Watching Marshall's videos --> enrolling in online classes by Mark Lovick --> buying starter set of tools --> finding watches that need repair on ebay --> having a new hobby --> very thankful to you Marshall for introducing me to this utterly brilliant hobby --> hoping for extended lockdown ;)
@@TomReinerDE hi! So, I invested in good screwdrivers (check bergeon they have one that ranges from 0.8 to 1.6), a magnifying loupe, some anti-magnetic tweezers, rodico and you're good to go! At least for the first few runs.... I haven't found complete quality startersets tbh.. Hope this helps!
Same! My wife is buying a bunch of tooling for Christmas. I already did a couple test runs on a pocket watch and I really enjoyed it. I wish he would tell where he sources parts or what cleaning chemicals he uses.
@@brentkolar3075 for parts, I turn to the big 'ol Bay... cleaning solvents, I use the old method with Renata and Isopropyl (I don't have a watch cleaning machine). Maybe someone else can help you out.
The way the calendar works is you align the year and a month at the bottom half of the watch face (if the month highlighted in dark you have to align it with the year on the dark background as well). And as a result you get a calendar for the whole month on the top half of the watch face. For example, if you want to see the calendar for February (ФЕВ) 1990, you align the year directly at the 6th hour mark. And on the top you'll see that the 1st date is Thursday (ЧТВ), 2nd is Friday (ПТН) and so on. And you can use it even after you run out of years, they're cycled. You just need to find out which year in the past corresponds to the current year (there is a pattern but you can also just match it by the calendar and go from that).
I got a manual keyring calendar for Christmas one year when I was a kid. You just spun a face dial to work out the day/date. I think it only went up to the year 2000. :-)
@@cygnata 28, not 21. (Because 7 days per week times four years in a leap year cycle.) And it hiccups at centuries not divisible by 400 (which fortunately isn't in the lifetimes of most people alive today.)
Surprisingly, Raketa are still around and they make some very expensive and good looking watches. Vostok are also around, but their watches are much more affordable. Also, all the Soviet/Russian movements, regardless of manufacturer have the same numbering scheme where the first two digits are the diameter and the other two are the features eg. 2628=26mm handwound movement with centered seconds and day-date complication. 2209=22mm handwound movement with centered seconds hand 2414=24mm handwound movement with centered seconds hand and date conplication etc.
But all the mechanisms are old. They have not done anything new in the last forty years. Even worse, they won't do it soon. This is too expensive for the Russian watch industry. And big business will not invest in watches, because the profit will be minimal and not even fast.
As a Soviet watch fan, I enjoyed this video. I guess you don't take requests for new videos, but I think you would enjoy servicing/repairing a Poljot 2612.1 movement. Its mechanical alarm complication makes them different, special, and great fun to work on, and again, while being legitimate quality movements you can find these easily and for cheap. Love watching your videos, keep'em coming!
Why would there be any of those in a video about watches? Strange that you were expecting that kind of thing. That's like expecting to see an camel at a dental office.
Thanks for your work, great explanations. As someone working at today's Raketa's factory, I can give you a hint, found in all mechanisms based on a 2609HA like yours, the minute wheel can have it's brass teeth worned off due to a tight friction. If the friction is very tight, it is a factory standard actually. Great daily wear, modern proportions, and good to practise some russian language skills!
I own about 20 vintage Soviet watches and this is one of the only ones I see all the time on ebay yet haven’t pulled the trigger yet, despite the next-to-nothing price. There are so many unique Soviet timepieces and in my experience they run amazingly well after a basic service.
It *is* a perpetual calendar. There are 14 "types" of years. 7 where the first day is each day of the week, and 7 more for each day on the leap years. it takes 2 full cycles to get back to the same place in the position (say, a leap year starting on a sunday) In your case, since it has actual printed years it does kind of run out, but from that point if you follow the 28 years, it goes forever. I made a rotary paper one at one point.
