Little Star: The Cartier of Penza
Command economies work so well. One day the boss decides that the perfect society needs a watch for women, and like Athena from the forehead of Zeus, a new watch is born. This is how we got the Zvezda, the Cartier of the U.S.S.R. Aggressions in Europe have cooled my ardor for old Soviet watches. I don’t buy them or even look at them like I used to, but for a while there the endless variety and incredibly low cost intrigued me. I bought three Zvezda in about six months, only one of which I can wear.
The Soviet Watch industry had to start anew after the Bolshevik Revolution when all of its watch manufacturers, like those that served the royal court, fled to Switzerland. The Swiss had no interest in helping a competitor and the Soviets had a bad habit of assassinating people (mostly Russians) in Switzerland. Hampden originally provided workers, machines, and designs. When starting production of a women’s watch, the Soviets turned to France.
Fred Lippman provided the technical knowhow that enabled the opening of the Third Watch Factory in Penza in 1936. The Lip T-18 movement became the basis for the 1802 used in Zvezda models. The Second World War interrupted production, but by the early 1950’s the Penza factory turned out watches that directly borrowed from the Lip “Churchill” watches.
All of these are from the 1950’s, yet they look older. One is for my wife not to wear. One my daughter wears occasionally. Mine is the beat up old one whose hands keep falling off. The case is dinged, but at least the hands are blued. They all have fixed lugs.
(My daughter will sometimes humor me by wearing this.)
I don’t know how much this one will get into rotation. I have owned it without being able to wear it for a very long time. The NATO strap is a little limiting. I don’t like leather NATO straps. They add too much height. It will keep me from buying certain other tank watches. My wallet will be thankful.
A Zvezda cost more than a month's salary in the worker's paradise.
Restitutor Orbis. Aristocrat of beauty. Autocrat of time. (Trying to perfect trolling over at theescapementroom.com)
I don’t know much about vintage Soviet era watches but I love the looks from what I’ve seen. My Vostok is an interesting watch. Built like a tank and great looks but time keeping and power reserve leave a lot to be desired.
Must say that the Tank is a delighful creature. Nice proportions and great colorway. How did you source your Russian gems when you where at it?
Everything cost more than a month's salary in the worker's paradise!
The world is so weird. I mean, Naziism is often cited as having been responsible for the deaths of > 17M human beings in the 20th Century. Communism, meanwhile, comes in at > 94M!!!
From a consequentialist perspective, Communism is ~5.5x as evil as Naziism! And yet, from a 2006 nationally representative survey of American professors, nearly 18% of social scientists self-identify as Marxist!!!
"I self-identify as part of group that helped to kill 5.5x as many people as the Nazi's did in the 20th Century!" And they wear that badge with pride!
What a weird, weird world...
Must say that the Tank is a delighful creature. Nice proportions and great colorway. How did you source your Russian gems when you where at it?
I used to buy from Russia and Belarus. I have also bought from Slovenia. After February of 2022 I have bought from Ukraine. Just about every one was an eBay purchase. You get to know the good sellers.
Soviet vintage requires a bit of discernment. Just like from certain other countries, like India and South Korea, there is a large trade in fantasy dials and frankenwatches. You have to accept imperfections to get genuine watches. The little blemish on the dial or case that I can see in my WRUW photo passes unnoticed to anyone else.
Fantastic watches Greg! Thanks for sharing them with us!