Just finished a complete overhaul on this Raketa 2628.Н and thought some of you might appreciate the result.

This is one of the late Soviet / early Russian Raketa models collectors usually nickname the “Star Wars” because of the sharp octagonal case architecture and exposed bezel screws. The design is pure 1980s–90s Soviet industrial futurism.

The movement was fully stripped down to the last screw, cleaned in an ultrasonic bath, inspected, lubricated with fresh oils, reassembled, and regulated. The calendar mechanism was also serviced since these 2628 movements often develop stiffness in the day-date works after decades without maintenance.

What I particularly like about this example is the combination of textures and shapes:

• silver grained dial
• applied gold-tone markers
• matte black hands
• faceted crystal
• geometric multi-angle case construction

The watch still carries light signs of honest wear, but I intentionally avoided polishing the case too aggressively. On watches like this, preserving the original edges and factory geometry matters much more than making everything look artificially new.

It’s also fitted with a period-correct NOS ZIM bracelet which suits the case surprisingly well.

Mechanically, these Raketa calibers are very straightforward and robust when properly serviced. No luxury finishing, no unnecessary complications — just practical engineering built to run for decades.

Always satisfying bringing one of these unusual Raketas back to life.

inally finished servicing this 1980s Soviet Poljot alarm watch today.
These old USSR alarm movements are always fun to work on — this one uses the mechanical Poljot 2612.1 caliber with that classic loud buzzing alarm instead of anything electronic.

The watch came in pretty tired internally: old dried oils, weak amplitude, alarm mechanism slightly out of adjustment. After a full disassembly, cleaning, lubrication and regulation, it’s now running properly again and the alarm works exactly how it should.

I really like the design on this one too. Grey dial, Roman numerals, simple Soviet styling without trying too hard. These Poljot alarm watches have a lot of character on the wrist, especially compared to modern watches that all start looking the same.

Always satisfying bringing one of these Soviet mechanical pieces back to life instead of letting it sit forgotten in a drawer for another 20 years.

⌚ USSR Poljot Alarm
⌚ First Moscow Watch Factory
⌚ Cal. 2612.1
⌚ 18 jewels
⌚ Mechanical alarm complication

Would love to hear who else here collects Soviet alarm watches.

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Finally finished restoring my vintage Slava 2427 automatic from the late USSR era, and I’m honestly impressed by how much character these old Soviet watches have.

This one runs the famous 27-jewel dual-barrel automatic movement with day/date in Cyrillic — a weirdly overengineered little machine from the 2nd Moscow Watch Factory.

The watch was in rough shape when I got it:

• dirty movement
• dried oils
• weak amplitude
• scratched acrylic crystal
• noisy rotor
• worn gasket

After a full teardown, ultrasonic cleaning, lubrication, regulation, and crystal polishing, it’s now running beautifully again. The quickset date works perfectly and the automatic winding finally feels smooth.

What I love most is that unmistakable Soviet design language — practical but somehow stylish at the same time. The black dial with gold accents and the Cyrillic day wheel give it a vibe modern watches just don’t have.

The Slava 2427 is also mechanically interesting because of its twin mainspring barrels, something you usually don’t expect in affordable vintage watches. It feels like Soviet engineers tried to solve problems in their own unique way instead of copying Swiss designs directly.

A lot of surviving examples today are “frankenwatches” with swapped parts or aftermarket dials, so restoring an original one feels especially satisfying.

Would love to hear what other people think about Soviet horology — underrated history or pure chaos engineering? 😄

Wrapped her up on the bench today. Petrodvorets, ref. 4351762, caliber 2628.Н — manual wind day-date, 19 jewels.

All original — case, dial, hands, movement, crown. Matches the Soviet catalog spec for this reference (1980s production) down to the details.

Picked her up non-running at a local auction for $40. Now she's back to life.

Full strip, hand-cleaned, fresh lubes, regulated. Runs beautifully. Paired with a NOS ZIM stainless bracelet that suits the case perfectly.

The angular late-Soviet thing really gets me. One of those that I'll be reaching for a lot.

Cheers.

Spent the evening finishing up a Raketa that’s been sitting on my bench for a bit — one of those octagonal “Star Wars” cases from the 80s.

It came in tired but honest. Movement was dry, amplitude pretty low, calendar sluggish. Nothing catastrophic, just decades of neglect. Full service, fresh oils, a bit of patience with the day-date… and it came back to life beautifully.

There’s something about these that photos don’t fully capture. The geometry is sharp, almost brutal, but the white dial softens it just enough. Very Soviet in that way — functional, a bit experimental, but still trying to look futuristic.

Also really satisfying when the calendar snaps over cleanly after service. Small thing, but if you’ve worked on these 2628s, you know 😄

Anyway, just wanted to share. This one’s not leaving my collection anytime soon.

Hey everyone,

I started this community for anyone into Soviet-era watches and vintage pieces. Whether you collect, restore, or just like the look — you’re in the right place.

I’ll be sharing some pieces from my collection here, but I’d love to see yours too.

Drop a photo of your watch in the comments or make a post — anything from Vostok to Raketa, rare finds or daily wear.

What’s the first Soviet watch you ever got?

Hi everyone, I’m working with a Vostok 2409.A movement (photo attached) and I’m trying to identify the closest equivalent that includes a date complication.

From what I understand, the 2409.A is a manual-wind, no-date caliber. I’m specifically looking for a version that is mechanically very similar (same base architecture if possible), but with a calendar (date) function.

Would Vostok 2414.A be considered the direct counterpart, or are there other variants I should be aware of?

Also interested in:

compatibility of parts between 2409.A and calendar versions

whether case/movement swaps are straightforward or require modification

Appreciate any insight.