Military Gamble
400 pieces (150 in bronze, 250 in steel)
The Military Gamble project was launched by Dmitriy Chugunov in 2021 as a tribute to trench watches and field chronographs of World War I and the Spanish Civil War. Its literary inspiration comes from Ernest Hemingway’s novel “For Whom the Bell Tolls.” The name of the watch translates as “Military Gamble.” The caseback of the original versions is engraved with a fragment from a sermon by the 17th-century poet John Donne, which served as the epigraph to the book: “…never ask for whom the bell tolls; it tolls for thee.”
Design
and decorative features:
and decorative features:
Color zoning:
For immediate legibility, the dial is строго divided. The hour and minute hands are coated with lume, while the chronograph hands are executed in bright red. The chronograph start pusher is also highlighted in red to match.
Functional scales:
The dial features a telemeter scale (to determine the distance to enemy artillery based on the time between flash and sound) and a central tachymeter scale.
The crown and chronograph pushers are positioned at 12 o’clock. This design is historically rooted in the fact that early military chronographs were converted from pocket watches.
Each of our models marks a milestone that reshapes the perception of independent watchmaking:
A Chronicle
of Bold Decisions
Roger Tourbillon (2014)
Pure provocation in the spirit of El Día de Muertos. A floating minute tourbillon integrated directly into the eye socket of a silver skull.
The Wizard of the Emerald City (2023)
A unique combination of proprietary time indication and refined jeweled bas-reliefs at the center of the dial. Recognized as the Best Russian Watch of 2024 — a stylish embodiment of craftsmanship and attention to detail.
Military Gamble (2021)
The stark trench aesthetic of World War I. A brutal bullhead chronograph in tactical bronze, infused with the spirit of Hemingway’s novels.
Russian Ballet (2023)
An ode to great culture. Winner of a watchmaking award in the “Precious Metal Watch” category. A jeweled silver ballerina set against the abyss of deep blue aventurine.
Una furtiva lagrima (2026)
The project is inspired by Nemorino’s aria from Gaetano Donizetti’s opera L’elisir d’amore — widely regarded as a quintessence of drama, refinement, and emotional depth.
The First Earth Satellite (2025)
Our ultimate engineering triumph. An observatory watch featuring a proprietary offset-orbit module built on the Sellita SW200, causing the Satellite and the Earth to rotate independently of one another.
The Little Prince (2022)
Poetic planetary time without hands, awarded the “Best Russian Watch — 2022” prize. A golden figure of the Prince on a silver asteroid, with a customized Raketa heart.
Kirovskie K-43 (2013)
A premium homage to the legendary Soviet “Kirovskie,” powered by the Swiss ETA Unitas 6497-2, created in collaboration with the forum.watch.ru community.
Each of our projects is released in a strictly limited, numbered edition — from 1 to 500 pieces worldwide. We know that, due to these small production runs, not everyone who wants one is able to acquire a watch from our new releases. Waiting lists fill up rapidly, and models quickly become collectible rarities.
However, we will never compromise by increasing production volumes. For us, mass production is a trade-off we are not willing to make.
However, we will never compromise by increasing production volumes. For us, mass production is a trade-off we are not willing to make.
Quality
Over Scale
Our deliberate refusal to produce in large volumes is guided by two unbreakable principles:
Uncompromising Quality
Each piece requires an extraordinary amount of handcraft — from the precision finishing and decoration of the plates to the final polishing of intricate sculptural reliefs. Increasing production would inevitably turn artistry into assembly-line work, which we will never allow.
Absolute Exclusivity
Owners of Dmitriy Chugunov timepieces can be certain they possess a true rarity. We create more than an accessory — it is an entry into a private circle of connoisseurs of fine watchmaking.