Sturmanskie, the First Watch in Space

Nearly half a century ago, on April 12, 1961, Russian Cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin aboard the spacecraft Vostok One blasted through the Earth's atmosphere to became the first man in space. The watch he wore and relied upon during that historic flight was a Sturmanskie (sometimes written "Shturmanskie"). Like the spacecraft, it too was made in Russia.

At the time, this watch represented the best of Russian timepieces and watch-making technology. The Russian Times, a collector's site with a focus on vintage Soviet watches, describes the watch as "a logical choice, due to the high quality of the movement and [its] inherent accuracy."

There was nothing fancy about Gagarin's Sturmanskie. The watch was small and simple with only basic timekeeping functions. It had a diameter of just 33mm and did not even have a stop watch function. In other words, it was not a chronograph, just an ordinary watch. Of course, the watch was a purely mechanical instrument. There was no battery, no electronic movement -- only mechanical components. Remember, this flight occurred before the days of the battery-powered quartz crystal movement which revolutionized the watch industry in the 1970s.

The fact that a Russian watch was the original "space watch" surprises some Westerners. Many are under the impression that the first watch in space was an Omega or a Breitling. Indeed, the first watch worn in space by an American astronaut, according to an article in the June 2006 edition of WatchTime magazine, was Breitling's Navitimer Cosmonaute, which was worn by Scott Carpenter on May 24, 1962 during the Aurora 7 mission. The article indicates that John Glenn was not wearing a wristwatch on his earlier space flight. Later, in 1969, the Omega Speedmaster chronograph became the first watch on the moon and was standard equipment on the Apollo missions.

Gagarin's Sturmanskie, like all Sturmanskie watches, was built at the First Moscow Watch Factory. This factory began making watches as early as 1927 and continues to operate to this date, although the factory has changed owners during that time. Many watches produced by the First Moscow Watch Factory were built for military use, though it also produced watches for the domestic civilian market.

If you are interested in purchased a Sturmanskie watch you will be glad to know that the watches are still manufactured and available for sale. New models are produced by the Volmax company, a well-respected Russian watch company that also makes the popular Aviator line of pilot watches.

Online retailer Smirs currently sells more than 60 versions of the Sturmanskie watch with prices ranging from $100 to $900. These watches, however, bear little resemblance to the original. Many are multi-function chronographs with large cases measuring about 44mm in diameter -- a size more in keeping with modern style and the preferences of today's buyer. Even commemorative models are modern-updates. It seems there is little appetite for a small, plain, hand-wound Russian watch, except perhaps among vintage watch enthusiasts. 
 
 


As for Gagarin's original space watch, after the flight it was given to Poljot, the company that operated the First Moscow Watch Factory at the time, and presumably remains in their possession.

The 1961 flight was not the Sturmanskie's only voyage into weightlessness. As recently as 2004, another Russian Cosmonaut by the name of Yuri Shargin wore his personal Sturmanskie chronograph from the Gagarin collection on a space voyage. Shargin served as Flight Engineer on the Soyuz TMA-5 mission to the International Space Station.

You can get lots more information on Sturmanskie and other Russian watch brands at Russian Watch Guide. It's the leading consumer resource for facts and information about Russian-made wristwatches.


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