Caveman's Watch Forum

Is Happy Day! y'all! Post contains Picture(s)s >>

Posted By: Ricky Lee McBroom
Date: Saturday, 4 March 2006, at 12:35 a.m.

My first 'true 24-hour' watch:

RAKETA 24-hour KGB Special Edition

It's Handwind movement, 40 mm, 19-jewels, and USSR or Russian Watch made (Doh!).

I've been lusting after a 24-hour movement watch (Dunno why, exactly. Just 'cause it makes sense, I think. I mean, the Earth spins once around it's axis in a day, right? So your watch oughta spin it's hour hand around once, too, not twice!) and chose this one 'cause [a] 'twas more inexpensive than a modest dinner and [b] the seller was local and offered same day shipping (Instant Gratification, Baby! Smiley ), [c] I liked the campy KGB dial, and [d] ..just because. Rolling on the floor laughing my a.. off!

It came sans strap, so the first order of business was to figure out a way to attach it to me wrist. Tried a black 18 mm croc strap first and, while it looked great, it was 2 holes short of the required 8-1/8". I am not happy! OK, plan B. I happened to have a spare VOSTOK bracelet. Perhaps THE cheapest-looking bracelet I've ever seen. But, OK, it fits the character of the watch! And.. it fits me wrist! YES!

Pluses: Nicely finished overall, much more so than my VOSTOK Parachute. The dial's crisp and clean to the naked eye (though less so under a loupe, I must admit). And the 24-hour movement is totally cool!

Minuses: the internal rotating bezel feels cheap. I expected it to lock.. You know, pull the lower crown, set the city, and push it back in. But no, don't work that way. Just rotate, and there you go. I initially thought that, without a lock, it wouldn't stay set. But I've been wearin' it for an hour, and it's right on GMT, just like when I set it. So, I dunno. I mean, OK, 'tis my first internal rotating bezel. But it just don't feel right. Too sloppy...

But, overall, I've gotta admit that I'm very impressed:

Despite it's flaws..

..it's got character! I likes it! Thumbs Up for this Watch Thumbs Up for this Watch Thumbs Up for this Watch

-Ricky

Messages In This Thread

Is Happy Day! y'all! Post contains Picture(s)s >> (views: 159)
Ricky Lee McBroom -- Saturday, 4 March 2006, at 12:35 a.m.
Thumbs Up for this Watch Thumbs Up for this Watch Post contains no message text
John N -- Saturday, 4 March 2006, at 4:53 p.m.
Congrats Ricky! Thumbs Up for this Watch Smiley Post contains no message text (views: 1)
Paulo -- Saturday, 4 March 2006, at 1:00 p.m.
Congrats- Thought you would grab the black Raketa. That's Nice Thumbs Up for this Watch Post contains no message text (views: 2)
chrise2469 -- Saturday, 4 March 2006, at 5:27 a.m.
Re: Thought you would grab the black Raketa. >> (views: 4)
Ricky Lee McBroom -- Saturday, 4 March 2006, at 12:47 p.m.

Thanks! I'm still, WIS Honeymoon!, I can tell you!

I did swap the VOSTOK bracelet for a generic Watch Made in China bracelet, though. The Vostok bracelet seemed to make sense.. keep it all USSR or Russian Watch, right? But, in the end, I just couldn't live with the poor finish. I am not happy! And, hey, even if it's no longer all-Russian, it's at least still all-Communist! Rolling on the floor laughing my a.. off!

Making the Chinese bracelet work was quite a chore, mind you. I had 3 identical units, left over from my Jaeger LeCoultre Mark XI homage project. They were too short I am not happy!, of course, so first I had to remove two links from one, and add 'em to another. And then I had to get out the Dremel and turn the curved end-pieces into straight end-pieces. THAT was a bit ticklish, but I enjoy Self-made Watch Stuff!, and it turned out grrrrr8!

WIS Honeymoon! WIS Honeymoon! WIS Honeymoon!