Not quite. Yes there are 14 "year types" but its a bit more than that. A year is 52 weeks and 2 days (or 3) so the dates jump around a bit. It can take 6 to 40 years for the calendar to cycle back. But you can calculate enough to create these "perpetual " watches
@@GhostHostMemories check again. Leap years that start Jan 1 on a Sunday are 2012, 2040,2068, and 2096 for example. 28 years. Since leap years are regular, the sequence repeats deterministically
@@PghFlip You are right. This also works with old digital watches, like Casio, for example. The inbuilt calendar my expire in 2030 or something. But it is not a problem, because year 2031 has the same pattern as year 2003
This has quickly become my favorite channel on RU-vid. It may not be your thing, but I would enjoy a video about the watches you own; it seems like you have an interesting collection. Thanks for the excellent content!
Raketa watches was to be used by the military and officials in the USSR, as well as for use in space missions. As such they were build to be equivalent to Omegas in the West and tend to be doing great, as long as they are serviced properly. This one in particular probably saw several decades of wear without maintenance (hence the plating damage). As for perpetual movement - as you noticed, it isn't, but it provides time references for adjusting the time-date based on month (lower part of the face), as well as year (the outer ring complications).
Raketa is a fantastic watch, sturdy and reliable , I have an old one and still going strong. I've seen their actual models and the big zero looks amazing. Now they're expensive though, but definitely I would get one. Good video
You know you've been binge watching Wristwatch Revival enough when you say to yourself "Oh snap, he forgot to put the sliding clutch in before the yoke!" then feel good when he mentions it later and that's when you realize you've actually learned something about watch making. Good stuff!
I have one of theese. Since i own it (4 or 5 years now), it's been serviced and never stoped ever since! I likes so much i bought a Raketa 24h afterwards! My perpetual has a subarine in the dial, rare they say!
Interesting! I always liked Raketa's old Soviet-era designs. Vostok too. Russian watchmaking, like their famous weapons, tended to be on the "crude but extremely reliable" side rather than the stylistically notable, but there's many obscure gems. Also, just want to point out, speaking of Russian gems, that Vostok's "Amphibia" line is the absolute hands-down best deal on the planet for brand new mechanical diver watches.
I actually love watches like this, regardless of cost. They are historical pieces in my collection. I'll have to add one of these one day. Another great video. Cheers.
I know right. He says he is an amateur but by all means he seems to have the tools and knowledge of a professional. That doesn't put your own work down it just shows how much he is into this art.
I absolutely love when you put the main spring bank in and get so excited to hear that sound. I know the feeling, I'm an ironworker and when I'm struggling to make a bolt on a hole, and I'm prying and prying, then I finally hear the sound of the bolt snap through the hole. So satisfying
knowing that my project car skills could translate into repairing watches, and knowing tools can be way cheaper by comparison, I’m definitely going to make the jump down this rabbit hole soon!
Heyo, dude from the gun restoration world over here. I truly admire you watch dudes control over these parts, the stuff I work with is ten times bigger and I still have issues. That said, I love how similar the "oh my... Um.." moments are one world to the other.
From the depth of my opinions: One does not grease high FRICTION points, but High PRESSURE points. Sorry to publicly contradict you. You are a gifted teacher and I love listening to you.
It's funny that the watch has cyrillic for the days, roman numerals for the hours and arabic numbers for the date. I don't know the first thing about watch repair, but watching you is so entertaining and educational...thank you for your work! I was so glad to see that you alloted enough time to get the video as complete as it is.
i dont know why this keeps being mentioned but really there's nothing special about this factoid. any comparable non soviet watch might (have) come with roman numerals for the hours, arabic numbers for the date function and for the weekdays; latin script. or greek script. or kanji.
Hearing you go over the names of everything nearly every video has helped me learn the names well enough that I may just give this a try. I learned about cars from family with similar repetition and it's served me well.
So amazing to see you take a watch that is running 170 s/day to basically COSC with just a service. I really want to get into this aspect of the hobby. I have taken a few movements apart, but am very far from a full service. Thanks for sharing, absolutely love the content and the inspiration :)
You ain't the only one. I got a heap of soviet stuff coming. Got my first from Ukraine by air mail today. Surprised as there's VERY FEW planes coming into Australia.
