The military postal service, in the two World Wars, proved to be an essential service to maintain the morale of the troops. It was often the only way to maintain contact with loved ones for months or even years.
Luch women’s watch commemorating the Russian military postal service during World War II
The importance of the military postal service
In some cases, the urgency of the mobilization did not even allow greeting their loved ones. It’s precisely for this reason that in all wars a lot of importance has been given to the efficiency of the postal service. Often receiving a letter or postcard simply meant that your loved one was still alive. On the other hand, news of their loved ones displaced often in remote areas and far from the front revived in the soldiers the desire to fight to protect their loved ones from the invading enemy.
The postal service counts as the ammunition transport
Specially prepared railway wagons were intended exclusively for the transport of letters. The service was free. The priority of the correspondence was the same date as the supplies and ammunition. In some areas of the country, where delivery was particularly dangerous or difficult, mail or, in some cases, secret messages, was entrusted to carrier pigeons. The Germans often shot pigeons trying to intercept mail. Hawks specially trained also killed carrier pigeons.
Where did the triangle come from?
The triangular letter in Russia, or rather in the countries of the former Soviet bloc, was a symbol of the military postal service, of the letters of war.
Many were the formats of the letters sent to and from the front but the triangular letter is certainly the most famous and symbolic. It is said that all children knew how to fold a sheet of paper correctly.
Censorship controlled all the letters that passed. The folding system of the triangle letters allowed the opening and closing of the letters quickly and safely.
How to fold triangle letters
The Luch watch
A ladies’ watch with a very pretty dial. You can see 3/4 triangular letters and on being a red postmark with the inscriptions CCCP and Victoria in Russian. The watch was made in 1995 to commemorate the fiftieth anniversary of the end of the Great Patriotic War, as it is called the Second World War in Russia.
Luch watch commemorative dial of the Soviet war postal service
Monument to the postman of the first line
There is in the city of Voronezh a monument dedicated to front-line postmen. The statue is inspired by Corporal Ivan Leontiev who died during the war while delivering mail in the front line and was awarded the medal “To military merit”.
DISCLAIMER
This watch is part of the Sovietaly collection. Please ask for permission to use the photographs of the watch.
This watch belongs to the sub-collection dedicated to space, specifically the Russian Space Military Forces. It was acquired through a less competitive auction on eBay.de and was delivered this morning via Deutsche Post. The description provided was inadequate, resulting in the watch not appearing in regular searches conducted by collectors.
THE VOSTOK RUSSIAN SPACE MILITARY FORCES WATCH Brand: VOSTOK – KOMANDIRSKIE Category: SPACE – MILITARY Movement: AUTOMATIC MECHANICAL Availability: RARE
DIAL
The dial is the most captivating aspect of the watch, featuring a complex and visually engaging design. It can be divided into two distinct concentric parts, both circular in shape.
Vostok Generalskie Russian Space Forces
Outer Part: The outer part of the dial is light brown in color, showcasing white Arabic numeral indices, excluding the number 3 to accommodate the date window, as well as the numbers 6, 9, and 12. Instead of these indices, there is a white four-pointed star with a brown inner part. The star has the same height as the numerals.
Small minute indices are present, and the hour markers feature a yellow/green luminescent dot. Two luminescent dots are positioned at 12 o’clock.
The absence of any text suggests that it is a transitional era watch.
Inner Part: The inner part of the dial has a sugar blue color and displays various pieces of information.
At the top, there is a Cyrillic inscription: Военно Космические Силы, which translates to “Military Space Forces.”
In the center, there are abbreviations: МО РФ, representing “Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation.”
Immediately below, one of the winged emblems of the Aerospace Forces is depicted.
At the bottom, the Vostok symbol and the inscription “Komandirskie” can be found, although it should be noted that the case is clearly Generalskie.
The dial may have faded over time, as the central part of the emblem should be blue. It is likely that the outer part was originally closer to blue than brown in color.
No additional details are present on the dial.
HANDS
The hour and minute hands have a gold color and feature the classic shape found in Komandirskie watches. The luminescent material on the hands matches the yellow/green color on the dial.
The seconds hand is red and lacks a luminescent dot.
CASE AND CROWN
The case is of the 097XXX type, indicating a Generalskie case finished with TiN (Titanium Nitride).
The screw-down crown is also finished with TiN and has a domed outer part.
No notable features are present on the case.
