I'm a newbie here so can't give you an expert opinion, but I think this is a) very beuatiful, b) very rare watch. Not only in west, but also in SSSR. You can assume that ratio of "ordinary" vs. solid gold watches was in SSSR the same as in the west, but more likely smaller. Vimpel watches are rare; I just checked ebay; 8000+ "soviet" watches turn up, but only 9 Vimpels, hence 0,1 % of available soviet watches are vimpel (there are many Luch and other watches advertized with word vimpel, but not bearing this mark, I didn't count these, of course). Vimpel is considered a premium/luxury soviet brand by many, so that makes them more desirable and hence they are scarcer than many other brands that were made for peasant and worker's masses. The short time of production adds to it's rarity and desirability among collectors (and desirability increases rarity on the market). It's simple and elegant design is very attractive. Other members can say about their mechanical quality, but I think that movement is used in other watches too, i.e. Luch and Poljot premium models.
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14K Gold Vimpel
Hi
This is my first post on the forum. I've found lots of useful information here while researching my watch, and I'm posting this partly to give some information back, and partly in the hope of learning some more from the experts on the site.
A few years ago, my wife's Grandmother gave me a watch. It used to belong to her late husband, who was a colonel in the Russian army.
The watch had a very scratched crystal and was not working. It went in a drawer.
A few months ago I sent the watch off to be fixed, which gave me a look at the movement.
Here are some photos, courtesy of Christian Dannerman (Watchguy.co.uk) who fixed it:
![Watch Analog watch Watch accessory Fashion accessory Jewellery]()
![Analog watch Watch Watch accessory Fashion accessory Jewellery]()
![Fashion accessory Watch Jewellery Brass Metal]()
There are more pictures available on his blog.
From knowing next to nothing about it, I now think I know this...
- It is made of 14k gold, based on the hallmark on the back of the case. Solid gold Vimpel watches seem to be rare (based on reading this website, and ebay).
- It should date from between 1961-1963. This is because the factory opened in 1961 and in 1963 the diamond shaped mark on the movement changed. Soon enough the Vimpel name was abandoned.
- The movement is the Vimpel 2209.
Some things that I don't know, but would be interested to know are:
- Just how rare are these watches? Are they rare in the west, but common in Russia? Although I know it belonged to my wife's grandfather, I don't know how he got it. I presume he owned it from new.
- I haven't seen any pictures of similar gold metal linked straps. I'm almost sure the strap would be original..?
Thanks for the help I already got from older posts!
This is my first post on the forum. I've found lots of useful information here while researching my watch, and I'm posting this partly to give some information back, and partly in the hope of learning some more from the experts on the site.
A few years ago, my wife's Grandmother gave me a watch. It used to belong to her late husband, who was a colonel in the Russian army.
The watch had a very scratched crystal and was not working. It went in a drawer.
A few months ago I sent the watch off to be fixed, which gave me a look at the movement.
Here are some photos, courtesy of Christian Dannerman (Watchguy.co.uk) who fixed it:
There are more pictures available on his blog.
From knowing next to nothing about it, I now think I know this...
- It is made of 14k gold, based on the hallmark on the back of the case. Solid gold Vimpel watches seem to be rare (based on reading this website, and ebay).
- It should date from between 1961-1963. This is because the factory opened in 1961 and in 1963 the diamond shaped mark on the movement changed. Soon enough the Vimpel name was abandoned.
- The movement is the Vimpel 2209.
Some things that I don't know, but would be interested to know are:
- Just how rare are these watches? Are they rare in the west, but common in Russia? Although I know it belonged to my wife's grandfather, I don't know how he got it. I presume he owned it from new.
- I haven't seen any pictures of similar gold metal linked straps. I'm almost sure the strap would be original..?
Thanks for the help I already got from older posts!
1 - 20 of 34 Posts
I've seen some other bracelets very similar to that, if not identical.
I think it's a design that is somehow "classic" for soviet high-end (very high-end, I'd say) gold watches...the following are 2 examples that can currently be found on eBay:
on a Poljot
![Watch accessory Fashion accessory Watch Jewellery Metal]()
on a Raketa
![Games Mahjong Fashion accessory]()
A wonderful piece indeed. |>
I think it's a design that is somehow "classic" for soviet high-end (very high-end, I'd say) gold watches...the following are 2 examples that can currently be found on eBay:
on a Poljot
on a Raketa
A wonderful piece indeed. |>
The gold-plated version of this watch, as a bow to design, had a small acorn shaped crown that fit the slim shape of the watch perfectly, but, due to its petite size wore out fairly quickly and was often replaced. A gold version of this same crown would have worn out even more quickly. That's my reasoning but I don't know for sure. It would be interesting to know if the crown tests as solid gold.
From Antonov's collection:
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From Antonov's collection:
1 - 20 of 34 Posts
