[SOTC] My year-end status update. Including books!

Yes, they are all available in English. For the limited edition of the Millennium watch book: Tourbillons I think some should still be available, and if not the regular edition is always a thing, just without a Breguet preface. You can purchase it on The Millennium Watch Book website to save on third parties. The other French-titled volumes are from the Watchprint website, where you can also buy the original Millennium Watch Book. Many of the books there are only in French, but all the ones I own and listed are also available in English. If you consider purchasing the Konstantin Chaykin book though, I have to point out the book is only offered in a limited and numbered edition on Konstantin Chaykin's website. Below I've written a concise recap of Russian watchmaking to get started, but it's still very long.

Russian watches during the soviet era were well built, durable and reliable, made by a lot of different state manufacturers, for the least amount of cost. They were nothing incredible but they maximized the workhorse aspect of a watch, and so many are still working well and available on the internet. The same good workhorse aspect can be said about Chinese makes and pieces from the same era, although good luck finding one today, between all the modern (almost identical to the old) watches those makes still manufacture today but with lower finish and no control quality whatsoever, arriving not working to the customers. Most of the Russian manufactures I talked about above survived up until recently, making low-end but incredible for the buck pieces, however with the current "politics" some big names like Poljot have become just another cheap Chinese make, and are not worth anything anymore. Still to be said about Chinese pieces is that some rare makes are still making great pieces (even some with good grade controlled versions of Tianjin movements, like Atelier Wen), just they hardly get noticed between the quantity of crap. Returning to the recent downfall of Russian workhorse makes, some, like Raketa, have just in time created an European based part of the brand, which still makes them pretty independent. Raketa for example is now mainly selling to western countries, and their overall characteristics have started to be more varied, better in quality and mainstream to appeal to these customers, while still being absolutely recognizable. They are also starting to make more "special" and expensive watches while building their Russian name in the West.

Konstantin Chaykin however has nothing to do with low-end watches, he is an independent self-tought who makes some of the finest and most creative masterpieces on the market. It is to note some other historical high-end russian makes like Fabergé still sometime make watches, although for Fabergé specifically I can't say where they are based now. Those high-end old manufacturers are what remains of a long tradition of expert jewellers and craftsmen during the zar era, when Russia really shined with excellence, although driven by and for the monarchy. Today most if not all the high-end Russian pieces are long gone, except for Konstantin Chaykin, who makes his own ideas but where you can still here and there definitely see the Russian tradition. In a way, none expected some fine art horologists to make it in Russia anymore, and most people already considered Russia to be done with watchmaking forever, but I'm glad a pretty young brand is still making excellence. Konstantin Chaykin himself is teaching several talented people, and the small manufacture seems to have long days in front.

Then there are all the Swiss high-end makes who have entire models or editions for their wealthy Russian customers. Franck Müller even owns a whole make, Cvstos, for that sole purpose. Those are Swiss watches, just exhalting various Russian identity and pride cues.