Poljot

Poljot, whose name means “flight” in Russian, is a Soviet and Russian wristwatch brand introduced in 1964 by the First Moscow Watch Factory, also known by its Russian initials as PMChZ. It became one of the best-known names in Soviet watchmaking and was used for watches with strong aviation, military and space associations. The brand’s historical importance is closely connected with the factory’s earlier Sturmanskie and Strela watches, including timepieces worn during major Soviet space missions. The First Moscow Watch Factory was established in 1930 as part of the Soviet Union’s industrialization program. Its equipment, parts and technical expertise were obtained from failed American watch companies and transferred to Moscow with the help of the Soviet trading organization Amtorg. Early production therefore drew on American manufacturing technology, while the factory developed into a major domestic producer of mechanical movements and watches. During the Second World War, the plant was evacuated to Zlatoust as German forces approached Moscow. It later returned to the capital and continued production under the First Moscow Watch Factory name. The factory produced Pobeda watches, marine chronometers, deck watches and other instruments before the Poljot name became its principal consumer brand. By the early 1950s, annual wristwatch production had reached more than one million units, and later investment included imported Swiss machinery for complicated-watch production. Poljot watches were generally valued for robust manual-winding movements, practical construction and distinctive Soviet design rather than for the luxury finishing associated with Swiss haute horlogerie. Poljot’s reputation was amplified by the Soviet space program. Yuri Gagarin wore a First Moscow Watch Factory Sturmanskie watch during his 1961 flight, although that watch was not originally a mass-market Poljot product and had been issued to Soviet military personnel. Alexei Leonov wore a factory-made Strela chronograph during the first spacewalk in 1965. These associations helped establish the factory’s watchmaking heritage and influenced later commemorative and enthusiast models. The historical watches were also connected with aviation and military service, reinforcing the brand’s identity around reliability under demanding conditions. The original factory and brand entered a period of upheaval after the collapse of the Soviet Union. In the late 2000s, the factory was acquired by businessman Sergei Pugachev and became associated with a broader luxury-business group. Physical assets and equipment were subsequently acquired by former Poljot employees, who formed Volmax. Volmax used former factory resources and movements from MakTime in watches sold under brands including Aviator, Buran and Shturmanskie. MakTime later became insolvent. These developments make the ownership and continuity of the Poljot name difficult to describe as a single uninterrupted corporate operation. Poljot International is associated with later commercial use of the name, but its relationship to the original First Moscow Watch Factory brand should be distinguished from the historical Soviet manufacturer. The original brand’s present operating status is therefore unclear.

The institutional history behind Poljot begins with the creation of the First State Watch Factory in Moscow in 1930. The Soviet government established the factory during the first Five-Year Plan and imported industrial equipment, parts and technical knowledge from the United States. Through Amtorg, Soviet authorities acquired assets connected with the bankrupt Dueber-Hampden Watch Company of Canton, Ohio, as well as equipment associated with the Ansonia Clock Company. Freight shipments moved the machinery to Moscow, and former American technicians helped train Soviet workers. Some early Soviet movements retained Dueber-Hampden markings, reflecting the factory’s imported industrial foundation. The factory was initially known as the First State Watch Factory and was later named after Sergei Kirov. In 1941, as German forces advanced toward Moscow, the plant was evacuated to Zlatoust. The wartime relocation allowed production to continue away from the threatened capital. After the military situation improved, the factory returned to Moscow and adopted the First Moscow Watch Factory name. It became one of the principal Soviet producers of watches and mechanical movements. Postwar production expanded significantly. In 1947, the factory began producing wristwatches under the Pobeda name and also made marine chronometers, deck watches and related timing instruments. Wristwatch output had grown to approximately 1.1 million units by 1951. The factory’s technical development continued over subsequent decades, including the importation of Swiss machinery in 1975 to support the manufacture of more complex watches. The factory’s aviation and space connections became central to its historical reputation. In 1961, Yuri Gagarin carried a Sturmanskie watch made by the First Moscow Watch Factory during his pioneering spaceflight. The watch had been issued through the Soviet military and was not initially a normal retail product. In 1965, Alexei Leonov wore a factory-made Strela chronograph during the first human spacewalk. Poljot, introduced as a brand in 1964, inherited and commercialized this broader institutional heritage. The Russian word “Poljot” translates as “flight,” making the name especially suitable for the factory’s aviation and space positioning. During the Soviet period, Poljot watches were associated with practical mechanical engineering, accessible pricing and national industrial capability. The brand produced manual-winding watches, chronographs and aviation-oriented designs. Its appeal was based more on robust movements and historical significance than on elaborate decoration. After the Soviet Union dissolved, the factory and its brand faced the commercial and ownership pressures affecting much of Russian manufacturing. Production arrangements, brand rights and equipment became fragmented. In the late 2000s, businessman Sergei Pugachev acquired the company, placing it within a broader luxury-oriented group that also included Hédiard and Luxe TV. The physical remains of the First Moscow Watch Factory were later purchased by former Poljot employees, who formed Volmax. Volmax marketed watches under Aviator, Buran and Shturmanskie, drawing on the factory’s legacy and using mechanical movements produced by MakTime. MakTime operated with old Poljot equipment but subsequently went bankrupt. Because the original factory, successor companies, movement production and later brand licensing did not remain under one clearly continuous structure, the present status of the original Poljot brand is difficult to establish from the available reference material.

