Founded in Saint Petersburg by Peter the Great in 1721 as the Peterhof Lapidary Works, to make hardstone carvings; the factory produced luxury objects in semi-precious and precious stones for the palaces of the Tsars.

In 1945 Joseph Stalin—who wanted to reduce USSR's dependence on imports from the West—gave the order to the factory to manufacture watches.

The plant was equipped with two atomic bunkers that could accommodate 8,000 people in case of a western nuclear attack.

Guides show around the production facility that gives a feeling of traveling back to the USSR, but also to learn about clock manufacturing.

The factory's high end production, Raketa was created in 1961 in honor of Yuri Gagarin's flight to space.