Geneva Watch Days 2023: Raketa

This unusual timepiece has several disruptive characteristics for traditional Swiss watchmaking. First, it goes counterclockwise. And second, it is made in Russia.

The largest country in the world has 600 years of horological history, but nowadays, only a few watchmaking brands are well-known outside of it. One of them is Raketa, which was created more than 60 years ago to commemorate the first-ever manned spaceflight. Raketa is now one of the most popular brands, with a renowned reputation for well-designed, elegant yet durable watches produced in-house and from local components.

We met with David Henderson-Stewart, the brand's CEO, to discuss how things are going for him these days, as well as new timepieces.

⏩️ The featured counterclockwise watch Russiac Code has been released on September 7 and is based on the complication, developed in Soviet times. The idea comes from the solar system in which planes go counterclockwise around the Sun.

⏩️ Raketa "Big Zero" is so far the best-selling model. The stainless steel case is 40 mm in diameter, and there is an unusual big zero positioned at 12 o'clock.

⏩️ The Ekranoplan timepiece is 41,6 mm piece. It pays tribute to the experimental coastal defence vehicle called Lun-class Ekranoplan. There has been only one such extraordinary flying and sailing carrier ever built in the world. The case of the watch is made from stainless steel and the metal for the bezel was taken directly from Ekranoplan. The model is limited to 500 pieces.