Teardown: Raketa Pocket Watch #679721

My next Russian pocket watch project – a “Raketa” (you have to love that name). Very unique design, and very 70s I would say. It has a date display and central second hand as well, and it comes in a very sturdy case. Let’s see what’s inside!

I'm certainly not the first one to open this case - plenty of scratches around the slot. The lid has a serial number on the inner side and some hand-scratched marks - probably from a service

As usual, the movement comes out through the front after the glass and the winding shaft have been removed

After removing the hands and the dial, we get our first view of the bottom plate with the date ring

Cover plate off, pawl and pawl spring removed

Bottom plate cleared

Time to turn the movement around. First, we remove the balance cock

Balance cock with balance removed. The balance cock is mounted with a little brass plate between the cock and the plate - this is used at manufacturing time to adjust the correct distance between the top and bottom jewel of the balance staff

Balance spring removed from the balance cock. To remove the balance spring from the balance wheel, I push it out of its groove with a pegwood stick starting very carefully at the point where the hairspring enters the groove, slowly tilting the hairspring up until it reaches 90 degrees to the balance wheel and comes off. Very fiddly, and the hairspring is easily deformed!

Pallet bridge and wheel bridge removed. I like the way the Russians mark the screw on the transmission wheel with three groves so you won't forget that it opens clockwise

Close-up of the pallet fork

Well executed pinion and wheel

With the central wheel bridge removed, you can clearly see the escapement wheel

Top plate cleared

With the lid taken off the barrel, you can see the main spring

Hairspring removed from the balance wheel

Parts ready for the cleaning fluid

A well made pocket watch! Everything is pretty standard here, and all the parts are made to a decent standard. Nothing fancy, a sturdy work horse that will keep on ticking for a long time if properly taken care of.

6 thoughts on “Teardown: Raketa Pocket Watch #679721

  1. I’ve just taken apart a Raketa 2628H movement and appear to have a similar problem with the balance wheel, although I’ve not found out where the wheel is getting stuck. I took the spring off the cock, which I noticed had an incorrect bevelled edge, replacing it with a non-bevelled cock. when putting the balance back into the movement it only ran when the screw was left loose. A replacement balance from another movement (with the brass shim mentioned in your blog) seemed to do the same thing. I’d be interested to know if you discovered the cause of the problem, failing which I’ll post when I get round to opening the watch up again!

    • Hi Sam,

      Great to have you here! You will soon find out that you don’t have enough arm for all the watches you will want 😉

      Enjoy,

      Christian

  2. I forgot to mention that the watch didn’t work – the balance doesn’t turn freely and gets stuck on the pallet arm (it appears, but I have to confirm that). That’s why I removed the spring from the balance. I will put together the pallet fork, pallet bridge, balance and balance cock without anything else and see where the balance gets stuck…

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