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Hello and welcome to my online watch box  🙂


I am a mechanical watch hobbyist and Soviet watch nerd who got my start in late 2014 after snagging a $10 Pobeda on eBay — my first ever mechanical watch. Since then, my collection has grown to over 3,500 pieces from the former USSR.  

 

You can find photos of my watches under the collection tab, where most watches are sorted by the text written on the dial (usually this is a brand, but not always). Watches are grouped by variety in the types tab, and you can find many other helpful resources in the more tab.

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Of course, the burning question is: why Soviet watches? The simple answer is that I like them. At their heart, Soviet watches are functional and utilitarian, but dig further and you uncover a world of mystery and intrigue, color and pizazz. I am not a collector of watches as much as I am a collector of history and culture — fragments of a life that once was. And indeed, these timepieces have an incredible tale to tell. They tell the stories of an industry in its infancy through to its peak; of war and triumph and loss; of burgeoning technology; of the mother who bestowed upon her son a token of her love. These glimpses into a bygone era bring inanimate objects to life.

I have watches from many different countries, but those from the USSR are particularly appealing to me. I find Soviet designs tasteful and interesting, the Cyrillic writing exotic and alluring, the history endlessly fascinating, the prices affordable, and the number of variations mind-boggling.

People often ask me which watch is my favorite, and while it's impossible to identify just one, I do have strong preferences toward dress styles and simple, clean designs, which generally include a sweep second hand and no date complication. I am also particular about size, gravitating toward watches from 33–37mm in diameter, and almost always in a round case. My favorite era is undoubtedly the 1960s due to the no-nonsense approach to watch design.

I am originally from Austin, Texas and will always have my roots in the American South. That's me over there, jumping bales of hay as a kiddo. I now live in Estonia with my wife and children. By day, I work as a designer for a tech startup, and for fun, I like to experience new places and cultures.

I am always eager to discuss watches and meet others in this field, so please feel free to get in touch

 

Thanks for visiting —

Dash

Special thanks to:

Ilya Saryzin, Roman Iskrun, Filip Draws, Chin Sheng Lee, Dmitri Janakov, Orlin Rusev, Richard Matyšek,
Luís Lopes, 
Grzegorz Magdoń, David Duff, Brian Murray, Peter Dolenc, Paul Schnurr, Stefan Bosman, Ulices Rosa, Łukasz Radziszewski, and the countless others who have helped to make this collection and website possible. 

 

And most importantly, thanks to my wife, Triinu, whose patience, understanding,  generosity, love, and support have shaped me into the collector I am today.

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