The Watch Worn by the First Astronaut Representing an Independent Ukraine, Leonid Kadeniuk
Leonid Kadeniuk, the first astronaut from an independent Ukraine
We’ve talked Russian watches before, but this is the first time we mention any Ukrainian watch brand. And that’s for one simple reason, there aren't many, in fact there’s only one. After the fall of the Soviet Union in 1991, Ukraine for the first time ever (unless you count the brief period after WWI), gained its independence. Then, just six years later, the first watch factory was opened in the country: the Kyiv Watch Factory. The Kyiv Watch Factory was opened in 1997 and also owns the Kleynod brand, Kleynod referring to ‘treasure’. While the Kyiv Watch Factory produced its first timepiece the year it was opened, the first Kleynod was only released 5 years later, in 2002.
A Kleynod K 348-523 watch featuring the Ronda R-150 movement / Credit: Kleynod
What’s so special about the Kyiv Watch Factory, was that in 1997, for the international STS-87 mission aboard the space shuttle Columbia, they made a timepiece especially for Leonid Kadeniuk. Kadeniuk was the payload specialist for the mission and was the first Ukrainian astronaut since the country had become independent. You could say he was the first ‘official’ Ukrainian astronaut, although others had been part of Soviet missions. Naturally, he had to bring a timepiece that properly represented his country, and so a Kyiv Watch Factory or KGZ watch was made for him (although it is unclear if he actually wore it in space). The STS-87 mission was to conduct different experiments in outer space. On it, Leonid was joined by four Americans and one Japanese astronaut. Along with being a payload specialist, he also conducted biological experiments studying the impact of the lack of gravity on plants.
While Kleynod, or the Kyiv Watch Factory for that matter, isn’t exactly a luxury watch brand – its prices range from about $150 to $800 USD. And it isn’t especially well-known; it is the only Ukrainian watch brand and it even has its own production facilities via the Kyiv Watch Factory. Their watches, while not ‘Swiss Made’, use Swiss movements from ETA or Ronda. Moreover, unlike many more popular brands, it does have the distinction of having a space watch of its own – cachet that puts it in the same realm as brands like Seiko, Omega, and Fortis. The Ukrainian brand also notably released their ‘Kleynods of Independence’ series for the first time in 2006, to commemorate the 15th anniversary of Ukraine’s independence. The brand continued releasing timepieces as part of this series in 2011 and 2016. Although its core business is producing branded watches for other companies or events.
Another Kleynod wristwatch
For Ukrainians, Leonid Kadeniuk is a fairly renowned figure, his achievement as the first astronaut from an independent Ukraine showing his people all that was possible for them to achieve as a nation now that they were free from Soviet influence. And Kleynod and the Kyiv Watch Factory played a small but notable role in that story.
By: Andres Ibarguen
Read more:
“Kleynod Brand History.” Kleynod Watches, https://us.kleynodwatches.com/kleynod-brand-history/.
“Leonid Kadeniuk, First Astronaut of Independent Ukraine.” Ministry of Information Policy of Ukraine, https://mkip.gov.ua/en/news/2445.html?PrintVersion.