Raketa Owner Review : Reliable, functional and inspired

This commemorative pilot's watch, marking the 50th anniversary of the first manned spaceflight, is very dear to me. I loved it back in 2011. It was also an important commemorative year for the Raketa factory, which had just received a new impetus. The factory in Petrodvorets was celebrating its 290th anniversary, and the first manned flight with a watch, and the first human flight with a watch, were also commemorated. Of course, Raketa watches didn't exist for these three events (the factory cut stones in 1721, the first watch on a manned flight was a Pobeda, and for the first human flight, a Sturmanskie). Nevertheless, the commemoration was very significant, and the factory was blessed and placed under God's protection (https://youtu.be/4pejb8x31hw?si=IQKj7GhTffaOpCvx&t=289). The movement in this pilot's watch is a 2623N, a 24-hour mechanical movement. The crown is also quite easy to grip, even for those with larger fingers. At the time, mechanical movements weren't yet part of Petrodvorets' lineup; many of their models featured quartz movements and were distinguished by their creative designs. This one, however, was a commemorative tool watch, more in keeping with the brand's historical spirit. It has the advantage of being very legible thanks to its black hands and the highly luminous red seconds hand on a silver background. Midnight is symbolized by a 0, not 24. This can be confusing for those unfamiliar with the watch, as it's not immediately obvious that it's a 24-hour dial. But the 0 is emblematic for Raketa, the best-known brand of "big zero" models, although it's not the only one. Everything starts anew at zero when a new day begins. Midnight is therefore in the upper position and noon in the lower position. This logically divides the dial, with night at the top and day at the bottom. But the reverse is also true; the Sputnik watch, for example, has midnight at the bottom and noon at the top. Other brands, such as the Yes Watch V7 and the Louis Jeansol, also have noon at the top and midnight at the bottom. The dial features an illustration of Yuri Alekseyevich's profile and his rocket launching in front of a few stars. The strap is a well-made, relatively rigid leather, as is typical of Raketa, black on top and red underneath. This is a limited edition of 300 pieces. The soundtrack for this watch is said to be "Gagarin" by the British group PBS. https://music.youtube.com/watch?v=L-BRsQQOshs The Vostok 1 mission of April 12, 1961, became emblematic for all of humanity. A man succeeded in orbiting the Earth in a space rocket for the very first time.