The Petrodvorets Watch Factory (Russian: Петродворцовый часовой завод) is the oldest factory in Russia. Founded by Peter the Great in 1721 as the Peterhof Lapidary Works, to make hardstone carvings, since 1945 the factury manufactures the Soviet Pobeda watches and since 1961 it has manufactured the Soviet Raketa watches. In almost 300 years of history, the factory has changed name several times. Petrodvorets is located in Saint Petersburg.

Before the Revolution

Initially, the factory produced luxury objects in semi-precious and precious stones for the palaces of the Tsars. We find these objects now in the Hermitage Museum in St. Petersburg, but also in most of the palaces of Europe, like Versailles, the Louvre or Sanssouci.

During Soviet times

In Soviet times, the plant has continued to work on precious stones. This plant has produced among others, the Mausoleum of Lenin in 1924 and the Kremlin stars in 1935.

In the prewar years, the skilled workers began manufacturing precision and measurement instruments for the Red Army and the new industry of Russian watches.

Destroyed by Nazi troops during the Siege of Leningrad, the plant was rebuilt from 1944 at the liberation of the city. In 1945 Joseph Stalin - who wanted to reduce USSR's dependence on imports from the West - gave the order to the factory to manufacture watches. The first watches were produced in the factory in 1949 under the brand Pobeda and Zvezda. In 1961, in honor of the first cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin, the factory created its new brand, Raketa, which makes its reputation throughout the world of Communist influence.

In its glory years after the war, the plant employed 8,000 people, produced 4.5 million watches per year for Soviet citizens and the needs of the Red Army. The plant is equipped with two atomic bunkers that can accommodate 8,000 people in the case of a western nuclear attack, had its own schools, university, hospital, resorts on the Black Sea, camps for Communist Youth Pioneer organization and Komsomol and its orchestras.

After 1991

Today, the plant has dramatically cut production following the troubled years of privatization and the collapse of the Soviet Union. Despite huge difficulties in adapting to the capitalist system, Raketa is one of the few (together with Vostok and Zaria) watch manufacturers, remained after the fall of USSR.

The Petrodvorets Watch Factory, Russian oldest factory, was founded by Peter the Great in 1721. Since 1961 the factory is producing watches under the brand “Raketa” in honor of the Russian cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin.

The factory is now being actively reorganized. Raketa`s team is managed by Russian and Swiss experts, including one of Ex-directors of Rolex, Jean-Claude Kene.

Raketa is presented in such famous boutiques as Colette in France, TSUM (Mercury) and Podium in Moscow, Status and Babochka in Saint-Petersburg and many others.

At the end of the XIX century the Peterhof factory began the production of pocket watches. However, large scale production of watches began after the Great Patriotic War.

Factory with more than 290 years of history went a long way from the small Lapidary factory to the giant of watch-making industry. The factory created numerous Russia’s symbols, such as precious stones for the court of the Russian Empire, for the House of Fabergé, ruby stars of the Moscow Kremlin, marble for Lenin`s Mausoleum, marble works for St.Isaac`s Cathedral, for the Malachite room — all these were manufactured at the Petrodvorets Watch factory.

It all started in 1721 when Peter the Great founded Lapidary factory in Peterhof. It was the first specialized stone workshop in Russia. The Petrodvorets craftsmen participated in the construction of St. Isaac’s Cathedral, the Hermitage, the fountains of St. Petersburg. You may find beautiful objects from the Petrodvorets Factory in the world’s most famous museums such as the Louvre, Versailles, Hermitage, Sanssouci and others.

After the October Revolution of 1917 the Peterhof Lapidary Factory became the first Russian factory producing technical stones for the precise instrument-making industry. In 1930 the factory was renamed the First state factory of precision technical stones (ТТК-№ 1) and thus began a new epoch of producing stones for the young watch-making industry in the USSR.

In the 40s the country lacked watches. The factory starts producing watches.

During the Second World War the building of the factory happened to be just between two front lines and thus was almost completely destroyed.

Workers labored in rooms with no windows and light, with not a single moment of rest despite daily bombardments.

After the Second World War the factory started producing watches under the brands "Zvezda" and "Pobeda".

Soon the factory started producing new generation movements. The complex movement “Raketa 2609 НА”, which was used in many models of ‘Raketa’ watches, was recognized as the most reliable and robust movement in the world. Russian watches were exported to 38 countries.

In the 1980’s the factory expanded and became one of the most successful enterprises in the USSR. It produces 4.5 mln items annually, giving work to about 8 thousand people. A real town grew around the Petrodvorets Watch Factory, it builds its own hospital, school, university, recreation centre, stores.

"Raketa" became the most popular brand in country. Raketa watches were worn by political leaders, actors, famous people. "Raketa" was worn by everybody from Brezhnev and Gorbachev to ordinary citizens of the USSR.