But I might still "grab the black Raketa"! Rolling on the floor laughing my a.. off! Rolling on the floor laughing my a.. off! Rolling on the floor laughing my a.. off!

-Ricky

Thumbs Up for this Watch Gotta get one myself one of these days Smiley Post contains no message text (views: 6)
Ed Brandwein -- Saturday, 4 March 2006, at 3:33 a.m.
Go for it! Thumbs Up for this Watch If you want the KGB version specifically, though.. >> (views: 2)
Ricky Lee McBroom -- Saturday, 4 March 2006, at 12:27 p.m.

..it might take some patience. Only found one on the 'bay. But the same watch, sans KGB logo, is widely available with black, white, and yellow dials.

-Ricky

Cool 24hr watch Ricky! Thumbs Up for this Watch I had a RAKETA and it took some getting used to before I could actually tell time on it! Smiley Post contains no message text (views: 12)
Mike D -- Saturday, 4 March 2006, at 12:53 a.m.
Re: ..took some getting used to before I could actually tell time on it! Smiley >> (views: 3)
Ricky Lee McBroom -- Saturday, 4 March 2006, at 12:17 p.m.

Thanks, Mike!

Yeah, I can tell it's gonna be the same here. Smiley

While a 'true' 24-hour movement might "make sense" on paper, it's certainly not intuitive. I can not simply glance at the watch and tell the time. Gotta stop and think about it a second.

Not surprising, though.. after 4 decades of using 12-hour dials, you're bound to get a bit set in your ways. Rolling on the floor laughing my a.. off!

-Ricky

So true! Smiley The cool thing is it forces you to stop and think about time. That's something that won't hurt anyone! Laughing out loud! Post contains no message text (views: 1)
Mike D -- Saturday, 4 March 2006, at 12:31 p.m.
 Looks great ! Thumbs Up for this Watch Post contains no message text (views: 8)
Fernando Campos -- Saturday, 4 March 2006, at 12:42 a.m.

Fourth day on my wrist - RAKETA WIS Honeymoon! update Post contains Picture(s) >> Post contains Link

Posted By: Ricky Lee McBroom
Date: Tuesday, 7 March 2006, at 12:06 p.m.

First, a correction: the watch is not an automatic, as I stated in my Is Happy Day! post, but a handwinder. Could've sworn the seller specified Post about a watch containing an automatic movement, but when I went back to the auction, I saw 'twasn't so. How I got that impression, I don't know. Anyway, Post about a Handwound watch is fine by me, and I'm not disappointed at all.

Quite accurate, it's been running about +10 seconds/day. And it's getting a little easier for me to read the 24-hour dial, though I still wouldn't say that I can do so 'at a glance'. Speaking of glances.. an amusing story. You know how some watchless folks will sneak a peek at your watch, rather than asking the time? Well, I had a fellow do that yesterday at about 0900. He does a double-take and says "Hey man, your watch is busted." Of course, to him, it looked like the watch was reading 0500. Smiley Even after I patiently explained, he had some trouble with the 24-hour movement concept.. Rolling on the floor laughing my a.. off!

In any case, I'm so pleased with the watch that I'm seriously considering one of these:

RAKETA 24-hour 'classic'

But what color? Decisions, decisions, decisions.. Smiley The black, probably, though I loooove that yellow, too!

As an aside, the seller I bought my watch from stated in the auction that "Raketa factory was closed 9 years ago." Most of the folks hawking Raketas are careful to point that out, and that their wares are NOS. Well, if so, they had one hell of a lot of inventory when they closed shop! There's certainly no shortage of 'em!

One seller with a large RAKETA stock, who was also careful to point out that the factory was closed (and his wares were thus 'very collectible') also had this to say "I brought them into the country several years ago. The signs 'Made in CCCP' and 'Made in Russia' written in Cyrillic make them an illegal product here now. US import law demands all signs on watches, which are imported in the USA, to have all signs only in Latin alphabet. If found at the custom, they will be returned to the country of origin." Can this be true? Should I be worried about buying one of the 'NOS' Raketas so marked from an overseas seller? Anyone?

