Pobeda ZiM 2602 Lada Edition

Here is another late Pobeda by ZiM.

This one is featuring a lada car on the dial which is the Lada VAZ-21099 sedan.

The watch is powered by the Pobeda 2602 movement in a late ZiM version. However, I have no movements shots at this time.

Smaller Pobeda 2602 by ZiM

A small later-years Pobeda by ZiM factory.

An iconic Russian wristwatch, the Pobeda was produced from at least 1945 until about 2003 at various watch factories.

The Pobeda was longest produced at ZiM.

This watch is one of those later years ZiM Pobedas.

Pobeda ZiM Radar Dial 2602 Watch

Another ZiM Pobeda watch from my collection. I have many of them.

In fact, I have more left than I have cataloged so far on this blog. 

BNIB... aka brand new in box (with papers).

What I like is the color of the face which is old parchment-like.

Also the face design. I happen to know that this design is called Radar. You can easily see radar-related motifs here. And there are no less than 4 numerical scales... talk about overreach redundancy military style.

I have more radar-dialed watches so more will be forthcoming. 

I remember even wanting to get me a nice collection specifically of these radar-dialed watches (that is, mostly ZiMs but also a related Cardi or two).

A good and memorable dial.

Pobeda 2602 ZiM... the Last One?

A Pobeda 2602 ZiM wristwatch... made by ZiM as in Zavod imeni Maslennikova aka the Maslennikov Factory.

This one is actually the last of the Mohicans of the Pobedas. As you can see, the manual states it was made in March 2003... quite a few years after the factory was supposed to have gone into bankruptcy. 

And this makes it the latest documented Pobeda 2602 watch. And I have it of course. 

Nice two tone dial.

Nice gold toned hands and hour markers.

The case back.

A view on the movement.

The Pobeda 2602 movement... developed most likely on the basis of the Lip R-26 (below) but with improvements (picture courtesy WUS). 

Even though this movement was the most mass produced and one of the cheapest movements (especially in later year versions) in Russia, it hails from premium movements and has certain elements, such as the Breguet hairspring, that are only found in top of the line, expensive watches.

Pobedas are very collectible... though not necessarily ZiM versions.

Most collect late 1940s - early 1960s Pobedas with decorated movements which this one isn't.

Russian Watches in Pictures

Some Soviet and Russian watches in nice pictures.

Zaria

Vostok Amphibia "Ministry" or "barrel" case

Raketa Automatic

Gagarin's Sturmanskie watch -- first watch in space!

Raketa Kopernik - Copernicus

Luch Quartz

Raketa Quartz Medical - Pulsometer

Raketa for the blind

Raketa Perpetual Calendar (perpetual is 20 years)

Pobeda ZiM Troika

Zaria 3105.01 Moonphase -- a newer Russian watch (but already out of production)

The Return of Pobeda?

As was noted elsewhere, the legendary Soviet Pobeda wristwatch may be about to make a comeback.

The new (so-called) Raketa may have purchased rights to the Pobeda brand and says it is preparing a run of Pobeda watches for the year 2015, promising to make the first ones available some time in 2014.

They even went so far as to set up a dedicated website, even though not everything works on it, and you can't find the new Pobeda watches on sale yet.

Link to the website: New Pobeda by Raketa

Personally I am not convinced. For one thing, I don't see Pobeda wristwatches without the cal. 2602 movement. Secondly, even though it was once the most widely produced Soviet and then Russian movement, it still is more technically complex and more difficult to make than the simple Raketa calibers, such as the cal. 2609. Then there is also the issue of the sub-dial second hand which is not offered by any of the current Raketa movements.

For this reason, I fear this will be a failure and an insult to the image and memory of the true Pobeda. But we shall see. In the meantime, I am going to stick to late-period Pobedas by ZiM -- my favorites.  

Pobeda ZiM 2602 Railroad Dial x 2

Two Pobedas by ZiM (Zavod imeni Maslennikova - Maslennikov Factory) from my collection. Both have large dials which look somewhat like pocket-to-wristwatch conversions and are in fact a variation on railroad dials.

This one in particular wants to be a wrist strap Molnija.

There is one thing to be said about this style of hour and minute hands -- you won't be likely to confuse them, no matter how nasty your hangover is.

Dial readability is also very good, very large digits, good for the farsighted especially. This dial is definitely a railroad dial as it meets all the criteria of said dials typically found in pocket watches but also in some wristwatches. Railroad dials tend to be simple and readable. As you can see, the emphasis is on functionality and readability, even under adverse conditions, typically utilizing bold, black numerals on a white background.

And another ZiM Pobeda with the same railroad dial and with exactly the same case but different hands.

 A similar large and very readable face but different hands.

A movement shot. 

This one is a Pobeda 2602 movement which harkens back to the premium European (Swiss) movements of the early 20th century and as such has all the features of the premium European watches of the 1930-40s --  the Glucydur balance, the Breguet hairspring, and the visually appealing bridge shapes with a subsecond hand. But, of course, it is a much later derivation of the movement simplified in many ways though not in underlying design.

Pobeda ZiM 2602 Flower Dial

From my collection is this later years Pobeda 2602 Grey Flower Dial made by ZiM (Zavod imeni Maslennikova - Maslennikov Factory, Samara). 

NOS and even BNIB

The flower's petals can actually serve as additional time markers, they are three per each hour (or for 5 minutes), meaning that the hour hand makes it from the tip of one petal to that of the next one in 30 minutes, while the minute hand does the same in 2.5 minutes.

Pobeda with the 2602 movement was the first Soviet truly mass produced watch -- people's watch, and probably the cheapest. Yet it was based on LIP's R-26 movement and as such had all the features of the premium European watches of the 1930-40s --  the screw balance, the Breguet hairspring, the long regulator arm and the visually appealing bridge construction with a subsecond hand and decoration stripes. Isn't it amazing?! ... But this one is a much later specimen, simplified in many ways though not in underlying construction.

Ex-Collection Scarface3133: Another Pobeda ZiM 2602

Another Pobeda ZiM 2602 from my already extensive collection.

This one has a minimalistic dial design and is still a "Made in USSR".

More pictures after the break.

Pobeda ZiM 2602 2000yrs of Christianity

Another little something from my collection. 

Meet a Pobeda ZiM 2602; this one is an anniversary piece celebrating the 2000 years of Christianity.

It has a nice cheery blue dial, says in Russian "2000 years of Christianity" and there is also on the dial the Grand Church of something or other, not being very religious I can't therefore tell with certainty though suspect it might be the Church of Christ the Savior in Moscow (maybe not).

It is NOS and spends all its time in a little plastic box. I don't wear it, it is just a collection piece.

I like the gold-toned hour markers and also the fancy hour and minute hands, the tiny second hand is also there at 6 o'clock.

I must confess it took me some time to figure out in what year exactly we celebrated (or just marked) the 2000 years of Christianity. At first I couldn't get it but then.... it hit me.... answer after the jump.