Raketa USSR Watch — Chrome Cushion, Silver Dial (1960s)

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A Raketa from the sixties, the patinated silver of Petrodvorets

This watch is a Raketa, produced in the 1960s by the Petrodvorets manufacture, near Saint Petersburg — Russia’s oldest factory, founded by Peter the Great in 1721 as the atelier lapidary workshop of the Peterhof Palace, and renamed Raketa — “rocket” — in 1961, the year of Gagarin’s flight. It therefore belongs to the very first years of the Raketa name, and the mention MADE IN USSR identifies it as the export version.

Its silver dial bears the patina of its six decades — a uniform veil that softens the sunburst finish, which we prefer to show rather than conceal: it is an original dial, never restored. Twelve faceted applied indices with black insert, cut like ingots, catch the light beneath the cursive signature, and the hands — steel hours and minutes with a black line, black seconds hand — retain excellent legibility.

The cushion case in chrome-plated brass with steel back, with taut sides, is the classic Petrodvorets construction — polished, compact, built for use. The golden fluted crown, possibly later, punctuates the side with a touch of gold.

The Petrodvorets hand-wound mechanical movement was serviced in 2024 by our partner watchmakers — complete disassembly, cleaning, oiling and adjustment — and is guaranteed for one year. The watch is fitted with a later brown grained leather strap.

Three points to note

Why choose a vintage Soviet watch?

This vintage Raketa watch holds a precise place among vintage men’s and women’s watches: its 35.6mm cushion case can be worn by either, and it is a piece from the 1960s — the early years of the Raketa name, more understated and rarer than the mass-produced pieces of the following decade, with the patina that only time can create. Serviced in 2024, it is ready to serve as an everyday watch at the entry budget of authentic vintage.

Like all our vintage mechanical watches, this one has been opened and checked by our partner watchmakers: movement inspection, examination of the dial, hands and case. Every vintage watch we offer comes with an Atelier Victor invoice serving as a certificate, a one-year warranty, and lifetime guaranteed authenticity.

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Technical specifications

• Brand: Raketa
• Model: Cushion, export version
• Estimated year: 1960s
• Origin: USSR (Petrodvorets)
• Gender: Men's and women's watch (Unisex)
• Movement: Mechanical hand-wound, serviced in 2024
• Functions: Hours, minutes, central seconds
• Case: Chrome-plated brass, cushion shape, steel caseback
• Diameter: 35.6mm (37.2mm including the crown)
• Lug to lug: 39.7mm
• Thickness: 9.8mm
• Lug width: 18mm
• Crown: Golden fluted, possibly later
• Dial: Patinated silver, faceted applied markers with black insert, original, never restored
• Hands: Steel with black line, black seconds hand, original
• Crystal: Acrylic (condition 7/10)
• Strap: Brown grained leather, not original
• Buckle: Steel pin buckle, not original

Condition and warranty

• Overall condition: Well preserved condition. The original silver dial bears the even patina of its six decades, visible in our photographs, never restored; markers, signature and hands are crisp. The chrome-plated case shows wear from use on the edges and sides. Crystal acrylic with marks, rated 7/10.
• Water resistance: Not guaranteed (vintage watch)
• Authenticity: Lifetime guarantee
• Mechanics: Movement serviced in 2024, guaranteed for 1 year
• Included: Atelier Victor invoice, protective case
• Not included: Original box and papers

Frequently asked questions

Who is Raketa?
The Petrodvorets manufactory, near Saint Petersburg — the oldest factory in Russia, founded in 1721 by Peter the Great as the atelier lapidary workshop of the Peterhof Palace. Converted to watchmaking after the war, it took the name Raketa in 1961, “rocket,” in tribute to Gagarin's flight — this watch belongs to the early years of that name. It produced its calibres entirely in-house and still exists today.

Is the patina on the dial a flaw?
No — it is the opposite. The veil that softens this silver was born of sixty years of life, and it is irreplaceable: a refinished dial would present a perfect surface but would have lost its originality. On Soviet watches from the 1960s, many of which have been restored without care, an original patinated dial is precisely what collectors seek. Our photographs show it as it is.

What does the 2024 service include?
A complete service by our partner watchmakers: disassembly of the movement, cleaning of each component, replacement of the oils, rate adjustment, and reassembly. It is the maintenance that restores to a sixty-year-old mechanism its original regularity, and spares it from any intervention for many years to come. The movement is guaranteed for one year.

Is chrome-plated brass a good material?
It is the standard construction of Soviet watchmaking — and of many Swiss watches from the same period: a brass middle case, easier to machine, covered with hard chrome plating, with a steel caseback in contact with the wrist. When well preserved, as here, it endures through the decades; its wear on the edges is part of the watch's lived history and can be seen in our photographs.

Is this piece suitable for a slender or larger wrist?
With a diameter of 35.6mm, 39.7mm of Lug-to-lug, and a thickness of 9.8mm, it suits wrists of approximately 15 to 19cm — a guideline, never a rule: everyone wears what they like. Its compact cushion shape makes it a discreet and comfortable daily wearer. The Lug width measures 18mm, which makes it easy to change the strap.

A piece selected by Atelier Victor

Authenticated, checked, and photographed by us. As all sales are final, our team remains available 7 days a week on WhatsApp to answer your questions, share additional photos or a video of the piece in hand — so that your choice can be made with complete peace of mind.

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