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The must-have Macro Loupe for all watch lovers

This export Poljot (with English inscriptions) has a truly remarkable checkered dial that offered a welcome escape from the drabness of the Soviet world. It's clearly an export version, as evidenced by the English inscriptions, but like most export products, it found its way onto the Soviet market through dedicated channels.

The bracelet is also unusual, as the lugs are reversed relative to the lug width. Therefore, it's a dedicated bracelet supplied by Poljot and branded with the Poljot logo on the buckle. The bracelet features the inscription "stainless steel" on the inside (except that the inscription is in Russian, unlike the dial). The stainless steel case back is also secured by a six-pronged ring. The movement is a Poljot 2614.2N with 17 jewels.

Ultimately, this watch is very legible. Although the hands and dial are similar colors, the way the grooves and angles of the different sections are worked means the light is reflected differently. In most lighting conditions, the time is perfectly legible. However, the checkerboard pattern isn't always visible; from certain angles, it almost looks like a seamless continuum. This is what gives the dial a magical, ever-changing, and sophisticated appearance.
The music I would associate with the watch is "Talisman" by Air, because of the captivating effect of the dial. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2RSVa_vF3NI

A pattern that appears or disappears depending on the light

I've already left a review of this 571292, powered by a 2609NA movement. However, that review concerns the version intended for the domestic market (hence the Cyrillic inscriptions), which features the Soviet quality mark.

I won't repeat my previous review; it's the same magic of those large, sweeping numerals on a captivating striated dial, and the song "Tzely God" that it evokes for me (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5uXM2bUjtew).

The difference, of course, is this quality mark, a symbol that bears witness to a bygone era, much like hieroglyphs in ancient Egypt. Another notable difference is the metal bracelet with quadrilateral links instead of hexagonal ones, giving it a more classic look.

Tac Tac Tac 

This model, whose design dates back to the 1960s, is a Raketa classic. It's the counterpart to the Atom, which divides the dial into three sections. The division into four quarters, or four quarter-hours, is much more natural. As always, I really like this type of watch because it's so minimalist and conceptual. It's like imagining a square within a circle, an eternal problem given the transcendent nature of Pi. The four horizontal hour markers are also remarkable because they are independent of the circle; they are not oriented centrifugally, but horizontally, expressing the superiority of the mind over circular motion.

The movement is a 2609 with 16 jewels. The case is chrome-plated brass; other versions exist in gold plating or with flattened numerals instead of hour markers. The case back is snap-on. The diameter is 35mm without the crown and 36mm with it.

The soundtrack I would associate with this great Raketa classic from the late 70s is Sputnik / Korolev by PBS https://music.youtube.com/watch?v=DsbYqX3umFs, which evokes the world of space exploration.

Raketa Academic, squaring the circle

This small watch (29 mm in diameter) from the early 1970s is very attractive, especially when fitted with a bund strap which gives it a more substantial presence. The black-on-white dial is excellent, although the minute track is necessarily limited by the small diameter.

The case is a Type 161 in chromed brass with long, straight lugs (37 mm lug to lug). The case back is steel and simply snaps onto the case.

The movement is a 15-jewel Zim 2602 (inspired by the historic French Lip R26 caliber) which beats at 18,000 vibrations per hour (A/h).

The soundtrack I would associate with this watch is the Dune Awakening soundtrack: https://music.youtube.com/watch?v=A-Ktw2cVQUg

Small but mighty

Pocket watches offer the advantage of being quite large and easy to read. This one certainly is. It's 45mm in diameter, and although the crystal is only 39mm, it gives a real impression of spaciousness. The hands are thin and precise, yet stand out beautifully in black against white. It's very practical as a table watch, placed on a desk, although the movement is a bit noisy. But this can be an advantage when you want to keep time during a meeting or while waiting in a lounge before boarding; you simply place the watch on the table in front of you. The small seconds hand offers the benefit of not adding too much pressure when you glance at the dial, but the ticking sound reminds you that time is passing and you need to get to the point. Of course, if you're in a noisy environment, you won't even notice it anymore.

