Why customers love Raketa?

Anti-magnetic watches, meaning those protected against magnetic fields and that are not likely to go out of adjustment depending on the fields to which they are exposed, are very useful in the contemporary world. Designers love to add magnets everywhere in our daily lives; there is a veritable profusion of magnetic fields that we live with and that are harmful to mechanical watches. Anti-magnetic watches, whether modern or vintage, are always my favorite. The 2610 movement is anti-magnetic, derived from the 2609HA. It was housed under a special alloy dial and in an anti-magnetic case made of special EIA steel or a steel/nickel alloy. The dial is incredibly pitted, to the point where it's hard to tell what color it is: a sort of leopard print somewhere between navy blue and burgundy. The choice to only represent the 12 in Arabic numerals and to use large two-tone indexes with matching two-tone baton hands is above all a choice of readability. Indicating the 12 o'clock position on the dial is enough to understand the principle; we are on a classic twelve-hour dial. But beyond the simple information, the 12 sits above the 11 indexes like a conductor who punctuates the division of time. It is the one that remains when all the others are massacred, this watch resists magnetic attacks and the twelve is the number that resists alone. How did it survive? Maybe because its one looks like I and two is confused with a Z, maybe because it is not so visible, maybe because it is indispensable, maybe by mistake or even by destiny. How can we know, there may not even be a reason? In short, you'll have understood that aesthetically this dial is badly damaged, the case is scratched, but it works well. This doesn't make the watch less interesting; on the contrary, it seems to tell a story. And ultimately, that's what we're looking for when wearing a vintage watch: that it tells the time fairly reliably and, above all, that it tells a story. The soundtrack I would choose to accompany this case would be "From Russia with Love," recently released by the Moscow punk band Normy Morali https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OYhrNKgvKtY Adjectives: indomitable, armored, antimagnetic, resistant, rebellious, experienced, survivor

This large 51 case has been released in many versions. But the dial design is particularly successful. Oversized black Arabic numerals, with thin black hands and a black-on-gold railway. It reminds me of Alain Baschung's music video "Osez Joséphine" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MaIDRUp2Luo, the white horse roaming the circle under the big top and the guitarists in the center. It's crazy, powerful, and delicate. The case is a gold-plated Type 51 with the "Au" symbol at 9 o'clock. The movement is a 2609-NA. Due to the solid gold dial, readability is excellent, which is far from being the case on many watches equipped with the same case and hands but with a dial featuring custom-made colorful patterns. Raketa Au 2609NA /513454 Adjectives: legible, powerful, vibrant, delicate, nocturnal, daring

Dials are generally divided into four. 60 minutes gives four quarters of an hour of 15 minutes, or twelve twelfths of 5 minutes. This is how we represent time. We count in multiples of 5, then 15 minutes. This watch is an exception; it divides 60 minutes into three times twenty minutes. It might seem like nothing, but it changes everything. We represent time differently. The three-sector pattern evoked the "caution radiation" sign for the Soviets, hence the name "atom" watch. It is sometimes called the Yalta, a reference to the Yalta Conference, where Charles de Gaulle was not invited and there were only three leaders dividing Europe after Hitler's fall. Basically, we're not used to having thirds of an hour; for twenty minutes, we prefer to say "a good quarter of an hour" rather than a third of an hour. Whereas for cocktails, on the contrary, we say a third, even if it's only a small third and there are more than three. Marcel Pagnol's recipe for mandarin-lemon-curaçao from the Bar de la Marine is a good example. It's a question of tradition above all, more than arithmetic, with all due respect to Marius. The name of this watch, which wasn't chosen by the brand's marketing team, but by its users, is quite revealing of what was going through their minds at the time (or perhaps still today). Yalta and the atomic bomb, Ozirosk and Chernobyl—no one thinks of the Holy Trinity or cocktails, which are deeply anti-Soviet concerns (Christian or bourgeois). It's a very elegant watch, in its gold-plated version with its majestic dauphine hands. My copy doesn't reflect this very well because it's only chrome, its dial has clearly shown signs of age, and the second hand has been replaced with a less stylish generic model. The design nonetheless remains elegantly minimalist. The case is chrome-plated brass, 36 mm in diameter, with a clip-on case back. The movement is a 21-jewel Baltika 2909A. For the soundtrack, I'm reminded of the music from the animated film "The Mystery of the Third Planet" by Alexander Zatsepin, a landmark work in the early days of Soviet electronic music. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tQL5fYHIyxo&list=RDtQL5fYHIyxo&start_radio=1&rv=tQL5fYHIyxo Adjectives: elegant, mysterious, ternary, striking, terrifying, powerful

