Explore Raketa Watches: A Slice of Soviet History

Raketa is a watch brand produced by the Petrodvorets Watch Factory, one of the oldest watch factories in USSR. The factory was among the 13 largest watch manufacturers in the Soviet Union and played a significant role in mass-producing wristwatches for personal use.

The brand name Raketa translates to “rocket” in Russian, and it was chosen in honor of Yuri Gagarin’s historic spaceflight. However, in Western Europe and America, the name was often associated with Soviet rocket weaponry.

The first batch of Raketa watches was released in 1961. These timepieces featured a unified movement known as the Raketa-2609NA, which served as the basis for various watch models. These included automatic winding watches, calendar watches, antimagnetic versions, and even a 24-hour scale model (2623.N) designed for people working in challenging conditions (such as polar explorers and submariners).

Notable Raketa models included the “Russia,” “Record,” and “Petrodvorets.” The “Record” watches, with a thickness of just 2.7 mm, remain the flattest mechanical watches ever made, featuring a central seconds hand. In 1965, they received a gold medal at the international Leipzig Fair.

Raketa watches were exported to more than 30 countries worldwide. Despite economic challenges after the collapse of the Soviet Union, the Petrodvorets Watch Factory managed to preserve its production and unique equipment. The brand continues to create distinctive timepieces, and in recent years, it has gained attention through collaborations with Russian supermodel Natalia Vodianova and participation in the Baselworld exhibition.