The closely spaced Roman numerals suit it well, in my opinion. Note that the IV is in standard watchmaking format to avoid confusion with a VI, which is absent anyway due to the small seconds subdial. The case back is simply scratched and clipped on. The movement offers good resistance when winding. The crown is perhaps a little small at 6mm; a slightly larger one would have provided a better grip, but aesthetically it might have been a drawback. It's an 18-jewel 3602 movement from the Chelyabinsk Watch Factory, apparently produced in the second quarter of 1962. The soundtrack I would associate with this watch would be "Run" by Ev3nmorn https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OFNIdGzdWoU&t=425s

In your pocket or on the table

I've already mentioned this hexagonal Slava model here, a very 70s-80s shape with its curved horizontal sides. But here the colors are reversed: the dial is black while the flange is off-white with the hour markers. Curiously, it often seems to me that the dial isn't black at all, but only very dark blue or green. The result is that the watch gives a rather different impression, much less of a dress watch and more serious, since it displays not only the minutes but also the hours. On the other hand, it's amusing to see this combination, since the dial indicates "21 jewels" in Russian, while "Made in the USSR" is indicated at 6 o'clock in English.

The case back is stainless steel, clipped onto the chrome-plated brass case.

The soundtrack I would choose for this watch would be "Sabakistan" (The Land of Dogs) by Gromyka, for its exotic atmosphere of a world that is not ours (and yet...).

