Soviet Watch Museum

Description

The release of this model was directly connected with the Space Race. After the launch of the first artificial Earth satellite in 1957, the Soviet Union experienced a powerful wave of patriotic enthusiasm. The Chistopol Watch Factory responded to this trend and began producing the Sputnik watch in 1958. The most recognizable feature of this watch is, of course, the rotating seconds disc used instead of a conventional hand. The disc depicts a satellite, while the seconds scale is visible through a special aperture. According to its description, the watch corresponds to design variant I in the 1960 Vinogradov's catalogue. However, the catalogue contains a discrepancy between the written description and the photograph. This appears to be one of those cases where the catalogue itself includes an error: a photograph of a different Sputnik watch, with painted hands and numerals, was used instead.