Just recently, Poljot International released another watch with a vintage ex-USSR style and movement—called Samara. Yet another combination I simply had to have. Let’s take a closer look.
Before I begin the actual review, a short remark: if you visit the PI website and read the introduction to the Samara watch, you might get the impression that this is a reissue of a 1960s watch. I’ve been collecting USSR watches for a long time, and I must admit I’ve never come across a Samara watch from that era. The only USSR-era watch with the name Samara I know of was a Pobeda (ZIM) model from the late 1980s or early 1990s, which used the ZIM 2602 movement with a small seconds subdial. So, I believe the PI description is a bit misleading and likely serves marketing purposes only.
However, if I’m wrong—and if you know of another vintage Samara model—please share it in the comments below. I’d be happy to stand corrected and would gladly apologize to PI for my statement.
What is true, though, is that the watch is styled after some mid-1960s USSR 1MChZ designs. And what also gives it a vintage soul is the movement: it features the old Poljot 2609, a 17-jewel hand-wound mechanical movement.
The Samara was officially released in two dial versions: green and champagne. But—as already seen and commented on with other PI models—two additional dial colors were issued exclusively for the Poljot24.de shop, owned by Julius Kampmann. These exclusive versions include a blue dial and a silver dial.
In general, I always prefer blue dials when possible. But in this case, I decided to go a different route. Since the watch has a modest 38.5 mm diameter—which is small for my taste—I chose the most unconventional option: the green dial. I knew this watch wouldn’t see frequent wrist time, so I could afford for it to be a special one.
First impressions: the green dial is much darker than it appears in the official PI photos—or even in my own pictures. The watch can easily be paired with a brown or even black strap instead of the default green one (which is actually a lighter shade of green than it seems in most photos). With a simple strap change, the green version can look fairly "traditional" and be worn without appearing too eccentric.
Although the Samara has a 0.5 cm larger diameter than the PI Pobeda, and both watches have 20 mm lugs, it somehow feels smaller on the wrist than the Pobeda. Perhaps it's the dial color that gives this impression—or maybe the thickness. The Pobeda is noticeably thicker at 12 mm, while the Samara measures only 10.5 mm. All things considered, the Samara is not only small by the numbers, but also optically. It’s honestly quite hard for me to wear. But if you have a smaller wrist and prefer watches with a maximum diameter of around 40 mm, the Samara could be a great fit.
The dial itself is very well done. All even minutes are numbered, while the odd minutes are marked with lines—an interesting design choice, I must say. The hour markers are slim and elegant, as are the '6' and '12' numerals. The dial also features the inscription "Vintage movement", referring to the Poljot 2609 caliber inside.
While I’m very satisfied with the dial design and overall look, I’m not happy with the hands. The white hands look plastic and of poor quality. I can’t speak for the hands on the other versions, since I haven’t seen them in person, but from the photos it seems the blue version also uses the same white hands. The blue hands used on the champagne and silver versions give a better impression. To be honest, I believe the hands are all the same—just painted differently—and the blue paint simply looks more refined than the white one. In one of my recent Poljot International or Alexander Shorokhoff reviews, I mentioned that it’s getting boring to see the same hand design on all models. It seems the company had similar thoughts and tried to make a change here—but unfortunately, it wasn’t a good one. I understand that many USSR watches from the 1960s had fairly basic hands, but I still believe that a vintage look can be achieved with a better choice of hands.
As expected, the case is made of stainless steel, and the glass is sapphire. The crown bears the PI mark (which was originally the trademark of the now-abandoned Basilika brand). A nice touch: the watch has a see-through caseback, so you can admire the Poljot movement. Since this is a PI-branded watch and not an Alexander Shorokhoff model, the movement isn’t gilded or decorated, as we sometimes see in other watches from this group.
The green and champagne versions are limited to 50 pieces each, while Kampmann’s exclusive blue and silver editions are limited to 100 pieces each.
The Poljot 2609 movement was never considered a flagship among Poljot calibers. It was designed for everyday watches where high accuracy wasn’t expected—or needed. Naturally, even Poljot International can’t perform miracles here. The watch currently runs about +10 to +15 seconds per day, which is within expectations and nothing to worry about.
Winding is smooth, and the declared power reserve of 38 hours was confirmed in my own tests. The strap is decent, and the white stitching adds to the overall vintage impression. As mentioned before, for the green version, I would have preferred a darker green strap than the one used.
No surprises when it comes to the packaging. In my Pobeda review, I mentioned the "new" Poljot International box and wondered whether it was exclusive to the Pobeda edition. Well—now it’s clear: that box is the new standard PI packaging.
Now, about the price: My dear Poljot International, I’ve always appreciated and supported your watches. I’ve tried to justify your prices. But this time, I simply can’t. I think you’ve gone too far.
The official price for this watch in Europe is €529. To be fair, the presale price was €459, and several official retailers are still offering it at that price. Kampmann sells his exclusive versions for €445.
I understand that with 50 + 50 pieces as a limited run, you can afford to set a high price—knowing that eventually, they will sell. But in the end, you’re not selling these to just anyone—you’re selling them to your loyal followers. People who genuinely appreciate what you do and how you carry the legacy of the USSR watch industry forward.
In my opinion, this price tag won’t attract a random buyer. That kind of customer will likely go for a Swiss-made watch with a Swiss (automatic) movement for the same amount of money.
So, you may be wondering—why did I still buy it?
Honestly, I was able to get it much cheaper. At a price that I consider fair for a watch like this. I can’t say where or how I got it, since the seller violated Poljot International’s pricing policy. But if you're reading this—thank you!
So, my final verdict: Sorry, Poljot International, but this time I have to say—it could have been better, and it should have been cheaper.
Add comment
Comments
Poljot are always broken (3 times this year). 800E. Totally wasted. It's a nightmare, stay away!