Description
Soviet mechanical Raketa wrist watch, 16 jewels
MADE IN USSR!
Raketa (Ракета, meaning “Rocket”) with the design collectors call the “Atom” dial: a silver sunburst dial crossed by fine black printed arcs that loop around the centre like electron orbits. It has applied baton hour markers at 12, 3, 6 and 9, a printed minute track, silver-tone dauphine hands and a centre seconds hand. The dial is signed in script “Raketa 16 JEWELS”, with “MADE IN USSR” at 6 o’clock, the Latin-lettered version made for export.
Manufactured at the Petrodvorets Watch Factory, USSR. The movement bridge is stamped with the factory logo, “16 КАМНЕЙ” (16 jewels) and the caliber number 2609. The 16-jewel movement, script signature and clean dress-watch case are typical of the first generation of Raketa watches from the 1960s.
The watch is mechanical and does not need batteries to operate.
Original Soviet Raketa watch has mechanical lever movement and manual winding. Caliber 2609 is the Petrodvorets centre-seconds movement (the “09” in Soviet caliber numbering means central seconds), here in its early 16-jewel version with shock protection on the balance.
CASE SIZE 40.5x36mm (with crown)
THICKNESS 10.5mm
LUG WIDTH 18mm
TYPE Mechanical
MOVEMENT 2609
FUNCTIONS Hours, Minutes, Seconds
CONDITION
The dial shows light toning and a few small dark spots: one near the edge by 11 o’clock, a small cluster between 2 and 3 o’clock, and one beside the 8 o’clock marker. The printing, the orbit arcs and the applied markers are all intact. The polished case shows light wear from use, and the case back carries fine scratches. The case back is engraved “Противоударные” (“Shock-resistant”) inside a globe.
This watch has recently been serviced by a professional watchmaker and keeps good time.
Comes complete with a new Nagata leather strap.
This watch ships from 🇺🇦 Ukraine with tracking number
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About the watch factory
The Petrodvorets Watch Factory «Raketa» was founded by Peter the Great in 1721. Factory was producing wide range of items, including jewels for watches since 1930.
Factory was devastated during World War 2, restored in 1949 and was making “Pobeda”(Victory) and “Zvezda” watches. In 1954 renamed into Petrodvorets Watch Factory.
Since 1962 “Raketa” watches are produced which became the trade mark of the factory.
The Petrodvorets Watch Factory is one of the rare watch factories in the world that fully manufactures its own movements from A to Z, including hairspring and escapement.
Other band names produced on the factory include Baltika, Leningrad, Mayak, Neva, Pobeda, Raketa, Rossiya, Svet, Start.
Read more about on of few surviving Soviet watch factories on factory’s website.