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xSaioxh70Ms

The serious Slava arched hexagon - figures

Raketa, founded in 1961, is a Russian watch brand from the Petrodvorets Watch Factory, whose industrial origins go back to 1721 near Saint Petersburg; it speaks to enthusiasts of atypical mechanical watches, Soviet design, in-house movements and instruments created for space, the poles, the navy or a deliberately different reading of time.
<h3>Petrodvorets, Peter the Great and the birth of a space watch</h3>
Raketa cannot be understood without distinguishing the manufacture from the brand. The Petrodvorets Watch Factory is officially linked to a much older history, begun in 1721 under Peter the Great, while the Raketa name appeared in 1961 after the first human spaceflight. The word means &ldquo;rocket&rdquo; in Russian and immediately places the brand within a technical, national and cosmic memory. This double depth gives Raketa an identity very different from a classical Swiss house founded around luxury or jewellery.
The brand developed in an environment where the watch first had to answer concrete uses: pilots, polar explorers, submariners, cosmonauts, engineers and citizens of a highly structured industrial world. This explains its taste for twenty-four-hour dials, immediately legible displays, robust cases and sometimes disconcerting designs. Raketa today preserves this idea of a cultural tool watch, with a visual language that embraces its Soviet roots without trying to imitate Western codes.
<h3>In-house manufacture, Russian hairspring and recent modernization</h3>
One of Raketa&rsquo;s strongest elements is its claimed ability to produce its movements internally, including complex components such as the hairspring. The manufacture explains that it launched a modernization programme in 2011 after a difficult period following the fall of the Soviet Union. It combines traditional machines, contemporary design offices, three-dimensional modelling, component production, hand assembly and rate checks. For a brand positioned at this price level, this industrial depth remains a rare and highly distinctive argument.
The most visible current calibres are the 2615 three-hand automatic and the 2624 twenty-four-hour automatic, with twenty-four jewels, a frequency of 18,000 vibrations per hour, or 2.5 hertz, and a stated power reserve of around forty hours. Official product sheets indicate an average accuracy of minus ten to plus twenty seconds per day depending on models. Raketa also highlights a system that disconnects the automatic winding module during manual winding. The brand therefore favours robustness, historical coherence and internal manufacturing rather than a pursuit of thinness or high frequency.
<h3>Graphic icons, cosmos and unconventional reading</h3>
The contemporary catalogue takes up several historical or cultural signatures. The most accessible watches in the collective imagination are often those that turn time reading into a strong graphic sign: a zero at twelve, planet hands, reverse rotation, a twenty-four-hour dial or an aesthetic linked to the Russian avant-garde. Raketa is at its most appealing when the buyer accepts that the watch is an object of character before being a simple neutral timekeeper.
<ul>
<li>Raketa Big Zero &mdash; Emblematic model where zero replaces twelve, now one of the brand&rsquo;s most recognizable Soviet designs.</li>
<li>Raketa Big Zero Blue &mdash; Forty-millimeter blue version, calibre 2615, stated water resistance to ten atmospheres and observed official price of 2,200 euros.</li>
<li>Raketa Big Zero Grey &mdash; Forty-millimeter grey version, calibre 2615, limited production of two hundred pieces according to the recent official product sheet and observed price of 2,300 euros.</li>
<li>Raketa Big Zero Azur Blue &mdash; Anniversary edition limited to sixty-five pieces, forty millimeters, calibre 2615, steel bracelet with additional leather strap and observed official price of 2,300 euros.</li>
<li>Raketa Copernicus &mdash; 39.5-millimeter model with planet hands, aventurine and agate dial, calibre 2615 and observed official price of 2,600 euros.</li>
<li>Raketa Russian Code &mdash; Watch with reverse reading, whose hands move in the opposite direction to traditional reading, powered by the 2615CR calibre according to the official product sheet.</li>
</ul>
These models do not seek absolute discretion. They work because they immediately trigger a reaction: curiosity, smile, questioning or cultural attachment. The counterpart of this personality is obvious: legibility may require adaptation, case height is sometimes significant, and the most conceptual designs will not suit every use. The right choice therefore depends on the pleasure one takes in wearing a watch that says something at first glance.
<h3>Twenty-four hours, poles, space and tool watches</h3>
The other major Raketa territory is that of twenty-four-hour watches. This architecture is logical in environments where the distinction between day and night becomes difficult: polar regions, submarines, space or long missions. Raketa built part of its legend around this particular reading of time, visually slower, more circular and very different from a classical twelve-hour dial. The twenty-four-hour display is probably Raketa&rsquo;s most natural identity complication.
<ul>
<li>Raketa Polar &mdash; 41.6-millimeter watch, twenty-four-hour dial, calibre 2624A, rotating bezel, screw-down crown, stated water resistance to twenty atmospheres and observed official price of 2,400 euros.</li>
<li>Raketa Baikonur &mdash; Forty-two-millimeter watch designed for cosmonauts, calibre 2624CA, twenty-four-hour dial, second time zone, solar compass, stated water resistance to twenty atmospheres and observed official price of 2,900 euros.</li>
<li>Raketa Sonar &mdash; Watch designed for submariners, powered by a twenty-four-hour automatic movement intended to distinguish day from night during long underwater missions.</li>
<li>Raketa Amphibia &mdash; Modern dive watch from the brand, part of the Russian tradition of marine watches and robust instruments.</li>
<li>Raketa Pilot &mdash; Aviation-inspired watch, more classical in reading but connected to the territory of professional watches.</li>
</ul>
The new Baikonur illustrates well how Raketa connects space heritage and contemporary use. The dial opposes light and dark zones to make day and night easier to distinguish, the second time zone answers the logic of the International Space Station, and the solar compass refers to a survival logic in case of an unexpected landing. This approach may sound romantic, but it gives real coherence to the Raketa tool watch.
<h3>Prices, availability and buyer profile</h3>
Raketa&rsquo;s current positioning is no longer that of the very inexpensive Soviet watch one may associate with the vintage market. New models observed often sit between around 2,200 and 2,900 euros depending on the references mentioned, with in-house movement, sapphire crystal on the dial side, twenty-four-month warranty and international delivery announced by the official boutique. This level may surprise, but it reflects a strategy of revived manufacture, limited production and strong cultural identity. The buyer pays as much for a singular Russian industrial identity as for purely rational watchmaking specification.
The ideal profile is that of an enthusiast who wants a different watch, with strong history, an internally produced movement and a design that does not resemble Swiss, Japanese or German standards. Raketa will suit less those seeking very luxurious finishing, tight chronometer-level accuracy, a very thin watch or a consensual international image. Before purchase, one should check sales channel, delivery conditions, service, warranty, real model availability and size compatibility with the wrist. The brand mainly rewards buyers who embrace its character, technical particularities and historical imagination.
<h3>Conclusion</h3>
Raketa is aimed at enthusiasts who want a singular mechanical watch rooted in rare Russian industrial history and carried by an immediately identifiable design. The brand stands out through the Petrodvorets Watch Factory, its in-house movements, space heritage, twenty-four-hour dials, graphic icons and refusal to imitate Swiss luxury codes. The choice should begin with use and relationship to symbol: a graphic watch, a cosmic piece, a reverse reading, a polar watch or a space-travel instrument.
Before purchasing, compare style, legibility, comfort, accuracy and service with real owner experience through&nbsp;Dialicious customer reviews.
(Updated September 2026)