This watch is rather massive by Soviet standards, 40mm in diameter. Its fine black Roman numerals on a gold dial, the Latin letters, and the black hands all contribute to an imperial aesthetic for this signature of the Peterghof brand, which was still called Petrodvorets at the time of this watch's creation. The dial is stained, and the case plating shows signs of wear, but this gives it a certain dignity; it has seen its time on a wrist. There is an Au sign on the left side opposite the crown, confirming that the plating is indeed gold, without specifying its thickness. It is a size 51 case, with flat organic glass and a stainless steel case back. The soundtrack to this watch, in my opinion, would be a Verdi opera. Everything contributes to giving an imperial feel: gold, elongated black Roman numerals, curved and fleur-de-lis motifs, the Petrodvorets factory... La forza del destino, which was staged at the Bolshoi Kamenny in St. Petersburg in 1862, is a fitting one, in my opinion. The irremediable aspect of the clock's course, which cannot be escaped, is like the fulfillment of destiny. What is written must be fulfilled. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ip2RL-KQnzM Adjectives: imperial, dignified, golden, timeless, fatal,

This watch from the 1970s presents well, the dauphine hands, the indexes and only two stylized numbers 12-6. The 12 looks like an Omega and the 6 like a Delta. The brand is Latin letters and the movement 2609A (Baltika from 1964) and its 21 jewels is marked in English for export. There are twelve hours on the watch dial like twelve months in the year. This watch obviously makes one think of 12/06 or 06/12, depending on how one sees things, depending on how one represents the world in this first quarter of the 21st century. June 12 and December 6 are two very different holidays, both resulting from the collapse of the Soviet Union, one is the day of Russia, a holiday close to the summer solstice and the other the day of the Ukrainian armed forces, close to the winter solstice. Of course, when the watch came out in the 60s or 70s, no one thought that on 12-06-1990 the RFSR would declare its sovereignty and that the following year it would become a holiday. No one thought either about 06-12-1919, which marked the beginning of the winter campaign, the most heroic period in the military history of pre-Soviet Ukraine. Because we must not forget that before the USSR integrated Ukraine, there were several independent Ukrainian states. So what to listen to with this watch? Of course, it depends on whether you see June 12 or December 6. On Russia Day, we listen to all sorts of militaristic pop, so we might as well go back to the roots with "Farewell of Slavyanka". The military march that by sense of fatality calls to go and fight far from the borders in the Balkans for Faith, Love and Good ( https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rahUPQZuMWc ). If on the contrary it is December 6 that we think of, then we must listen to the song of the new Ukrainian army, the anthem of the armed forces that are celebrated on December 6. It calls to unite the Ukrainian nation under the blue and yellow flag of freedom, and to fight because freedom is not won by lamenting (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RgdANpB9PnY ). Two military marches, both dating from the 1910s, for two opposing visions of the world and humanity, the pan-Slavism of the empire or on the contrary the nationalism fighting for a nation state. Two opposing visions, like the six and the twelve on this watch dial. The case is made of chrome-plated brass with a clipped steel back on which there is the anti-shock movement symbol. Adjectives: divisive, symbolic, classy, retro, current

This model is not very fashionable and yet it has many advantages, it is equipped with the robust 2609NA movement, has a textured dial with metallic reflections and especially a clear railway with "oversize" numbers which are very appreciable for the old people who see their eyesight decline, without going as far as the watch for the visually impaired that is the big zero, or even the tactile watch for the blind. Raketa knows how to make watches adapted to people with reduced visual abilities. The font of the numbers is captivating, it gives the impression that the numbers are hammered, that the hours fall inevitably like a powerful and rhythmic mass, whether it is our own rhythm that we imprint on our life or the one that inevitably falls on us: the rhythm of worries and problems of all kinds. This duodecimal string of numbers that tick away makes us think of the twelve hours of the half-day but also of the twelve months of the year where life and its string of worries take place. That's why I think when wearing it of the very rhythmic title of Elysium, "all year long" ( https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5uXM2bUjtew ). A captivating song of despair and hope mixed together. The chrome-plated brass case, type 621, with a clipped steel case back. The scaled bracelet suits it well but the organic glass is a little fragile when you're too active or clumsy. Adjectives: readable, punctuated, classy, reliable, caring

Square watches combine energy and unrivaled presence, but this one has its rounded corners and particularly curved Arabic numerals. It is powered by a Raketa 2614H caliber with 19 jewels indicating the date. The case is made of chrome-plated brass, type 141 with a clipped steel back. It is a 32 mm square with rounded corners. The light gray railroad is not very visible, it is more of a shadow on the edges that brings volume, the black hands and numbers on a white background stand out very well, giving it excellent readability in all circumstances. This watch is nothing special and yet it is very endearing, full of energy and softness at the same time. Its simplicity seems obvious and its energy is simply incredible. It reminds me of the album "obvious and incredible" by the St. Petersburg musical ensemble Radar ( https://music.youtube.com/watch?v=MzRRvmwIJKo&si=0oLLpdRSUWCGxNOr ). Adjectives: obvious, incredible, square, rounded, soft, energetic