I think I've got the idea how the calendar works. You just line up the year with the month at the bottom, and the day of the week gets lined up with the date at the top.
The beauty truely lies in the eye of the beholder. I just bought one of these and I’d honestly be much more comfortable spending rolex money on a watch like this then the other way around. Lucky for me they are mass produced and super cheap, but if they still were the same quality built and frankensteined to make them work, Id still happily pay the same premium or more to get one of these then a rolex if there were very few of them available. I feel like a watch to me has to have a interesting personality and history, that quality weighs in much more then premium parts. Thanks for a great video and for showing how this watch looks like inside!
Luckily, Raketa still exists in their original form in St. Petersburg and still makes quite interesting watches at a premium, but far from being unreasonable, prices.
In Poland we have so many of them on auctions ranging from 10$ to 50$ (In some rare cases it can hit 120$ mark). Highly recommended if you're looking for a unique timepiece on cheap.
I do love the sound level you use. I like hearing all the little noises the tools n bits n pieces make as things are being done. I can even hear winding whine from the mechanisms of some watches like the pocket watches.
That Soviet watch is cool. Ive never seen it. And i must thank you for your videos, I am an aspiring watch maker myself and ythese tutorials really do educate.
That is one thing I love most about these old Soviet pieces. Regardless of how they feel about them, even watch people want to talk about them when they see them. Excellent conversation starters, and just robust old-school workhorses. Fun to nerd out with fellow watch lovers about. Oh, and I love the funky calendar on this one.
What a cool watch and brand, still in business to this day. I''ve been pleasantly surprised by the their current line up, they have 24 hour movements and very original exclusives, like the Space Launcher "made from a piece of the Soyuz-2.1a and space suit Sokol". I am thrilled by the brand as it is unlike any other. Btw as methodic as you are Sir, you were a perfect candidate to work on VW cars as they need to be serviced pretty much the way you do with your wristwatches, and yet they still go ka-bang by themselves...
Thank you for making these videos and explaining what you are doing. I can only imagine how good it must feel taking a 160s/d watch down to pretty much perfection. I'd definitely attempt something like this for fun once if not for all the specialised equipment.
@@WristwatchRevival little tip for ya bud.if u dont want little bits of dirt and debris on your bench, put some paper towels on it before u start to clean your watch parts.
Superb deepdive and great motivation to get stuck in instead of being frightened off by teeny tiny noseeums! Many thanks for taking the time to post this.
Fitting the strap for men's soviet watch you don't have to use calliper or smth. 99,9% of them have lugs 18mm (except really old pieces like Sportivnye - older make 16mm, newer 17mm, Ałmaz - simplier editon of Wołna, so called "soviet Zenith" - 16mm). There exist Rakietas with 19mm lugs, these designs are VERY rare.
i bought my first vintage watch today since you've inspired me in your repairs. it's a hmt avinash 17 jewel from the 80's with this beautiful green face with neat aging to the indices that looks like crackle glaze. got him for $15 shipped. gunna replace the junk band the seller put on him with a flattering leather one. really excited to see him in four weeks!!
ЯНВ - январь - January ОКТ -октябрь - October МАЙ - May АВГ - август - August ФЕВ - февраль - February МАР - март - March НОЯБ - ноябрь - November ИЮНЬ - June СЕН - сентябрь - September ДЕК - декабрь - December АПР - апрель - April ИЮЛЬ - July Надеюсь поможет) Hope this helps! Great Rocket.
I've got this exact watch (I got it for 5 euro from a street market in Italy 11 years ago). Still works like a gem; I recently just got one with a blue face to match🤣😍
Ive been subscribed for over a year. Ive owned 1 watch and have worn it a handful of times. A cheap fossil watch from the mall i got when i was 15. I LOVE THIS CHANNEL! Keep up the good work Marshall
Nice work. Nice watch, comrade. Lol I've not seen many for under $50.00 so you got yours at the perfect time. I've never attempted servicing a watch. However I do have a project on the way from Indonesia. In the process of getting g my implements of destruction sorted.
