SteelgreyhoundI collect vintage Soviet watches and am not the least bit offended by Soviet symbols.
Same thing with the Nazi Swastika - it doesn't mean anything to me, and I am not at all offended by it.
Why, you might ask? Well, simple answer is both the Soviets and the Nazis did not visit any harm to my country Malaysia, and my people, at any point in the past. No significance to our national history.
But some of the older folk over here might get highly offended by the Japanese Rising Sun flag, though. I know my dad would - he actually saw the Japanese Imperial army decapitate people right in front of his eyes when he was a child. The Japanese inflicted untold cruelty to my country and people during the WW2.
So, you see, getting offended by historical symbols is relative to one's country's history and its national significance. It does not apply to each and every one on this planet.
ShahrinCamilleHistory is an amazing thing, but caution is virtuous in the extolling of political equivocation, in my humble opinion... especially in this case.
SteelgreyhoundSo with that train of thought, do not buy IWC, Stowa, Junkers, Laco and Lange who supplied the German Luftwaffe pilots in World War II. Also need to stop buying Seiko who supplied the Japanese Kamikaze pilots.
ShahrinCamilleI agree with your statements. Yet, I was refering the newly produced items utilizing the symbols, which fuel the ego and ambitions of people driven by these symbols, thus being against selling them and participating in propaganda.
Historical items are completely different thing, which you have already elaborated on and I agree with your way of thinking there.
Let’s distinguish between the two.
HenryWaldenI tend to disagree with your statement there. My comment was not against the brand It was against utilization of nazi/communist symbols in marketing or propaganda reasons, which these novelty-made watch are all about.
Please correct me here if I am wrong.
SteelgreyhoundI agree with your point with regards to newly-produced items using these potentially offending historical symbols, but only because the producers are trying to capitalise on them to turn a buck when they have nothing to do with said symbols, and not because of the symbols themselves and what they meant.
That being said, I won't buy this watch because:
1. It's not a true Russian watch, let alone a Soviet one. It just pretends to be one. You DO NOT put a Japanese movement in it and claim to be a Russian watch, though I suppose a Miyota is a much better proposition than any of those cheap Chinese Tongji ones.
2. The size is too big for me. Might as well strap the wall clock in my study on to my wrist, if big is the way to go. You know the thing about men strapping on oversized watches to compensate for certain, err... undersized body parts, do you? LOL
3. If nothing else, the watch is simply effing ugly LOL.
SteelgreyhoundYou're exactly right, it's a lot like it. Having said that, who cares? I noticed you didn't state an opinion either way in your post and I'm not going to assume what you mean like some of these responses, I think it's a thoughtful point, and definitely started an interesting discussion, so thank you!
Personally I love hunting for Soviet era Eastern bloc made watches. This one however is tacky and inauthentic at best. Not the least bit offensive to me personally though, except to my outward senses. I though ShahrinCamille's comment below summed it up quite nicely as far as politics go.
SteelgreyhoundThe embodiment of hypocrisy. USA has killed far more people than either of those past governments, probably combined. One million people in Iraq alone (just for oil too). Dozens of other countries. Even in America 45,000 people are killed every year due to lack of healthcare. Profit over people is the American Capitalist way.