Raketa Watches

Raketa Watches

Raketa is Russian watchmaking at its boldest and weirdest — a brand that mixes Soviet-era ruggedness with cosmic ambition and dial designs that feel

straight out of a Cold War sci-fi novel.

It’s not about haute horology here. It’s about history, utility, and attitude. And if you know what to look for, Raketa is one of the most fun corners of the vintage

and neo-vintage world to explore.

A Little History

Raketa (which means “rocket” in Russian) was founded in 1961, the same year Yuri Gagarin became the first man in space. The brand was built on the bones of the Petrodvorets

Watch Factory in Saint Petersburg — the oldest watch factory in Russia, dating back to 1721 under Peter the Great.

During the Soviet era, Raketa was tasked with making tough, no-nonsense mechanical watches for military personnel, polar explorers, cosmonauts, and everyday

citizens of the USSR.

Everything was built in-house: movements, cases, dials — the works. This was true vertical integration decades before the Swiss marketing machine made it cool.

After the fall of the Soviet Union, Raketa struggled — but was revived in the 2010s with a mix of heritage models, updated mechanics, and continued in-house

production in Saint Petersburg.

What Collectors Love

Raketa watches are loved for their:

  • Soviet-era charm and utilitarian design

  • Genuinely weird and wonderful dials (24-hour, polar time zones, cyrillic numerals)

  • Full in-house movements — including some wild complications by Eastern standards

  • Tough, simple, do-the-job construction

Fan favorites include:

  • Raketa Polar — a 24-hour watch made for polar explorers who needed to tell day from night in constant darkness.

  • Raketa Copernic — perhaps the most collectible Raketa ever. Features planetary hands (one disc, one orbiting) in a minimalist, modernist dial. Very Bauhaus-by-way-of-Kaliningrad.

  • Big Zero — a bold, easy-to-read dial with a “0” at 12 o'clock. A cult favorite with real Soviet flair.

  • Perpetual Calendar models — with clever date wheels and Cyrillic markings.

  • Modern Avant-Garde series — with updated manufacturing and colorful, offbeat designs inspired by Russian art and culture.

Why Raketa Deserves a Spot

Because it’s the only brand that gives you full in-house mechanical watches with historical weight — for under $1K. And because they’re weird in the best way.

The Soviet Union didn’t make watches to be pretty. They made them to work. And Raketa, in both its vintage and modern forms, still channels that energy.

The brand doesn’t chase trends.

It doesn’t do fake luxury. It just builds robust, eccentric mechanical watches with attitude and story.

What’s Out There Now

There are two lanes to collect:

Vintage Raketa (1960s–1990s)

  • 24-hour explorers, Copernics, Big Zeros, tank-style field watches

  • Typically 34–38mm, manual or automatic, full Cyrillic

  • Often chrome-plated or steel cases with acrylic crystals

  • In-house calibers like the 2609, 2623H, or 2614

Modern Raketa (2010s–Present)

  • Updated versions of classic models — with sapphire, modern lume, and COSC variants

  • In-house automatic movements still made in Saint Petersburg

  • Collaborations with artists, Russian cultural institutions, and even submariners

Most modern models are under $1,500, and vintage pieces can be found for $100–$500 — with rarer Copernics or mint Polar models fetching more.

Fed’s Take

Raketa is one of my favorite weird watch brands. Full stop.

The Copernic? Still one of the coolest designs of the 20th century. The Big Zero? Soviet flex. The Polar? Legit tool watch that happens to look cooler than 90% of Swiss field watches.

And the modern stuff? Genuinely solid. I’ve handled recent models — the finishing is better than you’d expect, and they still feel Russian in the best way. Purposeful.

Tough. A little strange.

If you’re bored of the usual brands and want mechanical watches with soul, history, and a little mystery, Raketa delivers.

Check Out Our Raketa Inventory

Delray Watch is always on the lookout for unique Raketa watches — especially Copernic, Big Zero, and Polar Explorer models, both vintage and modern.

If you have a Raketa watch you’re ready to sell or trade – reach out. We’re always buying.

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