Hands on The Raketa Sonar Limited Edition, Inspired by the Nuclear Submarine Kashalot

When explaining the watchmaking industry, the key elements are mechanics, design, and materials science. These foundational aspects shape the world of horology, yet they also find significant application in other industries, such as the military sector. While Russia may not be as renowned as Switzerland in watchmaking, it stands as a prominent leader in mechanical engineering and machining.

Drawing from this heritage, Raketa took inspiration—and even parts—from one of Russia’s proudest achievements, the Kashalot submarine. The Kashalot, constructed with a single titanium hull and powered by a nuclear reactor, was the pinnacle of naval engineering in the 1970s.

Raketa has a longstanding tradition of producing diving watches for Soviet submarines, and the Raketa “Sonar” model continues this legacy. For this special edition, Raketa has gone even further by incorporating actual pieces from the Kashalot submarine into the production of the Sonar watches.

 The Sonar watch is a true diving watch, with design and functionality that reflect its origins, including hands inspired by the control panels of Soviet submarines.  In this article, we provide a detailed explanation of diving watches and their history, in this article.

The Sonar watch is available as part of the permanent collection, but now we have in our hands a limited edition of this diving watch. We previously discussed the differences between the Sonar Limited Edition and the permanent edition, in this article.

The case is crafted from stainless steel, measuring 44mm in diameter. Protecting the dial is a sapphire crystal, offering clarity and durability. The case back is composed of mineral glass, and we talked in detail about the difference between both glasses here. the bezel crafted from the titanium of the nuclear-powered submarine K-322 “Kashalot,” which was originally laid down in the Soviet Union in 1986. 
 

The dial is exceptional for this timepiece, featuring a 24-hour display instead of the usual 12-hour format, enhanced by a beautiful color combination of red and blue. The 24-hour display was crucial for submariners, enabling them to distinguish between day and night in the submerged confines of their vessels. The hands and indices are adorned with Super luminova, ensuring legibility even in the darkest depths.

As we can see on the dial, we find 6 red lines and 6 blue lines. These lines divide the circumference of the dial into 6 sections (4 hours each), allowing each crew member to count the hours of his shifts in the submarine.

The case back of the watch reveals the beautifully decorated automatic movement Caliber 2624A which has a bi-directional rotor that doubles the watch's winding efficiency (which is especially useful in the cramped conditions of a submarine). This movement is entirely produced at the Rakita Watch Factory in Saint Petersburg, Russia.

The movement features hand-made Neva waves and a bi-directional automatic winding Turquoise rotor, complemented by a stopper in the self-winding unit activated during manual winding. With an average rate of -10/+20 seconds per day and a 40-hour power reserve, the "Sonar" ensures reliable performance. Operating at a frequency of 18,000 vph (2.5Hz), it serves as a resounding testament to Raketa's commitment to precision and accuracy.

The watch comes with a silicone strap for everyday wear, with an exclusive additional leather strap, and a mini version of the K-322 “Kashalot” submarine available solely as part of the collector set as a limited edition of 500 pieces only is priced at AED 10,980.

The watch is available for pre-order in Waqt E-shop.