Chaika Hockey Player — Vintage Soviet Watch, Caliber 1601A

Description Vintage Chaika 1601A Hockey Player Dial — Serviced Soviet Watch

Chaika Hockey Player — Soviet Mechanical Watch, Caliber 1601A (USSR, late 1970s – early 1980s)

A genuine Soviet-era Chaika wristwatch from the Uglich Watch Factory, featuring one of the most decorative dial designs the factory ever produced — the rarely-documented Hockey Player variant with a double blue rink-border minute track. Fully serviced on the bench in late May 2026 and running strong.

Overview

• Brand: Chaika (Чайка), Uglich Watch Factory, USSR
• Model: Hockey Player / Khokkeist — Soviet sports-themed dial, part of the pre-Olympic / Moscow 1980 era
• Caliber: 1601A, manual wind, 17 ruby jewels
• Era: Late 1970s – early 1980s
• Case number: 379020 (engraved on the case back)
• Country of origin: Made in USSR (Cyrillic "СДЕЛАНО В СССР" printed on the dial)
• Service status: Full service completed in late May 2026 — cleaned, lubricated, regulated, ready to wear

Dial

This is one of the most striking dial variants in the entire Chaika Hockey Player family. The base is a soft matte off-white with a fine textured finish typical of late-70s Uglich production. Applied polished metal Arabic numerals sit at 12, 3, 6 and 9, with applied baton indices at the remaining hour positions — a step up from the printed-numeral variant most commonly seen online.

The minute track is rendered as a double blue ring with white minute graduations between the rings — a clear visual nod to the boards of a hockey rink. At the center of the dial, a Soviet hockey player in a blue striped jersey, helmet and skates is shown in a dynamic stride with stick in hand. The late-period blue shield Chaika logo with the Cyrillic "ЧАЙКА" wordmark sits at 3 o'clock.

Hands are the original flat black dauphine-style hour and minute hands — matching and original to the watch. The 1601A is a time-only caliber with no seconds hand by design.

Case

• Material: Chromed base metal with stainless steel snap-on case back
• Shape: Round, with straight polished lugs
• Dimensions: 31 mm × 36 mm (excluding crown)
• Thickness: 8 mm
• Lug width: 16 mm (standard spring bars, fits any 16 mm strap)
• Crystal: Acrylic (plexiglass), lightly domed
• Crown: Original signed crown, smooth winding action
• Case back: Snap-on stainless steel, engraved with serial number 379020

The chrome plating has held up remarkably well for a watch of this age — no flaking, no pitting, just light surface wear consistent with careful use. The stainless steel case back shows the usual hairlines from decades of opening and closing, but no corrosion or damage.

Movement — Chaika caliber 1601A

The 1601A is a Soviet ladies'/small-format manual-wind caliber first produced at the Uglich Watch Factory in 1976. Despite its compact size, it's a robust workhorse movement and one of the best small calibers ever made in the USSR.

• Type: Manual wind, mechanical
• Jewels: 17 ruby jewels
• Diameter: 16 mm (7''' lignes)
• Height: 3.60 mm
• Frequency: 21,600 A/h (3 Hz)
• Power reserve: Approximately 36 hours from a full wind
• Escapement: Pallet lever
• Balance: Smooth (screwless) Glucydur annular balance, with shock protection on the balance staff
• Functions: Hours and minutes (no seconds — time-only by design)
• Finishing: Circular Geneva stripes on the bridges, gilded train wheels

Service performed (late May 2026)

The watch went through a full bench service before listing:

• Complete disassembly of the movement
• Hand cleaning of all parts in refined petroleum solvent
• Inspection of pivots, jewels and the escapement under magnification
• Fresh lubrication: Moebius 9010 on the jewels, Soviet MZ-3 oil on metal-on-metal pivots, TsIATIM grease blend on the keyless works
• Mainspring inspected and lubricated
• Reassembly and regulation on the timegrapher
• Case cleaned, crystal polished to remove minor surface scratches

Timekeeping after service is well within spec for this caliber. The watch winds smoothly, sets crisply, and runs reliably for a full 36-hour power reserve.

Condition summary

• Dial: Excellent — clean, no lume rot, no spotting, all applied markers intact
• Hands: Original, no oxidation
• Case: Very good — chrome intact, light surface wear only
• Crystal: Polished, clear
• Movement: Freshly serviced, running on rate

Why this one is special

Most Hockey Player Chaikas you'll find online fall into one of two well-known dial variants — the printed-numeral version with a plain minute track, or the gold-numeral Olympic-themed version. This third variant, with its double blue rink-border, applied polished numerals and detailed multi-color player illustration, is genuinely uncommon and far less documented in collector circles. A great pickup for any collector of Soviet sports-themed watches, Moscow 1980 Olympic memorabilia, or unusual Chaika dials.

Ships fully serviced and ready to wear. Comes on a fresh 16 mm strap.