This sugess (belongs to seagull) carries with it a lot of complications for a mini price. It is sure that it is not very fine, nor very well finished but it allows to have a poetic moon phase. The dial is quite readable despite all the information present. The "blued" hands look very artificial and are the only really low-end elements at first glance.

A moon phase date chrono for less than 200 euros

I didn't see myself wearing a gold world but the rose gold of this Certina convinced me otherwise. Its small second and the beginning of a Bambi patina finished convincing me. The transition to a midnight blue bracelet suits it perfectly. The indexes are just the index at 6 o'clock is the only negative note on the piece for me.

Bambi are you there?

An ideal watch for summer or to bring some sun in the middle of winter. The yellow dial is bright no matter the lighting. The integrated bracelet fits well with the case. The finishes could be a bit better, but for mass-produced watches it's okay. The crown is not easy to operate and I would have liked a version without a date or at least without a cyclops.

Simple and effective in short citizen

Everything has already been said about the speedmaster. So I would talk about the feeling when the first time you wear one on your wrist, and especially the first time it is ours and we start our story with it. The search for the right strap (the best is Joseph Bonnies' NASA), checking our car speedometer on the highway and the fact of perpetuating the story by spreading it around you. I started with something new wanting to try to keep this watch until the end of my life and for it to be part of my story.

One small step, one giant leap in the heart

An iconic watch brought up to date by its size and its bronze case. A pleasant mechanism to handle with its good-sized crown and a power reserve that can allow forgetting to wind it.
The bronze patina very well. The horns are long and allow the wearing of any type of bracelet.

Bronze at attention

Pretty vintage that attracted me by its patinated dial that goes towards purple and by the sunburst of the case. The shape of the case also changes with its slightly barrel shape. The dial seems very deep bringing a lot of relief to the whole. The CCCP also brings its bit of history on this manufacture coming from the east.

Made in CCCP

One of the few big watches that I like to wear thanks to its reduced horns. The ceramic makes it very soft to the touch. The readability is at the top day and night with this nightlum series. The integration of the date at 4 o'clock is great by taking the font size of the reference. The change of bracelet is simplified by the pierced horns.

When do we take off?

After getting past the round hands, we linger on the other subtleties of the watch. Its dial that goes from black to green with edges that go up towards the bezel. A very worked case that looks like it is in two parts. The openwork horns. In short, a lot of details for this microbrand.

Everything is going well

The watch that best fits the wrist with its shape, its absence of horn and its specific bracelet.
Its size is quite present for a vintage. Dial with a beautiful reflection and not "polluted" by a date that I find does not suit it. The second hand brings pep and makes it lively. The bracelet change system could be great if finding one was more economical.

Oval is the new round

<p dir="ltr">The Russian watch brand <strong>Raketa</strong>, founded in <strong>1961</strong>, has its roots in the Imperial Manufacture of Peterhof, established in 1721 by Tsar Peter the Great. This factory, located in Saint Petersburg, is the oldest in Russia still in operation. Initially specializing in cutting precious and semi-precious stones, it contributed to iconic works such as the 1924 Lenin Mausoleum and the Kremlin ruby ​​stars.</p>
<h2 dir="ltr">The Beginnings of Watchmaking</h2>
<p dir="ltr">After the Second World War, the Petrodvorets factory diversified its activities by launching into watchmaking. In 1945, it began assembling watches under the brands Zvezda ("Star") and Pobeda ("Victory"), the latter celebrating the victory over Nazi Germany.</p>
<h2 dir="ltr">Birth of the Raketa Brand</h2>
<p dir="ltr">In 1961, in homage to the first manned space flight by Yuri Gagarin, the "Raketa" brand (<strong>which means "rocket" in Russian</strong>) was created. This initiative reflects the spirit of innovation and space conquest of the Soviet era.</p>
<h2 dir="ltr">Expansion et Production</h2>
<p dir="ltr">At the peak of its production, in the 1970s, the factory employed around 8,000 people and produced up to 5 million mechanical watches per year. These watches were intended for civilians as well as soldiers, cosmonauts, polar explorers and Olympic athletes.</p>
<h2 dir="ltr">Post-Soviet Challenges and Renaissance</h2>
<p dir="ltr">After the fall of the Soviet Union, Raketa went through a difficult period, but was able to revive itself by modernizing its facilities and collaborating with international experts. Today, the manufacture produces its own movements in-house, including hairsprings and escapements, which is rare in the global watch industry.</p>
<h2 dir="ltr">Iconic Models</h2>
<p dir="ltr">Among Raketa's emblematic models, we find the "<strong>Polar</strong>", designed for polar explorers with a 24-hour dial, and the "<strong>Ba&iuml;konur</strong>", dedicated to cosmonauts. Raketa is one of the few global watch brands to entirely produce its own mechanical movements. Its range includes models such as the<a href="https://www.dialicious.com/en/raketa/baikonur"> Raketa Baikonur</a>, the<a href="https://www.dialicious.com/en/raketa/avant-garde"> Raketa Avant-Garde</a> or even the<a href="https://www.dialicious.com/en/raketa/polar"> Raketa Polar</a>.</p>
<h2 dir="ltr">How much does a Raketa watch cost?</h2>
<p dir="ltr">The price of Raketa watches evolve and differ depending on the model. <strong>Most cost between 1,600 &euro; and 2,200 &euro; depending on the models and finishes</strong>. An Avant-Garde Raketa costs &euro;1,950, while a &ldquo;Sonar&rdquo; Raketa is priced at &euro;2,000. The second-hand and vintage markets are also an opportunity to find cheaper Soviet-era watches.</p>
<h2 dir="ltr">Conclusion</h2>
<p dir="ltr">Raketa is owned by the Pobeda brand and produces around 7,000 watches per year, all models combined. To choose a Raketa that suits you best, <strong>Dialicious owners&rsquo; reviews</strong> are a valuable resource for evaluating each of the different models through real customer experience.</p>
<p dir="ltr">(Updated November 2024)</p>