Model launched in the 80s as a tribute to the conquest of space, the Russian manufacturer interprets the heliocentric theory here with originality. With its round hands symbolizing the moon and the sun, a case cut with a sickle and its ultra-domed acrylic glass, it is impossible to remain indifferent to the atypical character of the Raketa Kopernic. A watch that often challenges and opens the discussion on watchmaking. In short, a pleasure to wear this small (36mm) vintage Soviet watch with a strong design. On the mechanical side, a manual winding (caliber 2609.HП, 18,000 A/h) with a good power reserve, a very acceptable drift (-10s/d). Intended to be distributed on a large scale by the Russian watch industry. So no frills, reliability and robustness. My copy apparently left the factory in 1991, the year of the breakup of the USSR. I bought it for next to nothing with box and papers and gave it a service (more expensive than the price of the watch^^). Recently fitted with a sand-colored nato strap with a black PVD buckle, it is off to a new lease of life.

This is certainly one of the most prized Raketa watches by collectors, the "Goroda" (Cities in Russian, pronounced almost like "Garada" because the unstressed vowels are attenuated and there the accent is on the last syllable). It is nicknamed thus because of the large Louis Cottier-style universal time bezel. It is massive, since it is 43 mm in diameter (and even 45 mm if we count the crown) for 11 mm thick. The watch itself is on 12 hours, with the day and date - It is a caliber 2628N with 19 Jewels, double calendar, day and date. But there are white graduations on 24 hours in order to use the universal time bezel. It was first produced in the late 1970s for the Soviets, then in the late 1980s for the Italian market. The case is a type 313 in gold-plated brass on 10 or 1 micron depending on the version. There are also chrome versions. There are several dial colors, blue being the most common. The back is clipped in steel. The domed plexi glass gives an impression of cosmopolitan roundness. This great classic of the Raketa collections always makes me think of a Russian rock classic, "nobody writes to the colonel" by Bi-2. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1u7WN2zBEDc First of all because the song begins like the name of the watch that we slowly count down "Bolchìe Gorodà". Because it is a song about time that passes differently depending on where we are and who we are. Inspired by the novels of Gabriel Garcia Marquez who lived in Mexico at the time and wrote about Colombia. It is a song about emigration and solitude. It was composed in a big city on the other side of the world, in Melbourne, it became emblematic of the 2000s because the director Alexei Balabanov gave it the central place in the film Brat 2. It must be said that it was not his initial choice, he had preferred a song about the war crimes in Afghanistan that forged the cultural universe of the killers of the 90s. But the singer had categorically refused in view of the project of a cinematic ode to ultraviolent organized crime and primary nationalism that it conveyed diametrically opposed to the humanist commitment that animated the composition of the song. This is how the hit of Bi-2 came into play. The club scene shot in Saint Petersburg, is supposed to take place in Chicago. It's the whole scope that we shoot, Colombia, Australia, Ingria, Illinois, Pennsylvania... In short, all the time zones are there or almost. "Big cities, Empty trains, There is no shore, no bottom We have to start all over again from scratch." The song must also be suitable, I guess for the Big Zero special edition "Brat 2". But hey, there are other reasons to love this song or this good little planet and all these time zones besides a blissful admiration for the international organized crime. You can look at your telescope to see what time it is at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology or the Tokyo Institute of Technology rather than Brighton Beach or Marbella. You can love the song apart from what it has become through its passage to the silver screen. Adjectives: imposing, global, universal, terrestrial, traveling, brilliant, cosmopolitan, amazing

This little Raketa schoolgirl watch (489205) exudes the joy of the bell that rings at recess time. It is a small disc that recalls the classroom clock, the horns are invisible hidden behind so as to have this impression. The dial with the writing lines and the name of the watch are in the style of a school notebook, the double black numbering for the hours, blue for the minutes as well as the large black hands on white provide excellent readability. It is rather rare that a Raketa watch has its name written on the dial in script, a name that is moreover obvious, "schoolgirl". The Soviet logo of the quality mark is on the back of the watch, which is also not so common either, but fortunate because it does not distort the evocative magic of the dial. It also came in different colors: burgundy, pink, matte aluminum, chrome... These are watches that were affordable, only 16 rubles, so that schoolchildren could buy them. The mechanism is a very classic 2609 NA. The soundtrack for this piece would be "En sortir de l'école" by Yves Montand. A song tinged with the enthusiasm and overflowing imagination that we have in primary school. (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UlD0nBLvrcE ). It is a watch that makes us dream by its evocative power, that brings back school memories buried deep inside each of us, even if it is perhaps not precisely the model that we wore then. Adjective: Youthful, schoolgirl, educational, fresh, dreamlike, optimistic, simple, nostalgic