After the Perestroika and the collapse of the Soviet Union the factory had to rebuild completely the infrastructure. The factory turned out to be unadapted to the new economical environment, and the watch production drastically decreased. However, the factory workers managed to keep the production going and saved its unique equipment. Watches were produced by special orders. Among their regular clients were military and state bodies, that helped the factory to survive until 2009.

In 2009 an investment fund was founded, it consisted both of Russian and foreign investors.

"Raketa" created the new collection in March 2011 under the direction of Creative Director Jacques von Count Polier and David Henderson Stewart. After a few months Petrodvorets Watch Factory participated in the international exhibition Baselworld.

Ex-director of the hair-spring and escapement departement of “Rolex”, Jean-Claude Quenet has joined the Raketa team. Jean-Claude is one of the very rare specialists in Switzerland. Hairspring is the thin spiral spring which is used in watch industry, it considered as theand when producing precious instruments. In Switzerland less than 6 watch brands obtain the technology of hairspring production, among them are Rolex, Ulysse Nardin and some others companies. 92% of Swiss watch brands depend on hairspring supplies from Nivarox company, Swatch Group subsidiary. Swatch group is actually the monopolist in production of movements and details for Swiss watches. Thus the company declares, that it is going to reduce movements’ and details’ supplies to other brands. As a result, hundreds of Swiss watch brands can appear in a difficult situation.

«Raketa», producing rare hairspring-escapement module, is planning to export “Raketa`s” own details to Switzerland.

One of the main goal of Jean Claude Quenet is to preparate “Raketa` s” hairspring and escapement for export to Switzerland.

All Antique watches are mechanical. Many repairs will not be cheap, as most likely they will require replacement of non-standard parts (unlike most late model watches).

• Antique watches should not be beaten or dropped - because repairs may be expensive.
• Antique watches are generally NOT waterproof. This is because waterproofing was not in general production until the middle of the 20th century for most watches. Therefore you should protect your antique watch from exposure to moisture.
• If your watch becomes wet it should be dried off quickly. Carefully open all covers and use a hair drier to blow dry the movement, dial, covers, crown. This will reduce the amount of rust.
• If your watch becomes wet with any kind of salt water you should immediately immerse or spray your watch with fresh (no-salt) water to remove all the salt from the works before drying the watch completely. Any salt left in the watch will combine with moisture in the air to rust metal components of the movement, case etc.
• Winding any mechanical watch tight may break the mainspring. If you can avoid it do not wind the watch hard.
• When adjusting the hands of your watch, move them in a clockwise direction only. Counter-clockwise adjustments may damage the movement. It is desirable to adjust the hands of your watch at the same time every day. An automatic or self-winding watch should be worn for at least 8 hours a day. It is a mechanical watch in which the mainspring is wound automatically as a result of natural motion of the wearer's arm, to provide energy to run the watch, making manual winding unnecessary.
• If you must adjust counter-clockwise make it for small adjustments only (i.e. for minutes, NOT hours).
• Be careful and gentle when adjusting the movement speed (faster or slower). Don't make sharp movements, and don't touch other components in the movement especially the pendulum mechanism.
• Every 2-3 years it is necessary to service and oil vintage watches. If the course of your watches is worsening and the accuracy of the reduction in the duration of the clock (autonomy) from one fully wound spring - it need a service.
• IF the watch is dirty - allow the watch to run down, don't wind it again until you have it serviced by a qualified watch repair expert. Dust will absorb and remove important lubricants and cause the movement pieces to wear down.
• To clean the case, dial and crystal you should use a cloth that does NOT leave fibers as these may get caught up in the movement. Check with your Watch repair expert to get an appropriate cloth.
• Keep your antiques watch away from magnets. Strong magnetic fields may affect the accuracy of your watch since some vintage watches were made with iron based components in the movement.
• Most Cases and Covers are fine components and will not handle abuse well. The watch should not be shaken, beaten, or stressed.
• Antique watches generally experience an error of up to 5-7 minutes a day. Any accuracy of +- 5 minutes is very good.
• Mechanical watch is not recommended to use for engage in extreme sports, and expose them to excessive vibration loads. Recoil force, which take on the clock, affect their reliability and precision. No matter how perfect was not anti-shock mechanism, there is always the chance of excessive load that details of the mechanism can not survive.
• Watch with calendar. It is not recommended to adjust, the date between 20.00 and 06.00, because at this time involved a mechanism for automatic adjustment date. Translation pointers calendars manually in this position arrows may damage the mechanism. Date changes should be made, relegating pre-clockwise to lower sector of the dial (for example, to position 6 (18.00) hours).
• Chronograph watches. In most cases, these watches contain the "start/stop" button and "reset" button. It is strongly recommended not to press the "reset" if the chronograph is running. Before you use the "Reset" button need to stop the chronograph by button "start/stop". Using the "reset" when running chronograph can damage the mechanism of most models of watches.

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