Line History
The 3602 calibre is the most common manually wound movement among Russian pocket watches, produced by the Chelyabinsk factory for about half a century, from 1960 until the historic line closed in 2008. Derived from the Swiss Cortébert 616 calibre of the 1930s-40s, it retains a relatively sophisticated architecture for its class: lever escapement with a central minute wheel, jumping seconds at the lower-centre of the dial, Breguet hairspring, and jewel bushings even on the minute train.
About 80% of assembly was done by hand, and this calibre was fitted in an enormous number of aesthetic variants: simple civilian dials, versions with the Soviet red star, "hunter" cases with a hinged back cover and decorations engraved with floral or animal motifs. Thanks to its wide availability and modest price, the 3602 pocket watch became a classic gift for retirements, graduations and anniversaries in Soviet families.
Over the course of production the calibre was progressively simplified: thickness increased slightly, plate decoration was reduced and, in later versions, the screwed balance wheel was replaced by a Glucydur annular balance, without a shock-protection device. Precisely because of its wide circulation, the 3602 remains today the most common point of reference through which collectors approach the Molnija brand.
Technical Specifications
Main Executions
Given the enormous quantity produced in the postwar Soviet era, examples with the 3602 calibre are today among the most easily found vintage pocket watches on the collecting market, often at modest prices compared with other contemporary European mechanical pocket watches.