If there is one drawback to wearing a mechanical watch, it is that it is sensitive to magnetic fields; if the hairspring becomes magnetized, it will lose precision. Magnetic fields are invisible, but very common. We don't think about it, but all these magnets for closing or easy storage are omnipresent in the office or at home. If they come into contact with the watch, it must be demagnetized. The alternative is to wear a quartz watch, or an anti-magnetic watch, which is not sensitive and keeps its independent beat no matter what. This Raketa 2610 is precisely protected by an antimagnetic casing and a special 2610 caliber. At the time in the Soviet Union of Brezhnev there were not all these closures of iPad, smartphone or in-ear headphones, there were not many quartz watches either, but some professions were exposed to strong magnetic fields that could disrupt their time, hence the development of several resistant models. This one has a clear guilloche dial, a massive railroad, a robust 6 and 12, and clearly visible hands. The result is a great readability and apparent simplicity despite a very worked dial. The case is dedicated to anti-magnetics but still made of chromed brass, it is two discs and a ring of anti-magnetic materials housed inside that ensure resistance to the fields and not the case itself. 
Adjective: Free, readable, resistant, futuristic, metallic, clear, invisible

Undisturbed by evil magnetic forces

This Soviet watch appeared in the Raketa catalog in the mid-1970s and was nicknamed Jeans because of the resemblance of the texture of the dial in its blue color to these pants that were impossible to find in the USSR and therefore extremely desirable. But it also existed in brown and white. The watch is decorated with a Soviet quality mark that was affixed to each object whose qualities for the consumer exceeded anything available in the West (in any case, Soviet citizens were not allowed to make the comparison themselves and were very grateful that this quality mark was affixed). The 2609 NA mechanism did not particularly shine with the incomparable quality of its finish but its robustness and reliability were never questioned. If it says "shockproof" on the back, it is in fact "indestructible" that people read given the reputation of this movement. This watch is quite emblematic of what the Petrodvorets factory could produce in the 1970s, which stood out from other Soviet factories. Wearing it almost 50 years later on a contemporary leather strap is very pleasant. The ticking sound on 18,000 A/h is slow compared to today's calibers and less stressful. It is light and discreet (35mm in diameter) and recalls the great era of the Petrodvorets watch factory. The brown color is perfect for summer and tanned skin.

A summery and tanned watch


Watches are generally designed to work even if they are damaged by a shock (anti-shock device or even G-shock), or if the ambient conditions deteriorate (luminescent paint to go down deep, away from the sun's rays), but they do not anticipate that the owner's abilities will diminish. Now whether it is the Raketa Big Zero or this tactile watch, they anticipate the case where the owner's eyesight deteriorates significantly, or even disappears completely.

