Sharon Tinkle.
Who is that, all eight readers might ask, and what does she have to do with Russian Watches?
I'm throwing Sharon's name out there because years ago I punched her name into Google and landed on someone's blog who was complaining because Sharon was named most likely to succeed in their high school class, and apparently the blog writer felt she should have been so named.
Sharon and I met in college, and she played a part in my life for the next ten years. And one of the more minor yet still significant things she did for me happened when she was living in Northridge, and she came across a watch shop in the mall that was selling Russia Watches. I'd say it was sometime around 1990, and I saw this watch: |
| Officer's Watch with big ugly band. |
which the shop owner said would have been a Russian Officer's watch. It's a Vostock, one of the companies that Stalin insisted would use no parts from the West. The watch is big and chunky, especially for that time, and he said to throw a big ugly band on it, which I did, and wear it. It's an automatic, which means that I never have to worry about batteries, a feature I like when I put it in the drawer for a month. No band or literature came with it, so when I changed the date I would wind through the 24 hour cycle until I caught up. About 15 years ago I learned that I didn't have to do that, something it would have been nice to know sooner. I wore it a lot when I bought it, and still wear it quite a bit. It runs great. He had one with a tank and one with a submarine. I'd never seen them before, but saw several after, all for much more money than he charged me, which I'd like to say was somewhere between $50 and $75 at that time.
I wish I remembered the name of the shop, because they also did watch repairs at a very reasonable price, but the mall has since been remodeled and it's been 30 years, so I don't know if it's still there.
A few years later, around '92, I bought two more Russian watches from an Arab trader at the Brandenburg Gate, including this Raketa:
The trader said that Gorbachav wore one like it. I don't know if that's true, but it's still cool. I think I paid around $10 for it, and bought a cheap East German band at a nearby shop for it, thinking it fit the esthetic of the watch. It wasn't really the right size, so I changed it for the simple black band you see here.
Since then, I've picked up a few more off eBay:
and this one on sale at Restoration Hardware from around 15 years ago:
 | ||
| Yes, it's a KGB Watch! |
Why it was at Restoration Hardware is beyond me, but it was cheap, had a band and came in a box with a manual. It's a Vostok like the first one, and the watch guy in Northridge had this one, too. The manual was in Russian, so it wasn't a lot of help. No matter, I set it and wind it up when I feel the need.
And now, Watch Gang Three....
The Chronologia Rescue Trailer has heft. It's a thick watch (15.5 mm), which according to their website is designed for high visibility. It came in a large black zip nylon case, and interestingly also included a headlamp for nighttime trail runs. I like the black face with white numbers and markings, and the red accents give it a bit of flash. With a case size of 44 mm, it's one of the larger watches I own.
The stop watch feature has a big red second hand, making it easy to see, and the minutes that pass are the small dial on the left. I can't imagine ever using the stop watch feature for any serious timing-that's why I have all those digital watches, but it is a nice touch. The small dial on the right is a 24 hour dial. It's a bit harder to read, but I guess it could come in handy if I'm ever stuck in a cave. The date is a good size and contrasts well, but doesn't have that little 'cyclops' magnification you sometimes see. There is no running second hand, and I had to check the time to make sure that it was actually running.
 | |
| The headlamp |
The watch is made of carbon fiber, making it surprisingly light for it's size, and though initially I was put off by that, I've been wearing it for the last hour (after pulling some links out of the bracelet to accommodate my skinny wrist), and I'm finding it to be reasonably comfortable. The colors look good on my arm.
Unlike the Filippo Loreti or the Aeromat, there is enough contrast to attract the eye, and as I type this without my glasses, the size is such that I can read the dial easily. The watch features a Seiko movement, which isn't a bad thing, and mineral glass.
The list price on their website is $270, and the site says sold out. In fact, a quick look at all their collections shows most of their watches to be sold out. At the moment, a few are up on eBay for $150-175.
 |
| Thick when compared to my Seiko Skin Divers |
I actually got this about a month ago, and now that I've adjusted the bracelet, I think I like it. It's not a slam dunk, but it's a wearable watch for me.
