Horological Meandering

G99
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Mark, were these basically copies of high quality swiss watches?

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 Chronometer and the Kirov(?) Mig fighter clock chronograph which is a copy of the Jaeger Lecoultre previously issued.

i think it was an excellent way to provide high quality watches to the soviet masses. take apart a swiss piece, replicate it and mass produce it.

as you are our resident russian watch expert mark, is there any chance of producing a list of russian watches and the equivalent swiss watch that they used to replicate it? i'd be quite interested as a lot of fleabay sellers from the former soviet union often say 'XXXXXXXXXXXXX, the russian version of the XXXXXX chronometer calibre'. i'd like to know if they really are or if its the usual fleabay bxxxxxx.

best

Graham