ZRC est une maison horlog&egrave;re fond&eacute;e en 1904 &agrave; Gen&egrave;ve (Suisse) par Edmond Zuccolo et Joseph Rochet. N&eacute;e dans l&rsquo;univers des cha&icirc;nes de gousset puis des bracelets m&eacute;talliques extensibles, la marque s&rsquo;adresse aujourd&rsquo;hui aux amateurs de plongeuses-outils iconiques, rendue c&eacute;l&egrave;bre par sa Grands Fonds d&eacute;velopp&eacute;e pour la Marine nationale &agrave; partir des ann&eacute;es 1960.
<h3>Couronne &agrave; 6 h, bo&icirc;tier monobloc et esprit Marine nationale</h3>
Con&ccedil;ue pour r&eacute;pondre aux contraintes op&eacute;rationnelles des plongeurs-d&eacute;mineurs fran&ccedil;ais, la Grands Fonds adopte la couronne &agrave; 6 h, un bo&icirc;tier monobloc et des solutions maison comme l&rsquo;ECS (Easy Clean System) et le CPS (Crown Protection System). Dans la pratique, la couronne &agrave; 6 h et le CPS emp&ecirc;chent de porter la montre si la couronne n&rsquo;est pas parfaitement viss&eacute;e, limitant ainsi les risques d&rsquo;erreur avant immersion ; l&rsquo;ECS facilite le rin&ccedil;age pour &eacute;viter la cristallisation du sel sous la lunette.
<h3>Grands Fonds et d&eacute;clinaisons contemporaines</h3>
La collection actuelle d&eacute;cline l&rsquo;ADN historique (lisibilit&eacute;, ergonomie de terrain, silhouette &laquo; outil &raquo;) en plusieurs tailles et niveaux de performance. Quel que soit le mod&egrave;le, l&rsquo;architecture et la signature &agrave; 6 h rendent la lecture imm&eacute;diate et l&rsquo;identit&eacute; instantan&eacute;ment reconnaissable.
<ul>
<li>ZRC Grands Fonds MN64 &mdash; Hommage aux sp&eacute;cifications Marine nationale, codes historiques de cadran et de lunette.</li>
<li>ZRC Grands Fonds Heritage&nbsp;&mdash; Gabarit plus contenu (38 mm) conservant la signature de couronne &agrave; 6 h pour les poignets fins.</li>
<li>ZRC Securicode &mdash; R&eacute;interpr&eacute;tation d&rsquo;un th&egrave;me de la fin des ann&eacute;es 1950/1960, avec &eacute;l&eacute;ments de style historiques.</li>
</ul>
<h3>Positionnement : outil pro, prix et distribution</h3>
La marque revendique un positionnement &laquo; instrument de plong&eacute;e &raquo; au sein de l&rsquo;horlogerie ind&eacute;pendante suisse, avec volumes de production non communiqu&eacute; et diffusion s&eacute;lective (d&eacute;taillants sp&eacute;cialis&eacute;s et vente directe). &Agrave; titre indicatif, de nombreuses r&eacute;f&eacute;rences acier se situent autour de 2 500&ndash;3 000 &euro;, tandis que des versions techniques en titane d&eacute;passent 4 000 &euro; ; certaines &eacute;ditions sp&eacute;ciales ou m&eacute;taux nobles s&rsquo;&eacute;tablissent nettement au-del&agrave;. Pr&eacute;sence confirm&eacute;e en France avec des &eacute;taillants comme <a href="https://www.bijouterie-clouzeau.fr/fr/marques/zrc-1904">Clouzeau</a> ou <a href="https://www.berenger.fr/fr/horlogerie-berenger/marques/zrc-1904">Berenger</a>, et sur quelques march&eacute;s Asie/Moyen-Orient via un r&eacute;seau resserr&eacute;.
<h3>Conclusion</h3>
ZRC s&rsquo;adresse aux amateurs de montres-outils au style imm&eacute;diatement identifiable, qui privil&eacute;gient la fonctionnalit&eacute;, la lisibilit&eacute; et une signature de design forte. Le choix se fera entre un usage polyvalent quotidien (Grands Fonds 300/38), une filiation historique appuy&eacute;e (MN64, Securicode) ou une approche plus technique et extr&ecirc;me (Grands Fonds 3000 Titanium). Les acheteurs sensibles &agrave; l&rsquo;ergonomie appr&eacute;cieront la couronne &agrave; 6 h et la s&eacute;curit&eacute; du CPS ; les puristes salueront la coh&eacute;rence d&rsquo;ensemble. Pour &eacute;clairer votre d&eacute;cision au-del&agrave; de la fiche technique, fiez-vous&nbsp;aux avis clients Dialicious, utiles pour comprendre confort, lisibilit&eacute; r&eacute;elle et ressenti au port&eacute;.
(Mise &agrave; jour Ao&ucirc;t 2025)

