The TUTIMA company in GLASHUTTE (Saxony, former GDR) assembled chronographs for the Luftwaffe from 1941 to 1945 based on the UROFA-59 mechanism (developed in 1938-1939). A total of about 218,000 watches were produced with the mechanism numbers: 000001-203500 (gold-plated), 203500-211000 (silver-plated), 211000-218000 (chrome-plated).
In 1945, the entire plant (including approximately 2,000 chromed mechanisms that were still ready) was taken to Moscow, and after a year of commissioning and training, about 2,000 watches with a black dial and hands with a luminous mass and a screw cap (mechanisms with numbers 218000-220000 with a German thermometer) were assembled from German components (but with the inscription “1 MChZ im. Kirov” instead of “GLASHUTTE” on the dial) in the period from 1947 to 1949. about 5,000 more watches with the 1 MChZ stamp and a Russian thermometer were assembled (with numbers approximately 00001-03500 1 MChZ – wrist ANChS with a black dial and hands with a luminous mass and a screw cap or with a silver-plated dial without a luminous mass and in their own domestic cases with clapper caps – like enlarged Pobedas with a central second hand; as well as with numbers approximately 03500-05000 assembly 2 MChZ – pocket).
The introduction of a five-digit continuous numbering of the mechanisms suggests that it was planned to make up to 100,000 of such watches (like 3017), but only about 5,000 were made, apparently they did not cope with the production of mechanisms. The mechanisms were chrome-plated, except, apparently, a small gold-plated batch with numbers 034** at the end of 1949.
The main characteristics of the mechanism: diameter 33 mm, accuracy -3 +12 sec/day, operating temperature -10 +40 degrees Celsius without loss of characteristics, 21 stones, a distinctive “flyback” function – zeroing the counter with the bottom button without stopping it with one press, i.e. a stopwatch “in circles”. The ANChS was replaced by a single-button ordinary pocket chronograph for special military purposes 2 MChZ (1953-1957), – a Molniya modified by our own efforts.
