For a lot of British families, a Sekonda was the first proper watch they ever owned. It was the birthday present, the school-leaving gift, the watch in the high street jeweller's window that looked far more expensive than it was. But behind that familiar name sits one of the more surprising stories in watchmaking, one that runs from a London distributor to the factories of the Soviet Union and back again. The vintage Sekonda Classique in our vault is a lovely little piece of that story.
A London Watch Importer With a Bold Idea
Sekonda's story starts with Alexander Margulies, a Polish émigré who founded Elco Clocks & Watches in London in 1932. Elco imported and distributed Swiss watches, and by 1939 it had become one of the biggest clock and watch distributors in the UK. After the Second World War, Margulies began bringing in Soviet-made movements too, and by the early 1960s Russian mechanical watches were part of the line-up. His company, Time Products, went public in 1962.
Then, in 1966, came the big move. Rather than just distributing watches, Margulies decided to create a brand. Working with ChasProm, the Soviet watch industry's export agency, Time Products launched Sekonda, a name taken from the Russian word for "second". The advertising line was perfectly cheeky: "Beware of Expensive Imitations".
Made in the USSR, Sold on the British High Street
Early Sekondas were built in some of the Soviet Union's most important watch factories. Many were re-badged Poljot watches from the First Moscow Watch Factory and Raketa watches from the Petrodvorets factory near Leningrad, a factory whose roots go back to 1721. Other Soviet makers, including Slava, Luch and Vostok, also supplied the brand over the years.
The appeal was simple. These were solid, reliable mechanical watches at prices that undercut the Swiss. Collectors today still hunt for Soviet-era Sekondas signed "USSR" on the dial, including Sekonda-badged versions of the Strela chronograph, a watch linked to the Soviet space programme, and the ultra-thin Poljot De Luxe automatic.
The Quartz Years and Britain's Best-Seller
When quartz arrived in the 1970s, Sekonda moved with the times. From the late 1970s it began assembling watches in Hong Kong, at first using Soviet parts. By the mid-1980s Asian components were going into Hong Kong-assembled quartz models, and by 1986 some Sekondas contained no Soviet parts at all. In 1988, Sekonda became the best-selling watch brand in the UK.
After the Soviet Union broke up, Time Products ended its Russian production in 1993, and Sekonda watches have been made in Asia ever since. The brand stayed a household name, running a 1992 TV advert featuring Madness, sponsoring British ice hockey's Superleague from 1998 to 2002, and launching its hugely popular Seksy ladies' line in 2004.
Inside Our Sekonda Classique
Our Classique comes from Sekonda's quartz era, when the brand built its reputation on elegant, jewellery-style dress watches. It's a piece that is as much bracelet as it is watch. Here's what makes it special:
- A gold sunburst dial. The small oval dial catches the light beautifully, with slim gold hands, a single stone at twelve o'clock and the Sekonda and Classique signatures.
- Crystal-set bezel. A ring of sparkling crystals frames the dial, giving the watch real occasion-wear glamour.
- An ornate gold-tone bracelet. The sculpted links flow straight out of the case, so it wears like a piece of jewellery.
- Reliable quartz. A quartz movement keeps accurate time with no winding needed, and the stainless steel case back carries the Sekonda logo.
Why It's Worth Owning
Vintage ladies' dress watches like this are having a real moment, and it's easy to see why. They're small, elegant and stack beautifully with bracelets, and they bring a bit of retro charm that new fashion watches can't match. A vintage Sekonda also carries one of the most recognisable names in British watch history.
This one is in good vintage condition, with light signs of wear to the gold-tone case and bracelet, and a clean, well-presented dial. Have a good look at the photos on the Vintage Sekonda Classique Ladies Quartz Watch product page. It's priced at just £35, and like every watch we sell, it has been checked by our in-house specialists. It makes a brilliant gift, too.
Prefer something sleeker? We also have the Vintage Sekonda Ladies Quartz Watch with a gold-tone oval case, also £35, or you can browse the full In the Safe collection.
Final Thoughts
From Soviet factories to the British high street, Sekonda has spent 60 years proving that a great-looking watch doesn't have to cost a fortune. This Classique, with its sunburst dial, sparkling bezel and jewellery bracelet, captures that spirit perfectly, and at £35 it's one of the easiest ways to own a piece of that story.
Explore more vintage pieces at skylinesjewellery.co.uk, and catch us live on TILT every Tuesday, Thursday and Sunday at 9pm.
Sources: Marcus Watches heritage (Time Products), Wikipedia, URSS Watch and Netgrafik Sekonda history. Images: Skylines Jewellery product photos.