03-19-2010, 01:49 PM
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Default Гострест Точмех: A Milestone in Russian Horology
Гострест Точмех: A Milestone in Russian Horology

Гострест Точная Механическая Обработка, or simply Гострест Точмех (Gostrest Tochmekh), was the early Soviet-era State Trust for Precision Machining. Formed sometime after the nationalization of the industrial infrastructure in 1918, Gostrest Tochmekh was tasked with overseeing the production of critically needed precision timepieces for the state.

Prior to 1917, the manufacture of watch movements was impractical in Imperial Russia, and it was cheaper to import unfinished Swiss and German "ebauches" rather than complete watches (partially due to import/export taxation), and finish the watches in local workshops.

This task was undertaken by independent watchmakers appointed by the Imperial Court, such as Pavel Buhre and Heinrich Moser, who specialized in producing highly finished timepieces in their respective workshops in Moscow and St. Petersburg. The watches produced for the court featured beautifully crafted porcelain and enamel dials mounted in nickel and chrome plated brass cases, with silver and gold cases for the aristocracy.

After the revolution, the workshops were confiscated by the state, with the original owners eventually withdrawing from the market. Pavel Buhre temporarily relocated to Riga and continued producing signed timepieces for the state, but could only briefly maintain independence under the sociopolitical climate of the time.

By 1920, Gostrest Tochmekh was the sole state apparatus operating the former independent workshops, using existing finished and unfinished materials to continue supplying the military and government with watches. By 1926, however, materials had become scarce, and under the leadership of Gostrest Tochmekh trust manager Andrei Mikhailovich Bodrov, a commissariat was formed to contribute to the first Five-Year Plan (1928-1932) to establish an indigenous state-owned watch industry as part of the overall plan for industrial growth.

In the meantime, the critical need for timepieces would have to be filled by direct production from Gostrest Tochmekh, which began importing whatever components they could acquire on the international market and finishing with internally manufactured "Гострест Точмех" signed dials. Production continued into the early 1930's, when the nascent First State Watch Factory began production of the Type-1 movement and timepieces.

Hy Moser & Cie
Hy Moser & Cie was founded in Le Locle, Switzerland, and opened it's workshop in St. Petersburg in 1826. Below is a 1913 notice from the newspaper Нива/Niva, proclaiming, among other things, that official watches bear the factory hallmark and signature, along with workshop locations:


Here is a pocketwatch produced in the Moser workshop while under Gostrest Tochmekh administration. The 52mm nickel-plated case presents a perfect enameled dial, signed:

Гострест
Точмех
по заказу
НКПС



The last four letters represent the Народный Комиссариат Путей Сообщения, or The People's Commissariat of Railways. Therefore, the full translation of the dial text identifies the watch as:

State Trust for
Precision Machining
Commissioned By
People's Commissariat of Railways

The outer caseback again signifies this watch was commissioned by the People's Commissariat of Railways, serial number 10908, and a date of 1930:


The inside of the outer case reveals the serial number as given by the case manufacturer, and the image provides a view of the machine-turned inner case. The 41mm gold-plated 15-jewel Swiss movement features a bimetallic dissected balance with adjusting screws and an isochronous Breguet over-coil hairspring:


As is proudly displayed in the newspaper ad above, the hallmark of Hy Moser & Cie is stamped on the barrel bridge:


Cyma
Cyma was established in 1862 by Frederic Henri Sandoz in Tavannes Switzerland. The name was inspired by the French word cime, meaning "summit" or 'the highest point" in an unabashed statement of purpose. With just 40 employees and 55 modern machines, Cyma had a capacity to produce 40 watches per day. Several years and one merger later, Cyma employed over 950 employees and produced 750,000 watches per year by start of the 20th century. By 1938 this number increased to a staggering 4000 pieces per day. Production continued until 1966 when they ceased production and the rights to the Cyma name was sold to "Chronos Holding". Cyma watches are still available today.

This Gostrest Tochmekh watch has a case diameter of 29mm (32mm with crown), and uses a 15-jewel 26mm Cyma movement. Unlike most vintage (and modern) mechanical movements, the winding method requires pulling the crown out to the first position, which is usually the time set function. Pulling the crown out to the second position accomplishes time set on this movement. This arrangement would allow for the ability to place the crown in a more articulated position for winding, something that might prove more accessible to a gloved military hand.

Additionally, the large crown further aids the ability to wind and adjust the watch in inclement conditions:


Here is a detail view of the Cyma 15-jewel Swiss movement:


Unitas
In 1898, Auguste Reymond established his watch company, Manufacture Auguste Reymond in the small town of Tramelan in the center of the Jura Mountain region of Switzerland. He also began to manufacture movement blanks, or ebauches, in 1906. Reymond later gave the name of these ebauches Unitas, after the Unitas Watch Company he acquired in 1926.

