FIRST STATE WATCH FACTORY

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP83-00423R000400630001-7
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: C
• Document Page Count: 1
• Document Creation Date: November 9, 2016
• Document Release Date: December 18, 1998
• Sequence Number: 1
• Content Type: REPORT

Ap*p ved For Rplease 1999/09/10 : CIA-RDP83-00423RD
ENIIM. ` 25X1 A2g
SECURITY INFDR
SUBJECT: First State Watch Factory
SOURCES
16440
1. The Dueber-Hampden Watch Company, Canton, Ohio went into receivership
in 1927. The machinery and tools were sold to Amtorg Trading Company
for U.S.$325,000. Amtorg also bought a considerable supply of finished
and semi-finished parts.
2. Part of the equipment was considered excess by the Soviets and sold in
the U.S. The remainder was shipped to Moscow in 1930 for installation
in the First State Watch factory., The shipment made up 27 rail cars.
3.
Some Soviet representative, including the plant engineer, had come to
Canton to check the shipment. They returned to Moscow with 21 former
employees of Dueber-Hampden. In Berlin, the Soviet engineer deserted
the party and refused to re-enter the U.S.S.R.
4. The Dueber-Hampden company began operations in 1888 and the bulk of the
machinery was worn and obsolete. A fair estimate of the capacity of the
equipment would be 200 watches daily. But before the Americans left,
the Soviets had set up production goals of several times this figure.
The equipment would be useless for other work.
5.
( 1 v 1111,15
25X1A2g U I 1 MN
~CT 40063p
,e^~1;1jjrL1gj &I. Approved For Release 1999/09/10 : CIA-RDP83-0042380000001-7
After the Americans returned home, numerous inquries were made by mail
to the watch factory, the Moscow English language paper, and Amtorg,
as to how the plant had progressed but no replies were received. The
only report had was picked up in Switzerland by a former Dueber-Hampden
employee of Swiss origin. He met an exiled Soviet Army officer while
on a visit to Switzerland in 1947, who said the plant had, not done well
and was practically closed. His explanation was that the Soviets were
not adapted to precision work.
ter s pa ate pintos of
the wat r? ~ ar a
-city map 'of -MOSC6 MT)" n` -the -location of the watch factory, }have rbaan,
.sent G.M.P. Staff on a loam-` gis
25X1X6