30 minutes and the video is finishing u- oh, wait, it's been an hour. I was amazed and captivated the whole time by your editing, story telling and soothing voice. Great stuff!
Nice video, throughly enjoyed the way it was done and well done to RAKETA for making these beautiful watches. Doesn't matter where you are from enjoy the beauty of great work done by great craftsmanship.
I have a few Raketa watches, mostly from the 60's. As you said, the movements aren't pretty to look at but they are certainly functional and actually pretty reliable. All of mine are dress watches and aside from the "Made in USSR" at the bottom of the face you would never tell they were Russian watches. I rather like them because I can wear them without worrying about losing/damaging them. It's also nice that I am not afraid to open them up and attempt to service them myself, I can pick up another one for next to nothing if I break it. This one is an ugly monster, I kinda like it.
I absolutely adore Raketa watches. My first watch was a Raketa Copernic and to me it’s truly a beautiful watch and has so much history. It’s amazing at how rough the machining is and yet these watches still work pretty good. They have 5 beats a second instead of 6 which I actually like (for some reason 6 beat movements make the seconds hand look like it’s wobbling to me) and the Raketa movements makes one of the most mechanical sounding movements I’ve ever had.
Good one 👍😎 I own one gold plated version for years now also from the Ukraine, it runs fine, never opened the watch, always thought the dial was covered with some piece of paper ? ( edit : next to "perpetual" they are also called "Raketa College" )
Always a pleasure watching your videos. I usually prefer the silent ones but yours are extremely interesting and you have a very posed and call voice. Thank you for sharing your work with us!
Wittnauer made something very similar to this one. The 2000 Perpetual Calendar Automatic. It's a big one, at 42.5mm. Caliber W-102, a Japanese movement, which looks very much like a Seiko build.
This was one of my favourites to watch because it was so different to other watches and I love the date mechanism. Imo, it's much more interesting than a Rolex.
Very nice watch Marshall. I might be getting into the hobby after my wife and I finish settling into our new home. Your video's are fascinating to me. I've always liked trains, planes, automobiles and watches. Thanks for all of the great video's.
Oh interesting, I have one of these with a red starburst dial - got it in good, completely working condition with a nice band for $30 from ukraine. Same with a pobeda soviet admiral's watch - like $30. Both are very accurate and have tons of character. But I broke the mainspring on my Raketa by over-winding it accidentally. Have yet to open it up and look inside.
Russian watches are really cool! A lot are focused on durability and speed of production, but many are surprisingly accurate when properly regulated. First watch in space was from First Moscow, one of their Sturmanskies. Sturmanskie is still arouns today, actually. Some suggestions for future repairs 1. Vostok Amphibia Iconic, really. One of the best sub-100 tool watches in general ,and being a full auto from an established manufacturer with 200m (significantly undersold) water resistance. Plus I think you'll appreciate how its water resistance works, it's a masterpiece of russian design. Just... opt for the no-date version. Vintage ones tend to be regarded better though, and as such are more expensive. 2. Poljot Strela (Vintage) Modern ones of these use the ST-19 Chronograph movement (which is an interesting movement itself, but chinese horology is beyond this comment... it's neat though) but the originals had an in-house caliber. 3. Molnija Pocket Watch These are really inexpensive and straightforward pocket watches. 4. Raketa Copernicus I mean, it speaks for itself. Seriously though, absolutely take a look at a watch with a Seagull ST-19, I think it would amaze you
I totally agree. These watches were made to be serviced with axle grease and a sickle, so people took good care of them, used them like they were meant to, and kept them for a long time. LOTS of parts in Ukraine and Russia now. Each company had 5 year goals for production, so there are plenty of examples of watches all over that are essentially NOS. Also, there are just lots of Soviet/Russian watches from that era because of the sheer number that were produced. I look for good examples whenever I'm in Ukraine. These days they tend to do a "dip" of the whole movement in sort of a solvent/oiling solution, which means they're running when they get to you, but they need to be really cleaned and serviced properly to get a reasonably working watch.
