Wristwatch from the USSR. Time-tested commander's watch

It is always nice to receive awards and encouragement, especially well-deserved ones. Distinctive feature there were awards for outstanding actions and successes with watches, and “Commander” watches were considered especially prestigious. The USSR has long since sunk into oblivion, but today's fans of this kind of attributes will never refuse such a pleasant and meaningful gift.

Gifts of this kind were one of many types to reward military personnel, and after some time they began to be called “Commander” watches. They could only be received by those military specialists who showed outstanding valor, boundless courage and bravery, that is, what ultimately influenced the positive outcome of the military operation.

Reward value

In those distant times, a serviceman who received the “Commander” watch of the USSR was considered an undeniable hero, and such an award was sometimes more honorable than a medal or order. It was almost impossible to buy original award watches, because the production was limited and strictly controlled, and the awarded heroes valued them madly. Therefore, the question of how much the USSR “Commander’s” watch costs has never been raised. It’s one thing to buy them for crazy money, but it’s another thing to explain to others where you got such a reward. Of course, in those harsh times there were craftsmen who, in one way or another, got themselves such watches, but these were isolated cases.

Today's realities make it possible to buy “Commander” watches of the USSR (price from 2 to 8 thousand rubles) in any store or from online shelves, and therefore they have completely lost their former material and, most importantly, cultural value.

Several years ago, a fairly well-known historian in his circles, Viktor Isaev, began his own and unbiased investigation into scams and fraud with various awards, and the Commander watches of the USSR were considered as a priority.

According to the collected data and surveys of direct participants of both one and the other side (seller-buyer), he found out that in the early 90s of the last century it was possible to get the most respectful award in writing at that time for three thousand dollars, and signed directly by the head of state. But the “Commander” watch (17 stones, USSR - original) already cost more than six thousand dollars. The value of such an award is obvious.

Among the general mass of such “buyers” there were mainly dignitaries: deputies of the legislative assembly, directors and owners of the largest industrial enterprises and farmland, that is, people with high status, and therefore a solid income.

Naturally, in this case, the “Commander” watch of the USSR lost its significance as a cult and indisputable item, which was received for courage and valor, and the perfect and unique design became ordinary watches, but not a reward hard-won in battle. In any case, the customs of those times prove that the owner of such a unique award was considered a true patriot and hero, earning respect from one and all.

Our days

The current generation has no idea about the value of such an attribute as the “Commander” watch of the USSR, because you can buy “something like” literally at every step, and, moreover, at extremely affordable prices. To have such a toy, it is not at all necessary to perform any heroic deeds, much less feats.

Nowadays, the production of such watches is carried out by the Vostok company, which bought the brand from the original source for mere pennies. This is not to say that the products produced by the plant are bad, but mass production still affected the quality. In the assortment you can see expensive “Komandirskie” waterproof watches (USSR analogue) and more affordable models without protection from shock and moisture.

The birth of traditions

The awarding of watches, not only “Commander’s” watches, but also ordinary registered mechanical ones, dates back to the distant 14th century (the era of the Middle Ages). In those days, traditions of this kind were purely interstate in nature, that is, various diplomats, merchants or traveling aristocrats gave such souvenirs to their foreign colleagues in order to quickly resolve a problem or initiate an important dialogue.

Europe

If we turn to the same history textbooks and archives of the State Treasury, we will see that in Medieval Europe walkers were an extremely honorable gift worthy of kings. This attribute was often compared with the works of famous jewelry makers and outstanding blacksmiths who created their products from precious metals.

In addition to being a gift, watches at that time were an indispensable attribute of decoration in aristocratic houses. Naturally, such a copy cost a lot of money, and not everyone richer than that era could afford such a pleasure.

Russia

IN Russian Empire Personalized watches began to be awarded at the beginning of the 19th century. But then it was a narrow and not at all military phenomenon: only civil officials and high-ranking courtiers received them (usually as a gift).

The award ceremony always took place in the presence of the emperor, and the watches themselves were made by the only elite Russian brand at that time - “Pavel Bure”. The production was located in St. Petersburg and did not differ in variety - pocket watches inlaid with precious metals on a chain. The cover or dial of such masterpieces was decorated with the Russian coat of arms and the name of the future owner.

