made Valjoux 7734.
Vostok Amphibian

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This diver, originally created in the late ’60s, is as iconic a Russian
watch as any. It utilized a case back with a threaded locking ring and a
large rubber gasket, and, as water pressure continued to build on the
watch, it would push the caseback in further, making it water resistant
to 200 meters. The Ampbibia has been made in a variety of designs
and can even be picked up brand new today for under $100.
Vostok Precision

This is the watch that carried the infamous Volna chronometer

movement that copied (and in some respects) improved upon on the
Zenith 135. A simple three-hand watch, it came in a variety of dial
designs
Raketa Polar

Raketa is best-known for making watches for Polar expeditions,

explaining the ubiquity of 24-hour watches from the brand (these
helped distinguish the specific hour in the prolonged presence of
daylight on expeditions). The Polar comes in a variety of case designs
and dial configurations, and can even be bought new from Raketa
today.
Horology of the Red Star: Soviet Watches History

SEPTEMBER 28, 20210 SHARENO COMMENTSON HOROLOGY OF THE RED STAR: SOVIET WATCHES
HISTORY

Horology of the Red Star: Soviet Watches History

SEPTEMBER 28, 20210 SHARENO COMMENTSON HOROLOGY OF THE RED STAR:

SOVIET WATCHES HISTORY
by Ronie A. Ghosh @horonation Member – RedBar Bombay

When we come across the term Russian Engineering and Manufacturing, our
thoughts immediately switch to best built fighter jets, tanks, armaments and then the
architecture of their churches, cathedrals, the Kremlin and so on. Thanks to all those
fiction movies and novels, we often couple the Soviet era with thoughts of the cold
war era spy gadgets, weapons, secret technologies, space and rocket technology.
But there is surely more to it! Well, we’re obviously talking in terms of the watches. In
fact, through the Czarist era, the designing of various clock towers, cathedral clocks
and many styled ornamental clocks took place in Russia.

Let’s did a little deeper. The Imperial era in Russia saw several small watch
workshops and enterprises, usually assembling watches using parts made abroad.
Because of a lack of technology and equipment, it was more affordable and even
rather efficient to import unfinished Swiss and German components than
assembling them in local Russian workshops. Specialized independent
watchmakers, such as Heinrich Moser, George Favre-Jacot, and Pavel Buhre (Paul
Buhré) who appointed by the Imperial Court, undertook this assembly. In 1899, Buhre
received the title of the Official Supplier of the Imperial Court and granted the right
to use the Russian Coat of Arms as part of its logo.

A lesser know fact is that H. Moser & Cie, founded in Le Locle, Switzerland, opened
their workshop in St. Petersburg in 1826. Moser was one of the most prolific
independent watchmakers in the Imperial-era Russia, manufacturing a wide variety
of pocket and wristwatches for men and women. In 1918, a year after the Bolshevik
Revolution, the nationalization of the entire Soviet industrial infrastructure took
place. The State confiscated all independent watchmaking workshops, and it
eventually forced the original owners to withdraw from the market. By 1922, the
entire watchmaking industry had become part of the State Trust of Precision
Mechanics, also known as Gostrest Tochmeh.
Pavel Buhre Pocket watch from Czarist era. (Courtesy: Dashiell Stanford;
https://mroatman.wixsite.com/watches-of-the-ussr)
H. Moser and Cie made in St. Petersburg during Czarist era (Courtesy: Dashiell
Stanford; https://mroatman.wixsite.com/watches-of-the-ussr)

However, the real revolution in horology began in the Soviet Union after the Bolshevik
Revolution and around WW2. Until then, you could not call the watches that were
made with salvaged Swiss parts or any imported ones as a proper people’s watch.

Gostrest Tochmekh pocket watches were made from salvaged/imported swiss

watch parts mixed with domestically produced parts. (Courtesy: Dashiell Stanford;
https://mroatman.wixsite.com/watches-of-the-ussr)

Russia came very late to the watchmaking party. While the American and European
watch industries were producing watches on an industrial scale since the 1800s,
they did not find the first indigenous Russian watchmaker until 1927. The Amtorg
Trading Corporation, representing the Soviet Union in the United States, gained the
assets of the bankrupt Dueber-Hampden Watch Company and launched the First
Moscow Watch Factory. The Size 16 movement was in fact the base for Kirova K-43
trench watch from 1st State Watch Factory.
Kirova K-43 derived from Size 16 movement (Courtesy: Dashiell Stanford;
https://mroatman.wixsite.com/watches-of-the-ussr)
They presented the first 50 watches produced by the Moscow Watch Factory using
materials and machinery from the United States at the Revolution Theatre back in
1930. A watch that often comes to mind from this era is the “Commander” which
was commonly used by the officers of the Red Army.

