You love Russian watches and fancy a job selling them in Paris. The job's yours! Oh, as long as you don't mind regularly reporting to the Russian secret service.

An unusual job ad has popped up on the website of Raketa – a prestigious brand of Russian wristwatches worn by Vladimir Putin and Mikhail Gorbachev.

Titled, 'a dream job for you in Paris (France)', it promises a role in the company's worldwide expansion. But it has a few job requirements.

"You are young, fluent in English, based in Paris… you believe Raketa is Russia's coolest brand," the ad begins, oddly not specifying French language skills.

It continues: "You have a commercial and entrepreneurial mind, you don't mind working for Russians and regularly report to the Russian Secret Service at the Embassy."

The ad also requires "you accept Crimea is as Russian as Normandy is French".

Crimea was claimed by Russia from Ukraine in 2014, in a move roundly condemned – and largely not yet recognised - by the international community.

Normandy has belonged to France, more or less, for a thousand years, despite the best efforts of Henry V.

Those keen for the Raketa job must be available for an interview in Paris in early September.

Raketa ('rocket') watches were named in 1961 in honour of Yuri Gagarin becoming the first man in space. They became a staple Soviet accessory, but business was hit hard by the arrival of capitalism.

The watches are made in the Petrodvoretz factory in St Petersburg, which claimes to be Russia's oldest factory, founded by Peter the Great in 1721.

Reuters reported that before the perestroika of the mid-1980s, the St. Petersburg watchmaker had a staff of 8000, its own orchestra, hospital, school, anti-nuclear attack bunkers and resorts on the Black Sea

But it lost most of its staff, wealth and real estate, and was bought out in 2009.

Five years ago the brand launched plans for a Russian revival and European expansion, exporting to France, Denmark, Sweden and Norway.

Fairfax emailed Raketa with questions about the advertisement but had not received a reply at time of publishing.

It's not clear if the job ad is a hoax, a publicity stunt, or a genuine appeal to the young Putinophile with an eye for fashion statements and espionage.