The ex-USSR brand Raketa has been driving me crazy lately. Last Black Friday, I managed to score a beautiful Raketa Leopard 24 watch at a discount. I had just started preparing a review for my blog when—BANG—Raketa released a new model called the Space Launcher. And of course, I just had to have it…
Since the Space Launcher was released in two versions—one with a white dial and one with a black dial—I faced another dilemma: which one to choose? For a while, there was even a third option: Raketa also offered a special gift set that included both watches and a model of the Soyuz rocket. I seriously considered buying the set, but I waited too long. On Sunday evening, it was still available; when I tried to order it on Monday—it was gone.
In the end, I went with the white-dial version, and this review will focus on that particular watch.
At first glance, the Space Launcher looks quite similar to the Raketa Baikonur watch, so I suggest reading my review of the Baikonur before continuing with this one.
So, what makes this watch so special? Well, for space travel enthusiasts, the standout feature is the bezel, which is made from a piece of metal taken from the Soyuz-2.1a space launcher. And it doesn’t stop there—one of the two straps is made from the actual fabric of the Russian “Sokol” space suit (Sokol meaning “Falcon” in Russian)! Even more impressively, both the metal piece from the launcher and the fabric from the space suit were actually used on a mission to the International Space Station (ISS) on October 14, 2020. So yes, you’re wearing a watch made from parts that have literally been in space. How cool is that?
The crew on that mission included Russian cosmonauts Sergey Ryzhikov and Sergey Kud-Sverchkov, as well as American astronaut Kathleen Rubins. With the watch, you also receive an official certificate from Roscosmos (the Russian space agency), confirming that the materials used in the watch were indeed part of that specific space flight.
This is actually the second time Raketa has used original material from a historically significant vehicle to create the bezel of a watch. The first time was with the already-mentioned Raketa Leopard 24, which features a bezel made from metal taken from the Soviet nuclear submarine Leopard, part of the Akula-class submarine fleet.
As I mentioned earlier, the Leopard 24 is still in the pipeline for a full review, but for now, you’ll have to settle for a couple of photos of the Leopard. (It’s a beautiful watch, by the way.)
So—sea and space are now covered. I’m really curious to see what Raketa will come up with to represent the land. A T-34 tank from the Battle of Kursk would make a pretty epic candidate, don’t you think?
All three of the watches mentioned so far—the Leopard, Baikonur, and Space Launcher—use the same Raketa in-house 2624A movement, which I described in more detail in the Baikonur review. It's quite intuitive that a submarine watch would feature a 24-hour complication, but when it comes to space travel, one might expect more complex functions.
Interestingly, the booklet that comes with the Space Launcher claims that both cosmonauts were consulted on what features a space watch should have. According to Raketa, they both emphasized the same three things: robustness, reliability, and only one essential complication—a 24-hour display. This, they said, helps distinguish between day and night aboard the ISS, where the sun rises 16 times in a 24-hour period. That same 24-hour complication was also used in the Baikonur, which was developed under the guidance of another cosmonaut—so maybe there’s some truth to that claim.
On the other hand, it’s worth noting that the 24-hour display is also the only real complication Raketa currently offers, so the whole story could just as easily be a clever marketing trick.
If we compare the movements in the Leopard, Baikonur, and Space Launcher, the only notable differences lie in the decoration. And in that regard, the Leopard clearly stands out. In fact, after seeing the elaborate decoration on the Leopard, I was somewhat disappointed by what the Space Launcher offers. But don’t take my word for it—compare them yourself.
The front face of the Space Launcher is inspired by Gagarin’s legendary first space flight. Printed on the sapphire crystal is the iconic phrase "Poehali!"—meaning "Let’s go!"—which he shouted at liftoff. (If you remember, that same phrase appears as a decorative engraving on the movement of the Baikonur.)
The dial also features a seconds scale, allowing the wearer to follow the countdown to launch—another small but thoughtful detail that ties the watch to its space travel theme.
The decision to print something on the glass is unusual—and, for the end user, potentially problematic. If you happen to break the crystal, you can’t simply visit your local watchmaker for a replacement. You’ll need to send the watch back to Raketa in order to preserve the original printed design.
The dial itself is beautiful, with applied numerals (again, just like on the Baikonur). Although Raketa claims that both the dial and hands are coated with Super-LumiNova, the lume performance is poor and disappointing. In fact, for me, that’s the biggest downside of the watch.
The hands are quite interesting in their design, but the artwork on the crystal doesn’t help visibility. The second hand extends from a rotating Earth disc. As a result, the Earth rotates along with the seconds hand and partially covers more than half of the hour hand and slightly less than half of the minute hand. All in all, this makes the watch rather difficult to read.
Along the outer ring of the dial, you’ll notice a dark blue section from 18:00 to 6:00 and a light blue section from 6:00 to 18:00, which serves as a visual day/night indicator.
As mentioned in the introduction, one of the most significant features of this watch is the bezel. It’s immediately obvious where the bezel material comes from. The rest of it is marked (again, as on the Baikonur) with compass directions. Since the watch features a 24-hour dial, it can be used as a solar compass. The bezel rotates freely in both directions, with no clicks, and it cannot be locked in place.
The crown is the same as on all new Raketa models: large, screw-down, and finished with the signature red cap.
Let’s take a look at the straps. As mentioned, one strap (the white one) is made from space suit fabric, while the other is leather. Both come with pin buckles and quick-release spring bars, which makes changing the look of the watch simple and fast.
The white strap is quite interesting—stiff, but still comfortable. The space suit fabric is used only on the outer side, while the inner side is lined with leather. Naturally, the white color draws attention. At the moment, I can't say how resistant this strap is to dirt or how easily it can be cleaned. I can only assume it shouldn't be an issue—after all, space suits are built to withstand quite a bit.
Where Raketa has made the biggest improvement is in packaging. I’ve criticized the presentation of previous Raketa watches, but that has clearly changed. I already noticed a drastic improvement with the Leopard, and the Space Launcher is no exception. Both the inner and outer boxes are well-designed and feel premium. The package includes a lot of documentation, a mission-style patch as a gift, and even a card with an invitation to visit the Raketa manufacture. One of the most charming touches is a photo of the watchmaker who polished the pivots in the movement—a very personal and unexpected addition. An interesting approach indeed.
The watch measures 43mm in diameter, the same as the Baikonur and just 1mm smaller than the Leopard.
The Space Launcher is a limited edition, with 300 pieces made of each dial color. Interestingly, individual serial numbers are not marked on the watches—it simply says "one out of 300."
We’ve already grown used to the fact that Raketa is no longer a budget brand, and the Space Launcher is no exception. In the EU, the white dial version costs around 1,750 EUR (give or take, depending on the VAT in each country), while the black dial version is slightly more expensive at around 1,850 EUR. That’s noticeably higher than the Baikonur and a bit more than the Leopard.
But I have to admit—Raketa is making real progress. Each new watch feels more refined and more attractive. Considering that every part of the watch is produced in-house and that much of the work is done by hand, the price starts to feel justified. Still, each buyer must decide for themselves whether they’re ready to make that mental leap—ready to pay as much for a Raketa as they would for a mid-range Swiss watch.
As for me, that mental switch clearly happened a long time ago—this is already my fifth new Raketa automatic watch. Now I just need to exercise a bit of self-discipline and maybe sell something, because even more new and tempting Raketa models have already been announced. :)
Add comment
Comments