Is your Sekonda
the real deal?
Short answer: yes, Sekonda is a completely legitimate brand, and it has been the UK's best-selling watch brand by volume for decades. But here is what almost every page about Sekonda gets wrong: "Sekonda" describes two very different watches depending on when yours was made. From 1966 into the early 1990s, Sekonda was a London-founded brand selling Soviet-made mechanical watches, built by the Poljot, Raketa and Slava factories and rebranded for the UK market. After the USSR collapsed, owner Time Products switched to inexpensive quartz watches made in Asia.
So before you can authenticate a Sekonda, or value one, you need to answer one question first: which Sekonda do you have? This guide walks you through exactly that, then shows you what to check for each era.
The 60-second check
- Watch the seconds hand. One tick per second means quartz: modern Sekonda. Rapid small steps that look like a smooth sweep mean mechanical: almost certainly Soviet-era.
- Read the dial and caseback. MADE IN USSR or USSR appears on many Soviet-era examples. Modern watches carry a model number and contemporary styling instead.
- Try the crown. Soviet-era Sekondas are hand-wound: the crown winds the mainspring with a soft ratcheting feel. Modern quartz crowns only set the time.
- Check the price logic. Modern Sekondas are $30-100 new and near worthless used. Vintage Soviet pieces run roughly $30-150. Anyone asking serious money for either is selling a story, not a watch.
One name, two brands: the Sekonda timeline
Sekonda was founded in London in 1966, at the height of the Cold War, with an unusual business model: import mechanical watches from Soviet state factories, put the easier-to-pronounce Sekonda name on the dial, and sell them to British buyers at prices Swiss brands could not touch. The watches themselves came from the USSR's best-known works: Poljot in Moscow, Raketa in Petrodvorets, and Slava, also in Moscow. These were real mechanical watches with jeweled Soviet calibers, often 17 jewels or more, and the case and dial designs match the Poljot and Raketa catalogs of the era almost exactly.
When the USSR collapsed in the early 1990s, the supply chain went with it. Time Products, the UK company that owns Sekonda, pivoted to quartz watches manufactured in Asia, priced for the high street, and sold in enormous volume. That is the Sekonda you see in UK shops today. Both eras are genuine Sekonda. They just have almost nothing in common mechanically.
Which Sekonda do you have?
You can settle this in under a minute without tools. The movement type does most of the work: no Soviet-era Sekonda is quartz, and no modern Sekonda is a hand-wound mechanical from a Soviet factory. The markings then confirm it.
One nuance: some very late Soviet-era and transition-period Sekondas exist, and early 1990s stock sold on for years. If your watch is mechanical but has no USSR marking, it can still be a Soviet-built export example. The caliber inside is the deciding evidence.
Authenticating a Soviet-era Sekonda
Here is the honest starting point: nobody counterfeits Sekondas. The watches are too affordable for fakes to be worth making. What the vintage market does have, in quantity, is misrepresentation: watches that are genuinely old but not what the listing claims. Three patterns account for nearly all of it.
Redials. Soviet watches are frequently repainted with fresh, sometimes fantasy dials and sold as pristine originals. Look for printing that sits on top of the dial surface rather than in it, fonts that do not match catalog examples, misaligned minute tracks, and a dial that looks newer than the hands and case around it. We cover this in depth in our Soviet watch redials guide.
Franken-watches. Because Sekondas shared parts with Poljot, Raketa and Slava production, it is easy to assemble one watch from three donors. A Sekonda dial in the wrong case, or a caliber that never shipped under that dial, is a franken. It may still be a nice wearer, but it should be priced as parts, not as an original.
Era inflation. The simplest trick of all: a modern quartz Sekonda photographed moodily and listed as "rare vintage USSR". The decision flow above kills this one instantly.
To verify a genuine Soviet-era piece, open or photograph the caseback and identify the caliber. Common examples include the Poljot 2609 family in dress models and the Slava 2428 in day-date models, typically marked with a jewel count of 17 or more. The movement should look consistent with the watch's age: even patina, no fresh scratches around the caseback thread from repeated amateur opening, and a caliber that matches known Sekonda-branded production. Case shape and dial furniture should match Poljot or Raketa designs of the period, because that is literally what these watches were.
Modern Sekonda: what you are actually getting
A modern Sekonda is a straightforward proposition: a quartz watch, made in Asia, designed in the UK for Time Products, sold new for roughly $30 to $100. Inside is a standard quartz movement; on the caseback you will find a model number and the usual water resistance markings. Build quality is consistent with the price: mineral crystals, plated or stainless cases, and reliable timekeeping, which is exactly why the brand has led UK volume sales for decades.
Authentication is barely a topic here. A watch this inexpensive is not worth counterfeiting, and we are not aware of fake modern Sekondas circulating in any meaningful volume. If a modern Sekonda works, matches its model listing, and came from a normal retailer, it is genuine. The only buying advice worth giving is the same as for any budget quartz watch: buy new from a mainstream retailer, since used examples save you very little and carry unknown battery and gasket history.
