75 years have passed since the end of World War II. In some countries, this historic moment is still among the most important in their national identity, marked by military parades, public holidays, and commemorations. Russia is certainly one of the leading countries in celebrating the "Great Victory."
On this occasion, Alexander Shorokhoff’s company, Poljot International, launched a watch named “Pobeda” (Victory), thereby paying tribute not only to the significant triumph over Nazism but also to the iconic USSR Pobeda watch.
Before I begin my review of the watch in question, let me provide some basic information about the history of the Pobeda watch and explain why it holds such importance in the history of Soviet horology.
The history of the Pobeda watch actually begins well before World War II—in 1935. Due to high domestic demand and limited production capacity, the Soviet Union decided to purchase the entire production equipment, patents, and inventory from the French company LIP. The goal was to acquire a simple and inexpensive movement that could serve as the basis for a mass-produced watch intended for the general population. A new watch factory, the 3rd State Watch Company, was established in Penza. In 1940, the company was renamed to Časovoj Zavod Penza. Before Pobeda production began, the factory first developed its own movement called T-18, later renamed Zvezda.
Although Pobeda production was scheduled to begin in 1940, the outbreak of World War II delayed the project, and production finally started only after the war in 1945. According to urban legend, it was Stalin himself who insisted that the watch be named “Pobeda.” Whether this is true remains uncertain.
Even though Penza was the first to produce Pobeda watches, production at this company ended as early as 1947, and almost all existing Soviet watch companies at the time took over Pobeda production. From today’s point of view, that may seem unusual, but Soviet watch manufacturing did not operate under competition in the capitalist sense for a long time. All watch companies were, of course, state-owned and functioned as part of a cooperative conglomerate with close collaboration between them. Because of this, it is sometimes very difficult for collectors to be absolutely certain which company made which watch and whether a watch is original or a "frankenwatch."
In addition to Penza, Pobeda watches were produced by:
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1MČZ (Poljot) from 1947–1957
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2MČZ (Slava) from 1953–1964
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TTK-1 (PČZ, Raketa) from 1949 onward
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ČČZ (Vostok) from 1949–1950
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ZIM from 1951–2004
Today's "new" Raketa claims in its promotional booklet—provided with every new watch—that Raketa has been the exclusive owner of the Pobeda brand since 1964. However, this is inconsistent with the fact that ZIM was the primary producer of Pobeda watches until 2004.
It’s worth noting that among collectors, there are at least three different interpretations of what qualifies as a Pobeda watch. The most orthodox group insists that a Pobeda must have the traditional movement with 15 jewels, a small seconds subdial, and the Pobeda name on the dial. The second group expands the definition to include any watch bearing the Pobeda name on the dial, powered by any movement based on the traditional one (including central seconds or hacking seconds complications). The third and broadest group considers any watch with a movement based on the original design to be a Pobeda, regardless of the branding on the dial. These differing definitions add further confusion to the Pobeda story.
Now, let me show you the watch I’m referring to. Here is my Pobeda, produced by 1MČZ in 1953. Almost all Pobeda watches from this period have “15 камней” (“15 jewels”) engraved on the bridge, the factory stamp (in this case, 1MČZ), the “Pobeda” marking on the ratchet wheel, the production date (quarter and year), and a serial number.
The next watch illustrates a broader interpretation of what constitutes a Pobeda. It is a ZIM watch with a movement upgraded to feature a central seconds hand. To achieve this conversion from a small seconds subdial to a central seconds hand, the bridge is raised, and an additional train gear is visible.
In the broadest sense, even the Gagarin Sturmanskie watch can be considered a Pobeda derivative, as it adds both central and small seconds complications to the base movement.
As mentioned earlier, from the early 1960s onward, ZIM became the primary producer of Pobeda watches. Under the standardized classification system of Soviet watch movements, the standard Pobeda movement was designated as caliber 2602.