In any case, this all got me to wondering, and I turned up this little article which the author (somewhat grandiosely Smiley ) calls 'The Raketa Conspiracy'. Thing is, he makes some good points. I suspect there's more than a grain of truth to his theory! Bear in mind that this was written nearly two years ago and there is still no sign that the supply of 'NOS' Raketas is drying up! And these Dolphins do seem, to me, to bear an uncanny resemblance to the Raketas. Hmmmmmm...

Ah well, I've rambled enough. And it's "Time to go make the doughnuts". Smiley I'll leave you with one obligatory new photo of my watch:

Note the new bracelet..

..which I'm still diggin'! 'tis a major improvement over the VOSTOK bracelet as shown in the Is Happy Day! post, I think! WIS Honeymoon! WIS Honeymoon! WIS Honeymoon!

Have a good one, y'all!

-Ricky

Messages In This Thread

Fourth day on my wrist - RAKETA WIS Honeymoon! update Post contains Picture(s) >> Post contains Link (views: 132)
Ricky Lee McBroom -- Tuesday, 7 March 2006, at 12:06 p.m.
RAKETA makes some really cool 24hr watches. I like them! Thumbs Up for this Watch Enjoy the WIS Honeymoon! Smiley Post contains no message text (views: 4)
Mike D -- Tuesday, 7 March 2006, at 4:32 p.m.
Good write up Ricky Thumbs Up for this Watch >>> Post contains Picture(s) (views: 18)
Adam in NYC -- Tuesday, 7 March 2006, at 3:07 p.m.
I have 2 Raketa 24 hr dials & they are pretty fun to wear. The one on the left seems to be one of those "new" NOS styles, notice how the city wheel is in English with international cities. The one on the right has a city wheel in English but the many of the city names are of Russian cities.
Very nice! Thumbs Up for this Watch I like 'em both.. >> (views: 2)
Ricky Lee McBroom -- Wednesday, 8 March 2006, at 12:50 a.m.

..but the one on the right seems a bit cleaner without the fluted bezel and semi-busy dial. Also am not a big fan of hooded lugs (I know! Mine's got 'em! It's just a mild distaste, not outright URGH! Smiley ), so I've got to give the vintage piece the nod.

Might I ask if you got 'em from overseas? This business about "..'Made in Russia' written in Cyrillic make them an illegal product here now.." has me a wee bit nervous. The 'classic' Raketas I've got my eye on are from a Russian Found on the Bay! seller, you see. Hate to have the Customs confiscate my watch! Smiley Mind you, they sell for a pittance, so I s'pose I should just go for it. But it's the principle!

The bloke that makes these claims is not an Found on the Bay! seller, but deals through an independent Watch Made in USA 'web store. His point is, of course, that it's safer to buy from him, as there's no risk of your watch being waylaid by Customs. His prices are 50% higher than the USSR or Russian Watch sellers, though, even factoring in the higher cost of overseas shipping. But.. I dunno. Call me a cynic, but it sounds too self-serving to be true.

Any advice in this will be most appreciated!

Thanks, DUDE!s!

-Ricky

nice Raketa pieces Thumbs Up for this Watch Post contains no message text (views: 3)
UVox -- Tuesday, 7 March 2006, at 1:41 p.m.
Thumbs Up for this Watch and you have Mail me! Post contains no message text (views: 2)
Larry -- Tuesday, 7 March 2006, at 1:35 p.m.
COOL 24hr USSR or Russian Watch Thumbs Up for this Watch Smiley Post contains no message text (views: 5)
Chris Moy -- Tuesday, 7 March 2006, at 1:30 p.m.
Very clean looking design Thumbs Up for this Watch Post contains no message text (views: 5)
Ed Brandwein -- Tuesday, 7 March 2006, at 12:09 p.m.

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