VE Day 2019 Molnija Pocket Watch feat. Joseph Stalin.

Victory Day 2019 in Russia tomorrow, so here is a topical watch, and a pocket watch at that. 

My Molnija (MOL-nee-yah) pocket watch with Joseph Stalin on the case front cover.

This one is in a hunter case, meaning it has a flipping and snapping cover protecting the face aka dial.

A hunter-case pocket watch is a case with a spring-hinged circular metal lid or cover, that closes over the watch-dial and crystal, protecting them from dust, scratches and other damage or debris.

Joseph Stalin.

 

In fact, it is not just Stalin; but the front and back are exact reproductions of the obverse and reverse of the Soviet medal for Victory over Germany.

Compare.

The obverse (front lid).

And...

The reverse (back case cover).

 

A small seconds hand at 9 o'clock.

As regards the movement, it is powered by the Molnija cal 3602 movement -- a large pocket watch handwind movement, with quite a pedigree. However, seeing as this watch is from the 2000s, the movement is in its later version -- rough finishing, yellow plates. In short, rather despised by most collectors. I opened the case and looked at and, even though I made no photos, it is exactly like the movement in my Pearl Molnija watch from the same period.

More photos.

Molnija 3602 Movement Pictures

Here is a gallery of Molnija 3602 movement pictures from my collection.

The movement is in one of my Molnija (read: MOL-nee-yah) pocket watches, I forget which.

This is what I call a proper watch movement! It's 36 mm in diameter.

Truth to tell, this is the cal. 3602 movement in its 2000s version -- yellow plates (brass?), no central stone, other simplifications, rough machining and no decoration while early Molnija movements were beautifully decorated.  

As such it is much despised by watch collectors here in Russia who don't have much respect for the Molnija movements of this particular late vintage believing them somehow to be inferior to Molnija movements of almost every other period but, whether true or not, I don't share their snobbery.

The movement has yellow (brass?) plates -- such movements were made in the 2000s, but with markings. There's some number, it is some kind of movement identification number but not a serial number, RU for Russia, the caliber designation - 3602 and a Molnija watch factory logo next to it. 

Nice gold hues.
 

Molnija Skeleton Pocket Watch

A Molnija pocket watch from my collection in a skeleton version circa early 2000s.

Molnija's rather rough looking skeleton from the early 2000s.

Yellow plates - a hallmark of the later Molnijas. This isn't the only version though. There was another one with yellow plates plus some basic decoration and there was a "chrome" version too.

A large central ruby stone -- only in skeleton version, other late Molnijas don't have it.

A non-matching chain -- not from this watch.

Molnija Pocket Watch feat. Joseph Stalin

My Molnija (MOL-nee-yah) pocket watch with Joseph Stalin on the case front cover.

This one is in a hunter case.

Joseph Stalin.

 

In fact, it is not just Stalin; but the front and back are exact reproductions of the obverse and reverse of the Soviet medal for Victory over Germany.

Compare.

The obverse (front lid).

And...

The reverse (back case cover).

 

A small seconds hand at 9 o'clock.

As regards the movement, it is powered by the Molnija cal 3602 movement -- a large pocket watch handwind movement, with quite a pedigree. However, seeing as this watch is from the 2000s, the movement is in its later version -- rough finishing, yellow plates. In short, rather despised by most collectors. I opened the case and looked at and, even though I made no photos, it is exactly like the movement in my Pearl Molnija watch from the same period.

More photos.

BBC News - USSR Design

BBC News - Iron-curtain consumables

Radios, vacuum cleaners, and a Molnija desktop clock

Rather stupid commentary though... as always on the BBC

***

DF: Pocket Watches are Fun Collectibles

An article on pocket watches by Dr. Lori.

Let's face it: articles (or posts) on pocket watches are rare these days that's why I am sharing it.

Daily Freeman - Dr. Lori: Pocket watches are fun collectibles

Also there is some useful information in the article.

On the history of pocket watches -- they are much older than wristwatches:

Pocket watches were introduced prior to the introduction of the wrist watch. The wrist watch was a World War I era invention (circa 1914) used to aid soldiers on the front lines. Pocket watches were widespread in the 1800s and continue to be of interest today. 

Tips

If your pocket watch does not open easily, don’t force it open. Use a piece of dental floss to pry your pocket watch open or ask a professional jeweler to open your pocket watch for you. Never use a pocket knife or other sharp instrument to open your pocket watch.

Pocket watches should be cleaned regularly. The internal mechanism which is made up of various gears of your pocket watch require regular maintenance by a professional. If the gears get gummy or dirty, then the watch will not tell time accurately.

Don’t overwind your pocket watch. Be gentle. 

Using dental floss to open watches seems like a good idea. I am definitely going to give it a try. I think it should work on snap-on backs.

