Soviet Wristwatches ?

[Bill D.]

Does anyone know what the deal is with these things ?
I see them offered with what appear to be old-looking faces on the dial. The faces are imprinted with images of Stalin, the NKVD "egg", and the Guards unit badge, among other things.
Were these watches actually sold in the Soviet Union at one time ? I can't imagine a Soviet citizen walking around with Joe Stalin on his watch like he was Mickey Mouse. I also can't imagine why anyone would wear a watch with an NKVD emblem on it, unless it was some kind of an award, perhaps ? The Guards unit design I could see as perhaps a veteran's remembrance item, or maybe even an award to a serving soldier in a Guards unit.

So what's the story, here ? Anyone have the scoop on these things ? All bad ? Some good, some fantasy ?

What do you think ?

[Kozlov]

There's another thread recently on here about watches which I think will answer your questions, but I can't seem to get the search thingy to work at the moment...

[Bill D.]

I Knoe the thread to which you are referring, Kozlov. That related to the watches with military emblems such as tanks and parachutes on them. There was a photo of a group of paratroopers actually being awarded watches. It was pointed out, I think, that of the watches that were posted in the thread, the only one that would have been an "award" item was marked "Ministry of Defence USSR" on the dial. The others were watches for collectors.

But here I'm wondering about what might best be described as "non-military" watches.