Starting the Project

This project watch from the lot seems promising. This is my first Soviet watch, and learning about this model and its history has been a bit of a journey. What started as a random dial and movement in a bulk lot quickly turned into an interesting discovery once I began digging into the markings. This particular watch came in pieces so previous owner I assumed attempted to service this.

Decoding the Dial

The dial has a textured guilloche pattern with raised numerals and a script logo in the center that reads:

• ChatGPT thinks this is Pobeda but this is a Kirovskie
• And along the bottom: Sdelano v SSSR — Made in the USSR

This matching dial and movement puts the watch in the late-1940s to early-1950s production window — one of the earlier Pobeda/Kirovskie wristwatch generations.

Identifying the Movement

The movement carries several clues:

• “16 Kamney” — meaning 16 jewels
• A diamond logo with “1MChZ” — First Moscow Watch Factory
• And on the crown wheel: 1M43

This confirms the movement is an early 1M43 caliber, produced at the First Moscow Watch Factory shortly after World War II. These movements predate the more common 2602 used in later Soviet Pobeda/Kirovskie watches.

Where This Watch Fits Historically

The First Moscow Watch Factory (1M43) was the flagship watch producer of the USSR, established in the 1930s using imported American equipment (from the Dueber-Hampden Watch Company).

It later became known as Poljot, but before that, it used two main consumer-facing brands: Pobeda and Kirovskie.

Kirovskie was a mid-to-high quality line

Produced by the same factory as Pobeda, but:

• better finishing
• 16-jewel movements (often calibre 2408 or similar)
• more decorative dials
• higher prestige than Pobeda
• aimed at the growing Soviet middle class

1M43 still used Kirovskie as a brand name.
After 1964, most models switched to Poljot branding.

Initial Assessment

Once I gave the movement a wind, I was surprised to see it actually run. Not well — but runs.

I put it on the timegrapher using a generic 52° lift angle (the default guess when you don’t know the factory specification). The readings came back as:

• Rate: +321 seconds/day (running very fast)
• Amplitude: 242°
• Beat Error: 9.1 ms

These numbers immediately say a lot:

• The movement has sufficient power and the balance swings with reasonable amplitude.
• But the watch is wildly out of adjustment.
• The beat error is extremely high, indicating a misaligned hairspring collet, bent hairspring, or cock alignment issue.
• The oils are almost certainly dried out; this watch has not been serviced in decades.

In short:
It runs, which is a good start — but it needs a full, careful service before it can run correctly.

Evaluation

With the movement still outside the case and running in a holder, the picture becomes clearer:

Strengths

• Early Kirovskie movement (1M43) — desirable first series
• Movement runs on its own power
• Amplitude at 242° indicates a still-functional mainspring
• Matching early-era dial
• Huge historical charm

Issues Noticed

• Running extremely fast (+321 s/d)
  Usually caused by hairspring issues, a dirty escapement, or incorrect regulator position.
• Beat error of 9.1 ms
  Very high — likely collet misalignment or bent terminal coil.
• Unknown lift angle
  52° is an estimate, but the relative values are still meaningful.
• Needs full service
  Old Soviet oils harden and disrupt balance motion.
• Magnetized
  Checked with a compass and there is a reaction.

Overall Evaluation

This early 1M43 Kirovskie is absolutely worth saving. Not because it’s valuable — but because it’s an early first-generation Pobeda with a correct dial and running movement. These don’t survive often, and restoring one is a rewarding project.

Updated Next Steps

1. Full Disassembly & Cleaning

The movement needs:

• Complete teardown
• Ultrasonic cleaning of all wheels and plates
• Jewels pegged clean
• Old oils removed from the escapement and keyless works
• Demagnetize

2. Inspect & Correct the Hairspring

Based on the timing results, expect:

• Off-center hairspring collet
• Slight bends near the stud or regulator
• Possible terminal coil distortion

Correcting this will dramatically improve both rate and beat error.

4. Lubrication & Reassembly

• Main spring looks healthy – used some Grease 8301
• Light oil for train – used Moebius D5
• Medium for keyless works – used Grease 8301
• A very tiny amount on the escapement jewels – used Moebius 9010

These older movements don’t like heavy lubrication.

5. Regulation

After service, aim for:

• Amplitude over 250°
• Stable trace
• +60 to +120 s/day (realistic for a 1950s Soviet movement)

First Testing

So after cleaning and lubricating only (got fiddly trying to sit the balance wheel and finally got the method right). However the amplitude dropped and beat error increased though the rate dropped.

Rate: +125 seconds/day (running fast)
Amplitude: 205°
Beat Error: 9.9 ms

There could be some end shake on the wheels or the screws are too tight which can affect the amplitude and beat error. I haven’t tried any beat error fixes like adjusting the collet.

Second Testing

After loosening the screws a few mm, the reading has improved and I set the lift angle to 50.

Rate: +33 seconds/day (running fine)
Amplitude: 227° (needs more improvement)
Beat Error: 7.5 ms (need to do try to do the collet fix)
Lift Angle: 50

Next step either fix the beat error or redo the cleaning to increase amplitude? I didn’t oil the pallet fork which could be a factor. Probably first try to increase the amplitude before attempting to fix the beat error.

To be continued.