• 1975

  Swiss watchmaking equipment imported

  [1]Poljoten.wikipedia.org

  The factory imported Swiss machinery and equipment for the manufacture of complex watches.

• 1965

  Strela chronograph used during first spacewalk

  [1]Poljoten.wikipedia.org

  Cosmonaut Alexei Leonov wore a First Moscow Watch Factory Strela chronograph during the first human spacewalk.

• 1964

  Poljot brand introduced

  [1]Poljoten.wikipedia.org

  The First Moscow Watch Factory introduced Poljot, a brand name meaning “flight” in Russian.

• 1961

  Sturmanskie watch accompanies Yuri Gagarin

  [1]Poljoten.wikipedia.org

  Yuri Gagarin wore a First Moscow Watch Factory Sturmanskie watch during the first human spaceflight.

• 1951

  Wristwatch output reaches large-scale production

  [1]Poljoten.wikipedia.org

  Annual wristwatch production at the factory reached approximately 1.1 million units.

• 1947

  Pobeda and specialist timing instruments enter production

  [1]Poljoten.wikipedia.org

  The factory began making Pobeda wristwatches and produced marine chronometers and deck watches.

• 1943

  Production returns to Moscow

  [1]Poljoten.wikipedia.org

  After the German retreat, the factory returned to Moscow and operated under the First Moscow Watch Factory name.

• 1941

  Factory evacuated to Zlatoust

  [1]Poljoten.wikipedia.org

  The plant was moved from Moscow to Zlatoust during the German advance in the Second World War.

• 1930

  First State Watch Factory established

  [1]Poljoten.wikipedia.org

  The First State Watch Factory was founded in Moscow as a major Soviet producer of watches and mechanical movements.

• 1929

  Soviet authorities acquire American watchmaking assets

  [1]Poljoten.wikipedia.org

  Through Amtorg, the Soviet government obtained equipment and technical resources from failed American watch manufacturers, creating the industrial basis for a large Soviet watch factory.

• Volmax formed from former factory assets

  [1]Poljoten.wikipedia.org

  Former Poljot employees acquired physical remnants of the First Moscow Watch Factory and established Volmax, which later marketed Aviator, Buran and Shturmanskie watches.

Historically positioned as a reliable Soviet and Russian mechanical-watch brand with aviation, military and spaceflight associations. Later products and derivatives appealed to collectors and enthusiasts seeking Russian mechanical movements and historical design references rather than conventional Swiss luxury.

• Mechanical watches · 1964

  Poljot mechanical wristwatches

  The core Poljot range consisted of mechanically powered wristwatches, particularly manual-winding models. These watches reflected the First Moscow Watch Factory’s emphasis on durable, serviceable movements and practical Soviet industrial design. They are now commonly encountered through collectors, secondary-market dealers and historical watch communities.

• Chronographs

  Poljot chronographs

  Poljot chronographs extended the factory’s specialist timing-instrument expertise into wristwatch form. The line is associated with aviation and spaceflight themes, and the factory’s Strela chronograph is particularly important to the brand’s historical identity because a First Moscow Watch Factory Strela was worn during Alexei Leonov’s first spacewalk.

• Aviation and space chronograph

  Poljot Strela

  Strela, meaning “Arrow,” was a chronograph family produced by the First Moscow Watch Factory. It is best known for its connection to Soviet space history and has become one of the factory’s most recognizable collector references. Later versions and commemorative interpretations draw on the original design and mission association.

• Pilot watches

  Poljot aviation watches

  Aviation-oriented Poljot watches expressed the brand’s name and institutional history through pilot styling, legible dials and mechanical movements. Their positioning linked the brand to Soviet air-force supply and the wider tradition of watches developed for navigators, pilots and other specialist users.

• Factory acquired by Sergei Pugachev's groupM&A

  Background

  In the late 2000s, the First Moscow Watch Factory and its Poljot business became part of a broader luxury-oriented group associated with businessman Sergei Pugachev.

  Action taken

  The business was incorporated into a group that also included Hédiard and Luxe TV.

  Aftermath

  The factory later fragmented, with former employees acquiring physical remnants and establishing Volmax. The available material does not establish a precise transaction date or a single continuing owner for the Poljot name.

  Source

• Former employees establish Volmax around inherited factory assetsStrategy

  Background

  After changes affecting the original First Moscow Watch Factory, former employees acquired physical remnants of the operation.

  Action taken

  They formed Volmax and marketed watches under Aviator, Buran and Shturmanskie, using movements supplied by MakTime.

  Aftermath

  The successor structure preserved elements of the factory's aviation and space heritage, but it did not provide clear evidence of uninterrupted original Poljot production.

  Source

1. 1Poljoten.wikipedia.org