Raketa unveils the Golden Key: A new fairy-tale inspired watch

It is inspired by The Adventures of Buratino – the Russian version of Pinocchio.

January 1, 2026

Raketa unveils the Golden Key: A new fairy-tale inspired watch

Raketa Watch Factory (“Raketa”) has introduced the Golden Key, a watch inspired by The Adventures of Buratino, the Russian version of Pinocchio. In this fairy tale, “a key opened the door to a world where your most cherished dreams come true.”

The key provided with the watch enables the wearer to wind the watch “and for realizing that you can always find the time to transform your dream into reality.” The Golden Key belongs to the brand’s Curiosity collection and is a limited edition of 300 pieces.

Key Features

Functions and Operation

Central hours, minutes, and seconds. Winding the crown at 3 o’clock is done via the key. Time is set via the crown.

Dial

Image: The 44 mm key is made of steel. The 144 mm leather cord *“can be worn around the neck as a charm or at the wrist as a bracelet.”* The Golden Key is a unisex watch. I love how the dial is divided into three sectors – inner dial, then an outer dial with the large convex shaped hour-markers, and finally the outermost dial with the minute scale.

Matte dial featuring a coarse-grained texture.

Case

Case is made from walnut wood and steel. Diameter: 38.8 mm. Thickness: 10.88 mm. Lug-to-lug: 42.88 mm. Lug width: 20 mm. Dial side features a sapphire crystal. Cashback features a mineral glass. Water resistant up to 3 ATM or (approximately) 30 metres. Watch comes with a brown coloured genuine leather strap fitted to a pin buckle engraved with the brand’s logo. A quick-change mechanism enables the wearer to change the strap.

Movement

Powered by the brand’s in-house calibre 2609, a manual winding movement that drives the hours, minutes, and seconds. Jewels: 16. Frequency: 2.5 Hz or 18,000 vph. Average power reserve: 42 hours. It is tested in 4 positions and has an average rate of -10 / +20 seconds per day, the latter not exactly chronometric.

Our Thoughts

Image: An acquired taste, yet so charming and unique. A conversation starter at watch GTGs for sure.

Raketa – one of the oldest watch factories in the world – has a knack for creating unique watches that bring Russian stories to life. We covered a few examples such as the Raketa Theatre – a collaboration with the Moscow based Sergey Obraztsov Puppet Theatre, and the Raketa SU – a pilot’s watch inspired by the Sukhoi Design Bureau’s 5^th generation fighter jet. A few months ago, they unveiled the 1886 x Raketa “First in Space,” a collaboration between 1886 – a Saudi Arabia based fashion house to honour the Saudi space legacy.

The Golden Key is a Russian fairy tale brough to life in a watch; the winding key reinterpreting horologically what the key does in The Adventures of Buratino:“With the right key in your hand, the right door will always reveal itself.”

Its price of EUR 2,900 makes it comparable to several Swiss microbrands; though in spirit, it (and other watches by Raketa) is similar to watches made by Louis Erard, a Swiss brand that creates interesting and diverse collaborations at an accessible price point. The Le Régulateur Louis Erard x Worn & Wound is one such example.

The Golden Key’s fairy tale inspiration, attractive dial, wooden case, and in-house movement make for a compelling addition to a collection that values diversity and off-beat watches.

Additional Details