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Raketa teams-up with The Limited Edition and Scottish Watches to present the Mars-3 Raketa teams-up with The Limited Edition and Scottish Watches to present the Mars-3

Raketa teams-up with The Limited Edition and Scottish Watches to present the Mars-3

Zach Blass

Watches and the celebration of outer space have a long and intertwined history, most notably Omega with their Speedmaster joining NASA’s trip to the moon. But before all that, the famed “Space Race” between the Soviet Union and the United States was an international battle to reach the stars first. Raketa, which translates to rocket from Russian, named their manufacture in tribute to the incredible achievement of Yuri Gagarin – the first cosmonaut to orbit the earth. Originally, Raketa, born in 1945, produced watches under the name Pobeda, which translates to victory. The manufacturer was government-owned, producing watches in service of the Soviet Republic. It was not until 1961 that the name switched from Pobeda to Raketa. Recently, Raketa has decided to celebrate outer space achievements once again, working with our friends at The Limited Edition and Scottish Watches to introduce the Raketa Mars-3 Limited Edition – a run of 50 pieces in honour of the 50th anniversary of when the Soviet Mars program landed the Mars-3 probe on Mars on December 2, 1971.

Raketa Mars-3 Limited Edition

The 43mm stainless-steel watch is not only a tribute to space exploration, but actually incorporates a piece of space history into its design. The notched bezel of the Mars-3 is manufactured from actual metal recovered from the Russian Soyuz-2.1а space launcher, and features a clever scale that shows the length of the Martian day, or “sol”, which equates to 24:39:35 of our earth hours, minutes and seconds. This ingenious indication allows the Mars-3 watch to simultaneously indicate the time in earth values, as well as those experienced on the planet Mars. The 50 metre water-resistant case, with somewhat of a UFO saucer profile, displays neat mixed finishes – brushing on the front of the case and lugs, with a polished bevelled edge and polished case flanks.

Raketa Mars-3 Limited Edition

The Raketa Mars-3 Limited Edition watch conveys its most visual tribute to Mars through its reddish-brown laser-etched dial, designed to reflect the original picture beamed back from the probe to planet earth. The hand-guided etching gives the dial a three-dimensional feel to its aesthetic, and helps create the striking dusty copper hue that distinguishes its aesthetic. Catering to the needs of space travel, the watch displays the time via 24 hour indicators instead of the usual 12. In order to keep the dial as clean as possible, the 24-hour scale has been printed on the underside of the sapphire crystal – maximising legibility as well. Three central hands help indicate the time, with the SuperLuminova® filled hours and minutes hands rendered in a near dial tone reddish-brown colour and the running seconds hand in red.

Raketa Mars-3 Limited Edition

Those who purchase the Raketa Mars-3 Limited Edition will be treated to two straps. The first is a dark brown calf-leather strap with a Raketa red underside that pairs really well with the dial. For more aquatic scenarios, you also receive a complimentary black rubber strap if that material is more your fancy.

In-house calibers are always a persistent topic within the watch-collecting world, and, for those where it would be a dealbreaker without one, you’ll be glad to know that the Raketa Mars-3 is powered by one. Raketa takes the “Made in Russia” label very seriously, and prides themselves on being a vertically integrated in-house manufacture with deep and historical roots in Russian watchmaking. And to be clear, it is rare form for a manufacturer to be vertically integrated while also offering watches at such an approachable price point. Beneath a mineral glass exhibition caseback you will find the entirely manufactured in-house calibre 2624a, which ticks at a traditional 18,000 vph and has a power reserve of 40 hours. The bridges are not conventionally decorated, instead Raketa has opted to drive home the outer space theme further with constellations laser-etched into the bridges and balance cock. Its winding mass has also been specially designed for this Mars-themed limited edition, with a red-brown PVD rotor that featured a graphic of the Mars-3 probe as well as the date of its landing.

Raketa Mars-3 Limited Edition pricing and availability:

The Raketa Mars-3 Limited Edition, released in collaboration with The Limited Edition and Scottish Watches is available now for purchase via The Limited Edition. Price: £1,680 (excl. VAT), a limited edition of 50 pieces.

Specifications

Brand

Raketa x The Limited Edition x Scottish Watches

Model

Mars-3 Limited Edition

Case Size

43mm

Case Material

Stainless Steel

Dial

Dusty Copper, laser-etched with Mars probe image design

Strap

calf leather, complimentary rubber strap included

Movement

Manufactured entirely in-house self-winding calibre 2624a

Price

£1,680 (excl. VAT)

Availability

Limited Edition of 50 pcs.