Twentieth century Russian wristwatches are too costly for many native buyers, but they are still inexpensive for Western Collectors, and are becoming extremely popular. Watch faces commemorate all the great moments of Russian and Soviet history-from Yuri Gagarin's space flight to the Summit meeting between Gorbachev and George Bush-and celebrate Russian culture with images of native costumes from Chechnya to the Ukraine. Collectors have long clamored for a definitive reference and this new book will satisfy even the most avid enthusiast, with photographs of over 500 watches manufactured in Russia and the USSR during the second half of this century, and explanations of their styles, workings, and manufacturers. Poljot, Wostok, and Slava wristwatches are covered, along with a sampling of pocket watches, deck watches, and marine chronometers. This book is a must for serious collectors in the growing field of Russian timekeepers.
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Text: English (translation)
Original Language: German
Original Language: German
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10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars
Introduction in contemporary Russian timepieces,
By Jenne Algra (Apeldoorn, Gld Netherlands) - See all my reviews
This review is from: Russian Wristwatches: Pocket Watches, Stop Watches, Onboard Clock & Chronometers (Schiffer Book for Collectors) (Paperback)
Between 1990 and present, there has been a tremendous surge in collecting Russian and Sovjet timepieces, especially in Europe. Still, complete and comprehensive documentation is elusive. So far, two authors have attempted to categorize and document the subject in books. The book by mr. Levenberg covers mostly the era from 1970 through present. Thereby, the highly interesting timeframe between the 30's and the 70's is overlooked, limiting the usefulness of the book to collectors of fairly recent pieces. If this is your area of interest, I would recommend you to purchase this book. First it is translated from German to English. Furthermore, the quality of the information is of acceptable level, but sometimes lacking interesting details. The horological information (mostly brands and calibers) covers the timeframe nicely. Additional information, e.g. Cyrillic translations are interesting extras for collectors. I have found the price guide to be unrealistically high when used at auctions or watch fairs, so use it with caution. If you are interested in a broader view on Russian and Sovjet Era (pre 1991) watches, I would recommend to also consider the 2 books in German language by mr. Ceyp. These hardcover, full color books document a wider scope. Volume 1 'Faszination Russische Uhren' covers about the same era as the book by mr. Levenberg but shows more detail, while volume 2 'Faszination Sovjetische Uhren' covers the less recent history in abundance. I would rate these books with 4*. Still, I have not found the the ultimate, definitive book on the subject Russian and Sovjet timepieces.
3.0 out of 5 stars
Old information, b/w photo, strange catalog,
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Amazon Verified Purchase(What's this?)
This review is from: Russian Wristwatches: Pocket Watches, Stop Watches, Onboard Clock & Chronometers (Schiffer Book for Collectors) (Paperback)
Be ready to find price information such old as author used DM - not euro.The catalog include some watch from USSR (before 1991), but the most of photo is about Russian watch. I have not any idea about using black and white photo. It's strange. Some watch shown only from backside. The history information about brand is so short, that you can put it on 5 pages. The catalog have not any system of catalogization by time period.
4.0 out of 5 stars
A good introduction to a complex topic,
By Clang (australia) - See all my reviews
Amazon Verified Purchase(What's this?)
This review is from: Russian Wristwatches: Pocket Watches, Stop Watches, Onboard Clock & Chronometers (Schiffer Book for Collectors) (Paperback)
There is lots of good stuff here.There is generally a one page outline of each of the main watch factories, their history and the main types of watch they produce. There is a photo identity and brief description of each of the main watch calibres, both dial and movement. There is a list of auction results for famous watches (space exploration, etc) and a valuation of all the other types. There is a description of other interesting stop watches (olympics, etc), ships' chronographs and military aircraft cockpit clocks. Levenberg often notes which watches are similar to other earlier models, which are often swiss. He also mentions the American Hampden and Ansonia factories which were bought and moved to Russia in the 1930s. I found the book most interesting and a very good reference for the casual collector, and am pleased to have bought it.
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