Catching a glimpse of this new KommandoStore Elektronika 55B on social media did something to me recently. Somewhere between browsing other questionable surplus sites and falling down rabbit holes of wartime memorabilia, it hit me. This was how it all started—with janky Soviet wristwatches and a lot of guesswork. Back when Two Broke Watch Snobs was barely a blog and mostly a chaotic text thread, we spent hours chatting about Cyrillic casebacks and figuring out whether a Poljot dial had been restored in someone’s kitchen. The Elektronika was another fixture in that world—a digital companion to the more well-known mechanical pieces.
So it tracks that KommandoStore—an online bunker for military surplus, field gear, patches, apparel, and whatever else they can dig up—would be the ones to bring it back. Their reissue of the Elektronika 55B Melody keeps the Soviet-watch-era oddball charm intact, while quietly trying to rebuild it from the ground up. The quartz module inside is apparently new and proprietary, designed to recreate the function of the original model, though details around its origin are still a little murky. I’d love to learn more about it, but it gets the vibe right.
The case measures 35mm wide with a 38mm lug-to-lug and an 18mm lug width, which makes it easy to wear and even easier to swap straps if the stock bracelet doesn’t do it for you. It comes in stainless steel or gold-tone, both with adjustable clasps (a band tool is recommended). Inside, you get the usual digital fare: stopwatch, countdown timer, alarm, perpetual calendar, hourly chime, and a Japanese CR2016 battery for long-term use. Water resistance is rated at 3 ATM—enough for rain, not enough for cannonballing with an AK.
And then there’s the sound. The original melody alarms are back—with some additions, courtesy of KommandoStore’s in-house composer (yes, really). Turkish March, Für Elise, Kalinka, the STALKER Bandit Radio theme, and the Soviet national anthem round out the list. All lovingly arranged by “Ivan,” because of course they are. It’s ridiculous in the best possible way.
Elektronika watches were once everywhere—from political offices to factory floors. They were made to prove that the USSR could hang with Casio and Timex without making watches luxury items. After the collapse, they disappeared into the background, surviving mostly on eBay listings from halfway across the world in suspicious condition. Until now.
This reissue doesn’t reinvent the digital watch, and it’s not trying to. I think these guys are just having fun. Still affordable, still a little awkward, still humming old songs. And for $39? You don’t even have to squint to see the value. It’s a fun, oddball alternative to the usual Casio A158—familiar enough to feel classic, but weird enough to start conversations. I really dig it.
Co-Founder & Senior Editor
Michael Peñate is an American writer, photographer, and podcaster based in Seattle, Washington. His work typically focuses on the passage of time and the tools we use to connect with that very journey. From aviation to music and travel, his interests span a multitude of disciplines that often intersect with the world of watches – and the obsessive culture behind collecting them.