Question on genuine Soviet era watches (2024)

FAQs

Why are Soviet watches so cheap? ›

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.

By the 1950s, Soviet watchmakers were turning out timepieces that were at least as accurate and durable as their Swiss counterparts, yet also more affordable, making them desirable across the Western world, in spite of the Cold War.

About ZiM watch factory

After bolshevik revolution of 1917 it was named after the revolutionary Maslennikov. Watches were produced on factory since 1937. During World War II it was making artillery shells as well. After 1951 watch production resumes under the trade names 'POBEDA' (Победа) and” ZIM”.

One of the most popular brands, produced in millions of pieces for decades, Raketa has a long history and a reputation of well-designed, elegant yet durable watches. Raketa vintage watches are in high demand these days, partly because their prices favorably compare to MSRP of the modern Russian-made Raketa's.

Luxury watch brands such as Rolex and Patek Philippe have become popular choices for those looking to invest in high-value watches. These watches often come with sophisticated complications and design elements that add an extra layer of complexity – both visually and mechanically – to these timepieces.

The No. 1 most expensive watch brand in the world is Patek Philippe, originally named Patek, Czapek & Cie upon its establishment in 1839. Its priciest timepiece — and the most expensive watch to ever sell, to date — sold for $31.9 million. There are a few reasons why this brand is so incredibly expensive.

TO A FUTURE PRESIDENT 1960

In the lead up to the 1960 presidential election, Senator John F. Kennedy received a prophetically engraved OMEGA Slimline watch from his friend Grant Stockdale. Following his victory, Kennedy wore the watch during his inauguration on 20 January 1961.

Home to some of the top luxury watch brands in the world, Switzerland is a watchmaking mecca. Geneva is one of Switzerland's most important watchmaking cities, where brands like Rolex and Patek Philippe remain headquartered to this day.

Vladimir Putin with FP Journe Chronometre Bleu 1304CS​​

He also owns a vintage Patek Philippe Perpetual Calendar 5039J in 18k yellow gold with a hobnail bezel. The market price is around $38,000.

Beyer Watches & Jewellery, located on Bahnhofstrasse in Zurich, is the oldest watch retailer in the World. Founded in 1760, the family company has been run by the eighth generation since 1996: Owner René Beyer is proud to be able to draw on a vast trove of watchmaking experience dating back 260 years.

What is the oldest watch brand in the world? ›

1. Blancpain: 1735. The oldest watch brand in the world is Blancpain. The company started its operations in 1735 when founder Jehan-Jaques Blancpain opened its workshop in his very own house based in Villeret, Switzerland.

It is the oldest watch in the world that still works. The watch is a small fire-gilded copper sphere, an oriental pomander, and combines German engineering with Oriental influences. In 1987, the watch reappeared at an antiques and flea market in London.

Pobeda (Russian: Победа, Victory) is a Russian brand of wrist-watches owned by the Petrodvorets Watch Factory "Raketa". The brand name was chosen by Stalin himself in April 1945, when he gave the order that the first watches be ready for the 1st year of Victory celebration.

The most significant event in the history of the Sturmanskie brand was undoubtedly 12 April 1961, the historic day when the Soviet cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin made his first ever space flight wearing the Sturmanskie watch made for him under a special order.

While the Amphibia is the most popular model, the Vostok Komandirskie technically put the brand on the map. Over the years the case shapes and the dial designs for the Vostok Komandirskie models have changed a lot and there are as many variations in style and color as the vostok Amphibia.

The Luminox Navy SEAL watch is the timepiece that made Luminox famous. In 1992, the Assistant RDT&E Officer for the Navy SEALs, Nick North, was asked to seek a more dependable watch for night missions and found the solution when he discovered Luminox.

The best watch brands for investment are Rolex, Patek Philippe, and Audemars Piguet as they are prestigious, exclusive, high-quality brands. Watches by these brands often hold their value or appreciate in value over time. Their ongoing popularity, limited editions, and scarcity drive increasing prices.

Rolex reigns supreme.

Retailer Watches of Switzerland recently placed Rolex, Patek Philippe, and Audemars Piguet watches in its “super high demand” category. Breitling, which is rumored to have an IPO in the works, beat out other competitive brands for the No.

