Raketa is known for offering watches that are out of the ordinary. Models with a strong aesthetic, like the Copernicus, the Sonar or the Big Zero, which are often far from unanimous but demonstrate real audacity.
This is confirmed at the beginning of 2024, as the Russian Code finally joins the main collection of the Russian brand. The peculiarity of this watch? Its hands turn… in the opposite direction of a traditional watch!
A watch in the purest Raketa DNA
While its story truly begins in the 18th century, on the side of the Imperial Factory of Peterhof in Saint-Petersburg, it was indeed in 1961 that the Raketa brand was officially born. And if it embodies the spirit of innovation and exploration, it’s because it was established in honor of Youri Gagarin’s first manned space flight.
Since its creation, several of its watches draw their inspiration directly from space or the solar system, such as the Baikonur. But Raketa also knows how to venture into other terrains, notably underwater, as with its Sonar, and to honor various Russian personalities, like the Soviet artist Kazimir Malevich.
Furthermore, these timepieces stand out regularly with their… atypical design. The Big Zero, popularised by Mikhail Gorbachev, sports, as its name indicates, a big zero on the dial. The Copernicus shows the time thanks to circular hands (like Beaubleu!) evoking the Earth and the sun. The new Russian Code that arrives today thus carries all the genes of the brand: a man with a Soviet history and a different time display.
How is this Russian Code a “different” watch?
Launched for the first time in 2019, the Russian Code finally joins the main collection of Raketa today. In its 5 years of existence, it has already made its mark thanks to a detail that is not really a detail: its anti-clockwise movement.
On this timepiece, the hands indeed turn in the opposite direction of a traditional watch, and it is not just a simple whim: Raketa specifies that this movement respects that of the planets in the solar system.
This bold choice challenges the traditional reading of time and offers a new perspective, where time flows in harmony with the universe. This element is not the only one to refer to space, as the dial incorporates other symbolic elements, such as the constellations above Saint Petersburg on the morning of April 12, 1961, the date when Yuri Gagarin definitively marked history. It also features the iconic “0” in place of the 12, to indicate noon.
As for the rest, this Russian Code stands out for its generally refined aesthetic, which combines satin and polished finishes, at the heart of a 39.5 mm diameter steel case. The sapphire glass that tops it adds a vintage touch to the ensemble, while the synthetic ruby inserted in the crown reflects attention to detail.
Beyond its unique style, this unisex watch also benefits from the technical expertise of Raketa’s watchmakers: the automatic movement 2615R, entirely produced and assembled at the Saint Petersburg factory, had to be completely redesigned (especially the barrel spring and the anchor) to allow a counterclockwise operation, with an average precision of -10/+20s/d and a power reserve of around 40 hours.
Priced at 1950€, this new Russian Code will appeal to enthusiasts of “unique” watches and those who want to go off the beaten path. It especially confirms that Raketa is a brand that deserves to be highlighted more. That is what we tried to do on our modest scale in this article!