BEZEL
The gold-colored bezel, also finished with TiN, complements the case. It is a standard bidirectional bezel with 5 red dots, one of which is larger, and the remaining 7 dots are black. The bezel does not click.
CASEBACK
The original caseback of the watch has been replaced with a transparent mineral glass one, making it impossible to determine the original caseback. It is likely that a standard caseback was initially in place.
orologio Vostok Forze Militari Spaziali Russe
MOVEMENT
The watch is powered by a Vostok 2416Б automatic mechanical movement with manual winding capability.
The balance wheel features the Vostok symbol.
Jewels: 31 jewels Frequency: 19,800 vibrations per hour Power reserve: 40 hours
HISTORICAL NOTES ON THE RUSSIAN SPACE MILITARY FORCES
The Russian Space Military Forces (Russian: Космические войска: воздушно-кос
мические силы; transliterated: Vozdušno-Kosmičeskie Sily Rossii) constituted a branch of the armed forces of the Russian Federation responsible for military operations in space. The military command was based in Moscow.
Established on August 10, 1982, as a separate branch of the Soviet armed forces, the organization became part of the military forces of the newly formed Russian Federation on May 7, 1992. In 1997, the VKS (Vozdušno-Kosmičeskie Sily) were incorporated into the Strategic Missile Forces. In June 2001, they were officially reconstituted as an independent section of the Russian armed forces.
On August 1, 2015, the Space Military Forces merged with the Air Force, forming the Russian Aerospace Forces.
FUN FACTS ABOUT THE RUSSIAN SPACE MILITARY FORCES
The emblem of the Space Military Forces, which is displayed on the watch dial and is common among Soviet, Russian, and modern watches, is quite distinct. Finding credible information about it through regular search engines can be challenging. However, I discovered a credible discussion on a Russian antiquarian forum: https://forum.ww2.ru/index.php?showtopic=46257
In a post from 2007, a user reported the following:
Приложение к Приказу Министра обороны СССР 1989 г. №160 ОПИСАНИЕ нагрудного знака для классных специалистов из числа лиц офицерского состава, прапорщиков и мичманов, проходящих службу в соединениях, частях и учреждениях Управления начальника космических средств Министрерства обороны СССР. Нагрудный знак представляет собой развернутые крылья золотистого цвета. В центре знака на фоне вселенной темно-синего цвета – изображение земного шара светло-голубого цвета. Земной шар опоясан золотистой орбитой спутника. Контур вселенной обрамлен лавровыми ветвями, на крайнюю часть которых наложена пятиконечная звезда, покрытая красной эмалью, на нижнюю часть – ромб, в центре которого соответственно классу расположены цифры – 1, 2, 3 или буква “М”, покрытые белой эмалью.
“Appendix to the Order of the Minister of Defense of the USSR 1989 No. 160 DESCRIPTION of the breast badge for class specialists among the officers, warrant officers, and midshipmen serving in the units, units, and institutions of the Office of the Chief of Space Forces of the Ministry of Defense of the USSR. The breast badge is an extended wing of golden color. In the center of the badge, against the background of the universe of dark blue color, there is an image of a light blue globe. The globe is surrounded by a golden satellite orbit. The contour of the universe is framed by laurel branches, on the outer part of which a five-pointed star covered with red enamel is superimposed, and on the lower part, there is a diamond, in the center of which, depending on the class, numbers – 1, 2, 3, or the letter “M” covered with white enamel are located.”
COLLECTION
This watch is an appropriate addition to sub-collections featuring watches with both space and military themes.
Welcome to the story of Sovietaly, my collection of Russian and Soviet watches that has evolved over the years. In 2017, I began to feel the need to make sense of and structure the growing size of my collection.
In an attempt to organize information and share my passion for Russian and Soviet watches, I decided to create a website. After exploring various options, I chose Google Sites for its simplicity and my previous familiarity with it.
The result is the site you can visit here: https://sites.google.com/view/sovietaly. This space not only allowed me to showcase my collection but also raised an important question: what to call this unique collection of watches?
The name “Sovietaly” originated from a suggestion by a dear collector friend who captured the deep connection between the “Soviet” concept and Italy. This name has become my distinctive brand, also used as a nickname in groups and forums. I decided to trademark (™) it after legal consultation, recognizing the value and protection my collection deserved.
The second step was to find a logo that fully represented the essence of Sovietaly. Inspired by iconic symbols like the Raketa Big Zero watch, the sickle and hammer of the Soviet Union, and the colors of the Italian flag, the logo was created in collaboration with a professional on Fiverr.com.
