Pocket Watches
Pocket watches first appeared in the 17th century and were considered luxury items. They were kept in a special pocket of a suit, and the chain – called a chatelaine – made the presence of a watch clearly visible. The golden age of pocket watches came in the 18th and 19th centuries.
In the 19th century, many European businessmen opened trading houses in the Russian Empire to assemble and sell watches.
Pavel Bure
In 1815, Karl Bure founded a watch company in Switzerland and later moved to St. Petersburg. His son Pavel Karlovich and grandson Pavel Pavlovich played a key role in expanding the business.
«The Pavel Bure» trade house produced almost all types of everyday timepieces: pocket watches, wristwatches, wall and table clocks, alarm clocks, as well as decorative sets with bronze candelabras (candle holder) and mantelshelf clocks. They also made special-purpose items like stopwatches, marine clocks, and carriage clocks.
By the early 20th century, «Pavel Bure» had become one of the leading Swiss watch brands. The company’s life ended in 1917 after the Russian Revolution.
In 2004, the «Trade House for Reviving the Watchmaking Traditions of His Majesty’s Watchmaker Pavel Karlovich Bure» was established. His descendant — hockey player Pavel Bure — has worked to revive the family's watchmaking legacy in the modern era.
V. Gabus
In 1868, Swiss watchmaker William Gabus founded a company in Moscow. He imported the best Swiss mechanisms and parts, added precious stones to the cases, and decorated dials with enamel paintings. Thanks to the high quality, his company supplied clocks to government offices and gained great popularity.
William Gabus opened a shop on Moscow’s most prestigious street — Nikolskaya — known for its luxury boutiques. His company worked until 1917.
In 2000, the V. Gabus brand was revived in Russia and Switzerland. The first new watches were released in 2001.
Georges Favre-Jacot & Cie
Georges Favre-Jacot founded his watch factory in 1865 under his own name. In 1911, it was renamed Zenith. During World War I, «Zenith» focused on producing wristwatches. The brand quickly became popular worldwide.
By 1920, «Zenith» had offices in six cities: Moscow, Paris, Geneva, Vienna, New York, and London. Over the years, the company became known for quality and accuracy, winning 1,565 first prizes for precision.
In 1999, the Zenith company was acquired by the luxury group «Louis Vuitton Moët Hennessy».
Heinrich Kann
«Heinrich Kann» was one of the major watch trade houses in the Russian Empire and a supplier to the Imperial Guard. The company produced custom-made presentation watches with engraved messages and emblems. In St. Petersburg, there was a dedicated shop called «Heinrich Kann’s Prize Watches and Military Insignia».
The company also made affordable nickel wristwatches for officers. Kann was a skilled watchmaker with deep technical knowledge. During the Soviet era, he published an instructional book «Practical Guide to Watchmaking», in four parts (1937), and also wrote two educational books: «A Brief History of Watchmaking» (1926) and «Clocks and Their Use» (1928).
In the 19th century, many European businessmen opened trading houses in the Russian Empire to assemble and sell watches.
Pavel Bure
In 1815, Karl Bure founded a watch company in Switzerland and later moved to St. Petersburg. His son Pavel Karlovich and grandson Pavel Pavlovich played a key role in expanding the business.
«The Pavel Bure» trade house produced almost all types of everyday timepieces: pocket watches, wristwatches, wall and table clocks, alarm clocks, as well as decorative sets with bronze candelabras (candle holder) and mantelshelf clocks. They also made special-purpose items like stopwatches, marine clocks, and carriage clocks.
By the early 20th century, «Pavel Bure» had become one of the leading Swiss watch brands. The company’s life ended in 1917 after the Russian Revolution.
In 2004, the «Trade House for Reviving the Watchmaking Traditions of His Majesty’s Watchmaker Pavel Karlovich Bure» was established. His descendant — hockey player Pavel Bure — has worked to revive the family's watchmaking legacy in the modern era.
V. Gabus
In 1868, Swiss watchmaker William Gabus founded a company in Moscow. He imported the best Swiss mechanisms and parts, added precious stones to the cases, and decorated dials with enamel paintings. Thanks to the high quality, his company supplied clocks to government offices and gained great popularity.
William Gabus opened a shop on Moscow’s most prestigious street — Nikolskaya — known for its luxury boutiques. His company worked until 1917.
In 2000, the V. Gabus brand was revived in Russia and Switzerland. The first new watches were released in 2001.
Georges Favre-Jacot & Cie
Georges Favre-Jacot founded his watch factory in 1865 under his own name. In 1911, it was renamed Zenith. During World War I, «Zenith» focused on producing wristwatches. The brand quickly became popular worldwide.
By 1920, «Zenith» had offices in six cities: Moscow, Paris, Geneva, Vienna, New York, and London. Over the years, the company became known for quality and accuracy, winning 1,565 first prizes for precision.
In 1999, the Zenith company was acquired by the luxury group «Louis Vuitton Moët Hennessy».
Heinrich Kann
«Heinrich Kann» was one of the major watch trade houses in the Russian Empire and a supplier to the Imperial Guard. The company produced custom-made presentation watches with engraved messages and emblems. In St. Petersburg, there was a dedicated shop called «Heinrich Kann’s Prize Watches and Military Insignia».
The company also made affordable nickel wristwatches for officers. Kann was a skilled watchmaker with deep technical knowledge. During the Soviet era, he published an instructional book «Practical Guide to Watchmaking», in four parts (1937), and also wrote two educational books: «A Brief History of Watchmaking» (1926) and «Clocks and Their Use» (1928).
