LIP's collaboration with the USSR before the Second World War
The beginnings of collaboration
Before the outbreak of the Second World War, the Soviet Union was going through a period of rapid industrialization. Seeking to establish a domestic watchmaking industrythe Soviet government turned to international experts. French watch manufacturer, LIPwas chosen for this strategic mission. In 1936, Fred LipmannLIP's technical director, signed an agreement with the USSR to export technology and spare parts for this initiative.
Establishment of the Third State Watch Factory
In April 1935, the Third State Watch Factory was established in Penza, 625 kilometers southeast of Moscow. Rebuilt from the remains of the Frunze bicycle factory, it used tools recently acquired from LIP. The engineers and technicians engineers and technicians played a crucial role in supervising the installation of the equipment and training the Russian engineers. Thanks to their expertise, the Soviets were able to produce small, modern wristwatches based on the caliber T18 caliber.
The impact of calibre 1802
The T18 movement, slightly modified by Soviet engineers, was renamed 1802. In 1947, this revolutionary caliber became the first mechanical watch movement to be produced on a modern assembly line. This breakthrough enabled the Soviets to become pioneers in the mass production of watch movementsahead of the Swiss by several years. The first 1802 wristwatches, initially anonymous, were later marked ZIFwith the factory logo 3ГЧЗand finally, were named Zvezda.
A lasting imprint on Soviet watchmaking
The acronym ZIF (ЗИФ) stands for Завод имени Фрунзеor "Factory named after Frunze" (in homage to Mikhail Frunzea Bolshevik hero). ZIF brand watches were produced only from 1938 to early 1940, leaving a lasting imprint on Soviet watchmaking history. This collaboration between LIP and the USSR not only established a watchmaking industry in the Soviet Union, but also demonstrated the importance of international exchange of knowledge and technology in industrial development.
Conclusion
The collaboration between LIP and the Soviet Union prior to the Second World War is a fascinating example of industrial and technological cooperation. By combining French expertise and Soviet ambition, this partnership led to significant advances in watchmaking, marking an important chapter in world watchmaking history.
To find out more about the history of Soviet watchmaking and LIP's contributions, consult detailed resources on watchmaking history and industrial archives from the period.
