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GUB 64 - a relict from the cold war

4K views 13 replies 10 participants last post by  storyteller 
#1 ·
I recently acquired a GUB 64. The watch is not Soviet nor Russian, thus the OT label, but still I prefer to present it here instead of the German forum, because it is a relict of the Cold war.
Its first owner was a Bulgarian military who received it as an award after joint military exercises with the Soviet army. After the exercises some Bulgarian officers were invited to Berlin for a final analysis and distribution of honors and decorations. Unfortunately, the heirs of the old gentleman couldn't remember the exact year.

GUB cal. 64 was produced in 1954 - 1961 (
http://www.glashuetteuhren.de/kaliberuebersichten-modelle/glashuetter-uhrenbetriebe/kaliber-64/) which narrowed the options. After some investigation, the most plausible years seem to be 1958 - when parallel military exercises were organized for Soviet and Bulgarian troops in Bulgaria, and Soviet - German in DDR. A second, less likely option, could be the "Buria" (Storm) exercises in 1961. "Buria" were probably the first large-scale military exercises of the Warsaw Pact, but no Bulgarian troops took part in them, so it is less likely for a Bulgarian military to receive an award there. But maybe there were some minor-scale exercises in Bulgaria in parallel to "Storm''. One can't be sure with all this Cold war secrecy.

Analog watch Watch Watch accessory Fashion accessory Strap


The movement is piece of history on its own - it is a flyback chronograph based on Urofa 59, used by German pilots during the WW2. Interestingly, it seems closer to the earlier versions of the movement. As far as I understood (it is in German), by the end of the war some minor modifications were introduced in Urofa 59 mostly in order to make it easier and cheaper to produce. For example, a reset spring was made of wire instead of die-stamped. (Kaliber 59 - Uhrenhersteller und Uhrwerke aus Glashuette). This modification was kept by all the post-war heirs of Urofa 59 (if I understood correctly the German text), including in USSR. See a perfect illustrated comparison by Mark Gordon here (https://www.watchuseek.com/f10/1949-chrono-urofa-59-a-421839.html). However, the engeneers from Glashutte decided to move back to the original die-stamped version in GUB 64. Maybe the most important change from Urofa 59 to GUB 64 is the size - 28 instead of 34 mm, and the shockproof device.

Analog watch Watch accessory Watch Fashion accessory Strap


You can read a lot about this movement on this excellent sites:
(Kaliber 64 - Uhrenhersteller und Uhrwerke aus Glashuette)
(64 - Jean Neef)
(GUB 64)

For me the historical context is equally important. Imagine - the 1958-1961 era, Berlin crisis and "Storm" exercises with new Warsaw pact military doctrine (offensive one!), Iranian crisis and military exercises in Black sea area, and this WW2-based watch being produced and awarded to officers from the allied armies... Cold war images coming alive, that is why I post it here.

No, really, what a piece of history!
 
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#3 · (Edited)
I recently acquired a GUB 64. The watch is not Soviet nor Russian, thus the OT label, but still I prefer to present it here instead of the German forum, because it is a relict of the Cold war.
Its first owner was a Bulgarian military who received it as an award after joint military exercises with the Soviet army. After the exercises some Bulgarian officers were invited to Berlin for a final analysis and distribution of honors and decorations. Unfortunately, the heirs of the old gentleman couldn't remember the exact year.

GUB cal. 64 was produced in 1954 - 1961 (
http://www.glashuetteuhren.de/kaliberuebersichten-modelle/glashuetter-uhrenbetriebe/kaliber-64/) which narrowed the options. After some investigation, the most plausible years seem to be 1958 - when parallel military exercises were organized for Soviet and Bulgarian troops in Bulgaria, and Soviet - German in DDR. A second, less likely option, could be the "Buria" (Storm) exercises in 1961. "Buria" were probably the first large-scale military exercises of the Warsaw Pact, but no Bulgarian troops took part in them, so it is less likely for a Bulgarian military to receive an award there. But maybe there were some minor-scale exercises in Bulgaria in parallel to "Storm''. One can't be sure with all this Cold war secrecy.

View attachment 703806

The movement is piece of history on its own - it is a flyback chronograph based on Urofa 59, used by German pilots during the WW2. Interestingly, it seems closer to the earlier versions of the movement. As far as I understood (it is in German), by the end of the war some minor modifications were introduced in Urofa 59 mostly in order to make it easier and cheaper to produce. For example, a reset spring was made of wire instead of die-stamped. (Kaliber 59 - Uhrenhersteller und Uhrwerke aus Glashuette). This modification was kept by all the post-war heirs of Urofa 59 (if I understood correctly the German text), including in USSR. See a perfect illustrated comparison by Mark Gordon here (https://www.watchuseek.com/f10/1949-chrono-urofa-59-a-421839.html). However, the engeneers from Glashutte decided to move back to the original die-stamped version in GUB 64. Maybe the most important change from Urofa 59 to GUB 64 is the size - 28 instead of 34 mm, and the shockproof device.

