Penza watch factory was established in 1935 as Third watch company. For this company USSR bought entire french watch company LIP (patents, machines, stocks). In 1938 company developed it's first movement T-18, soon by the name ZIF. Just before the war the first watch with this movement - Zvezda was released. Company changed it's name to Penza watch factory in 1940.

Based on LIP movement Penza was the first watch company in the USSR which produced movement later known as Pobeda movement. Penza produced this movement only for a short period of time (1945-1947), from that perod on almost all watch companies in the USSR produced this movement, someones only for a short period of time, some for a entire life of the company. 

Company Penza after 1950 specialized in the production of small movements for lady's watches and lady's watches in general. Several trademarks were used, such as Aurora, Junost, Kometa, Lux, Mechta, Shura, Vesna and Zvezda. From 1964 all it's watches used only one name - Zarja.

Even today company operates under the name Penzenskij časovoj zavod. In fact two contradictory declarations can be found. First one is that this is the same company as the original USSR company from 1930's, the second version is that this company is the new legal entity "Trade House Časi", which bought all rights of the "old"  closed company. This TD Časi company for the marketing purposes uses also PČZ name. What is true remains unknown to me. But I decided to put it here and not into legacy part..

Today Zarja trademark is still used but strictly for man's watches in which chineese movements are used. For the lady's watches the new brand Solo was released. For those watches it can be said that they represent direct link to the soviet past production since standard Zarja 1509B movement is produced and used for those watches. And in addition to that design of Solo watches reminds us to Čajka watches in the later periods, when lady's watches were more jewelery than watches.

Different Penza brands from USSR period

Zarja from USSR period

Penzenskij časovoj zavod - Russia