ZRC is a watch brand founded in 1904 in Geneva, Switzerland, by Edmond Zuccolo and Joseph Rochet. Born in the field of pocket-watch chains and later expandable metal bracelets, the brand now caters to enthusiasts of iconic tool divers, made famous by its Grands Fonds developed for the French Navy from the 1960s onward.
<h3>6 o&rsquo;clock crown, monobloc case and French Navy spirit</h3>
Engineered to meet the operational demands of French Navy mine-clearance divers, the Grands Fonds features a 6 o&rsquo;clock crown, a monobloc case and in-house solutions such as ECS (Easy Clean System) and CPS (Crown Protection System). In practice, the 6 o&rsquo;clock crown and CPS prevent the watch from being worn unless the crown is fully screwed down, reducing user error prior to immersion; ECS helps flush out salt to prevent crystallization under the bezel.
<h3>Grands Fonds and contemporary variants</h3>
The current collection translates the historical DNA (legibility, field ergonomics, tool-watch silhouette) into multiple sizes and performance levels. Whichever the model, the 6 o&rsquo;clock signature ensures instant readability and an immediately recognisable identity.
<ul>
<li>ZRC Grands Fonds MN64 &mdash; Core diver inspired by 1964, 300 m, bold legibility for versatile daily wear.</li>
<li>ZRC Grands Fonds Hertiage &mdash; Smaller 38 mm option retaining the 6 o&rsquo;clock crown signature for slimmer wrists.</li>
<li>ZRC Securicode &mdash; Reinterpretation of a late-1950s/1960s theme with historical design elements.</li>
</ul>
<h3>Positioning: pro tool, pricing and distribution</h3>
The brand&rsquo;s stance is that of an independent Swiss &ldquo;diving instrument,&rdquo; with production volumes not disclosed and selective distribution (specialist retailers and direct sales). As a guide, many steel references sit around &euro;2,500&ndash;3,000, while technical titanium pieces exceed &euro;4,000; special editions or precious-metal variants are significantly higher. Presence is established in Europe such as <a href="https://www.soprana.com/zrc-1904/?lang=en">Soprana</a> in Italy or <a href="https://junod-lausanne.ch/fr/collections/zrc">Junod</a> in Switzerland, and selected Asian/Middle-Eastern markets through a tight retail network.
<h3>Conclusion</h3>
ZRC speaks to those who value immediately recognisable tool-watch design with functional clarity and a strong signature. Your choice will likely fall between versatile daily wear (Grands Fonds 300/38), an emphatic historical link (MN64, Securicode), or a more technical, extreme approach (Grands Fonds 3000 Titanium). Ergonomics benefit from the 6 o&rsquo;clock crown and CPS safety; purists will appreciate the overall coherence. To refine your decision beyond the spec sheet, rely on Dialicious customer reviews to understand comfort, real-world legibility and on-wrist feel.
(Updated August 2025)

Wind of change 's review on his Raketa

Tac Tac Tac

Pros & Cons for this watch

Where to buy your Raketa?

YOU ARE :

Other reviews published by Wind of change

Poljot

Raketa

Zim

Molnija

Slava
Hexagon

Customize your Raketa with our selection of accessories:

Iconic Switzerland

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Wind of change 's review on his Raketa

Tac Tac Tac

Pros & Cons for this watch

Where to buy your Raketa?

YOU ARE :

Other reviews published by Wind of change

Poljot

Raketa

Zim

Molnija

SlavaHexagon

Customize your Raketa with our selection of accessories:

Iconic Switzerland

Eagle Eye Watches

Slava
Hexagon