A Factory with Enormous Capacity
Slava was the principal brand of the Second Moscow Watch Factory, one of the USSR's major civilian horological enterprises. The factory's production strategy included adapting alarm-clock mechanisms for specialized clocks, making chess timing a natural extension of an existing industrial platform.
The Surviving Export Clock
A rare example is marked 'SLAVA,' '11 JEWELS,' and 'MADE IN USSR.' Its dials and specifications closely resemble the Slava 5671 alarm-clock family, built around a 56 mm, 11-jewel movement with long running duration. The complete chess-clock model has not yet been found in a surviving factory catalog.
Dating and Interpretation
Its metal case, English-language markings, and design suggest postwar export production, probably around the 1970s, but that date remains provisional. The clock should therefore be presented as a genuine Slava-based Soviet chess clock without overstating the exact model chronology.
Historical Significance
Slava proves that Soviet chess timing was broader than Jantar. The state system could take standard consumer movements from a huge factory and integrate them into a specialized two-player timer, producing a distinct alternative within the same industrial economy.