# Molinja Dials



## citizenhell (Jul 12, 2010)

Found these images on the web.



















Anyone come across these before?

Just spotted my spelling mistake on the title - should of course be Molnija


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## Julian Latham (Jul 25, 2005)

citizenhell said:


> Found these images on the web.
> 
> 
> 
> ...


Pound to a penny that they are Ukranian 'Franken' watches. Nearly all the 50mm open face 3602 pocket watches purporting to be WWII military watches are fakes - but still interesting in their own right.


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## citizenhell (Jul 12, 2010)

They did seem to be bigger than the regular Russian watches, so I suspect you are right. That added to the fact that there was nothing even remotely like them on the reference site Kutusov told me about.

They do look interesting but way too big for me anyway. Shame as I'd probably have bought one as a pocket watch.

Fascinating learning process with these russian watches, seeing all of the different things they do to timepieces.

Cheers, for the opinion :thumbsup:


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## Vaurien (Jul 19, 2010)

Totally franken!









:thumbsdown:

The worst thing in these watches is that they falsify the story of russian watchmaking, that deserves better care!


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## Kutusov (Apr 19, 2010)

Vaurien said:


> Totally franken!
> 
> 
> 
> ...


+1

...not that some don't look nice. That second one would be lovely without the penguins and that subdial between 11 and 2. There are some nice "WW2" navigator dials too and lot's of nazi stuff (Waffen SS especially). All that makes it extra difficult to know what's what...


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## Vaurien (Jul 19, 2010)

Kutusov said:


> Vaurien said:
> 
> 
> > Totally franken!
> ...


Yes, I know what you're speaking of.

The "nazi stuff" are history falsifier exactly in the sense I was speaking in my post. No russian factory would produce something glorifying nazi enterprises, or nazi aircraft, or everything else of nazy - too much suffering during WW2. :thumbsdown:

About navigator watches, soviet watch factories never made that model before or during the war, but...










This is the pattern for all those "navigator WW2" watches, is'n it?

This is a picture I took in Politechnical Museum in Moscow, this summer.

Can you read the legend on the left? :grin:


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## Chascomm (Sep 9, 2005)

Vaurien said:


> About navigator watches, soviet watch factories never made that model before or during the war, but...
> 
> 
> 
> ...


Specialist Wristwatch

for (something not in my Russian dictionary)

Germany 1940s

The other sign says

Aircraft Clock

Chelyabinsk Watch Factory

USSR (can't read the date)

So one of them is a Molnija, but not the one you might expect.


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## Vaurien (Jul 19, 2010)

Chascomm said:


> Specialist Wristwatch
> 
> for (something not in my Russian dictionary)
> 
> ...


Yes, Chascomm, you're right! 

The unknown word is "observer", like Beobachtung: it refers to the aircraft navigator, the man who observes around and draws the route.

While the date of Cheliabinsk clock in the legend seems 1987.


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## Kutusov (Apr 19, 2010)

That German navigator seams in great shape for a WW2 watch... I doubt it's from that period, most likely an homage of some kind or a reissue. But I would mind owning that! Looks brilliant!


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## Vaurien (Jul 19, 2010)

Kutusov said:


> That German navigator seams in great shape for a WW2 watch... I doubt it's from that period, most likely an homage of some kind or a reissue. But I would mind owning that! Looks brilliant!


I don't think so.

First, the picture have been taken in the Politechnic Museum of Moscow by me. You can think what you want of russian culture, but I found very fine Museums in Russia! :notworthy:

Second, that Observer watch is very big - not a daily watch at all. Likely to be used only during the aircraft flight time, and then to be kept in its box.

Third: it's a tool, a flight tool and.... a german tool. Do you know what I mean.....

 B)


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## Kutusov (Apr 19, 2010)

Vaurien said:


> Museum of Moscow by me. You can think what you want of russian culture, but I found very fine Museums in Russia! :notworthy:
> 
> Third: it's a tool, a flight tool and.... a german tool. Do you know what I mean.....


Oh, I think highly of Russian culture! In fact I think no one else takes it as seriously. Might be more investment in others countries with more money but in the end it's also pretty much about the money anyway.

...and I do know what you mean about German tools


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