What a modern Sekonda is not: collectible, an investment, or connected to the Soviet manufacturing heritage beyond the name on the dial. If a seller implies otherwise, reread the timeline above.
What is a Sekonda worth?
Modern quartz Sekondas: essentially no resale value. They sell new for $30-100 and secondhand for a few dollars. This is not a criticism, it is the segment: the watch delivers its value on the wrist, not at resale.
Soviet-era Sekondas: modestly collectible and refreshingly affordable. Most clean, running examples sell for roughly $30 to $150 depending on condition, caliber and originality. Chronographs sit at the top of the range and can go higher, dress models with common calibers at the bottom. Original dials matter enormously: a redial cuts collector value sharply even when the watch runs perfectly.
The honest framing for both eras: nobody should pay "rare investment" prices for a Sekonda. The vintage pieces are charming, historically interesting, and cheap enough that you can own a genuine piece of Soviet watchmaking for the price of a dinner out. That accessibility is the appeal. A listing fighting that reality with words like rare, investment grade, or museum quality is pricing the story, not the watch. Check completed sales on eBay before paying more than about $100 for anything without a chronograph complication or documented provenance.
Where to buy safely
For a modern Sekonda, any mainstream retailer works: the official Sekonda site, department stores, Argos-style catalog retailers and Amazon. There is no fake-avoidance angle, so buy wherever the price is best.
For a vintage Soviet-era Sekonda, eBay and specialist Soviet-watch dealers are the main venues. Apply three filters: the listing must include a movement photo (caseback off), the seller must state whether the watch runs and keeps reasonable time, and the description must be specific about originality rather than leaning on the word rare. Sellers in former Soviet countries list heavily in this market; many are excellent, but shipping times are long and returns are impractical, so the movement photo does the work a return policy would. At these prices a mistake costs you $50, not $5,000, which makes vintage Sekondas one of the lowest-risk entry points into mechanical watch collecting anywhere.
Scan your Sekonda now
Upload a few photos and get an AI-powered report on era, originality and value in seconds, including whether that dial looks original or repainted.
Start ScanningFor high-value purchases, in-person inspection by a certified watchmaker is always the gold standard.
Frequently asked questions
Is Sekonda a good brand?
Yes, Sekonda is a genuine, legitimate brand and has been the UK's best-selling watch brand by volume for decades. Modern Sekondas are inexpensive quartz watches, typically $30 to $100, that keep good time and are honest about what they are. They are not luxury watches and have essentially no resale value, but as affordable everyday watches they do exactly what they promise.
Are old Sekonda watches Russian?
Effectively yes, though the brand itself is British. Sekonda was founded in London in 1966 to sell Soviet-made watches in the UK. From 1966 until the early 1990s, Sekonda watches were mechanical pieces produced by Soviet factories such as Poljot, Raketa and Slava, then dial-branded Sekonda for export. Many carry MADE IN USSR on the dial or caseback and contain genuine Soviet calibers with 17 or more jewels.
Are Sekonda watches worth anything?
It depends entirely on the era. Modern quartz Sekondas have essentially no resale value; expect a few dollars secondhand. Soviet-era mechanical Sekondas are modestly collectible: most sell for roughly $30 to $150 depending on condition and caliber, with clean chronographs commanding more. Neither era justifies rare investment pricing, so be skeptical of any listing asking hundreds of dollars for a standard model.
Who makes Sekonda watches now?
Sekonda is owned by UK-based Time Products, and modern Sekonda watches are quartz models manufactured in Asia. The Soviet connection ended after the USSR collapsed in the early 1990s, when the brand switched from Soviet mechanical movements to Asian quartz production. Today's Sekonda is a British-designed, Asian-made fashion and everyday watch brand.
How do I tell if my Sekonda is Soviet-era?
Check three things. First, the movement behavior: a Soviet-era Sekonda is mechanical, so the seconds hand moves in rapid small steps and the watch is wound via the crown. Second, the markings: many examples say MADE IN USSR or USSR on the dial or caseback. Third, the inside: opening the caseback reveals a Soviet caliber such as a Poljot 2609 or Slava 2428, usually marked with a jewel count of 17 or more. A quartz movement with a battery means it is a modern Sekonda.
Are fake Sekonda watches common?
Outright counterfeits are essentially unheard of, because modern Sekondas are too inexpensive to be worth faking. The real risks are misdescribed listings: a modern quartz Sekonda sold as a rare Soviet piece, franken-watches assembled from mixed vintage parts, and redialed Soviet watches with freshly repainted dials passed off as original. Authenticating a Sekonda is mostly about verifying the era and originality, not spotting a counterfeit.
Where should I buy a vintage Sekonda?
eBay and specialist Soviet-watch dealers are the main sources. Buy from sellers who photograph the movement, not just the dial, and who state whether the watch runs and keeps time. At $30 to $150 the downside of a bad purchase is small, but insist on clear caseback-off photos before paying a premium for a chronograph or an unusual dial. Walk away from any listing using words like rare investment for a standard model.