By 1932, financial troubles forced the sale of Unitas Watch Factory to the holding company, Ebauches SA, who along with Valjoux, ETA, Felsa, Venus and others, formed a protective confederation of ebauche makers. Ebauches SA proved vital to the survival of the ebauche industry in Switzerland, and was responsible for the supply of high-quality blanks, such as the Caliber 146 ebauche below, to other watchmakers around the globe:


Below is a Gostrest Tochmekh-produced watch with enamel dial, blued hands, and a 33mm case (35mm with crown):


This image shows the Unitas caliber-146 (or variant) 28mm 15-jewel movement:


Many of the Gostrest Tochmekh-produced watches during this period contain this Unitas movement, and it is likely that this was the typical finish of ebauches from the factory, and Gostrest Tochmekh simply performed final assembly and cased these movements as they were.

The Unitas caliber-146 was also the base caliber for several highly finished movements from workshops of the era, including Stowa, Eterna and others.

Both of these pieces are broadly classified as "trench watches", and as such are likely to have been military issued. Other uses would include any state-level organizations requiring it's agents immediate access to accurate timekeeping, such as scientific or regulatory bodies.

Точмех Москва
Московский Городской Трест Точной Механики, or simply Точмех Москва (Tochmekh Moscow), appears to have operated concurrently with Gostrest Tochmekh from 1931 through 1933. The Moscow City Trust of Precision Mechanics produced this watch with the same unsigned Unitas movement as above, as well as a 33mm case (35mm with crown):


Here is a better view of the enamel dial:


Unitas caliber-146 15-jewel Swiss movement:


Like many trench watches of the era, this Swiss made case is signed "Pure Nickel" to denote its material construction:


As indicated by the numerous service etchings on the inside of the caseback, this watch was well maintained during it's service for the city of Moscow - and as this particular trust is specific to Moscow and not, by title, concerned with state-level matters, we can speculate that this Tochmekh Moscow watch was meant to fill official precision timekeeping duties at the municipal level, such as law enforcement, emergency services, public transportation, or similar.

Lucidor, roo7, and [k] collaborated on this article.
Last edited by [k]; 03-24-2010 at 06:51 AM.

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Old 03-19-2010, 04:10 PM
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I believe, Lucidor, roo, and [k], the time has come for you guys to compile your "Milestones" postings go shopping around for a publisher. These postings, including this one, set a very high standard for horological history that has been sadly neglected.

I, for one, would look forward to purchasing the resulting tome. Very well done again, gentlemen. Superb writing, clear and beautiful pictures, and a grand history lesson all rolled up in a single post. Absolutely first class.
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Old 03-20-2010, 08:13 AM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by conjurer View Post
I believe, Lucidor, roo, and [k], the time has come for you guys to compile your "Milestones" postings go shopping around for a publisher. These postings, including this one, set a very high standard for horological history that has been sadly neglected.

I, for one, would look forward to purchasing the resulting tome. Very well done again, gentlemen. Superb writing, clear and beautiful pictures, and a grand history lesson all rolled up in a single post. Absolutely first class.
Thanks for the kind feedback!

We enjoyed working on this one, and learned quite a bit in the process. One thing I did not expect to learn, was basic translation of archaic Russian (Moser advert).
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Old 03-21-2010, 10:19 AM
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Wow, this is probably 1 of the best milestone article and credits to Kevin and Lars
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Old 03-23-2010, 07:12 PM
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Thank you guys for the kind words. Kevin did the majority of the writing, but is too generous to take credit. But as much as I like reading the milestone articles, I enjoy making them or participating in their creation. The research is part of the fun.

I had new straps on order for my watches, but they did not make it here in time for the photo session. So here is an update, although with amateur equipment; no photo box and no SLR, just a compact and domestic lamps. The watches are very small, so I put them on bund straps to make them look slightly bigger. It is not entirely historically correct, as I believe this type of strap was introduced later, in WWII. But the watches look much better, and I was not comfortable wearing nickel or nickel alloy in skin contact, since the metal can provoke allergic reactions.


The Cyma on a black bund strap.


The Unitas on a brown bund strap.


Finally the two watches together.

Now I can wear them both without any health concerns.
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Old 03-24-2010, 12:10 AM
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That is a perfect combination:


The bund really suits that watch to such an extent that if it were mine, I'd have a difficult time removing it from my wrist.

Now I want that exact combination.
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