By 1940, the Moscow Watch Factory had already produced 2.7 million pocket and
wrist watches. However, after being evacuated and moved to the city of Zlatoust in
Chelyabinsk Oblast, the first Moscow Watch Factory shifted the focus towards
aviation chronometers and aircraft watches. Soon after, the Chistopol Watch
Factory, popularly know as the brand Vostok today, launched and manufactured the
first few batches of the K-43. In 1946, the Moscow Watch Factory produced the
Pobeda (Victory) watches. The leaders of the Soviet Union approved these names
and specifications of these watches. They did not produce most of the Russian
watches, such as Shturmanskie watches for the public, but mainly for use by the
Army/Air Force.

This changed with certain watches being developed for general sale, which helped to
develop some brands which still exist today. They established the Molnija Watch
Factory in the city of Chelyabinsk and used Cortebert swiss movement variants as
base movements. They began manufacturing with the production output of its first
aviation cockpit watch, the AVR-M. Molnija’s Chelyabinsk Watch Factory annually
produced about 30 thousand specialized watches and over 1 million pocket watches
that time. We still find many of those vintages today. They still use a modern version
of cockpit clocks in Mil Mi series helicopters, MiGs and Sukhoi air crafts.

If you wonder that first watch in space was an Omega Speedmaster, then that was
not the case. Yuri Gagarin, the first astronaut in space, wore a Sturmanskie
wristwatch while he was on the mission. These watches, however, were not available
to public then. However, for general trivia you should know that even before this a
standard Pobeda watch was the first watch in space as Dr. Abraham Genin (A Soviet
Medical Research Scientist) tied his Pobeda watch to the arm of a test space dog
named Chernushka (Blackie) who went on a test aboard on Korabl-Sputnik 4 on
March 1961, a Month before Gagarin’s flight.
Sturmanskie Cosmonaut’s watch (Watch of Yuri Gagarin during his space mission)
(Courtesy: Dashiell Stanford; https://mroatman.wixsite.com/watches-of-the-ussr)
A standard Pobeda watch similar to that of tied to the arm of Chernushka (Courtesy:
Dashiell Stanford; https://mroatman.wixsite.com/watches-of-the-ussr)

However, you can call the 1SWF (State Watch Factory) Type-17 as the first custom
Soviet Caliber developed in year 1941 from a changed K-43 caliber.
1SWF Type-17, “The Brick” watch (Courtesy: Dashiell Stanford;
https://mroatman.wixsite.com/watches-of-the-ussr)

Coming to chronographs, there is much history regarding those as well. They added
a changed Kirova Type 1 Pocket watch movement with Chronograph parts to
produce mono pusher chronograph. Later, a chronograph movement heavily inspired
from Valjoux 61 movement led to the production of Generalskie Mono pusher
chronograph.
And one more type of UROFA Type 59 chronograph made in captured Glashutte town
based Tutima and Hanhart factories during later WW2 in erstwhile GDR were Flieger
flyback chronographs but made for Soviet pilots. Until Soviets took all the
equipments to 1st Moscow Watch Factory together with all spare parts, made their
own changes and produced it by themselves named Kirova chronograph.

Soon, they discontinued Type 59 and Soviet watch factories led to development of
Strela 3017 and Poljot 3133 movements derived from Valjoux chronograph
movements. They issued some to Soviet Air Force flying schools. Those dials bear
the Air force insignia.
The latter chronographs with 3017 movements. (Courtesy: Dashiell Stanford;
https://mroatman.wixsite.com/watches-of-the-ussr)

After the war, they started a brand called Pobeda (“Victory”) and based the first
watch on French LIP movement R26 caliber. 1MCHZ factory made more than
millions of these based on different dial/case designs.
Pobeda wrist watch made in the 1MCHZ factory. (Courtesy: Dashiell Stanford;
https://mroatman.wixsite.com/watches-of-the-ussr)

During 50s and 60s they started many sub brands in First Moscow watch factory
named as Kirovskie, Kosmos, MIR, ZIM, Saturn, Rodina, Signal, Vympel, etc. Later,
the First Moscow Watch Factory got the name of Poljot Brand and they produced
various watches like alarm watches, divers, automatics and such. They shifted the
Second Moscow watch factory to Kazan in 1941 because of German invasion and
they renamed it as Vostok (Chistopol) watch factory. It became official supplier to
the Ministry of Defence, USSR with Komandirskie watches.
A Komandirskie issued to MOD, USSR marked “ЗАКАЗ МО СССР” at 6 o’clock
(Courtesy: Dashiell Stanford; https://mroatman.wixsite.com/watches-of-the-ussr)

With sufficient experience gained from years of watchmaking, they introduced the
legendary Amphibian diving watch.

