Repeat - Mikhail Sergeyevich Gorbachev - Vulcain Cricket Owner

When we think about the Vulcain Cricket, one of the first thoughts that comes to mind is that it is considered the "Watch of the Presidents" (of the USA). In the process of updating my book on the Vulcain Cricket and the Presidents of the US, I came across this story that I shared over a year ago in a different outlet, and thought that I'd reheat it here -

Mikhail Sergeyevich Gorbachev - Vulcain Cricket Owner

With the passing of Mikhail Sergeyevich Gorbachev the last remaining link between the Watch of the Presidents and the leader of the Soviet Union has gone with him.

Vulcain is, of course, well-known for its connection to US Presidents - particularly those who wore their Vulcain Crickets regularly - Presidents Truman, Eisenhower, Johnson, Nixon, and (then Vice) President Biden. 

As noted previously, the first US President to be presented a Vulcain Cricket directly from either Vulcain Switzerland or the Paajanen family in Helsinki, Finland was President Reagan. Curious to relate, just prior to that, a Vulcain Cricket found its way to the wrist of the leader of the Soviet Union. 

Credit Time Magazine International Edition

This first ran in the blog formerly known as Tempus Fugit on January 17, 2022 -

Yes watch fans, the Soviets beat the US to space with Sputnik, and Gorbachev beat any US President in being presented with a Vulcain Cricket, directly by Vulcain.

What has been missed, or simply assumed by most accounts of the Cricket and the US President connection was that the company had given the watches themselves. This was never the case up to this point. And it is quite intriguing that Michel Ditisheim, the son of the inventor of the Cricket would be the one to set up his father's invention on its second act on the world's geopolitical stage.

What Mr. Ditisheim explained to me was that the idea to give Mr. Gorbachev a Vulcain Cricket came about in what I often refer to as the "between time". 

This is the time when Vulcain had slowed down its production and became part of the  Manufactures d'Horlogerie Suisses Réunies SA, or MSR. This group was formed in 1961 and included Revue Thommen, Buser Freres,  Phenix, and later Marvin (in 1976).

Mr. Ditisheim with the help of Vulcain enthusiast (and member of the Swiss Federal Council) Pierre Aubert helped to arrange the  presentation of a Vulcain Cricket to the leader of the Soviet Union. The watch was delivered to the Kremlin in 1987, and then... nothing. Not a peep. Mr. Ditisheim could not have been blamed if he might have felt it was a failure as a PR plan. Three years passed, and  it wasn't until he went to his mailbox, and took out that week's copy of Time Magazine's International Edition (December 30, 1990, number 53) that he knew that the Vulcain Cricket had not only been successfully delivered, but had found its way onto Mr. Gorbachev's wrist! Vulcain never received any sort of acknowledgement or thank you. But there it was, the first ever Vulcain  Cricket presented to a sitting "president" by the brand itself, splashed large across the front cover of (at that time) one of the world's most important news magazines.

A Blast from the Arctic Past - The Polar 0270

From Raketa -

Courtesy of Raketa

Full disclosure, I currently do some freelance consulting work for Raketa here in North America.  This mostly has to do with marketing and communication.  Now that that's out of the way, onto the post -

This is a new limited edition "re-edition" that Raketa has been quietly working on.    It is currently in "pre-order" status and is anticipated to begin delivery in February of next year - roughly 2 months from now!

Courtesy of Raketa

It has been 50 years since the Polar was released, and this year Raketa has dipped into its archives from the Soviet era and brought the original back to life.

Courtesy of Raketa

The first Polar was what could really be called a tool watch.  Antartica is an unusual place.  Not just in terms of temperature.  Antarctica has two very distinct seasons in terms of daylight and night time.  It enjoys six months of daylight in its summer "season" and six months of darkness in the winter. These two seasons of light and dark are created by the tilt of the Earth's axis in relation to the sun.  And this created a challenge for the Raketa designers.  They had to create a watch that could provide the time in a 24 hour scale so that the explorers could know if it was day or night.

Courtesy of Raketa

This re-edition is true to the original in design, but it is important to understand that this is a modern watch.  This is a truly unique piece and I realize that it might not be for everyone.  And as I write this I realize that I am biased in my opinion, but I quite like it.  I am someone who loves old designs, but hates "old performance".  Antique watches are great, but they are also a monumental pain in the ass to not only restore, but keep running correctly. So for me, this is the ideal marriage of looks and performance.

The design might be "polarizing" (sorry, couldn't help myself), but something tells me that Raketa will not have too much difficulty in selling all 200 pieces.  

Courtesy of Raketa

Here are the pertinents -

Manufacture

Manufacture

Raketa Watch Factory (Saint-Petersburg)

Brand

Raketa

Movement

Calibre

2623

Functions

Manual winding 24 hours

Number of jewels

16

Testing positions

4

Average rate (s/d)

-10+20

Average running time (h)

42

Frequency/hour

18.000 / 2.5Hz

Case

Material

Stainless steel

Size

35 mm

Front glass

Organic

Water resistance

3 ATM

Hands

Superluminova

Dial

Sunray Superluminova

Brand

Raketa

Gender

Unisex

Strap

Material

Genuine leather + additional textile NATO strap included with watch

Wrapping up the Sturmanskie Gagarin 50th Anniversary

Okay- once again, it seems that I have lingered too long on  a review - this is the danger of forming an attachment.  This in turn brought on this whole internal discussion (with myself) about possessions, life's impermanence, etc.  Which in turn led me to think about the folly of desire... which in turn led me to -


you guessed it (okay, maybe not) Kung-Fu (the tv show):


Caine: Is it good to seek the past, Master Po? Does it not rob the present?
Master Po: If a man dwells on the past, then he robs the present. But if a man ignores the past, he may rob the future. The seeds of our destiny are nurtured by the roots of our past. 




