This rare, Russian, USSR, Raketa (Rocket) men's vintage Cheburashka* wristwatch would be an excellent and unique addition to your vintage watch collection!! *Cheburashka (Russian: ?????????), also known as Topple in earlier English translations, is a fictional character created by Soviet writer Eduard Uspensky in his 1965 children's book Gena the Crocodile and His Friends. The character subsequently appeared as the protagonist in a series of stop-motion animated films by Roman Kachanov (Soyuzmultfilm studio), the first of which was made in 1969, with songs composed by Vladimir Shainsky. Manufactured in the 1970's, at the Petrodvorets watch factory, the chrome over brass case, with coin edge bezel, measures 43 mm / 1.69" across, excluding crown and lugs and surrounds a smoky brown dial that contrasts beautifully against silver hour, minute, and sweep second hands, large raised black and silver markers, and black outer chapter . The manual wind cal 2609.HA, 19 jewel manual wind movement has been recently professionally oiled, serviced and winds smoothly, is running strong, and keeping good time. It has a screw-down back and has is matched with, what may be, its original polished stainless steel deployment bracelet. Please Note: All of my vintage Soviet watches are serviced and restored by professionals in The Ukraine. Their shops are now shuttered due to the conflict there. We hope that peace is restored soon and that the brave citizens of Ukraine can live in peace and we can, once again, offer their products to you. About the Brand On April 12, 1961, Yuri Gagarin made the first manned flight in outer space on the rocket, Vostok 1. In honor of this achievement, the Petrodvorets Watch Factory named its watches "Rocket"; Raketa in Russian. At the height of the Cold War, however, the name "Raketa" was perceived negatively in the West, as the word was associated with the latest generation of Soviet intercontinental ballistic missiles, the R-16. During Soviet times it became one of the most produced watch brands in the world. In the 1970s the factory produced about five million mechanical watches per year. Raketa Mechanical Movements Over the years, the Petrodvorets Watch Factory has produced more than two dozen versions of Raketa movements. Some have been equipped with features such as automatic winding, calendars, 24-hour models for polar explorers, anti-magnetic watches (for use in case of nuclear attack), as well as watches for the military. Mechanical Raketa watches were exported to many Eastern Bloc and communist countries and are considered one of the most durable and reliable movements in the world. By the 1980s Raketa was producing five million watches a year. The Petrodvorets Watchmaking School Being one of the few watch brands in the world producing its own movements, the factory created the Petrodvorets Watchmaking School, to ensure the transmission of watchmaking expertise to future generations. The Petrodvorets Watch Factory Raketa, is one of only five watch brands in the world producing their movements in-house from start to finish, including hairsprings and escapements. Most watch brands globally do not produce their own hairsprings, they generally order them from Nivarox, a subsidiary of Swatch Group. This enables the Russian military industry to be independent from western suppliers, especially for producing hairsprings needed in the military aviation industry. The Petrodvorets Watch Factory Raketa is only one of the brands produced by the Petrodvorets Watch Factory, albeit probably its most famous brand. Other Petrodvorets brands include Pobeda and Talberg among others. Before the Russian Revolution (1917), the factory also produced objects made of precious and semi-precious stones for the Tsar and his family. Later, it began to produce goods for military manufacturers as well as "jewels" for the watch industry. In 1949, the factory released the first wristwatches under the names Zvezda ("??????", star) and Pobeda ("??????", victory). The factory's own watches, sold under the brand name Raketa, first appeared in 1961. STOCK CODE: R-5 We offer free, first class domestic shipping and ship worldwide Priority Mail to insure safe, swift, and reliable shipping to our international customers for a flat fee of $34.00. (Canada may be slightly less) Please note, we offer our items on multiple sites and will not be removed from other sites until payment has been received and rarely may mean that your selection may be sold out prior to your payment has posted. We are Stonehenge Watch Company and have been selling vintage timepieces and new watches on the internet for over 15 years with hundreds of satisfied customers! Seller information stonehengewatchcompany (2931) We do our best to accurately describe items on our site and, if for any reason, you are disappointed in your purchase we will provide a swift and satisfactory resolution to your concern.