Engineering is engineering and someone with a STEM mind can adapt to the creativity needed for the job in front of you! Well done, really enjoying watching.
21:19 - that noise tells you you did it right. The sound of the spring failing to lodge in the barrel, uncoiling and flying about the room tends to solicit a slightly different response. ;¬)
I don't want to brag, but my grandma's manual wind Raketa watch was losing 25 minutes a day before she gave the watch away(she never serviced it of course, watch was worn daily and kept going). My grandpa's Vostok on the other hand still keeps decent time to this day(+3 minutes/day, one service in 1993).
Какие-то невозможные погрешности. Часы моего деда - начала 80-х годов "Заря" на калибре 2009П - суточное отклонение не более 5 секунд, за все время не обслуживались ни разу.
I really enjoy these videos. Every one is a journey, and I love that you are rescuing bits of history. Your channel is also a strong reminder to all of us about the importance of caring for what’s already out there rather than consuming new stuff and then throwing it away as soon as we’re bored of it it as soon as it breaks. My only problem with your content is that it gives me a very strong urge to get into this hobby myself. As if I need yet another thing in my life! Lol.
I picked up one of these about 10 years ago off eBay, It was years-old already at the time, but never worn. I paid $50 or $75 for it too. I always had the feeling that it was sort of clunky and poorly made, but about what I expected of a Soviet era watch. Thanks for posting this!
Awesome work, Marshal! Thanks! I inherited one of these from a late uncle which looks to be in reasonably good state, but the crown is broken so I can't wind it up anymore. Have any idea how to take out the remaining stem and slip in a new crown assembly? Are such things easily available? TIA
Marshall, there is NOTHING boring about your videos. Watching them has saved me a bunch of money, because I can see that my Irish temper combined with my German aggression would NOT be conducive to watchmaking. That Mickey Mouse watch would have been hammered back to base metal. But I love watching. It is soothing, very interesting, and rewarding to see an old, beautiful watch come back to life. Thank you for hours of entertainment!
I have considered purchasing a Raketa 24 hour watch for years, but questioned Cold War quality construction. Would you consider a tear down on a Raketa 24-hour watch? Heck, I would supply the watch if you do!
24 hour Raketa has the same movement inside, but with some differences in intermediate wheel on dial side. It's very basic, tough, reliable and stable thing, especially for its price. Highly recommend you to get one, if you still have any doubts. There is a lot of them, vintage and modern, on eBay, or on Raketa's online shop (yep, they're still alive and making cool modern watches).
first mechanical watch i've bought on eBay ... and 2nd actually... many years ago !! But now, one is no longer working and need to be fixed ....and you gave me the tutorial !!!! Thanks!!!
Please let the power down before removing the pallet fork. Damaging the stones is only one thing that could happen, plus the main spring could snap, or teeth sheared off small train wheels.
I just discovered this RU-vid channel and have now started gathering all my watches that I have inherited over the years and I have one of these Rakita watches that my uncle gave me in the 80s. I never really thought much about it and left it in my toolbox for decades. I just dusted it off and wound it up and it works perfect. This one is in English as my Uncle bought it while visiting the USSR and must have told them it is coming back to the USA. Thanks for getting me interested in watch making, as a mechanic, I agree it is easier to understand, but I'm still nervous about the tiny screws and springs. It's been raining in California, so this has been a perfect time to power watch your channel! P.S where can I buy a cannon gear remover?
You would probably enjoy the modern-day Raketa watches with automatic winding. They make absolutely everything down to the smallest springs in-house with completely custom manufacturing. Some very nice watches!
BTW, USSR was second best watch manufactured until 1980s. The best watches they produced come from 1960-1970s. You had low expectations because you have no clue about watches from USSR ;-)
I couldn't agree more ! The Russian movements were definitively better than most things the Americans cranked out. Typical American attitude.... "Russian ? has to be rotten !" (and no, I am not Russian...) Paddy
Well, I would say that USSR in the 70's took the 2nd/3rd place in volumes of watches produced after Swiss made watches sharing the 2nd/3rd place with Japan. Maybe not the 2nd best, but very good combo of price/quality/reliability. Greeting from a collector of Soviet watches from Russia.
