https://spectrum.ieee.org/consumer-electronics/gadgets/the-c...
To get started just enter "soviet vintage" into the search-box. Once you have some results click on "Filter" and you get the option to set "Location: European Union", "Max Price: €100", etc.
There are a lot of regional variations, so I use chrono24.fi, for example. But the content is the same - I think it's just the default location and currency that changes based on TLD.
The site has been around for many years and is well-regarded, but even so I don't think I've ever paid more than €1000 for a watch there. Just in case.
Edit: Main thing to pay attention to are the dimensions of the watch. Watches from the 40s-80s tended to be smaller. So you'll find diameters of 34mm, 36mm, etc. Most people prefer larger watches these days. For me 36mm-42mm is fine, but that's because I have thin wrists. But I know looking at photos can be misleading in terms of diameter/dimensions so read the details.
Edit #2: This is what I'm wearing today, which cost me around €70 - https://tinyurl.com/dd7bnthx
I gotta say though: stick with mechanicals. There's an elegance to it which smart watches will never touch. And I say that as someone who has settled on the Apple Watch as my daily driver. It's so useful! Does a bunch of small things that add up to a great tool, and I'm even fond of it. But it... isn't a watch!
I'm looking forward to dressy evening stuff happening more, so I can leave it behind and put on something nice.
I'm flexible on digits vs. markers, (e.g. the piece I'm wearing today has numerals at 2, 6, and 10). But I stick to two/three hand watches.
Missing my Pebbles, this looks like an awesome replacement. Thanks for the link!
https://17jewels.info/
I collect mechanical watches and have a fair number of vintage Soviet watches in my collection - Rateka, Vostok, Poljot, etc. Cheap, reliable, and often with striking designs.
(Today's watch is a Poljot - Russian: Полёт, literally meaning "flight", is a brand of Soviet/Russian wristwatches, produced since 1964 by the First Moscow Watch Factory. Poljot produced numerous historical watches used in many important space missions, including the world's first space watch worn by Yuri Gagarin.)
I don't think I've ever had a stranger complicate my watch when I've been wearing a Rolex, or something high-end, unless the person making the comment was also wearing one. But I get weekly comments on the cheap and cheerful watches.
Even now, in pandemic times, I still put on a watch every morning, and it still makes me smile. If smart-watches had batteries that lasted for a few weeks or more I might be tempted, but until then I'll stick with mechanical watches. (And one Casio terrorist watch, just for completeness!)