Raketa Premium Watch Manufacture is releasing a new version of its Russian Code — a watch that runs counter to the usual direction of time. The model was first introduced on June 3, 2026, at the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum. This event was central to the brand's presence at the Forum business program.
The new version of the model offers a different vibe, a more natural and warmer colour palette, and some extra features including: • a stainless-steel case with a dual finish: polishing and satin finish; • a curved sapphire crystal creating a lens-like effect and a three-dimensional appearance; • a light beige dial, featuring convex markings and a 3D image of the Earth at the center, its surface divided into thin lines of meridians. This is what gave the model its full name, echoing the idea that time and space obey strict geometry. The Raketa logo is intentionally placed directly above Russia on the world map; • a brown genuine leather strap adorned with contrasting blue notches that echo the ocean colours on the dial, adding up to the model’s coherent look.
You can see the movement operating at an irregular rhythm through the transparent case back of the watch. As this Raketa watch has a backward-action movement, its hands also move in the opposite direction due to the mirrored design of the movement’s main components. Raketa's engineers went beyond the simple modification of components: they designed and manufactured their mirrored counterparts. As a result, the entire system moves in the opposite direction in a coordinated way. What we commonly refer to as ‘the correct course of time’ is simply an optical illusion that originated in the Northern Hemisphere several centuries ago. People observed the shadow of a sundial moving in a circle and decided that direction was the only correct one. The universe works differently, though, as the Earth orbits the Sun counterclockwise. The Russian Code brings the time back into this cosmic rhythm: the hour hand moves backward, and the seconds hand—shaped as the Moon—also orbits the Earth in the opposite direction. What you see on the dial is not a mere abstraction, but a precise astronomical model. The Raketa brand was launched in 1961 to honour Yuri Gagarin’s space flight. Space is not a metaphor, but a part of the manufacture’s engineering legacy. The Russian Code is the very embodiment of this tradition, and the release of its new version marks the manufacturer's anniversary. This watch is meant to break conventions, reminding you that true time is guided by the stars.