Slava wristwatch, red dial

Object/Artifact

-

Archive of Cuban Socialism

Name/Title

"Slava" wristwatch, red dial

Entry/Object ID

2025.20.17

Description

A small mechanical wristwatch with a brushed silver-tone (chromed/steel) cushion-shaped case and a deep red dial. The dial has white Arabic numerals at 12, 3, 6, 9 with baton markers between, white hands, and printed text reading "SLAVA," "17 jewels," and "MADE IN USSR"; a winding crown is at the right side (3 o'clock). The watch is mounted on a heavily worn strap made of pale buff fabric/webbing (a textile band, frayed and soiled) combined with a separate brown leather keeper and a metal buckle, with red stitching visible.

Acquisition

Accession

2025.20

Acquisition Method

Gift

Made/Created

Manufacturer

Second Moscow Watch Factory

Time Period

1970s

Place

City

Moscow

Country

U.S.S.R.

Region

Eastern Europe

Continent

Europe

Edition

Slava (Слава)

Notes

MAKER: Slava (Слава) — a Soviet watch brand made by the Second Moscow Watch Factory, USSR. "SLAVA" and "MADE IN USSR" appear on the dial; "17 jewels" denotes the movement's jewel count. DATE / PERIOD: Not dated on the object; 20th century, Soviet period. The "Made in USSR" marking, the style of the cushion case and red dial, and the 17-jewel mechanical movement are consistent with a 1970s date (hedged). ORIGIN: U.S.S.R. — Slava, Second Moscow Watch Factory, Moscow.

Inscription/Signature/Marks

Notes

Dial: "SLAVA"; "17 jewels"; "MADE IN USSR." Languages: English on the dial ("17 jewels," "MADE IN USSR"); "SLAVA" is the Latin-script rendering of Слава ("glory"). Soviet watches for export commonly used Latin script.

Materials

Material Notes

MATERIALS: Watch: chromed/stainless steel or chromed base-metal case, glass or acrylic crystal, metal-and-jewel mechanical movement, painted metal dial. Strap (improvised): textile webbing/fabric (buff), brown leather keeper, metal buckle, thread (red stitching). TECHNIQUES: Mass-produced mechanical (hand-wound) wristwatch with a 17-jewel movement.

Condition

Overall Condition

Poor

Relationships

Related Places

Place

City

Havana

Country

Cuba

Region

Caribbean, Central America

Notes

use

Research Notes

Notes

Slava (Слава, "glory") was a major Soviet watch brand produced by the Second Moscow Watch Factory, one of the principal USSR watch manufacturers; founded in the 1920s, the factory produced large quantities of mechanical wristwatches and clocks for the domestic and export markets through the Soviet period, and "Made in USSR" Latin-script dials like this one were typical of watches destined for or circulating in export markets. A 17-jewel hand-wound movement and the cushion case with a colored (red) dial are consistent with Soviet women's/dress watches of the 1970s.

Created By

María A. Cabrera Arús

Create Date

November 2, 2025

Updated By

María A. Cabrera Arús

Update Date

June 4, 2026