Chaika
(Uglitsch Watch Factory)
Brands:
December of 1937, the Council of People's Commissars decided to build a
factory for producing TTK-2 watch jewels and technical stones in the town of
Uglich.
1950, the factory began producing "Zvezda" timepieces, firstly using
imported equipment, and later using our's own. It took a major effort of the
factory's engineering and technical staff.
1963, after our compatriot Valentina Tereshkova became the first woman in
Space, the factory was re-named as "Chaika". In the same year, the factory
developed and released the most elegant and miniature watches of 6x9 millimeters
in size, which known within the factory as the 12-caliber.
1966, these watches
raised a furor among participants of the Leipzig Expo and won the Great Gold
Medal, fittingly symbolizing the enterprise's meteoric rise.
1972, the factory was renamed in honor of the 50th Anniversary of the USSR.
In the 1970s, the factory developed the Enamel and Filigree
models, which would become Chaika's hallmark.
1974, the first men's mechanical watches "Skhodit" with a
central second hand came off the factory's conveyer belts.
1977, following the trends on the world timepiece market, "Chaika" factory
began producing of quartz timepieces with auto-winding and microelectronics.
Within 10 years the factory had been developing 10 calibers of watch mechanisms.
In the 1980s, the factory found its greatest success, winning a number of
competitions, launching new production lines and developing new mechanisms.
Chaika's specialists began training not only at the machine-building technical
school, but also at MGAPI university.
By 1990, timepieces' and mechanisms'
production reached 5 million units a year and 59% of which were exported. Except
the CIS countries, "Chaika" products are rather popular in such countries as
England, Canada, France and Germany.
1990 till 2000
During the difficult period of economic transition,
the watch factory "Chaika was able not only to preserve production and intellectual
potential, but also to boost itself to the new life level, unlike many other
Russian factories.
Today, it has already attained its previous levels of output, supported by the
demands of contemporary markets.