This watch, the Raketa Braille, or Raketa for the blind, therefore has a glass that can be opened, like a washing machine by pressing the button on the crown and tactile indexes, 12,3,6 and 9 being doubled indexes to help you find your way around. There are, however, numbers and a railroad in black on a cream background, for the sighted. So it is not a watch reserved for the blind, but is perfectly suited to those who are afraid of becoming blind, or those who sometimes have their eyes occupied elsewhere and are not against a tactile experience. I appreciate its readability although it is small (34mm). It has a chrome case and a 2601 movement. The musician Ray Charles wore one, there were probably few tactile watches on the market at that time, the watch was released in 1966. (https://youtu.be/8uhsJMmdKFg?si=AiseBf5-YJdpuW5k). Obviously with such a music monster as its illustrious owner, this model can only make you dream.
Adjective: accessible, respectful, inclusive, musical, magical, tactile, readable, clever,

A watch that is always readable, even if you can no longer read it

This watch is named after a British merchant who visited the Petrodvoretz factory in 1974 and placed a large order for this type of watch. It is also called "screen" or "televisor" in reference to its rectangular shape which was unusual. The British name and this shape must have given it an exotic appeal which ensured its success for a good fifteen years. The model was notably declined with the day/date complication as well and various decorative elements on the case or dial. This one is the most common brass case with vertical grooves at the top and bottom. The dial is squared with 3D indexes and the Raketa brand in Latin letters. The readability is excellent. According to Alexandre Brodnikovski, it is one of the first models produced. This copy has lived well, but as always I have fewer qualms about wearing a watch that is not in perfect condition because at least I don't think that I could damage a museum piece and in moments of boredom I can dream about what its life was like before in the wild steppes lost beyond the Urals or in the hectic life of a Soviet megalopolis to count the number of hours spent in queues of all kinds. Watches beat time, but do not speak and do not tell what they have lived, we are left to imagine it. I mounted it on a NATO strap which gives a slightly sporty look, but above all for practicality to change it easily, on a faceted steel bracelet it would have a more retro-futuristic look from the 1970s.
adjectives: vintage, rectangular, iconic, exotic, robust


A Baker from the first batches

The case of the world timer that I listed previously was also used for another rather unusual watch. This time on a 12-hour movement and the internal bezel serving as a compass by rotating the directions. To use it, you have to remove the watch, hold it horizontally, point the hour hand towards the direction of the sun, or at least its horizontal projection, and turn the red arrow on the internal bezel to half the distance between the small hand and 12 o'clock, all thanks to the crown placed at 4 o'clock, because the south is on the bisector between the angle of the sun and noon. So of course you must not be on legal time, because otherwise it doesn't work. Legal time is a totally artificial concept that the sun has never managed to get used to. Since June 22, 1940 in France, we say that German time is our legal time. But the sun doesn't care, for it we stayed on the Greenwich meridian. Likewise in summer we legally shift one hour more, but the sun, not to mention the equation of time, or the imprecision of the bisector... 
Which shows that it's better to have a GPS or a compass. 
Nevertheless, the compass rose and the internal bezel have a crazy charm. The movement is a 2609 NP with manual winding. The readability is not extraordinary with thin black hands on a dial printed with a red and black compass rose. But the idea of the watch is to have sun and to be more or less on solar time and in these conditions the readability is excellent, and if the sun is not there, it is the sun that we regret rather than the design of the watch. We miss a ray of sunshine and the world is so gray, only this watch bears witness to sunny days and it is this unquantifiable poetry that delights us.

The memory of the sun on the wrist

The case with double crown and rotating internal bezel, used in the World timer and the Rose des sables is also present in this "Collège" which allows to display the days of the month for the current year. It is quite clever, and it recalls the same device that is on the Japanese Orient watches. It is called Collège because it was popular among students (In post-Soviet Russia the word refers to technical higher education, but the name may come from the Anglo-Saxon world where the College is a general higher education, I do not know when this name dates from). But it is also called Millennium or simply Orient, because it is a watch homage to the Orients made for the European market a decade or two earlier.
The mechanism is a 2628N with the day and date.
The system, of course, is outdated because it is easier to take out your smartphone if you want the calendar of the month, you can also write down your appointments or reminders.
On the other hand, it allows us to understand how stupid and unnatural the current calendar with 12 months is. It would be enough to have 13 months of 28 days in the year to not need a calendar in front of us when planning, the days of the week would always fall on the same date. It would simply be enough to have an intercalary day (or two in leap years) to fall back on the year of 365 or 366 days. Months that do not have the same number of days and that are not multiples of 7, you really have to try to complicate your life to choose that. And yet that's what everyone uses. It's probably to better follow the moon which is not 28 days but 29.5, or quite simply that since the Babylonians or the Sumerians we have been used to counting in base twelve. Even the revolutionaries of 1789 wanted to keep 12 months in the Republican calendar, when 13 would be more practical.
Aside from these reflections that this necessarily inspires, the hands are very thin, the dial is loaded, the crown of the internal bezel to select the days and the year is slightly shorter than the main crown (although not on the first models). We are really dealing with an intellectual's watch, a hair-splitter, which is why it is well named a student's watch, College.
Adjectives: intellectual, complicated, complex, clever, homage, commercial, calendar,

