Poljot
sturmanskie pilot navy cccp - Sturmanskie Soviet Navy Pilot

Vintage mechanical military chronograph Poljot Sturmanskie from the Soviet Russian Air Force (CCCP), featuring a flyback function, black dial adorned with the Air Force logo, and flight time markers on the bi-directional rotating bezel located under the plexiglass crystal. This timepiece is a hallmark of the chronographs produced for Soviet aviation in the 1980s.

This watch was never distributed on the civilian market and was manufactured at the Kirov watch factory, also referred to as Factory No. 1, located in Moscow. This pilot chronograph is powered by the caliber 3133-2 movement — a 21-jewel manual wind mechanical movement with flyback function specifically produced for this model. It is a modified evolution of the Valjoux 7734 caliber, adapted to the specifications of the Soviet Air Force. Factory No. 1 acquired the original Swiss machinery during the quartz crisis of the 1970s, enabling Russian engineers to produce high-quality mechanical watches. Under the export name "Poljot," the Moscow factory began equipping Soviet air crews with these watches in the mid-1970s.

The military watch featured here belongs to one of the first batches issued to the long-range aviation units of the RSFSR (Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic). It is therefore highly likely that it was issued to Tupolev Tu-22M (NATO code: Backfire) bomber crews. Operating at a frequency of 21,600 vibrations per hour and equipped with a date window at 6 o'clock, this flyback chronograph features a left-hand crown to operate the internal rotating bezel under the crystal. This uncommon yet highly functional design earned it the nickname “Russian Breitling,” due to its similarity to the 1970s Breitling Chronomatic, which also featured a left-hand crown.

This grey dial variant was used exclusively in 1987 for the production of these watches, making it easy to date the model with certainty.

Visit our Watch Stories section to discover more articles about the brands and their models.