We Don’t Need a Foreign Chronometer
The Imperial Peterhof Factory (IPF) watches of the Raketa and Pobeda brands are both well-known, but they’re still in demand. The plant near St. Petersburg is the last to make mechanisms entirely from Russian parts and produce one-of-a-kind watches. New “Rockets” cost less than all other ex-Soviet brands, partly because of their handcrafted status. Purchasing one from China is more expensive than making your own new watch.
Recently, it was reported that Vladimir Putin began to frequently attend meetings with new watches. And not Swiss watches, but Russian ones! As it turned out, the president’s head carried a rare model from Peterhof in his pocket at every meeting. Not surprisingly, he is also seen supporting social media initiatives and attending Kremlin events in the new guard.
See the Construction
The press secretary of the watch factory, Antonina Skurydina, told the Komsomolskaya Pravda journalist more about their presidential watches.
– Each watch is different. We have a configurator site where you can choose different elements of the watch.
The case and mechanism joint are crucial to the accuracy of your watch, and our board can find this detail even amidst a plethora of carvings. The stone used in the carving—whether it’s pink carnelian, blue dumortierite, or any other variation – will be visible under the glass at the back of your watch, allowing for creativity with color.
Judging by the photographs, Putin’s watch appears to be made of snowy obsidian. It is almost completely black with small white spots. And in the images, the presidential clock faces look completely black from afar.
-The case is made of gold, and it can be in any color you choose -listed by Skurydina.
The head of the country has a white shade on the watch case.
The one-of-a-kind dial is available in two bold colors, black or white. The back wall is glass, so you can see the gears inside.
With the accuracy -5/+10 seconds per day and automatic winding, you’ll have enough power for 40 hours. Just three arrows on the face tell you your remaining power reserve at all times, without any windows or stopwatches.
And Because?
Is a Breitling brand watch an expensive purchase? Good question! The staff at the watch factory first responded diplomatically, averring that “prices vary from case to case.” Since, as I lay out, information about completed orders is not disclosed by the factory, it’s up to the individual customer how she chooses to spend her money.
The cost is decent overall, but it’s nothing like the Swiss’s – They said at the factory during their torturous questioning.
Many presidents and officials wear more expensive watches. Putin, on the other hand, has never been seen wearing a fancy watch. Rather he always wears an affordable version of the Swiss watch that the president used to wear.
So far, 40 pieces have been produced in the style of St. Petersburg by special orders from customers. If you want to get a new model made, just come visit us!
What Does VVP Wear Before?
For many years, the President wore the Swiss Blancpain Leman Aqualung Grande Date and on occasion the IWC Pilot`s Watch Mark XVII. His style is the same as that of the new Russians. Moderately sized white metal case, black military dial, Arabic numerals, and black strap.
Such Gifts
In 2009, Russian President Vladimir Putin donated his watch at least twice.
The first time it happened was in Tuva. The head of the Cabinet was sailing on a raft on the Khemchik River. In one of the camps in a deserted mountainous place, he noticed a flock of sheep and a shepherd. First, Putin invited the pastor to have tea together. In response, he called the prime minister to visit him. The shepherd, together with his son, brought a horse to Vladimir Vladimirovich. And although the pastor spoke more Tuvan and poorly understood Russian, he managed to find a common language. At the end of the meeting, Putin presented the boy and pastor with his Swiss Blancpain—a personal hunting knife from Switzerland—a present from Putin and a symbol that bridged their respective cultures and values.
Vladimir Putin unexpectedly got a watch from a Tuvan boy that he met at an airport in Tula. The unexpected gift made him smile, but it wasn’t the only reason for such joy. He removed the same Blancpain from the hand of the boy that was offered to him; a small gesture, but it meant the world to him.
Plant Save French
This factory is Russia’s oldest watch manufacturer and was founded by Peter the Great in 1721.
In the late 2000s, the company would have been in total ruin if it hadn’t been for its investors. That’s because the company was bought by French and Russian investors who invested 5 million euros in production and attracted a Rolex leader to the factory.
Above all, the former head of the board of directors, Jacques Pollier, believed in the future of Raekt watches. He was sure that fashion-forward watches could be revived because they’ve had a long history.
If you want a clock that will not only keep accurate time but look good while doing so, consider buying yourself a smartwatch. Now wristwatches are taken more for their historical significance and the image they are associated with. Foreigners also take note of Russian watches because of their space and submarine references as well as their nuclear and polar expedition associations. Few companies can boast that their chronometers have gone beyond the Earth’s limits. But almost all Soviet cosmonauts flew with watches made in the USSR. Omega reminds us in its advertising that Neil Armstrong landed on the moon in his watch – former head of the Peterhof factory Jacques Paulie said to journalist Komsomolskaya Pravda.
We don’t know why Putin chose watches from this particular factory, but it’s possible that he liked the history behind it and didn’t want to risk entrusting the watch production to some foreign company.
Our Chronometers Are Back in Fashion
Vladimir Putin, who was always wearing a Swiss watch, decided to switch to a Russian watch because the country has become one of the world’s leading watchmaking powers. Mr. Putin has said that he will continue to wear his new timepiece and that he found the experience quite enjoyable. He definitely meant it.
Watchuseek.com is a forum for discussing watches, and even though it covers a wide variety of topics, one particular area has seen a lot of interest. There’s a huge discussion about affordable watches, followed by a discussion about diving models. The third most popular language on this site is Russian. That’s worth mentioning because there are 412,000 comments and 68 million views combined across all languages. Because of the margin, there are also 364 thousand of Chinese and 135 thousand German comments discussed within those languages as well.
There are nearly 20,000 listings on eBay for Russian or supposedly Russian watches.
But Foreigners Win With Them
Now in the US, many 100% Russian watch companies are appearing. In Russia, these watches are sold under the Zavtra brand name ($300) and have a 70-year history. Supposedly they were able to escape the attention of international consumers because of the Cold War – but they don’t believe that’s true. The designers claim in an interview with Atlas Network they’re not worried because while they don’t have much business outside China, a Chinese businessman owns Zavtra.
The Lithuanian company Vostok Europe sells watches in the European Union. One of the most popular designs is a watch that looks just like Vostok Command.
Vostok Europe, a company that specializes in the production of watches and calendar pieces, sells these models to customers across the world. These pieces are timed to coincide with some historical event or achievement and retail these watches internationally.
Researchers have found that more than half of the watches sold in the West are not authentic Russian timepieces but actually, instead, fake ones that were produced to look as if they were Russian.
More watches are made in China than in Russia. The production of watches has been declining in our country for over 30 years, and the demand is only increasing overseas. This is what Asian businessmen are using to produce more watches.
Can’t Always Promote
Ever since Yuri Gagarin flew around the Earth, Russian trains have had their own “cosmic” watch. However, that may soon change. If you’re curious, here is a brief history of watches on the cosmonaut train used by Russian astronauts.