SPUTNIK-1 0291

The dream of space conquest on your wrist!

65 years ago the Soviet Union launched the first artificial satellite into space. This small metal sphere was given a friendly codename “Sputnik”, which means “fellow traveller” in Russian. The launch of Sputnik-1 was the beginning of the space conquest, and its loud and repeated “Beep! Beep!” signals announced it to the whole world!

4 years later, in 1961, this led to sending the first man into space (the Russian cosmonaut Gagarin) which in turn led to the creation of the watch brand “Raketa” in honour of Gagarin’s space flight (“Raketa” means “space-rocket” in Russian). Raketa therefore felt compelled to celebrate the 65th anniversary of Sputnik-1 by manufacturing a watch in testimony of this incredible human achievement.

The Raketa “Sputnik-1” dial is made of exactly the same special alloy as the metal heat shield that covered the sphere of Sputnik-1: AMg6, an aluminium–magnesium alloy.

The design of this 24-hour dial is directly inspired by the Soviet watch design “Sputnik” created by the Raketa Watch Factory in 1974. This Soviet-era watch design was shown and approved by the construction bureau that had developed the real Sputnik-1.

The back of the watch reveals the beautifully decorated 24-hour automatic movement which is entirely produced by the Raketa Watch Factory in Saint-Petersburg.

MANUFACTURE

MOVEMENT