View attachment 703815

You can read a lot about this movement on this excellent sites:
(Kaliber 64 - Uhrenhersteller und Uhrwerke aus Glashuette)
(64 - Jean Neef)
(GUB 64)

For me the historical context is equally important. Imagine - the 1958-1961 era, Berlin crisis and "Storm" exercises with new Warsaw pact military doctrine (offensive one!), Iranian crisis and military exercises in Black sea area, and this WW2-based watch being produced and awarded to officers from the allied armies... Cold war images coming alive, that is why I post it here.

No, really, what a piece of history!
You are a good storyteller, Storyteller!

The watch is fantastic. Is the hour hand hiding behind the minute hand?

Thanks for sharing!
 
#5 · (Edited)
Stunning! When I typically think of DDR watches, inexpensive pin lever movements come to mind. This, however, is a very nice Glashutte chronograph -- even the Hanhart/Tutima fans on the German forum would have to respect something like this. I'll have to keep an eye out for one of these (though I have a feeling I'll be looking for quite a while)!

Edit: after checking the prices for examples of these online, it seems that the market certainly appreciates this watch!
 
#7 ·
Wow, what a nice peice. The movement is very beautiful, as is the rest of the watch. The history behind it, and the story makes it over the top cool! It's good that such an important peice, has an owner who appreciates it, and will give it a propper home.


Nice to see Mr. Gordon here too. (I haven't been here long)

Thanks for posting that beauty. Andy
 
#9 ·
Thanks a lot.
JRMtactical, you deserve special praise, because asked about this watch history when I have first shown it on "what is on your wrist" thread. I presumed it should be some bureaucrat, but asked the seller - just in case - and here came the story.

I think the fellow took part in these exercises (Совместные учения болгарских и советских войск в июле 1958 года - Википедия) in 1958, because he was in Varna then and the exercises were focused on Black sea region.

But it was interesting to read about 1958 - 1961 - Berlin crisis and SU / US tank stand-off there, ballistic rockets powerful enough to send man to space or to the moon (space flights were kind of minor side-line to their primary tasks), Chinese comrades urgently asking 'shall we fight the Capitalists or shall we divorce". In retrospection, it was a narrow miss.
 
#10 ·
Thanks a lot.
JRMtactical, you deserve special praise, because asked about this watch history when I have first shown it on "what is on your wrist" thread. I presumed it should be some bureaucrat, but asked the seller - just in case - and here came the story.

I think the fellow took part in these exercises (Совместные учения болгарских и советских войск в июле 1958 гоU
да - Википедия
) in 1958, because he was in Varna then and the exercises were focused on Black sea region.

But it was interesting to read about 1958 - 1961 - Berlin crisis and SU / US tank stand-off there, ballistic rockets powerful enough to send man to space or to the moon (space flights were kind of minor side-line to their primary tasks), Chinese comrades urgently asking 'shall we fight the Capitalists or shall we divorce". In retrospection, it was a narrow miss.
Yes, those were heady days, indeed. The world was always 'on the brink' of total disaster...but cooler heads prevailed. I'm an amateur historian and I love reading the political balances/imbalances the world over. Looking at the acts of terroris
and religious based fervor, well...it almost makes the cold war seem better. However, we all know it is not. I much prefer the Glasnost / perestroika we have now...our watch addictions are much more easy to 'feed'! :)
 
#13 ·
Officers being awarded column-wheel chronographs after an exercise? My god. We officers in the Nato area never enjoyed such niceties... well my first-lieutenant service was well 20 years after that, though. I always thought we were the lucky and rich guys... and we mostly had Seikos or Casios quartzs.. Amazing story, magnificent watch (what a movement.. true beauty).
 
#14 ·
There was an old empirial tradition in Russia of giving award watches, which survived after the Revolution. Sometimes they were quite expensive - e.g. solid gold ones, awarded both before and after 1917 (Наградные часы - Википедия).
I guess there is a continuity with the mediaeval practices of a monarch giving precious things to his immediate followers, things which belonged to him personally and could establish a physical, body connection. Like a wedding ring. The Tzars used to give expensive watches, Stalin kept the good practice, etc. Vladimir Putin was reported of giving his watch (Blancpain, I think) to a worker, and the presidency commissions award watches regularly (cheaper than Blancpain, I presume), so Kremlin traditions seem stronger than mere revolutions or democratizations.
If you are interested, you can see many award watches in Mark Gordon's collection.
But you shouldn't worry - regular pilots didn't receive Omega chronographs as service watches (as I suppose you did) in the 1950s. Gagarin had a cheap version of Pobeda for his flight to the space.
 
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