The Most Popular Watches in the World Are the Rolex Submariners. So, the most popular watches in the world based on the search number on Google are the Rolex Submariners. Today, Submariners are so popular that it's not unusual for someone to have to wait months or even years for delivery.

Donald Trump's Patek Philippe Ellipse

The Patek Philippe Golden Ellipse. The small yellow gold watch almost wears more like jewelry in its 32mm case with beaded bracelet. Trump's model in particular has a nice blue dial. It's a classy watch designed around dressing up.

What watch did Queen Elizabeth wear? ›

It is believed that the Queen owned a vintage art deco-era Omega Ladymatic watch. And why not? its timeless aesthetic and delicate craftsmanship made it a popular choice when it first debuted. First launched in 1955, the Ladymatic was among the first self-winding timepieces created especially for women.

Upon his return home from the army, Elvis fell in love with a Hamilton Ventura watch, the world's first electric timepiece shaped like a triangle. He wore that watch in the 1961 movie Blue Hawaii (in the days when actors could wear their own watches) – making it famous around the world.

Exporters and Importers

In 2021, the top importers of Watch Movements were Hong Kong ($522M), China ($71.2M), Switzerland ($52.9M), Japan ($42.4M), and Netherlands ($37M).

Best Watch Brands Overall: Omega, Rolex, Tag Heuer. Best Affordable Watch Brands: Swatch, Timex, Citizen.

Barack Obama's Rolex Cellini

The Rolex Cellini was also a staple for the President. Though, never while he was in office. It's unclear how long Obama has owned the Cellini, though many have seen him owning it before his bid for presidency, and post presidency, it seems to be his go-to watch.

Saddam Hussein Iraqi Eagle 3601 Patek Philippe Calatrava.

Tom Cruise Watch Collection - Porsche Design Chronograph 1

In the recent movie Top Gun: Maverick, Captain Pete "Maverick" Mitchell, played by Tom Cruise, was spotted wearing the new Porsche Design Chronograph 1 inspired by the all-black 1972 watch.

What exactly is vintage? The definition of what makes a watch vintage can vary widely, but it's generally said to be anything 25-30 years old, or older.

Blancpain is the OLDEST WATCH BRAND in the world. Founded by Jehan-Jaques Blancpain in 1735, the company built its success by producing a limited amount of watches per year.

Grand Seiko and Rolex both offer different value propositions to their buyers. Rolex rules when it comes to brand awareness, while Grand Seiko takes the crown in craftsmanship, so the Grand Seiko vs Rolex debate becomes difficult to crown a winner. Having a Rolex watch goes beyond just wearing a luxurious watch.

What is the oldest American watch company? ›

In 1854, Aaron Dennison established the Waltham Watch Company, which went on to make the first-ever watch with interchangeable parts and the first 100% American-made watch. The advanced machinery they designed spread to other industries and led to America's reputation for industrial prowess.

Taking a break from Swiss watch brands, we have Seiko, the oldest and only Japanese watch brand on this list. Seiko's story began with a man named Kintaro Hattori, who established a small watch shop back in 1881.

Roger Smith, the World's Best Watchmaker, Shares His Secrets - InsideHook.

Peter Henlein (also spelled Henle or Hele) (1485 - August 1542), a locksmith and clockmaker of Nuremberg, Germany, is often considered the inventor of the watch.

A clockmaker from Nuremberg named Peter Henlein is typically credited with inventing the very first watch. He created one of these “clock watches” in the 15th century.

The origin of the watch

The German Peter Henlein from Nuremberg made the first portable clock with a spring mechanism. This is seen as the first watch. People also called these watches the Nuremberg eggs, because of the oval enclosure. It was still an art to let the mechanical watch run accurately.

George W.

He has been popularly known to be wearing a Timex at most times, seen wearing the Timex i-Control during his 2000 election campaign. He was soon seen switching to a simpler, Timex Indiglo with white & black numerals.

He would sometimes call as a buyer, as in 1928, sometimes as a customer, bringing in for servicing the watch he wore all his life, his Breguet no 765, an exceptional chronograph with minute repeater and flyback seconds hand purchased in 1890 by the duke of Marlborough.

As one of the brand's first chronometer-certified models, at that time, Al Capone's Rolex Prince was a symbol of the company's extraordinary precision and high quality. Placed on the wrist of the top gangster, the Rolex Prince became a genuine status symbol from Rolex indicating style and luxury.

