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General Secretary, Central Committee, Communist Party USSR Chronograph!
I only saw this watch once and had to have it! It was too... outrageous.
This is the ancestor of the later day Prezident Rossii (President of Russia) Putin chronographs. But whereas with the Putin watch we have mere Neo-Czarist sleaze and nouveau-riche bad taste, I present to you an exquisite example of glorious Official Monumental Soviet Kitsch! This one makes the Putin watch look like a humble Raketa in comparison. No mere crest of the state. Instead, the portait of Leonid Brezhnev himself, outlined in gold, surrounded by a golden circle, his signature in gold letters, and not one, but FOUR red stars.
These commemorate the four times (only) he was named Hero of the Soviet Union (only Marshal Zhukov had got it 4 times, for defeating the ****s!) Brezhnev sort of awarded it to himself! As if the gold on his face is not enough, the bezel is painted black to provide contrast to the majestic gold letters: GENERALNY SEKRETAR TsK KPSS: General Secretary, Central Committee, Communist Party of the Soviet Union. All this with gold hands and a pristine white dial, sitting on a HUGE gold-tone case!!! Ah, gold, this most socialist of metals! A HUMBLE watch, no? It is so overdone and monumentally kitsch that I actually like it!
I am sure the General Secretary personally approved the design and perhaps even conceived it! I wonder, were these given to official visitors? Who was then the lucky recipient? Or were they for sale? Who would buy them, except of course crazies like me? At any rate, it is limited issue, 004/999! Another very socialist thing, the limited production individually numbered watch! And yes, a superb 3133 is ticking inside; this is the equal of any Sturmanskie in the field or in a stormy Politburo session. Waterproof also so it can be worn in the steam bath (best thing in the morning for a vodka hangover). And of course, the chronograph function comes in handy when timing official speaches.
And yes! I am wearing this one to work. Proudly!
I only saw this watch once and had to have it! It was too... outrageous.
This is the ancestor of the later day Prezident Rossii (President of Russia) Putin chronographs. But whereas with the Putin watch we have mere Neo-Czarist sleaze and nouveau-riche bad taste, I present to you an exquisite example of glorious Official Monumental Soviet Kitsch! This one makes the Putin watch look like a humble Raketa in comparison. No mere crest of the state. Instead, the portait of Leonid Brezhnev himself, outlined in gold, surrounded by a golden circle, his signature in gold letters, and not one, but FOUR red stars.
These commemorate the four times (only) he was named Hero of the Soviet Union (only Marshal Zhukov had got it 4 times, for defeating the ****s!) Brezhnev sort of awarded it to himself! As if the gold on his face is not enough, the bezel is painted black to provide contrast to the majestic gold letters: GENERALNY SEKRETAR TsK KPSS: General Secretary, Central Committee, Communist Party of the Soviet Union. All this with gold hands and a pristine white dial, sitting on a HUGE gold-tone case!!! Ah, gold, this most socialist of metals! A HUMBLE watch, no? It is so overdone and monumentally kitsch that I actually like it!
I am sure the General Secretary personally approved the design and perhaps even conceived it! I wonder, were these given to official visitors? Who was then the lucky recipient? Or were they for sale? Who would buy them, except of course crazies like me? At any rate, it is limited issue, 004/999! Another very socialist thing, the limited production individually numbered watch! And yes, a superb 3133 is ticking inside; this is the equal of any Sturmanskie in the field or in a stormy Politburo session. Waterproof also so it can be worn in the steam bath (best thing in the morning for a vodka hangover). And of course, the chronograph function comes in handy when timing official speaches.
And yes! I am wearing this one to work. Proudly!
