Raketa Limited-Edition Polar Watch

There is something about timepieces that take their inspiration from adventure and the pioneering nature of the human spirit that really resonates with our sensibilities here at Coolector HQ and that’s exactly what we’ve got on our plate with this fantastic looking Raketa Limited-Edition Polar Watch. This vintage style timepiece from Raketa is a rebirth of an iconic piece of timekeeping from the annuls of Antarctic exploration history and it boasts a truly compelling aesthetic that’s hard not to love.

The Raketa Limited-Edition Polar Watch is available for pre-ordering now for the reduced price of €1120 instead of the final retail price of €1400 so move now if you want to add this timepiece inspired by adventure to your line up of watches. Released as a celebration of the 50th anniversary of the first production of the Soviet Raketa Polar watch and of the 200th anniversary of the discovery of the Antarctic continent by Russian polar explorers, the team at Raketa Watch Factory decided to relaunch the production of this historic watch model and, we’re mighty glad they did here at The Coolector, because its all sorts of awesome.

Limited Release

Only 200 of these Raketa Limited Edition Polar Watches will be released and given how unique and devilishly dapper they are, we don’t expect them to be hanging around on the shelves for long. This re-release of the original is based upon the original design and technical drawings that were kept in the archives of the Raketa Factory so it is as faithful a recreation as possible and will add a touch of old school cool and pioneering spirit to any wrist lucky enough to wear one in 2020.

Designed to be a watch for Soviet Polar explorers, it’s clear that this Raketa Limited-Edition Polar Watch is made with outdoor adventure in mind. In 1969, the Raketa Watch Factory was asked to design and produce a special watch for the polar explorers of the 16th Soviet Antarctic expedition. Given that this freezing continent is in perpetual daylight or darkness during consecutive periods of 6 months, this timepiece needed not only to be incredibly durable but also required a special 24 hour movement that would allow the wearer to tell the time without knowing if it was day or night.

Boasting an incredibly bold design, this first class timepiece from Raketa with the horns having a very unusual inverted triangular shape and the bezel was extremely thin. This was a complicated 4-piece construction case that has a very unique system to hold the organic glass. The dial indicated a 24 hour time scale and represented the two poles. This design was officially approved and signed on 10 December 1969 by V.M. Rogachev, who was second-in-command of the Soviet Antarctic Expedition, who also stamped it with the official seal of the USSR “Arctic and Antarctic Research Institute”.

A Real Collector’s Watch

Given the limited numbers available and the interesting backstory that surrounds it, the Raketa Limited-Edition Polar Watch is a real collector’s item and and will form the cornerstone of any horology aficionado’s collection. Originally, this watch model was mainly dedicated to Soviet polar explorers and was hardly ever sold to ordinary Soviet comrades. It was therefore produced in small batches until its production was eventually discontinued so this is a rare opportunity to own an iconic piece of horological history.

You just don’t come across watches like this every day and if you want to stand out a little with your choice of timepiece, this one will be pretty tough to beat with its compelling backstory and visually impactful aesthetic. As it’s made for Arctic expeditions, it’s about as robust as they come and will be right by your side until you’re ready to pass it onto the next generation of watch lover in your family.