# Gruen Soviet - Soviet?



## Watch Komrade Arthur (Sep 16, 2011)

Excuse me if this is old hat, but being new here, do members consider the Gruen Soviet a Soviet/Russian watch? Do you collect them? I believe that the movement is Soviet, and IMO the movement is the watch.


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## Kutusov (Apr 19, 2010)

I know there's a member here with one, or maybe it's one the other UK forum... I know I've seen one on the weekend topics not long ago. AFAIK, the watch design is inspired in the Russian Zlatoust Vodolaz canteen divers, as many other watches like the Invicta Russian Diver.

They are not design in Russia though and are/were assembled probably in China (but definitely not in Russia). I did a quick search on the movement and they seem to come with different ones but basically many have Russian quartz movements, typically a quartz Poljot 2356.

So more to your question... do I consider them a Russian watch? No, I don't, even if the movement is Russian. Just like Vostok-Europe never was a Russian brand, they were made in Lithuania. Even if they used Russian movements and had a long lasting link to Russian factories from the time of the Soviet Union, they weren't Russian.

I'm talking about VE because you are probably thinking what I was thinking regarding VE a few weeks ago... were do you post these? Well, probably here... they do have/had Russian movements and were probably made in China, so...


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## Chascomm (Sep 9, 2005)

Kutusov said:


> They are not design in Russia though and are/were assembled probably in China (but definitely not in Russia).


It is extremely unlikely that they were assembled in China back in the 1980s. Perhaps you meant Hong Kong?

The story I heard about the Gruen Soviet was that it was assembled in Italy. I've no idea if that is true, but Soviet watches were huge over there in the Gorby era.


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## Kutusov (Apr 19, 2010)

Chascomm said:


> Perhaps you meant Hong Kong?
> 
> The story I heard about the Gruen Soviet was that it was assembled in Italy.


Yes, HK, sorry. That was still British territory back then. Could also be true about Italy, in the version I've read the brand was based on Italy, or the design and specs where determined by someone in Italy. So maybe the parts were sourced from Russia (or satellite countries or even Italian NOS of Russian movements as there seem to be a vaierty of different movements on these) and put together on Italy.

I like canteen divers and I'm yet to find one that I like under 45mm and for a sensible price (there's the U-Boats but they are a bit expensive fr what they are). What I dislike about this one is it being quartz and trying to hard to appear Soviet. It's a bit like a kid wearing an Iron Maiden t-shirt with baggy trousers and lace-ups.


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## Chascomm (Sep 9, 2005)

Kutusov said:


> Chascomm said:
> 
> 
> > Perhaps you meant Hong Kong?
> ...


I wonder which came first, the Chaika 'Red Star' or the Gruen Soviet? The dials are very similar. But in most respects the Soviet is definitely a homage to the 191ChS dive watches.

The funny thing is that many years later, Swatch did a watch with the same dial (white with big black numbers and a big red star) in a black case. It was the regular plastic Swatch case but the colour reminded me of the black cased Soviet. But no, surely the Swatch Group would never copy Russian watches...


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## Kutusov (Apr 19, 2010)

Chascomm said:


> I wonder which came first, the Chaika 'Red Star' or the Gruen Soviet? The dials are very similar. But in most respects the Soviet is definitely a homage to the 191ChS dive watches.
> 
> The funny thing is that many years later, Swatch did a watch with the same dial (white with big black numbers and a big red star) in a black case. It was the regular plastic Swatch case but the colour reminded me of the black cased Soviet. But no, surely the Swatch Group would never copy Russian watches...


Is this the Chaika Red Star?










It's a bit different from the Gruen but it's pretty much the Soviet style of many watches (Raketa Big Zero spring to mind, although very different)... Big numbers, something red a 12 o'clock.

I've searched for that Swatch you've mentioned but the only thing I came across was some watch from the James Bond villain series, a blue one with a red star at 12 and apparently a homage to the movie "From Russia with love".


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## Chascomm (Sep 9, 2005)

Kutusov said:


> Chascomm said:
> 
> 
> > I wonder which came first, the Chaika 'Red Star' or the Gruen Soviet? The dials are very similar. But in most respects the Soviet is definitely a homage to the 191ChS dive watches.
> ...


I saw that Swatch new in a shop several years ago so unfortunately I can't offer you a model number. The dial was pretty much exactly like the Chaika in the picture. Actually that picture is one that I took years ago of a friend's watch. Where did you find it?


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## Kutusov (Apr 19, 2010)

Chascomm said:


> I saw that Swatch new in a shop several years ago so unfortunately I can't offer you a model number. The dial was pretty much exactly like the Chaika in the picture. Actually that picture is one that I took years ago of a friend's watch. Where did you find it?


So it is! I got it from one of your posts over at WUS  

http://forums.watchuseek.com/f10/chaika-space-watch-55362.html

I confess I hadn't check the user's name until now


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## Vaurien (Jul 19, 2010)

Kutusov said:


> Chascomm said:
> 
> 
> > I saw that Swatch new in a shop several years ago so unfortunately I can't offer you a model number. The dial was pretty much exactly like the Chaika in the picture. Actually that picture is one that I took years ago of a friend's watch. Where did you find it?
> ...


There is! There is one on ebay.... :thumbup:

I don't publish the number, 'cause the auction is still open...


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## Kutusov (Apr 19, 2010)

Vaurien said:


> I don't publish the number, 'cause the auction is still open...


   Good luck with you bidding!! ^_^


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