Raketa

Raketa ( Russ: Ракета ) is a brand of watches from the Soviet Union, produced since 1961 by the Petrodvorets Watch Factory in Saint Petersburg. This is the oldest surviving factory pre-Communist Russia was founded by Peter the Great in 1721. In their early days they presented works of art of precious stones for the Tsar and his family here. In the eighties of the last century, production was 4.5 million watches a year. Raketa watches were used by the Red Army and by the Soviet Navy. Its members took them on polar expeditions and Soviet civilians wore them as well.

The origin of the brand

April 12, 1961 Yuri Gagarin took in his rocket Vostok 1, the first drive of the story in outer space. The Petrodvorets Watch Factory named its watches in honor of Yuri Gagarin " Raketa " ( the Russian word for "rocket" ). However, the Western world belt at the height of the Cold War to that name a negative sensation. Raketa was associated with the upgrade of ballistic intercontinental ballistic missiles R-16. This negative association in the Western world dramatized in 1976 when the Soviet government took the decision to withdraw the R-16 missiles, decided several thousand toilers of watch factory Petrodvorets, as a sign of mourning for the demise of the R-16 missiles, black dressed to go to work. This joke appeared on the cover of several Soviet newspapers with the phrase " the Raketa watches lose their big brother R-16 »

Before Petrodvorets began with the production of watch movements, presented the factory technical stones for defense technology and the watch industry. 1949 left the first watches under the name Zwesta and Pobeda the work. The new original brand Raketa 1961 came on the market. My research developed the new precision movement " Raketa - 2609N ". On this basis, the Petrodvorets Watch Factory launched over two dozen new Raketa drives: automatic watches, watches with calendar indication, watches with 24 - hour dial for polar explorers, anti-magnetic watches for nuclear war, rugged military watches. Raketa with mechanical drive of Petrodvorets were exported to the whole communist world. They have the reputation of being among the most solid and reliable watches in the world to belong.

Awards

  • Order of the Red Banner of Labor (USSR ) 1971
  • Gold Medal Leipzig for the " Raketa - Record" 1965
  • Gold Medal 1966 Messe Leipzig
  • Grand Prix Exposition Universelle International 1967

Current models

Wrist watches, pocket watches, polar explorer watches, marine watches, army watches, air force watches, specialty watches, chronographs.

Drives

The current production of the Petrodvorets Watch Factory is mainly based on the wind-up of hand Raketa drives:

  • Raketa - 2609NA: 12-hour drive with central second hand
  • Raketa - 2623NA 24 -hour drive with central second hand
  • Raketa - 2614: 12-hour drive with date display
  • Raketa - 2628N: 12-hour drive, with display of the weekday and date
  • Raketa - 26690: 12-hour drive with triple A split dial, one for the 24 hour, another day of the week, a third for the day of the month
  • Raketa - 26689: 12-hour drive with moon phase display

Also noteworthy is the special watch for the blind: equipped with the " Raketa -2601 " it shows only hours and minutes. The lid opens by pressing the winding crown: The dial appears as a relief and can be read by touch.

Petrodvorets also manufactures electronic quartz watches; the drive is labeled " Raketa - 2359 ".

Gallery

" " Raketa " As well as tables Polarforscheruhr, 1969

Raketa, 1978

Raketa 24-hour drive

" Petrodvorets Classic » 1985

Sources

  • Suchorukowa AE: master watchmakers, Story of a factory; published in 1983, 108 pages,
  • Tyutenkowa AG: make watches, released in 1986, 181 pages
  • Fascination Russian watches; Author: Michael Ceyp; ISBN 3-929902-82-6
  • Fascination Soviet watches; Authors: Michael Ceyp, Klaus Pachnicke; ISBN 3-931785-35-1
Types of business entity Pobeda (watch) Nuclear warfare Order of the Red Banner of Labour
670992
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