And this in turn brings us full circle to the idea of "anniversary" or "tribute" watches.  I bet you thought I'd never get to the point!

There are a lot of companies out there, "reissuing" as if their very lives depended upon it.  And in all honestly, I do not know that there is anything wrong with that, but after a while, it almost gets to be too much.  The Speedmaster Professional - and it's seemingly hundreds of offspring to mark nearly every NASA mission - not once, but in some cases twice!  And for the hard-core Omega fan out there, that is good - even great.


In the case of the Sturmanskie Gagarin 50th Anniversary we are, in some ways, looking at a reissue.  But I'm okay with this one.  For one thing, it is a commemorative watch - commemorating the 50th anniversary of Gagarin's historic flight.  

It is a change from the previous version in that it is a bit bigger, at 38 mm.  And I really love this size.  It is big enough to be "present" but not at any point overwhelming.  And most importantly it is COMFORTABLE!!!  It really sits well on the wrist.


It is true to the original in its layout.  The dial, indices and hands are not crazy reinterpretations.  And while we are talking about the dial - the LUME is amazing on this watch!   One of the few watches I've had recently that you can actually read in the dark - not just see, but READ! 

The time keeping has been much better than I would have expected for a watch at this price point.  The deviations have been between +3 to +4 seconds per day.  This is FAR better than the "advertised" daily rate in the spec sheet.  And the power reserve is pretty remarkable as well.  Typically you might expect 36 hours, but the Sturmanskie went beyond - nearly 48 hours in my last "test".


The winding action is phenomenally smooth!   The crown is large enough and somewhat curved to allow for a better "handle".  I was able to wind this watch while it was on my wrist.  Something I can do with my Hanhart Pioneer and not too many others.  


The strap, while not top of the line is quite good and a very good balance for the watch.  A nice, basic buckle completes it, and in keeping with what was a Soviet design - nice and simple.

For those of you who love specs, here they are:

• Mechanical lever movement
• Manual winding
• Movement diameter: 26 mm
• Movement height: 4.3 mm
• 17 jewels
• Water resistant 5 ATM.
• Leather belt.
• Mineral glass.
• Shock protection
• Frequency: 21600 vph
• Daily rate from –20 to +40 s/day
• Power reserve minimum: 40 h
• Case size is 38mm

So to sum it up - this is a great watch for the money.  It offers you a nice mechanical 3-hand watch, with a good story behind it.  Even if you are not even remotely interested in the Gagarin/Cosmonaut/Star City angle, this is a great watch for what it offers.  

The Vostok-Europe Gaz-Limo Quartz Chronograph - a week in

I've now had a week to spend with the Vostok-Europe Gaz-Limo Quartz Chronograph and it has been a great seven days!


More than anything else this week - the key word has been "wearability"!  This is one of the MOST comfortable watches I've had on in some time.  

It's a 43 mm watch, but it does not "swamp" your wrist with its size.  As you can see - the lug ends neatly stop at the edge of my wrist.  My wrist is about 7.5 inches so you get a general idea of scale here.


The strap is profoundly comfortable.  This is a very nice "surprise" for a watch in this price category.  Usually you are stuck with something scratchy or frail.  Not so here - soft, yet durable leather.  The 22 mm lug width strikes just the right balance. 

And as always, it's the little things.  The finishing work on the clasp is a very nice touch.

All of these element combine for a very comfortable watch that feels "present" but not "oppressive".  Substantial - but not unreasonable.  

The Vostok-Europe Gaz-Limo Quartz Chronograph OS22/5611131 a few days in

Okay, I've had a few days to get acquainted with my new friend, and I must say - Spaceba Vostok-Europe!

More than anything else, I am really struck by the finish of this watch.  Let's be very clear, Vostok-Europe is not in the upper-echelons in terms of price.  But having said that, I must say that the finish and attention to detail on the case is really something quite impressive.

And at: 179,00 €  

it is certainly at a price point that most people could afford.  The fit and feel of the watch so far have
been top-notch.  For a less-expensive, quartz piece you might be expecting something that feels light-weight or unsubstantial.  Not so with the  Gaz-Limo Quartz Chronograph!  It sits very well on the wrist and its presence is truly felt on the wrist.  Not overly heavy, but there.

And before I go any further, a big shout-out to the nice folks at  who sent the watch for review!

Vostok europe

So far, the chronograph functions are working flawlessly.   And the finish on the buttons is as good as the case -

More tomorrow - stay tuned!

SWATCH Tovarisch in three parts

Back in 1995, Wendy and I had moved to Portugal from Japan and were teaching English at a school in Povoa de Varzim, a local resort city on the northern coast about an hour from Porto.  I had just come back from my first Saturday class where I learned that I would be teaching 6 days a week.  So dragging myself home after my sixth straight day of trying to explain the difference between the present tense and the present - perfect tense (don't get me started!), I came home to find a tasty sandwich, and a new SWATCH Tovarisch.  The Soviet Industrial feel was wonderfully appropriate!

You may notice a scratch on the crystal - the result of a nasty cycling accident last year.  Had I been wearing some "real man's watch" I do not know if it would have held up half as well as this guy did!  My two front teeth, however, were not quite so fortunate.  But as I often tell others, never underestimate the importance of a few key people in your life - and a good dentist is one of them (along with a top watch maker and a really good tailor) - thank you Dr. Madavi!  

Wishing you all a great weekend!  Wendy and I are off to Louisville, KY where I will hopefully find some interesting watches and people.