They used a hermetically sealed steel case with O-Ring seal case back for good
waterproofing up to 200 meters. Correspondingly, Slava and Raketa also
manufacture their own versions of Amphibians. In the 1950-60s, Zlatoust Factory
has produced 191-ЧС (ChS) watches for the divers of the Soviet navy. The biggest
wrist watch in the world: about 60 mm (without crown), weight is about 250 grams.
Producing a Heavy stainless steel case entails a complicated process, but truly
tough. They even produced it with radioactive materials like Radium-226. In order to
achieve the effect of fluorescence, they covered the numbers in dial with Radium-
226 salts.

Soviets did not hold back in electrically powered watches as well. They made
Electric/Quartz watches, Digital/LED based watches, Tuning fork based watches as
well.
A first quartz watch Chaika 3050 of Soviet union. (Courtesy: Dashiell Stanford;
https://mroatman.wixsite.com/watches-of-the-ussr)
Soviet production LED watch very similar Hamilton Pulsar to the Electronika 1 watch
(Courtesy: Dashiell Stanford; https://mroatman.wixsite.com/watches-of-the-ussr)
The Slava transistor, similar to Bulova Accutron 214 movement produced during
Brezhnev times. (later changed Vostok Precisionskie with center second hand)
(Courtesy: Yuri Kravtsov; Instagram: sovietwatchmuseum)

Referring to all watches above, one might wonder what did the Russians do about
the precision of their watches. Was there any chronometer grade timepiece in their
glorious industrial watchmaking history? Yes, there was a heavily inspired and yet
quite a beautiful one.
In 1948, Zenith released legendary chronometer Caliber Cal. 135 made by Ephrem
Jobin that made Zenith quite famous. In 1957, Vostok made a heavily inspired
movement with some design changes using and came up with Vostok calibre 2802.
Later they changed the sub seconds hand to central second hands, and that changed
movement was Cal. 2809 of Vostok Precisionskie.
Vostok Precisionskie with centre seconds (Courtesy: Dashiell Stanford;
https://mroatman.wixsite.com/watches-of-the-ussr)

There have been many trivial and historically important watches that are now hot
favourite among collectors. One such watch is the Raketa Big Zero, made famous by
Russian president Mikhail Gorbachev. Coupled with a 39mm cushion case and
another round case, with minimal lugs, the watch has outstanding wrist-presence.
Under the hood of the originals lies a Raketa calibre 2609, a simple and widely used
movement yet with notable refinements such as Incabloc shock protection, Breguet
overcoil and screw-adjusted balance.

Raketa Big Zero in cushion

case (Courtesy: Dashiell Stanford; https://mroatman.wixsite.com/watches-of-the-
ussr)

A Pulsometer watch that was used by the doctors in earlier days to count pulse rate
also had a Soviet cousin. The beautiful pieces from Slava (automatic) and
Chaika(quartz) sported an off white dial with bright red inked print for the pulsation
markings. This too is one of the most sought after watches by collectors.

Other collector’s pride are the Raketa Copernicus and Raketa 24 hours watches for
their unique wrist presence.
A Raketa Copernicus (Courtesy: Dashiell Stanford;
https://mroatman.wixsite.com/watches-of-the-ussr
A Raketa 24 Hours (Courtesy: Dashiell Stanford;
https://mroatman.wixsite.com/watches-of-the-ussr)
Current scenario of the Russian watch market is such that, although they’ve
discontinued most of the watches, yet the ones that survived are now premier
watchmakers in Russia. Vostok watch factory is still running through Chistopol,
Russia and with modern machineries they are still manufacturing the Amphibians,
Komandirskies and other special edition watches.

Though they are using the old school reliable movements and those are very budget
friendly watches. Raketa, Poljot and Sturmanskie are running with Swiss
collaborations and making premium watches in their respective segments. Molnija is
still running from Chelyabinsk factory and producing in-house 3603 caliber
movement watches. While other watch factories like Electronika, Luch etc. went to
Belarus. Tutima and Hanhart went back to Germany. Lately, many such brands have
started custom group project approach and special edition reissues to relive the
history. But best thing about these brands is that they still have their base models in
their inventory produced as per exact technical specifications and design even after
all these years and which is why the collectors should grab a piece of Russian watch
history. For all the vintage lovers, we still find many of these vintages among
collectors and priced according to the rarity.

Regarding technicality of Soviet creation in watchmaking, the fundamentals of

reverse engineering and simplifying complicated designs and features are best case
studies one can find. Watch enthusiasts would love to learn more regarding a rich
Soviet/Russian watch history once they collect and learn.