The number of jewels debate:

The number of jewels refers to the accuracy of the mechanism and the more accurate the watch, the more valuable it is. The greater the number of jewels in your watch (the number of jewels is typically marked on the watch), the more accurate your watch. 

 I have quite a few pocket watches myself (though they are likely not ones Dr. Lori had in mind).

Mine are Molnijas. 

Molnija Virgo the Maiden Pocket Watch

My Zodiac Signs-themed pocket watch -- a Molnija (read: MOL-nee-yah) with Virgo the Maiden on the dial.

There was a whole series -- 12 pocket watches but this is the only one I have.

Looks like the dial was tastefully hand-painted.

 

Was somebody doing a bit of nude modelling at the factory?

This watch is early 2000s. It is powered by a Molnija 3602 mechanical movement -- a large pocket watch movement 36 mm in diameter. I opened the back (which opens and closes without problem) and looked at the movement though made no photos this time. However the movement is a later 2000 version movement -- all yellow, minimal markings, reduced jewels, simplifications -- in fact exactly like the movement on this my Molnija pocket watch that I did a post earlier on (link). 

Molnija Pearl

A Molnija (read: MOL-nee-yah) pocket watch from my collection. 

I have it with an original paper box plus documents where it says that the date of production was some time in September 2001 but no chain to hook it to a trouser belt or something. And I bought it as new old stock (BNIB) some time in 2013.

This one is in a hunter case (with lid/duster) and the design is called Pearl.

I think you can see some pearl related motiffs. Though at first I didn't know that it was officially so called and thought it was related to something agricultural and mistook the "pearl" on the lid for some root vegetable.

The dial also continues to explore the Pearl theme, with the yellow circle at 12 o'clock also apparently representing a pearl and the dial in two shades of blue -- the color of the ocean.

And

 

On the back there's a generic Molnija ornament. 

 

Movements shots:

 

The cal. 3602 movement in its 2000s version -- yellow plates (brass?), no central stone, other simplifications, no decoration, rough machining. 

Watch collectors don't have much respect for the Molnija movements of this particular vintage believing them somehow to be inferior to Molnija movements of almost every other period but, whether true or not, I don't share this snobbery.

If anything, in this guise, they look even more like their Corterbert ancestors.  Compare.

Picture courtesy Internet

Picture courtesy Tourby watches 

Molnija Pocket Watch OBL Dial

And now for something slightly controversial (maybe not, it is just a watch).

From my collection comes this Molnija (read: Mol-nee-yah) pocket watch with none other than Osama Bin Laden on the dial.

The greenish dial shows Osama Bin Laden and an American flag under him at 6 o'clock where the small seconds hand is.

But there is more. As you can see for yourself the Al-Qaeda leader appears to be in cross-hairs or something. So what is the message that the watch tries to convey? Probably none. Or to each his own.

And the American flag detail at 6 o'clock.

Molnija pocket watches are powered with the cal. 3602 (or 3603) Molnija movement, a large pocket-watch movement, related to, and derived from, premium European movements of the early 20th century.

Movement shots.

The movement has yellow (brass?) plates -- such movements were made in the 2000s, but with markings. There's some number, it is some kind of movement identification number but not a serial number, RU for Russia, the caliber designation - 3602 and a Molnija watch factory logo next to it. 

For a much bigger picture of the movement, try this link. 

As I was preparing to make this post to this blog I thought it would be interesting to do a little Internet research to see (i) if I could find other mentions of this watch on the world wide web and (ii) if there were any other watches featuring Osama Bin Laden.

About a year ago I already found a picture of the same watch, that is with the same dial but in a different Molnija case -- the one with the upper lid / duster -- a hunter case. It was being sold on ebay and I was able to find the lot again because I bookmarked it at the time. But strangely the picture of the dial with Osama on it has in the meantime disappeared although the picture of the back remains. On the other hand I found out that this watch got a mention in a 2002 Reuters report as printed (or just posted online) by the Daily Times of  Pakistan -- information that can be useful in dating the watch. My guess therefore is the watch was made before, or early in, 2002 but after 9/11 2001.

Here is what the report says.

Watch featuring Osama bin Laden

A Russian-made pocket watch featuring Osama bin Laden and an American flag is displayed in front of the Temple of Heaven in Beijing. The pocket watch was selling for about $25 along the Sino-Russian border days before the first anniversary of 9/11. —Reuters

And there is this picture.

Same watch from the year 2002 but in different colors, the dial appears to be white, the hands gold-toned, Osama Bin Laden very much the same.

The Reuters report fails to mention the target signs on OBL though (and I can see why it would fail to mention that). 

I also saw that Osama Bin Laden had made it to the dial of at least one other watch. Chinese watches named for some reason Nanci (?) have a line of watches with portraits of (in)famous people on the dial - Che Guevara, Marilyn Monroe, etc. and Osama bin Laden is also there.