Little Star: Typical Greg Content

Command economies work so well. One day the big boss decides that the perfect society needs a watch for women, and like Athena from the forehead of Zeus, a new watch is born. This is how we got the Zvezda (“Little Star”), the Cartier of the U.S.S.R.  Aggressions in Europe have cooled my ardor for old Soviet watches. I don’t buy them or even look at them like I used to, but for a while there the endless variety and incredibly low cost intrigued me. I bought three Zvezda in about six months, only one of which I can wear.

The Soviet Watch industry had to start anew after the Bolshevik Revolution when all of its watch manufacturers, like those that served the royal court, fled to Switzerland. The Swiss had no interest in helping a competitor and the Soviets had a bad habit of assassinating people (mostly Russians) in Switzerland. Hampden originally provided workers, machines, and designs. When starting production of a women’s watch, the Soviets turned to France.

Fred Lippman provided the technical knowhow that enabled the opening of the Third Watch Factory in Penza in 1936. The Lip T-18 movement became the basis for the 1802 used in Zvezda models. The Second World War interrupted production, but by the early 1950’s the Penza factory turned out watches that directly borrowed from the Lip “Churchill” watches.

All of these are from the 1950’s, yet they look older. One is for my wife not to wear (there is a long history here). One my daughter wears occasionally. Mine is the beat up old one whose hands keep falling off. The case is dinged, but at least the hands are blued. They all have fixed lugs.

(My daughter will sometimes humor me by wearing this.)

I don’t know how much this one will get into rotation. I have owned it without being able to wear it for a very long time. The NATO strap is a little limiting. I don’t like leather NATO straps. They add too much height. It will keep me from buying certain other tank watches. My wallet will be thankful. (It is comfortable, with a nice curvature.)

A Zvezda cost more than a month’s salary in the worker’s paradise. They can be had for less than a steak dinner in the free world.

(I thought that I would join Chris in a reprise of my greatest hits. So, here is one.)