The first version of the 2602 movement under this classification can be seen in the following photo. Please note that the factory stamp (ZIM) still appears on the bridge, alongside the "15 камней" ("15 jewels") engraving, while the 2602 designation is located beneath the balance wheel.
In later editions, the bridge is left blank, with both the ZIM stamp and the 2602 marking moved beneath the balance wheel.
ZIM produced a wide variety of Pobeda versions; I personally own six from the USSR period and two from modern-day Russia.
In addition to Pobeda, ZIM also produced watches under the ZIM and Kamerton brands, but all of them were powered by the 2602 movement.
Now it's finally time to focus on the new Pobeda from Poljot International. At the time of release, four versions of the watch were introduced. Two are “original” Poljot International editions, with 25 pieces featuring a champagne dial and 25 with a blue dial. The other two versions were made exclusively for Julius Kampmann (poljot24.de), with 100 pieces each in white and black dial variants.
Note: Pictures are taken from the official websites of both companies.
As can be seen from the pictures, the dial color is not the only difference. The most noticeable difference is in the hands—the design varies, and Kampmann’s versions also feature luminova.
If we look at the case backs, the “original” PI versions are engraved, while Kampmann’s versions have a clear case back without the "Pobeda 1945–1958" text.
Kampmann’s versions are also significantly cheaper (€399 for the original vs. €329 for the Kampmann edition). However, this review focuses on the “original” version, as that’s the one I chose to purchase. Why the original? Primarily, I find the original version to be visually cleaner and more appealing. I also generally dislike the style of hands that Kampmann uses (and this applies to all watches he sells); in my view, they don’t reflect the hand style used in original Pobeda watches. That said, the lume is a clear benefit, and it was the only factor that made me hesitate. Of course, all of this is highly subjective, and I’m sure many would choose differently. In fact, as far as I know, Kampmann’s versions sold out very quickly, which shows that many clearly disagreed with me.
The story behind the PI Pobeda begins with Shorokoff allegedly acquiring a stockpile of new old stock ZIM 2602 movements. Whether this is true or just a clever marketing tale, I can’t say for sure. Acquiring ZIM 2602 movements (used ones, of course—not NOS) is extremely easy; they’re practically worthless on eBay. So whether the movements used are truly NOS from ZIM or sourced by other means remains unclear. Regardless, I give a lot of credit to Shorokoff for embarking on a project like this in such a limited run. Producing just 50 watches at this price point seems more like a move by a passionate watch enthusiast than by a profit-driven company. Well done!
First, you immediately notice that the "Pobeda" inscription is nowhere to be seen on the watch. Only "Poljot International" is printed at the top of the dial, along with a small line of text reading “For Pobeda 75 Years.” So, strictly speaking, this watch isn’t a Pobeda watch at all!
Naturally, the question arises—why? I don’t have a definitive answer, but my speculation is that PI didn’t want to get involved in a licensing dispute with Raketa, which, as mentioned earlier, claims to be the official owner of the Pobeda trademark. Raketa does, in fact, sell watches under the Pobeda name today, but they merely resemble Pobeda watches in appearance. Internally, they use quartz movements instead of the historic 2602 mechanical movement.
So, in my view, Raketa’s Pobeda is not really a Pobeda at all. Just to give you an idea, here is an example of what Raketa’s Pobeda looks like (image taken from their webshop):
Original Pobeda watches were small, with diameters of 34mm, some even 36mm. At that time, watches of this size were considered standard men's watches. Today, however, watches with such dimensions are clearly seen as ladies’ watches—which is also the case with Raketa’s modern Pobeda.
The Poljot International Pobeda has been scaled up to 38mm, which is generally the bare minimum for a modern men’s watch. For me personally, it still feels small—perhaps even too small—as my wrist measures 19.4 cm. If they had decided to increase the size to 40mm, that would have been ideal.
However, I was pleasantly surprised. Even though it’s “just” a 38mm watch, it’s still wearable for me! The lug-to-lug length is 42mm, and the lug width is 20mm. I believe this particular detail makes the watch appear larger than it actually is—typically, you would expect an 18mm lug width on a 38mm watch. The wider lugs mean a wider strap, and the overall appearance feels more masculine.
