A CHARMING watch which takes us back to the past. I see the appeal but it doesn't appeal to me. I did this review so fast because I had a couple requests for it. So if I missed anything let me know. I did not mention the caseback two piece design I wanted to make the video 5 min long but waffled way to much. -Falling
I'm so sad you don't like Vostoks. As you can tell I own a few. The bezel can be improved by tightening the spring and some of the aftermarket ones have a much smoother action. This particular model wouldn't be at the top of my list either. A 420 cased scuba dude dial is my favourite. The crown is a touch idiosyncratic but you soon get used to it and the overall vintage feel for the money is incomparable. I wholeheartedly agree with your comments on the bracelet though but this can be swapped for the Vostok mesh for low money.
If they put effort on the dials, fixed the crown and made a new bezel system I would probably really like the watch. History always is nice and that movement click sound and feel is so charming!
Hi! great job, your review is very on point. Nowadays, Vostok has a lot to complain about, but when buying this watch, it is worth remembering that it works on mechanisms and patents from the 1980s. As a vintage style enthusiast, I really like it, I have several new Vostok watches and a few made in the USSR, I use them on every day and I like them very much. in this price range, these watches are great, provided the buyer knows something about this brand. I also have a Longines Hydroconquest watch and the quality of the Vostok is incomparably worse, but it is worth remembering that the Vostok costs $130 and the Longines $1700 and you can feel it. If you had that in mind, I think this review would have a different tone. keep well!
Love my vostok amphibia gmt but it's no perfect watch for sure. Still checking what you think about yours. I came to the same conclusion as you after my first vostok. If its not your daily watch take one without date. You should view it like those lada or a vw beetle sold in mexico until the 00's. Completely antiquated but still for sale because of the price point and now charming with all those flaws.
the reason for the wobble crown is to reduce stress on the stem when winding, I bought it just to say I have a Russian watch, you can adjust the bezel tension.
Just ordered this model out of curiosity, but I already have a Zissou Amphibia so I know what to expect. I think it’s a matter of perspective. I’ve been collecting for a long time and these days, my collection is made up of high-end divers, but I’ve never lost interest in the entry-level pieces (I’m the anti-thesis of a watch snob!). These offer amazing value. I’ll wear it now and then on weekends and enjoy the novelty of the 24 hour dial. Back in the early days of collecting, I‘d have passed on something like this and put the money towards a Seiko or a Hamilton. Thanks for the video 😊👍🏻
I took there $40 Komaderski and put it in the deep freeze 0F, still ticking, I then put in a bag of water and froze it for 24 hours, still ticking, watch is still working after two years of scrubbing parts and washing dishes. no way you aficionados would ever do that to your $400+ field watches
I'm pretty sure that with the right technique you can effortlessly wind them without either screwing it in or popping it out. Taking a no-date is generally a good idea though. The bezels seem to vary drastically in terms of resistance, the better ones will absolutely stay in place. I know, QC is not their strong point.
I picked up a mid 60’s hand wound movement version. I like the history of the watch, it’s definitely finicky to set etc but can be regulated. I just have the bracelet to refinish and then it’ll be complete. Sometimes you buy a watch because of what it represents, I know I have watches 20 times the value, but none with the history. It’ll be my only one but still an enjoyable and quirky piece.
Hi, I’m actually a new Vostok fan, and my first and only Vostok is this exact 24hr model but in blue. The only complaint you made that I completely agree with is the lack of quick-set date. I despise that. Otherwise, I love the acrylic crystal, crown, winding action, case shape, etc., and it fits well even on my 6.6 in wrist. I do, however, plan to mod a few things. And I’ve already ordered 2 more Vostoks! Appreciate your honest review. Just disagree with most of your points 😁👍
@@EscapementWatch Just to be clear, I was not offended at all that you didn’t like the Vostok. The watch enthusiast world is plenty big enough for differing opinions. What I don’t get is when people get mad about differing opinions. This is all in good fun. Again, enjoyed your review and look forward to your next one!
Loving see you mix it up a bit with the reviews! My Amphibia Scuba Dude has pretty much replaced my G Shock as my yard work/ honey -do-list watch. Durable but a tad bit more stylish.
I had the same version and put a blue nato on it. Before I had the blue dial version. I think the white one looks much better but still I have sold it. The only reason why I liked this watch is because it opens up your experience. You know all that stuff from ETA‘s to Japanese Inhouse movements. Than this 60-70€ thing is there. 200m water resistant but a strange bezel. 24h dial without a quick date set. Lot of controversies and you start realizing .. ok this is a total different mindset on an automatic watch at all. But as I said I finally sold it today and as a watch collector I encourage to buy this watches just to get more experience but as an enthusiasts I am totally with you, you probably never wear that so often.
I was lucky, my first watch was a Vostok Amphibia that I bought on a shady website in 2000. It was even more quirky back then. None of those fancy dials and cases. Your complaints are legit. They are rough around the edge. But these watches got me into mechanical watches. I used to be a G-Shock boy. Still am, but I have around 40 mechanical watches ranging from a Mararthon SAR to my lovely (Taste is subjective) Vostok amphibia. My taste is a bit more refined right now, but I would never sell my Vostoks (Yes, plural!). You see, it's like a first love, you never forget her.
Thank you for this review. I bought this model and I thought that the the crown and movement were broken, because sometimes I can rewind the watch, and sometimes adjust the time. Now I know that this is a standard situation 😅😅😅
Have you been in the military? The hash marks are correct. The long hashmarks are the hours, not the minutes. It makes perfect sense if you prefer 24 hour time. Very intuitive.
Vostoc makes an excellent watch. It is fun and interesting and also good looking. Not to mention functional. We know, it is not for everyone. No watch is for everyone. Vostoc is worth taking a look at especially if you are on a limited budget and would like to have a nice qaulity mechanical watch for very little money. Its an interesting watch for the working man. If you have more than 80 dollars you can find better, more well made watches. Shop carefully though. Not all watches are better.
Mainly out of curiosity, I bought a Vostok like you, just the 12 hour dial. I've had it for a few weeks now. For a cheap mechanical watch, it is good enough. The accuracy is good, it wears ok too. The leather band it comes on, not great, but functional. Put it on a parachute strap, much better. The only thing that annoys the ..... out of me, is that fiddly crown and stam action. It would have been so much better with a conventional crown and stam. I can see the appeal of the brand, but I, like many others, won't buy another. You can't compare it to a Seiko, not even the 5 series.
You get what you pay for! We just need to find the sweet spot after which the law of diminishing returns sets in. I agree with your assessment of this watch...
Thanks for making this video, much appreciated! I think vintage Vostoks are better made & some have cool tritium lume. I'm tempted to buy a vintage one & then take the movement from a new & put it in it! Cheers
Well done Titan on calculating those odds so quickly, I can confirm after using my cray supercomputer that they are indeed accurate - pretty dam impressive maths there my man. Exact odds 1 in 7 trillion and 1.
I was always told that the purpose of the wobble crown was it enabled the engineers to achieve the insane submersion depth requirement set by the Soviet Military while still allowing them to meet their price point. Back when they were designing them originally, the only way to increase the depth rating, they would have had to have increased the precision of the movement. And I heard this was due to the much more accurate and precision stem alignment needed when the crown is rigidly mounted on the stem, and if you introduce any deflection into the stem while screwing the down the crown (because of the lack of manufacturing precision) it would compromise the water resistance and/or make the movement inaccurate if not cease to function all together. I was told this by my grandfather's brother, a Belarusian Horologist during the war, but he was very old man when I was little, and I remember that he liked to tell tall tales a lot. My father used to like to always say.. "15/16ths of everything he says comes out like the shit of a Hinny." (Which is a cross between a horse and a mule.. and the joke sounds much funnier in Belarusian language) 😝
I take it you haven't bought vintage watches much. In my estimation, Vostok watches give you everything vintage skindivers have, with the modified handwinding movement; acrylic crystal; and friction, bidirectional bezel; but with actual water resistance and easily attainable replacement parts. The crown tension is a definite downside, but would technically still protect the movement from shock even if it's knocked off while screwed down. And although it doesn't apply to this watch, I've never found anyone who explains that it's a carry over from having a purely handwound movement while still having a screw-down crown, which is an impressive technical achievement. Also, you mentioned buying from Meranom. I've also purchased a watch from Meranom, and found it to be surprisingly accurate (within COSC). I wonder whether Meranom regulates the watches they sell when they have the spare time, but don't advertise it so as not to raise expectations. Although the dial layout without odd-hour markers at the level of the numerals is awful. Combined with the lack of quickset date (though accurate to the vintage feel) I'd suggest the Komandirskie 030934 model.
they actually say that. i ordered this exact watch and im expecting it to arrive in about a week. meranom says they check the watches and regulate if necessary
You either love Vostoks or you don't. Personally I do like them but I agree with you, their bracelets are awful. Although the mesh bracelet they do is actually very good. I've got they same watch with the black dial and I bought it from the vostock.inc site for £47 including shipping. For that sort of money you're getting an in house movement and he history but it's not luxury LOL.
Do your home work! The bezel needs adjustment. This is the mistake vostok makes, they do not communicate with their consumers. at $75, you cannot expect better, honestly. This is how tool watches from the 70sand even up to the 80's will be in terms of finish. Everyone dies over vintage watches but I wish we saw them when they were brand new.
It feels cheap, because it IS cheap. The engineering of the watch is beautiful. The caseback and ring is a brilliant idea and it is more effective than any other type, even on high end divers. Those things are what make it stand out. You'll never buy a watch under 100$ that is as attractive as a Vostok. If you start to nitpick, you'll eventually come to the conclusion that a quartz watch is the best. It's more resilient, it is MUCH more accurate, it's lighter, it's cheaper. It makes all of those moving parts, springs and rubies pointless. But we still don't like them right?
A CHARMING watch which takes us back to the past. I see the appeal but it doesn't appeal to me. I did this review so fast because I had a couple requests for it. So if I missed anything let me know. I did not mention the caseback two piece design I wanted to make the video 5 min long but waffled way to much.
-Falling
I'm so sad you don't like Vostoks. As you can tell I own a few. The bezel can be improved by tightening the spring and some of the aftermarket ones have a much smoother action. This particular model wouldn't be at the top of my list either. A 420 cased scuba dude dial is my favourite. The crown is a touch idiosyncratic but you soon get used to it and the overall vintage feel for the money is incomparable. I wholeheartedly agree with your comments on the bracelet though but this can be swapped for the Vostok mesh for low money.
Your retaining spring or wire is out of adjustment. You can make them usable. Remember the price, and it's an in-house made movement.
The complaints are legit, but I like my Scuba Dude.
I think expectations were too high for a 70$ known to be quirky watch 😂😅
It's my fault the last watch I reviewed was a Longines and Rolex which will be up in 5 days
To each his own,I have a black dial 24hr and love it
I'm a diehard fan of 24 hour dial - although I prefer that 12 on top rather than more common 24 on top. :) It's just easy on my eyes to read time.
Not perfect, but tough. With a horrible bracelet lol. What's your recommendation for a 24 hr watch under 100 bucks ?
I was not expecting hearing a "good job" but there was one thrown out towards the end lol.
If they put effort on the dials, fixed the crown and made a new bezel system I would probably really like the watch. History always is nice and that movement click sound and feel is so charming!
Hi! great job, your review is very on point. Nowadays, Vostok has a lot to complain about, but when buying this watch, it is worth remembering that it works on mechanisms and patents from the 1980s. As a vintage style enthusiast, I really like it, I have several new Vostok watches and a few made in the USSR, I use them on every day and I like them very much. in this price range, these watches are great, provided the buyer knows something about this brand. I also have a Longines Hydroconquest watch and the quality of the Vostok is incomparably worse, but it is worth remembering that the Vostok costs $130 and the Longines $1700 and you can feel it. If you had that in mind, I think this review would have a different tone. keep well!
I like Vostok watches but appreciate your honest review and opinion. They do come with quirks and are not definitely for everyone.
Love my vostok amphibia gmt but it's no perfect watch for sure. Still checking what you think about yours. I came to the same conclusion as you after my first vostok. If its not your daily watch take one without date.
You should view it like those lada or a vw beetle sold in mexico until the 00's. Completely antiquated but still for sale because of the price point and now charming with all those flaws.
Well said!
the reason for the wobble crown is to reduce stress on the stem when winding, I bought it just to say I have a Russian watch, you can adjust the bezel tension.
Just ordered this model out of curiosity, but I already have a Zissou Amphibia so I know what to expect. I think it’s a matter of perspective. I’ve been collecting for a long time and these days, my collection is made up of high-end divers, but I’ve never lost interest in the entry-level pieces (I’m the anti-thesis of a watch snob!). These offer amazing value. I’ll wear it now and then on weekends and enjoy the novelty of the 24 hour dial. Back in the early days of collecting, I‘d have passed on something like this and put the money towards a Seiko or a Hamilton. Thanks for the video 😊👍🏻
I took there $40 Komaderski and put it in the deep freeze 0F, still ticking, I then put in a bag of water and froze it for 24 hours, still ticking, watch is still working after two years of scrubbing parts and washing dishes. no way you aficionados would ever do that to your $400+ field watches
I'm pretty sure that with the right technique you can effortlessly wind them without either screwing it in or popping it out. Taking a no-date is generally a good idea though. The bezels seem to vary drastically in terms of resistance, the better ones will absolutely stay in place. I know, QC is not their strong point.
I picked up a mid 60’s hand wound movement version. I like the history of the watch, it’s definitely finicky to set etc but can be regulated. I just have the bracelet to refinish and then it’ll be complete. Sometimes you buy a watch because of what it represents, I know I have watches 20 times the value, but none with the history. It’ll be my only one but still an enjoyable and quirky piece.
Totally agree with you! I feel into the hype a year or so ago and regretted it immediately! I think I ended up giving mine away lol.
Hi, I’m actually a new Vostok fan, and my first and only Vostok is this exact 24hr model but in blue. The only complaint you made that I completely agree with is the lack of quick-set date. I despise that. Otherwise, I love the acrylic crystal, crown, winding action, case shape, etc., and it fits well even on my 6.6 in wrist. I do, however, plan to mod a few things. And I’ve already ordered 2 more Vostoks! Appreciate your honest review. Just disagree with most of your points 😁👍
Actually I said I love winding action. Its a joy.
@@EscapementWatch Just to be clear, I was not offended at all that you didn’t like the Vostok. The watch enthusiast world is plenty big enough for differing opinions. What I don’t get is when people get mad about differing opinions. This is all in good fun. Again, enjoyed your review and look forward to your next one!
Thanks for your understanding. It is impossible to all like the same things. And how boring would that be? Thanks for watching!
Loving see you mix it up a bit with the reviews! My Amphibia Scuba Dude has pretty much replaced my G Shock as my yard work/ honey -do-list watch. Durable but a tad bit more stylish.
I had the same version and put a blue nato on it. Before I had the blue dial version. I think the white one looks much better but still I have sold it. The only reason why I liked this watch is because it opens up your experience. You know all that stuff from ETA‘s to Japanese Inhouse movements. Than this 60-70€ thing is there. 200m water resistant but a strange bezel. 24h dial without a quick date set. Lot of controversies and you start realizing .. ok this is a total different mindset on an automatic watch at all. But as I said I finally sold it today and as a watch collector I encourage to buy this watches just to get more experience but as an enthusiasts I am totally with you, you probably never wear that so often.
Love the honesty. 👍 👍
Always!
Fantastic time piece for value, durability and charm….plus it keeps time. For 70 bucks it far exceeds any other watch.
I am with you. Never been a big fan. I have always been surprised how many people love them. I think it’s just the back story and or history
Right on! The price is right with history, so I see the appeal but they don't appeal to me.
The odds of me watching a Vostok review are in the trillions, but I’m glad I watched this one. Hilarious
Always appreciated bro
I was lucky, my first watch was a Vostok Amphibia that I bought on a shady website in 2000. It was even more quirky back then. None of those fancy dials and cases. Your complaints are legit. They are rough around the edge. But these watches got me into mechanical watches. I used to be a G-Shock boy. Still am, but I have around 40 mechanical watches ranging from a Mararthon SAR to my lovely (Taste is subjective) Vostok amphibia. My taste is a bit more refined right now, but I would never sell my Vostoks (Yes, plural!). You see, it's like a first love, you never forget her.
Thank you for this review. I bought this model and I thought that the the crown and movement were broken, because sometimes I can rewind the watch, and sometimes adjust the time.
Now I know that this is a standard situation 😅😅😅
That's the fun of owning a vostok knowing you have the worst watch in the neighborhood.
Have you been in the military? The hash marks are correct. The long hashmarks are the hours, not the minutes. It makes perfect sense if you prefer 24 hour time. Very intuitive.
You can easily tighten the bezel by bending the bezel spring.
how does it work? I've played with these springs before on the fake seikos...they bend out of shape so easily and tough to work with.