Military environment

The culture of awarding watches arose only at the beginning of the last century, and extended only to certain military units. For example, famous Siberian shooters could receive gold or silver walkers as a reward for excellent possession of small arms.

During times Civil War The awarding of watches became widespread. They were received by Red Navy, cavalry and Red Army soldiers. At that time, there was simply no reward system, so many people were encouraged with this attribute. This was one of the most common forms of reward for soldiers, so the commander of any unit could easily take a watch out of his pocket and hand it to a particularly distinguished soldier right on the parade ground.

The White Guards also did not remain aloof from this kind of awards. The famous general Lavr Kornilov celebrated his subordinates for marksmanship with a red personalized watch with engraving.

However, such a disorderly presentation and attitude towards awards in general played a very insidious role in history. The awards, carried out bypassing the main intermediary in the person of Moscow and all sorts of formalities, led to the fact that most of the watches were subsequently confiscated. For example, members lost their awards under the simple pretext of fighting the costs of the tsarist regime.

Since then, the official command, remembering the unsuccessful experience, strictly observed all formalities of rewards, and the reward ritual became gradual - thoughtful and organized. Only those fighters who truly deserved it began to receive such an important attribute, having repeatedly shown their valor, courage and bravery in difficult battles.

Commander's watch

At first glance, Chistopol is an unremarkable town; thousands of them were scattered throughout Soviet Union. An ordinary regional center in Tatarstan, a pier on the Kama River, about 70 thousand inhabitants. And yet, the city of Chistopol was known in many parts of the world, on all continents globe. True, foreigners pronounced this word with great difficulty; they had to break their tongues quite a bit. It was especially hard for the Germans: “Tsshistopol!” - the burghers pronounced with difficulty, and then usually raised their thumbs up and joyfully added “Commander!”

Yes, it was in Chistopol that the famous “Commander” watches were produced. These watches have been one of the most recognizable Soviet brands in the world since the mid-60s. The USSR knew how to produce the best spaceships And ballistic missiles, the Kalashnikov assault rifle was considered the best type in the world small arms, and the T-34 tank - best tank of all times, however with consumer goods, necessary for a person V Everyday life, there were problems, to put it mildly.

The history of the Chistopol watch factory "Vostok" (ChChZ) began during the Great Patriotic War, when the Second Moscow Watch Factory was evacuated from Moscow to the Kama River. During the war years, ChChZ produced watch movements for the needs of the front. Accuracy, reliability and reliability in the most difficult conditions - Chistopol watchmakers were guided by these principles during the war, and these same principles remained the main ones when ChChZ switched to producing civilian products. From the beginning of the 50s, Vostok watches gained popularity in the USSR, and in the early 60s, watches from Chistopol became known abroad - the precision Vostok watches were awarded the Big Gold Medal at the very prestigious International Leipzig Fair at that time. But real fame came to ChChZ after in 1965, the USSR Ministry of Defense ordered a batch of shockproof anchor watches with phosphorescent hands for senior commanders.

The development of the new watch was supervised by the Minister of Defense of the USSR Rodion Malinovsky himself. Such high attention placed a special responsibility on ChChZ workers. “We developed the watch under terrible time pressure,” Valentina Fedorovna Belova, head of the exterior design bureau of the Chistopol plant, recalled in an interview with the weekly Argumenty i Fakty. - It's no joke! After all, Marshal Malinovsky himself ordered them to be made. The watch had to be the most accurate, because punctuality is needed in war, and the most durable. What was new was a dial with luminous numbers. But the main highlight is the stopping mechanism, or, in other words, the stopwatch. (They say that drawings of mechanisms used in military mines helped develop it.) Our group worked on the design of the body. We offered more than fifty options. Most of all, the minister liked the option with a star on the dial in a round case. For this we were rewarded with a bonus of 50 rubles. Enormous money - almost half my salary.”

