Power Wheels Magazine A Notch Above
Produced by the First Moscow Watch Factory starting in 1964, Poljot is one of the most historically significant brands of Soviet and Russian mechanical wristwatches. As the flagship of the USSR’s watch industry, Poljot is universally renowned among collectors for its rugged, military-grade engineering and deep connection to early space exploration.
The Roman numeral for the number 4 is “IV” and not “IIII” as indicated in our Soviet-era Poljot.
First Moscow Watch Factory manufactured the Sturmanskie watch that was worn by cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin during the first manned space flight in 1961. After Gagarin’s successful orbit, the factory launched the brand name “Poljot”, which is Russian for “flight”, to honor the golden age of Soviet aviation and space travel.
Russian cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin was the first man to go on a space flight in 1961, starting the “Space Race” between the US and the USSR.
When the factory closed down in the mid-2000s, original Poljot watches became historical artifacts with collectors preferring authentic timepieces made during the Soviet era, specifically models with “Poljot” and “Made in CCCP” marked in Cyrillic (Russian) script, which are intended for domestic Soviet markets. (“CCCP” is the Cyrillic abbreviation of “Union of Soviet Socialist Republics” or “USSR”.) Models intended for foreign markets feature “Made in USSR” or “Poljot” in Latin lettering.
Eagle-eye readers can see the Cyrillic marking “Made in CCCP” below the 6 o’clock position.
Our featured timepiece this Thursday, October 29, 2026 is an authentic vintage Poljot automatic wristwatch from the 1980s with Cyrillic markings. It features a 36 mm chrome-plated steel case housing a 23-jewel Caliber 2616.2H self-winding mechanical movement that can also be hand-wound by the crown. It beats at 18,000 vibrations per hour and features a power reserve of approximately 37 to 41 hours.
Under this screw-down case back is a 23-jewel 2616.2H movement. The Cyrillic Russian words translates to “Automatic Winding”. “CCCP” is the Cyrillic equivalent of “USSR”.
The acrylic crystal showcases an original white dial with Roman numerals swept by red stick-type seconds hand. Chrome-plated dauphine hour and minute hands tell the time while a window at the 3 o’clock position displays the date. The 2616.2H movement does not feature a modern quickset date button or crown pull but uses the “8-to-12” semi-quickset method. The balance staff is protected by a built-in proprietary shock-absorption technology.
The Cyrillic “Poljot” brand on the white dial means that our shock-proof Russian field watch was made for the Soviet domestic market.
While the USSR officially dissolved on December 26, 1991, our Soviet-era Poljot automatic wrist watch is still ticking, keeping accurate time after leaving the First Moscow Watch Factory more than 40 years ago. The patina on our Russian timepiece bears witness to the changes in its home country and its journey from its Soviet home market in the 1980’s to our home here in the Philippines today. Dare we say that this Poljot came “from Russia, with love”?
Make: Poljot
Model: Automatic
Reference No.: 2616
Year of Manufacture: 1980s
Type: Field Watch
Movement: Automatic/Manual-Wind Mechanical
Caliber: 2616-2H
Diameter: 36 mm
Thickness: 13.6 mm
Lug-to-lug Length: 44 mm
Lug Width: 18 mm
Weight: 53 grams