Since then, the Sovietaly logo has become a recognizable and original element, proudly accompanying the collection. Over time, I have also experimented with its presentation, using only the text as a watermark for photos on social media.
Sovietaly’s journey has been an exciting one of growth, learning, and sharing. I hope this story can inspire other watch enthusiasts and collectors. Thank you for being part of this adventure!
The Raketa Marine, a classic among Russian watches with a little secret…
Raketa 24h Marine
Raketa Marine is one of my favourite classics, one of the most famous and sought after Raketa 24h watches. Produced during both the Soviet and Russian periods. Often listed by collectors as a “must-have” to start or complete a collection. One of the most aesthetically pleasing Russian watches.
If we look carefully at the dial we can easily distinguish three main functions.
1) Raketa Marine – 24h hours
The watch is fitted with a Raketa calibre 2623.H ( 26mm in diameter, manual winding only, 24h with antishock). HERE is a small guide on Russian calibres. So it’s a typical, if not the typical 24h Russian watch. The time reading is not as complex as you might think, just consider that the hour hand makes a turn on a full day and not twice as in the watch we are used to. This involves a gap between the hour indices and the minute indices that we will explore later. The watch in its various versions, Russian, Soviet and branded GOST, differs little. The Raketa Marine is always clearly visible and easy to read.
Raketa Marine 24h
Raketa Marine 24h rotation of the guards
2) Raketa Marine – Watch duty
One of the distinguishing features of this watch is the rotating inner ring, adjustable by a special crown placed under the charging hour “8”. The ring has a very simple use and serves to identify the times of the watch shifts. The latter in the navy are made by 4 hours of the guard and 4 hours of rest. The three watch shifts and the three rest shifts, therefore, make up the total 24 hours. The ring is swivel to conveniently set the beginning of the first round. At this point, however, the mysteries of the Raketa Marine begin… Does the fact that one of the four-hour shifts is in red and the other two in blue have any meaning or is it just to highlight what is the first round? Experience tells me that the Russians are very precise and never do things randomly. On this aspect, I have yet to investigate, although probably the hypothesis of indicating the first round remains the most plausible.
[EDIT: 05/03/2022] There’s also another theory on the internet about the dashed lines on the quadrant. Some say they give sailors shower times. From what I have been told the issue has been dealt with on some Russian forums, it seems watch.ru, but personally, I can not find any trace of it.
3) Raketa Marine – Radio Silence
But the densest mystery that has surrounded the Raketa Marine for some time, which I hope I have solved once and for all (maybe for someone it was clear, but many people, if asked they could not answer ), concerns the blue lines on the dial between 6:00:00 and 7:00 and between 18:00 and 19:00. It is these graphic symbols that it is not very intuitive to give a purpose within the day. The “mystery” of Raketa Marine is solved as usual with careful observation and a little’ in-depth research.
As I said before, the Russians are very precise and looking at the dial of this Russian watch you can see that the lines are blue, like the minute indexes and not like those of the hours, which are black.
If you pay even more attention you can see that the lines are aligned with the hour indices and not with the hour indices. Made this observation and collected information on what can happen for three minutes every half hour and not for two hours every 24 is found in a well-known practice inside the ships (on a Raketa Marine everything makes sense), namely the “radio silence period”.
Animation helps to understand correct
What is “Radio Silence”?
In a very simplistic way, it is a few minutes (precisely 15-16-17 and 45-46 and 47 minutes of each hour) in which radio operators are asked not to carry out transmissions but to listen to allow to pick up any SOS launched from ships in danger. This period concerns only the telegraphic listening frequency of 500 MHz. There is also another period of listening of a different frequency to pick up any radio messages of MAYDAY.
The topic can be deepened on this page in English: RADIO SILENCE
RADIO ROOM WATCHES IN ADDITION TO RAKETA MARINE
On the net, there are many examples and two often used are of famous Soviet clocks and watches:
Probably due to issues related to the legibility of the dial of the watch, only the period related to the 500 kHz telegraph transmissions was highlighted.
The practice of listening on medium waves at a frequency of 500 kHz went into disuse in 1999 after about 90 years, replaced by systems much more modern and reliable. At the time of the design of the Raketa Marine so the practice was still in use.
I hope that with this reasoning we can consider all the doubts that have surrounded those small blue lines present on the dial of the Raketa Marine.