With a case thickness of 12mm and the watch’s light weight, it can definitely be categorized as a dress watch.
For the entire watch, I can say that whoever designed it knew exactly what they were doing. It was created with a strong sense of purpose and balance. The watch carries a clear vintage vibe, but at the same time, it unmistakably presents itself as a modern reproduction.
The case is made of stainless steel—something that the original Pobeda watches did not feature. However, the crystal is acrylic, which brings back that vintage character. The original Pobeda watches also never had an exhibition case back, but in this model, it’s a significant addition. And it’s absolutely the right choice—having a transparent case back allows us to appreciate the iconic vintage movement inside.
If you look closely, you can see the ZIM stamp and the 2602 designation beneath the balance wheel, just as it should be.
The sunburst blue dial with rose gold hands and numerals was what initially drew me to this version. Blue dials have always been my favorite, and this combination with rose gold is something I truly like. But again, that’s purely a matter of personal taste. To be completely honest, the blue hands on the champagne dial also look great, and if I were a strict Pobeda traditionalist, that combination should probably prevail—since it's the closest to the original Pobeda watches.
The watch offers basic water resistance of 3 ATM, which is 3 ATM more than the originals :)
The leather strap seems to be of good quality, naturally stamped with the PI logo on the inside—as is the buckle. Even though it's new, the strap is soft and has a vintage look. I'm not particularly happy with the strap color for this dial; a brown strap might pair better. I’ll still have to try that out. However, I did try several other blue straps I already own, but none of them seem to work well. This blue dial has a very specific tone, and it’s not easy to find a strap that matches it nicely. That’s why brown will be my next test.
What about accuracy? Well, it’s hard to expect sensational precision from the ZIM 2602 movement, but it seems that PI has managed to get the best out of it. Over a 24-hour period—8 hours stored in a box and 16 hours worn on the wrist—the watch runs at +10 seconds per day. That’s a very good result; I don’t know how long it will remain that stable. The winding action is solid—you can feel it—but it’s not stiff or unpleasant. It winds loudly but runs quietly. It’s not like the Molnija 3602, where the whole coffee shop can hear your watch ticking while you sip your morning coffee.
All in all, I have the impression—and knowing Shorokoff’s approach, I’m quite confident—that their watchmakers truly did their best to optimize the 2602 movement. Again, great work, Mr. Shorokoff!
The watch comes in a newly designed box that hasn’t been used for other PI models (at least not for any I own).
I don’t know if this is a special edition box made specifically for the Pobeda, but the illustrations of Stonehenge, the Kremlin, the Eiffel Tower, and the Statue of Liberty seem to suggest a tribute to the WWII Allied coalition—UK, Russia, France, and the USA. That’s just my speculation, of course, and it’s also quite possible that this is PI’s new standard packaging.
Final Question and Verdict: Is this watch worth 399 EUR? For me — definitely, since it upgrades my collection. The fact that only 7 out of 50 are still available (and that Kampmann, with a price of 329 EUR, sold almost 200 watches faster) probably suggests that this isn't a universal opinion. However, it's quite clear that Shorokoff and PI developed this watch for watch enthusiasts and lovers of Soviet watch history.
Let me end by noting that the final release of the watch was delayed. It was expected to be launched in May 2020. I received mine — which I preordered — only at the end of July, with the blue versions being the last available. The delay was due to extended final inspections, further confirming my observation that PI invested a lot of time in optimizing the 2602 movement.
In conclusion, when I preordered the watch, seeing its 38mm size, I thought it would simply enhance my collection and then be forgotten in a box. However, the watch impressed me far more than I expected. It is wearable and certainly a piece that will become part of my rotation.
Recommended, and once again — GOOD WORK, POLJOT INTERNATIONAL!
P.S.: This article was first published on the "PortalSatova" watch forum in August 2020.
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