Why keep it simple when you can make it complicated?

Commemorative watches were not uncommon in the USSR. Celebrating the glorious past and recalling it on a watch dial was even customary and yet this watch stands out. Because it is not about celebrating an anniversary of the coup d'état of November 17, or that of the end of the hot war in 1945, no it is about celebrating the anniversary of the watch factory which finds its history in the cut stone factory in Petergof (finally Petrodvoretz at that time). In addition to the factory, it is the imperial past that is evoked. The factory and the imperial palace, this little Versailles overlooking the Gulf of Finland. Which has also become the symbol of "the window open on Europe", this forced modernization of Russia and its opening to European civilization. The golden case and bracelet further reinforce the imperial side. The guilloche (and gold) dial brings a real luxurious aspect in a Soviet Union that was really drawing to a close. Because 270 years after 1721, this brings us to 1991, the moment when the wind of change was blowing over Europe. A time when we were looking for other tutelary figures than the founding fathers of Marxism and real Socialism. I am not a big fan of gold watches, but I think it suits him very well, there are much more sober versions of the same commemoration, Dmitri Brodnikovsky presents a whole bunch of them on his YouTube channel, but ultimately, it is always the same 2609 NA movement, the same case (if not the gold plating), the same black hands, the same organic glass, the same steel case back as there are for millions of other watches that came out of the Factory. Luxury in sobriety, grandeur in decadence, this watch expresses in my eyes all the strength of this era of great change and historical continuity. The following anniversaries have produced remarkable watches, for the 290th anniversary, 2011, the commemorative watch of Gagarin's flight and the magnificent space watches that followed, for the 300th anniversary, 2021, the impressive “Imperial Peterhof Factory” line making a stone ring the central element of the wristwatch and unfortunately also becoming the symbol of the imperialist bloodbath that followed in 2022. And then 2021, it's the spotlight on the Gelendzhik Palace, the Peterhof of today's empire, which is nothing more than a sad murder hole open to Europe. For the 310th anniversary, we don't know yet, 2031 is still a long way off. In short, you will have understood that commemorative watches are invitations to compare different eras, to innovate while being part of a long tradition to imagine a more serene future. But if the watch can become the symbol of its era, it is not it that builds history, it is rather the one who wears it, for better or for worse.

The adjectives that describe it are contradictory because this watch is an oxymoron, it is sumptuous and simple.

A window open on Europe

This antique men's watch (small size 22mm in diameter for the dial and the 28x28mm case) has a dial all in stone, in green jasper. It exudes elegance and simplicity. Indeed there is only an inscription indicating the brand and the 23 rubies, but on my model the white paint is almost gone, only the first "a" of Raketa remains. There are no indexes on the dial only on the imitation bezel. The brass dial looks good, it allows to enlarge the watch a little and to combine the circular shape with the square. The hands refer to the brass and the square of the dial, while contrasting well with the green of the stone. The design is a real invitation to travel because of its very simple appearance, it combines opposing elements. The natural patterns of the stone are also reminiscent of a lively landscape with the dark upper part and the green lower part and including a spot centered at six o'clock. We can also see a rough sea and a central island.
The movement is a bit special, it is a Record-2209 with 23 jewels, it is one of the rare unreliable and difficult to repair movements of the Petrodvoretz factory, it was developed informally in the late 50s and early 60s by engineers of the factory, Starkov and Kisselev, starting from a blank sheet and without copying Western models. It is equipped with an anti-shock axis device. The steel case back also bears the mark of the globe with the inscription anti-shock. The stone quadrants have a particular importance, even if they are not common, for this factory because historically it is a factory of cut stones then of mechanism rubies.
This watch reminds me of Paul Lay's album Odyssey released in the fall of 2024. If the stone with its natural patterns represents Ulysses' journey, the stain is the island of Ithaca, this haunting and unattainable central point. Paul Lay's Album lets us hear with his trio (Piano, Double Bass, Drums) Ulysses' journey with so many twists and turns to his native country, and his inner journey from the moment he says he is "nobody" in front of the Cyclops until he finds himself and appeases Poseidon's anger. 
Adjectives: mineral, simple, original, traveling, epic, dreamy, oneiric

