Russian watchmaker, Raketa, and Instagrammer, @TheHorophile, collaborated to produce a limited edition of the company’s Avant-Garde timepiece.
The Raketa x The Horophile Avant-Garde Limited Edition is limited to 50 pieces and features a vertically brushed violet-colored dial, in The Horophile’s signature purple hue. The watch features a 40 mm stainless steel case (45 mm lug-to-lug), which measures roughly the same as this previous Avant-Garde reference, however, the crystal on this watch is not as highly domed as the aforementioned model.
In addition to the vibrant violet dial, the hands are made of geometric shapes that move around the dial at different speeds, in order to tell the time — in an abstract way. The contrast of bright orange and metallic violet is eye-catching and adds a distinct flair to the already unusual Russian design. A design, that pays homage to the 19th and 20th-century Russian Avant-Garde art movement.
Artists such as Kazimir Malevich, El Lissitzky, and Wassily Kandinsky experimented with new forms and styles, and their work had a profound impact on the development of modern art.
The automatic 2.5Hz movement, caliber 2615, has 24 jewels, a 40-hour power reserve, and is adjusted to a rate of -10/+20 seconds per day before leaving the Raketa Watch Factory in Saint-Petersburg, Russia. The movement winds bidirectionally, to rewind the mainspring more efficiently. The front crystal is made of scratch-resistant sapphire, whereas the caseback uses a more cost-efficient mineral crystal. As you can see (below), the rotor has a circular striped pattern, as have been given a PVD-treated in The Horophile’s signature violet-purple hue. The bridges also have print in the same hue.
The watch is water-resistant to a depth of 50 meters and is delivered with both black and orange leather straps. The retail price is approximately $1,785.
Photos by Raketa.