The Russians Are Coming! Well, The Watch Brands At Least

This probably owes a lot to the personal style of Russian president Vladimir Putin, who would come high in most rankings of politician watch-lovers. Putin has long been a fan of Patek Philippe and over the years has been spotted variously with a Calatrava and a Perpetual Calendar, doing no end of good for Patek’s rouble account. For more classic watch styles, visit www.time2.co.uk.

Putin has also given Blancpains the occasional run-out, sportingly giving away a model to an admiring factory worker on one of his imperial progresses outside Moscow. Visit Selfridges Wonder Room for a fabulous selection of Blancpain watches.

Patek and Blancpain might still be beyond the means of the proletariat – it’s still hard to figure how Putin affords them on his modest official salary - but there is no denying that the Russian ruler still has the celebrity wattage to make or break a brand. When he was spotted consulting a Breguet Marine on a 2008 China trip, demand is said to have soared back home.

When it comes to mens' watches, though, the famously chauvinist Putin does seem a little more eager to carry the flag for Switzerland than for his dear motherland, just as his suits tend to the Italian, via Rome-based tailor Brioni.

This is a shame, given that Russia’s watch output is interesting and distinctive, but perhaps understandable.

After all, many of today’s most interesting Russian watches rely on a very retro appeal at a time when Russia is desperate to appear modern. For collectors outside Russia, though, the top brands – including Volmax, Vostok and Vostok-Europe - have plenty to recommend them, producing robust, mechanical watches with style to burn.

The emphasis here is on aviation, military, space travel and the great deeds of Russians past. Volmax’s range includes the famed Sturmanski – meaning “Navigator” - the pilot’s watch worn by Yuri Gagarin in 1961 when he became the first man in space. Vostok-Europe touts “Soviet Techno Design” through lines inspired by ice-breaking ships and nuclear submarines.

For other pilot’s watches, such as a stunning vintage, Rolex GMT Masters’ watch, designed for trans-Atlantic passenger jet pilots in the 1960's, visit www.time2.co.uk.

Even Putin – authoritarian former KGB-man that he is – has not yet managed to rehabilitate the old Soviet Union. Russia’s watchmakers might just do it for him.