An Odyssey that fits in your hand

<p>La marque <strong>SYE</strong> [Start Your Engine] a &eacute;t&eacute; cr&eacute;&eacute;e en <strong>2020</strong> par Arnaud Pezeron &agrave; c&ocirc;t&eacute; de Paris en France. La marque inaugure le Sport Tailoring au poignet. Elle propose des montres sport-chic de caract&egrave;re, fiables, ludiques et abordables inspir&eacute;es de l'univers de la m&eacute;canique auto-moto. La gamme comprend deux mod&egrave;les distincts, la <a href="https://www.dialicious.com/sye/mot1on_automatic_24">SYE MOT1ON Automatic 24 </a>et la <a href="https://www.dialicious.com/sye/mot1on_chronograph">SYE MOT1ON Chronograph</a>.</p>
<p>Cette marque embarque une innovation sur le changement du bracelet disponible en acier ou en cuir. La montre n'offre aucun espace entre le bracelet et la boite d&ucirc; &agrave; l&rsquo;absence de cornes, ce qui am&eacute;liore son confort et sa portabilit&eacute;.</p>
<h2 class="p1">Combien co&ucirc;te une montre&nbsp;SYE&nbsp;?</h2>
<p class="p1">La gamme SYE comporte deux mod&egrave;les disponibles sur le site de la marque : La <strong>SYE MOT1ON Automatic 24</strong> est propos&eacute;e &agrave; partir de <strong>750&euro;</strong>. La <strong>SYE MOT1ON Chronograph</strong> est propos&eacute;e &agrave; partir de <strong>599 &euro;</strong>.</p>
<p><strong>SYE</strong> est ind&eacute;pendante et produit plusieurs centaines montres par an tous mod&egrave;les confondus. Pour choisir une SYE qui vous correspond le mieux, les <strong>avis clients Dialicious</strong> sont une pr&eacute;cieuse ressource pour &eacute;valuer chacun des diff&eacute;rents mod&egrave;les &agrave; travers l'exp&eacute;rience r&eacute;elle des clients.</p>
<p class="p1"><span class="s1">Consultez le <a href="https://www.dialicious.com/top/les_meilleures_marques_de_montres_francaises"><span class="s2">Classement des meilleures marques de montres fran&ccedil;aises</span></a> dont SYE fait partie.</span></p>
<p>(Mise &agrave; jour Novembre 2023)</p>

<p dir="ltr">The brand <strong>SYE</strong> [Start Your Engine] was created in <strong>2020</strong> by Arnaud Pezeron near Paris in France. The brand is introducing Sport Tailoring on the wrist. It offers sporty-chic watches with character, reliability, fun and affordability inspired by the world of car and motorcycle mechanics. The range includes two distinct models, the<a href="https://www.dialicious.com/en/sye/mot1on_automatic_24"> SYE MOT1ON Automatic 24</a> and the<a href="https://www.dialicious.com/en/sye/mot1on_chronograph"> SYE MOT1ON Chronograph</a>.</p>
<p dir="ltr">This brand has an innovation in changing the bracelet available in steel or leather. The watch offers no space between the bracelet and the case due to the absence of lugs, which improves its comfort and portability.</p>
<h2 dir="ltr">How much does a SYE watch cost?</h2>
<p dir="ltr">The SYE range includes two models available on the brand's website: The SYE MOT1ON Automatic 24 is offered from &euro; 750. The SYE MOT1ON Chronograph is offered from &euro; 599.</p>
<p dir="ltr">SYE is independent and produces several hundred watches per year, all models combined. To choose an SYE that best suits you, the Dialicious owners' reviews are a valuable resource for evaluating each of the different models through real customer experience.</p>
<p class="p1"><span class="s1">Check out the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.dialicious.com/en/top/the_best_french_watch_brands"><span class="s2">Ranking of the best French watch brands</span></a>, including SYE.</span></p>
<p dir="ltr">(Updated November 2023)</p>

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