But although the government tried to isolate the USSR from the West, no one could deny the power of fashion. At this point, I should make it clear that jeans were never explicitly outlawed. Nobody who wore jeans would be thrown in jail, and in fact, a lot of people in the Soviet bloc eventually wore denim.

What watch did Jackie Chan wear? ›

Richard Mille simply wants to persuade one individual in reality. Another outcome of their relationship is the RM 057 Dragon-Jackie Chan. In fact, Jackie Chan's Chinese moniker, which means “one who shall become a dragon,” influenced Richard Mille to design an outstanding watch for the actor.

In order to make the contrast between the brightness outside, and the darkness of the co*ckpit a bit less, the co*ckpits were given a bright colour to be less tiresome for the eyes. It's especially useful in co*ckpits with only a little lightfall from outside, in aircraft like the Tu-128P or MiG-23 and -25.

After returning from Iraq, Afghanistan, or one of the undeclared expeditionary locations, many officers take a portion of their savings and purchase a watch to discreetly commemorate the accomplishment, often the ubiquitous Rolex Submariner or Omega Seamaster, no doubt a subtle nod to Bond.

The weight is approximately 5.8 oz and has a proprietary quartz movement. The MTM Falcon is up for any mission that Kevin Hart and Ice Cube get themselves into. Whether it is hunting down a drug lord or hanging out and sipping a Mai Tai in South Beach, the MTM Falcon looks good no matter what scene they walk into.

Not working – A common thing with fake Vostok and other Russian watches is the fact they'll arrive dead and not work at all. Most Russian watches take a bit of use to get them started, this is done by either movement or winding, but a fake will not do anything. E.

Vladimir Putin with FP Journe Chronometre Bleu 1304CS​​

He also owns a vintage Patek Philippe Perpetual Calendar 5039J in 18k yellow gold with a hobnail bezel. The market price is around $38,000.

The timepiece most commonly associated with the Russian president is the A. Lange & Söhne 1815 Up/Down. Putin is frequently seen wearing the platinum version of this iconic watch, presented on a 36mm case finished with a black alligator strap.

Is Vostok Amphibia worth the money? Yes – for under $150 you can own a piece of dive watch history with a unique in-house movement offered in a large variety of case and dial options.

It also comes with the crown's instantly recognizable and magnifying cyclops-lensed date window. In the past, Biden has been spotted wearing an Omega Seamaster Professional 300M and an Omega Speedmaster Professional Moonwatch.

After returning from Iraq, Afghanistan, or one of the undeclared expeditionary locations, many officers take a portion of their savings and purchase a watch to discreetly commemorate the accomplishment, often the ubiquitous Rolex Submariner or Omega Seamaster, no doubt a subtle nod to Bond.

What watch does Elon Musk wear? ›

Elon Musk Watch - Omega Seamaster Aqua Terra 150M

In the picture, Musk wears Omega Seamaster Aqua Terra 150M Omega Co-Axial 231.10. 39.21.

The most common fake luxury watches

For watch brands, Rolex is easily the most faked manufacturer out there. You can find a cheap Submariner replica in just about every market from London to Bangkok and everywhere in between. Rolex Submariner, one of THE most copied watches.

It is illegal to purchase counterfeit goods. Bringing them into the United States may result in civil or criminal penalties and purchasing counterfeit goods often supports criminal activities, such as forced labor or human trafficking.

Swiss Customs estimates that 40% of counterfeit watches come from China, but counterfeits are produced elsewhere, even in the US.

Barack Obama's Rolex Cellini

The Rolex Cellini was also a staple for the President. Though, never while he was in office. It's unclear how long Obama has owned the Cellini, though many have seen him owning it before his bid for presidency, and post presidency, it seems to be his go-to watch.

It was invented in 1993 by Nemoto & Co Ltd, and is one of the safest and most widely used luminescence materials in the watchmaking. The material works on the principle of “phosphorescence”. It is charged through exposure to light. It is non-radioactive and slowly decreases in brightness until recharged again.

1. Vostok Amphibia. The Vostok Amphibia is probably the most popular Russian watch in the modern era. This one is absolutely legendary and is a pillar in Russia's military history.