On closer inspection, however, there are many “Radio Room Clock” that report only this band. They are probably from the period before the introduction of the full one with the 4-time bands.
Vostok Astronaut, or Vostok Cosmonaut, is generally the name given to this beautiful Soviet watch. The name is clearly given by the design of the dial that represents the profile face of an astronaut inside a helmet of a spacesuit.
Much sought after by collectors around the world because of the direct reference to the Soviet space adventure (you can see very well the iconic CCCP on the helmet) exists in various versions that we will go as far as possible to analyze.
The charm of this watch also comes from not knowing exactly who the astronaut is portrayed inside the helmet. We will try to understand together what are the plausible theories about it.
Vostok Astronaut, but how many versions?
We can mainly identify three variants of the watch, two of the Soviet period and one of the transactional period. There are other versions that differ for the type of case or ring. Difficult to understand if they are original of factory or watches with the pieces replaced.
The Soviet versions.
These two versions, especially the one with the blue dial and the Neptune case, are the less common ones. In both cases the dial is identical except for the background colour.
The version with black dial is normally found in Generalskie 091xxx chrome case with the Vostok calibre automatic 2416b. Produced in the 80s and mainly intended for the Italian and German markets. The example in the picture has the typical unidirectional ring with small dots that are easily found in the automatic Vostok intended precisely for these two markets.
The blue version of the Soviet period, much more difficult to find than the previous one, is in the Neptune case and has an automatic Vostok calibre.
The dial for both versions is substantially identical and differs only in colour.
There is also a post-Soviet version of the Vostok Astronaut. It’s possible to assume that, given the success of the Soviet version, it was taken over by Vostok for the production of an Amphibia with a very similar dial.
Below you can see two versions with the same transactional period dial. Both in case 020xxx with clearly different ferrules. At the moment I cannot say which is the correct ring.
The most beautiful and characteristic part of the watch. The profile of the astronaut with the helmet in the background evokes deep space. The Soviet and transitional versions are very similar, similar but not the same.
At first glance, one does not easily realize the differences between the two versions. The astronaut’s design differs in many details that can easily be seen if we compare the two prints.
Easy to see how the reflections on the helmet and the visor are reported in a different way. Just take to reference the position of the “P” on the helmet.
Who is the person in the suitcase?
Three are currently the most popular theories if we exclude the one in which we hypothesize a “generic” astronaut.
Y. Gagarin
The Soviet astronaut, or rather the Soviet cosmonaut, is generally identified with Y. Gagarin, the first man to have gone into space. The theory is based on the fact that Gagarin’s features, as you can see from the photos, were quite delicate and not particularly marked.
Yuri Alekseyevich Gagarin
Anna Lee Fisher
Fascinating theory but a bit imaginative because it is difficult to imagine, if not jokingly, an American astronaut in a Soviet suit, especially in the 80s. The image of Anna Lee Fisher, however, recalls very much the one on the dial and I would not exclude that those who designed the dial could not have been inspired by this photograph.
Anna Lee Fisher
Valentina Tereshkova
The theory I perhaps prefer and perhaps even the most probable. On the dial of the Vostok Astronaut could be represented Valentina Tereshkova, The first woman to have gone into space. He left aboard a Soyuz capsule from Baikonur in June 1963 and, above all, returned safely to Earth after a three-day solo mission. We’re in the ’60s, and at the time, the very thought of getting a woman into space was innovative. But the Soviet Union has often given us on a silver platter these gems of emancipation and feminism probably also the result of studied political propaganda.
Vostok Astronaut has clones?
There is also a “dubious” version with a design very similar to the Vostok but that looks less pleasant in my opinion. It is a hand-wound Slava watch with calibre 2428. On the light grey/white dial, we find the profile of the astronaut seen before but in blue colour. The design clearly recalls the Soviet version but is less defined and convincing.
Another curious fact is that in the lower part of the quadrant we find the name of Yuri Gagarin in Cyrillic (Ю. А. ГАРИН), which could support the argument that the astronaut represented is Gagarin and not Valentina Tereshkova.
The watch, or rather watches, are definitely a milestone in any collection dedicated to space and especially to space watches. Beautiful to show and wear. Regardless of the model or version, the simplicity of the design and the cleanliness of the dial makes it one of the most successful Soviet watches of the 80s. As to who is represented on the dial, I would say that it is irrelevant. Maybe it was the desire of those who realized the design to leave the doubt and keep thinking about those brave men and women who opened the way to space exploration.
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