@@domino051970 Russian movements produced during the USSR period, are not on par with the Swiss, that is true... but I have opened, restored, cleaned and serviced enough of them, to know that they were decently made, "did what it said on the tin : keep time !" If you take an old Poljot, service it and "Swiss it up" (do some perlage, maybe a bit of Geneva striping, bevel and polish a few edges... ) you can make a very lovely and above all durable movement out of them. This would be no more than what overpriced luxury brands do with Valjoux -eta movements . I have quite the collection of Russian measuring tools (micrometers, straight edges, gauge blocks, etc) All are equal or in many cases surpass American quality... The only thing the East Block never could learn to do properly was fabricating plastics... If it's made out of steel , iron, bronze or brass and it's Russian...chances are it will be,at its very worst, properly functional Paddy
@@gh778jk I have been collecting Soviet made watches, to date I have restored about a 1000 of them.The point is that the 'romantic period' of my hobby has gone, and I am from Russia hence such watches basically are not exotic for me at all. Now I get more pleasure resorting Seiko from the 60's or something based on vintage ETA etc. I agree that soviet movements are not bad, comparing for instance with no jewels Timex. But anyway, i won't restore the shown Raketa, here it costs nothing and has a zero collectable value, as the case is worn out completly.
Fedor I understand all that. I'd probably feel the same if I were in your position, but that was not the issue I had with this video. It is that typical attitude in the West, especially in the US, that if it came from anywhere else, especially Russia.... it HAS to be rotten.... Whilst their own production is often rather mediocre at best. You mentioned timex... which as we know is utter rubbish, and this Waltham pocket watch brand they are so mad after, is at best ok-ish... it isn't special at all (a lovely case doesn't make a great time piece) Timex bought Kelton in the mid 20th century and they made that into rubbish as well. (those used to be well like mid range pocket watches here in my grandparents days ) The amazement expressed in the video : "oh look , they made something that works! Who would have thought it?" is what is getting on my nerves. This has absolutely nothing to do with any favour of any political system at all, it is just that this superiority complex that even the average American seems to display at all times is getting old real fast. And yes, the Russian movements cost next to nothing, even if I have them sent to my home here in Belgium. This is the reason I started all this watch-lark with them.... if I messed up a movement that cost 50 cents.... I lost 50 cents and have some spare parts....! But I will admit that something like the one featured here... though simple enough in its construction and lay out...is a bit unusual for somebody from my part of the world. I like Seiko, a lot... they are built like tanks and keep going , even if time ends LOL! Fir the more 'refined' work, indeed, ETA, Valljoux , Omega, Longines and a host of others offer both challenges and amazement . My last piece of "exotica" was a Vostok Amphibia ....but it wasn't an Amphibia...I believe it to be the same watch but a civilian version (the dial says Vostok (in Russian) and the crown is at half past 1 rather than the classic 3 o clock... For the rest the watch is identical. This watch is about 50 years old, judging on a variety of factors, and after cleaning, oiling and giving it some love... I get an average of +6 sec/day (all positions) , and amplitude of 310 degrees and a 0,1 ms beat error out of it...... I'd like to see someone try that with a Timex.... even one from the time when the finally discovered there was such a thing as 'jewels' Paddy
ive seen many of your vids . they are awesome.. im into mechanical watches because of the engineering of them.... but i haven't been working on them.... i can just take off movements change hands , dials , pretty basic operations. i joined your channel because i want to learn how to service movements... im a car mechanic . i mention that because you said you worked on cars... its my profession . its what i do for a living... i also noticed the shirt you are wearing .... im into MTG since 2002 . im also into guns because of the engineering of them . love repairing them and modifying them... into r/c plane modeling for the same reasons... thumbs up for your perfect edited vids and you been so methodical greetings greece