The “commander” watch immediately won the love and respect of the officers. Even senior leaders of the defense department, who could afford to wear expensive watches from the best Swiss companies, preferred Komandirskie watches. You could take this watch to the gym, fishing or hunting, or for exercises and not be afraid of damaging it in any way. The shock-proof properties of Komandirskie are such that previously, when checking authenticity, they were simply thrown with all their might into a wall or deliberately dropped on the floor. Sophisticated buyers knew that if these were real Komandirskie, they would pass such a brutal test without any problems. The fakes did not withstand such a test, they fell apart, and, as they say, that’s where they go. The special watch for submariners “Amphibian”, created at the Chistopol plant in 1967, had even more unique properties. “...10...7...5. The wheel of the car moves inexorably, meter by meter. People froze with bated breath. What will happen? ...Three...meters, and finally, what the people gathered here had been waiting for with such curiosity happened: the wheel of the Volga moved... the clock,” this is how the newspapers described the “running” tests of the Amphibia. “Komandirsky” also had to be in combat conditions. Vietnam, Cambodia, Egypt, Afghanistan, Angola - in the hot spots of the planet, the “Commander” watches also underwent severe tests along with their owners.

Like any other cult item, the “Commander” watch became an object folklore. Here, for example, is one of the jokes: “The Commander watch is dust-proof, stone-proof, with a teeth-proof strap and a mortal strike. The clock has from 8 to 12 hands. Four show the time, the rest also show the time, but incorrectly, in order to confuse a potential enemy. The hands are coated with a special phosphorescent compound, thanks to which they glow in the dark; a potential enemy mistakes their owner for the Hound of the Baskervilles and dies on the spot from fear. They don’t relax for a second, they are always ready for battle. According to the UN convention, they are prohibited for use against civilians.”

In fact, the “civilian population” enjoyed using the “Komandirsky”; the watch from Chistopol was considered a truly “general’s” gift among civilians as well. IN Soviet time the watches were distributed through the Main Directorate of Trade of the USSR Ministry of Defense, and a simple civilian could only get “Komandirskie” watches if he had good connections among the military.

For a long time, “Commander” watches were produced with the same classic design - a massive case weighing about 100 grams made of brass or stainless steel, an image of a tank, a submarine (on the “Amphibian” watch) or simply the inscription “Commander” on the dial, a window with current date, leather or metal bracelet. Now the lineup The “commander” watch has expanded, the design of the dial has become more diverse. But the mechanical part of the watch remains unchanged - steel anchor wheels and forks, a support on 17 ruby ​​stones, watch springs made of special precision alloys, a shockproof device for the balance unit.

Abroad, the peak of popularity of “Commander” watches occurred in the second half of the 80s, after the start of perestroika, when everything Soviet became fashionable. “Soviet miracle - watches from Chistopol” - such an advertisement was displayed in the very center of New York. But Komandirskie were not just fashionable, but also a very high-quality product. The reliability of Chistopol watch movements was respected by watchmakers all over the world; it was not without reason that ChChZ supplied its mechanisms to German and Swiss companies. And in 1991, when the Americans were preparing for Operation Desert Storm, the Pentagon ordered ChChZ a batch of “Commander” watches with an image of the American flag on the dial. The Americans liked these watches so much that the initial order of 10 thousand was increased to 40 thousand.

The transition to market conditions turned out to be disastrous for watch factories of the former USSR. Watch production virtually collapsed. If in the early 80s 40–45 million watches were produced in the Soviet Union various types, then in 1998 this figure dropped to two million. The former watch giants are eking out a miserable existence, some factories are barely staying afloat, and some have stopped production altogether. The once famous brands - “Slava”, “Chaika”, “Zarya” - are now forgotten.

All of the above does not apply to only one factory and one brand of watches - Chistopol Watch and “Komandirskie”. A popular brand and skillful management saved the enterprise from collapse. Today ChChZ is the only steadily operating watch factory on the territory of the former USSR. “Komandirskie” watches, as before, are recognized throughout the world; in the rating of consumer popularity of one of the most famous watch sites “Watch & Clock”, the “Komandirskie” brand takes fourth place, ahead of the famous Seiko and other famous brands. Times change, but the “Commander” watch, one of the symbols Soviet era, is still in service, because time has no power over true values.