Big Zero

The Big Zero is one of the few Soviet-era watch designs to have conquered the hearts of the world and to have stood the test of time. It shares with Brutalist architecture a taste for a minimalistic and functional aesthetic: a black & white dial with oversized numerals crowned with a big 0. A self-evident, functional, but nevertheless radical design!

A new case with a compact design was developed to highlight the dial. This short case preserves the roundness of its original Soviet-era design, even if its architecture is now articulated around a “cushion shape” design: a volume that offers a lot of surface where brushed sides contrast with polished ones.

A synthetic ruby stone ​​glows behind the Raketa factory’s logo that is cut on the side of the crown: a reminder of the stone-cutting origins of the Manufacture, 300 years ago. 

The case back, with deep engraving, reveals the beautifully decorated Raketa automatic movement. If black & white defines the Big Zero’s identity on the front of the watch, Raketa’s traditional red color dominates the back of the watch with the red rotor and red strap lining. 

By common standards, this is not a classic watch design. But, with its unique and timeless quality, this design has become a Raketa classic!