RAKETA MARS-3 WITH THE LIMITED EDITION & SCOTTISH WATCHES

From the man on the moon to the robot on Mars. Celebrating the fiftieth anniversary of when the Soviet Mars programme made history by successfully landing a probe on the surface of the planet Mars on December 2, 1971, the Russian watchmaker, Raketa has unveiled a self-winding Mars-3 limited edition wristwatch in collaboration with The Limited Edition and Scottish Watches.

RAKETA MARS-3 WITH THE LIMITED EDITION & SCOTTISH WATCHES
Raketa Mars-3 limited edition with The Limited Edition and Scottish Watches

Now although the robot survived only long enough to transmit a single, distorted image back to earth, the Mars landing was a first for mankind, and a major victory for Russia in the great space race. Archived for the last fifty years, that strange image is one of the inspirations behind the Mars-3 limited edition, and it has been immortalised and reproduced to spectacular effect on the laser engraved bronze dial. Featuring a superb dial, three dimensional laser etching with actual materials recovered from the Russian space programme, this watch is powered by an in-house manufactured 2624 automatic movement, with a 40 hours power reserve.

RAKETA MARS-3 WITH THE LIMITED EDITION & SCOTTISH WATCHES
The laser engraved bronze dial

All of the markings usually found on the dial are etched onto the underside of the sapphire crystal, creating a three dimensional visual parallax, as they appear to shift over the dial as the angle of perspective changes. The time is indicated in a twenty-four hour cycle, a feature which came about following consultation with Russian cosmonauts on board the ISS, where the sun rises and sets sixteen times each day, and for whom a twenty-four hour display is the only analogue method of determining day from night.

The hour and minute hands have a reddish-bronze finish and are filled with luminous Super-LumiNova, while the seconds are indicated with a slender red hand. With a 43mm steel case, the notched bezel of the Mars-3 is manufactured from actual metal recovered from the Russian Soyuz-2., 1а space launcher, and features an ingenious scale which shows the length of the Martian day (called a ‘sol’), which takes 24:39:35 of our earth hours, minutes and seconds. This way, without adjustment, the Mars-3 simultaneously indicates the time in earth values, as well as those experienced on the planet Mars.

RAKETA MARS-3 WITH THE LIMITED EDITION & SCOTTISH WATCHES
The exhibition caseback

On the underside, a mineral crystal exhibition caseback reveals the Raketa 2624a self winding movement, with bridges decorated with laser etched constellations. The oscillating weight is treated in red-brown PVD, and features a graphic of the Mars-3 probe, as well as the date of the landing.

The Limited Edition has always promoted and supported independent underground watchmaking. With a passion for Russian watchmaking over the last 6 years, they house some of the best Russian watchmakers such as Konstantin Chaykin, Anton Suhanov, Aleksandr Nesterenko, Rashid Tsoroev and, of course, the historical Raketa.
RAKETA MARS-3 WITH THE LIMITED EDITION & SCOTTISH WATCHES
The Raketa Mars-3 limited edition wristwatch

Released in a limited edition of only 50 individually numbered pieces, this Mars-3 edition is available on a calfskin leather strap with red inner lining, as well as a complimentary black rubber strap with pin buckle on The Limited Edition at £1’680 ex tax. Not bad at all for a piece of history on your wrist!

Coming from a family of watch enthusiasts and pioneers, Kari, as fondly identified by the watch-community, has been a part of this mystical world of horology for almost two decades now. From watch magazines to books to Internationally acclaimed watch shows, Kari has founded, initiated and pioneered various such endeavours.

Comments (1)

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *