Sometimes It's Worth Looking On The Other Side...

Sometimes it pays to look on the other side of things. For example, this pocket watch that I just received.

It is a 7-jewel Type-1 pocket watch in a presentation case with floral bezel produced around 1935 by the First Moscow Watch Factory.

The dial is signed 'First State Watch Factory'. The movement is signed First Moscow Watch Factory - Kirov. The 2 different factory designations are the result of the name change that occurred in 1935 as a result of the tragic death of Leningrad party leader Sergey Mironovich Kirov. The factory was renamed in his honor a few months after his assassination.

The beautifully executed inscription on the back is at the pinnacle of the engraver's art, but it is also at the pinnacle of Stalinist industrial propaganda...

“To foremost Stakhanovets Krivonosovets comrade Kharitonov A.S. from the Peoples Commissar of Railroads 16 April 1936”

Alexei G. Stakhanov was a Soviet industrial worker (a miner) who in 1935 was awarded special recognition and special privileges for wildly exceeding his mining quotas. His accomplishments were widely publicized in the Soviet press.

Pyotr (Peter) Krivonos worked on the railroad as a steam-engine driver. He was similarly rewarded and lionized by the Government after he developed methods for increasing the average speed of locomotives (apparently, he did it on two separate occasions!).

Both of these men became ‘heroic worker’ propaganda symbols. They were promoted as examples of patriotism and dedication that workers all over the country were expected to follow.

Enjoy... -- Mark

This message has been edited by asiaassoc on 2009-04-21 03:30:35 This message has been edited by DRMW on 2010-05-05 09:43:02

Type 1

By: MTF : April 21st, 2009-04:56

Mark, As these were Type 1 time pieces from the Commissar of Railways - no less - does it mean that they were top grade chronometers as required for the timing of railways? Regards, MTF

There were better quality watches for railroad and technical applications

By: asiaassoc : April 21st, 2009-08:34

This was a presentation piece. In the 30s and 40s factories also produced a 15-jewel version of the Type-1 movement for industrial and military applications. A photo of a typical early 15-jewels railroad piece is attached. This one was made by the 1st Mos...

Mark, were these basically copies of high quality swiss watches?

By: G99 : April 21st, 2009-14:40

from what i've seen of Soviet watches and their watch industry they are very good at buying high end swiss pieces then producing their own pieces which are the same, but without the finish. i had a Poljot deck watch which was identical to a UN Deck Chrono...

Previous USSR watch postings....

By: MTF : April 22nd, 2009-02:52

Check out previous postings about Mark's USSR collection: click here AND click here Please use PM for specific re-directions to other sources and materials. Regards, MTF...

my apologies MTF for referring...

By: G99 : April 22nd, 2009-03:11

my apologies MTF for referring to 'that auction site', but it was deliberately kept in very general terms. best Graham

Sorry Graham, You're Wrong...

By: asiaassoc : April 22nd, 2009-06:53

Graham -- Your characterization of Russian movements as poorly finished copies of Swiss calibers is both unfair and inaccurate. Firstly, while the Soviet’s did indeed import technology periodically from French, Swiss and German sources. It almost invariab...

Mark, i must apologise wholeheartedly.

By: G99 : April 22nd, 2009-11:30

in no way did i intend to demean the soviet watch industry. what i wrote was poorly written and not intended to sound as it did. when i refer to copies of Swiss movements i was only speaking from my limited knowledge. i was aware of their use of swiss pro...

No Worries...

By: asiaassoc : April 22nd, 2009-19:02

No worries, Graham. I took your comments in the positive spirit of discourse, as I am sure they were intended. Unfortunately, because I am in Singapore, our face-to-face will have to wait. In all fairness, I should also point out that the Soviets were not...