I took off my bezel, bent the spring a bit more and now it has a lot of friction to turn. It’s great, will not move by accident anymore
i'll try this
Vostoc makes an excellent watch. It is fun and interesting and also good looking. Not to mention functional. We know, it is not for everyone. No watch is for everyone. Vostoc is worth taking a look at especially if you are on a limited budget and would like to have a nice qaulity mechanical watch for very little money. Its an interesting watch for the working man. If you have more than 80 dollars you can find better, more well made watches. Shop carefully though. Not all watches are better.
"Make sure the tip is fully in" Always!
ahahaha every video someone finds something!
Mainly out of curiosity, I bought a Vostok like you, just the 12 hour dial. I've had it for a few weeks now.
For a cheap mechanical watch, it is good enough. The accuracy is good, it wears ok too. The leather band it comes on, not great, but functional. Put it on a parachute strap, much better. The only thing that annoys the ..... out of me, is that fiddly crown and stam action. It would have been so much better with a conventional crown and stam. I can see the appeal of the brand, but I, like many others, won't buy another. You can't compare it to a Seiko, not even the 5 series.
I love them! Never personally seen a watch that is more Russian than this
You get what you pay for! We just need to find the sweet spot after which the law of diminishing returns sets in. I agree with your assessment of this watch...
Thanks!
Thanks for making this video, much appreciated! I think vintage Vostoks are better made & some have cool tritium lume. I'm tempted to buy a vintage one & then take the movement from a new & put it in it! Cheers
Thanks for sharing!
l have this watch. Yes most watches are light years ahead of it, but l like it. lt's so......different.
The kremlin dislikes this video
Got one of these and its bulletproof, love it, but they're a bit niche I admit
whoaa
Well done Titan on calculating those odds so quickly, I can confirm after using my cray supercomputer that they are indeed accurate - pretty dam impressive maths there my man. Exact odds 1 in 7 trillion and 1.
thank you! my math skills are above average for sure. lol
I was always told that the purpose of the wobble crown was it enabled the engineers to achieve the insane submersion depth requirement set by the Soviet Military while still allowing them to meet their price point. Back when they were designing them originally, the only way to increase the depth rating, they would have had to have increased the precision of the movement. And I heard this was due to the much more accurate and precision stem alignment needed when the crown is rigidly mounted on the stem, and if you introduce any deflection into the stem while screwing the down the crown (because of the lack of manufacturing precision) it would compromise the water resistance and/or make the movement inaccurate if not cease to function all together. I was told this by my grandfather's brother, a Belarusian Horologist during the war, but he was very old man when I was little, and I remember that he liked to tell tall tales a lot. My father used to like to always say.. "15/16ths of everything he says comes out like the shit of a Hinny." (Which is a cross between a horse and a mule.. and the joke sounds much funnier in Belarusian language) 😝
7:10 made me laugh out loud 😂 Good vid.
I was two or three turns in already on the screwing down it shouldn't have jumped the minute hand by then. I got frustrated.
I have a Vostok Komandirskie with the red dial in my collection it's a great watch for the money, But I don't know how reliable it will be.
I looked at the history of the watch and not to condemned it.
I take it you haven't bought vintage watches much.
In my estimation, Vostok watches give you everything vintage skindivers have, with the modified handwinding movement; acrylic crystal; and friction, bidirectional bezel; but with actual water resistance and easily attainable replacement parts.
The crown tension is a definite downside, but would technically still protect the movement from shock even if it's knocked off while screwed down. And although it doesn't apply to this watch, I've never found anyone who explains that it's a carry over from having a purely handwound movement while still having a screw-down crown, which is an impressive technical achievement.
Also, you mentioned buying from Meranom. I've also purchased a watch from Meranom, and found it to be surprisingly accurate (within COSC). I wonder whether Meranom regulates the watches they sell when they have the spare time, but don't advertise it so as not to raise expectations.
Although the dial layout without odd-hour markers at the level of the numerals is awful. Combined with the lack of quickset date (though accurate to the vintage feel) I'd suggest the Komandirskie 030934 model.
they actually say that. i ordered this exact watch and im expecting it to arrive in about a week. meranom says they check the watches and regulate if necessary
Think it's great you still did a whole video even tho you are not a fan
I had a Vostok… it was a bit underwhelming…. I didn’t catch the bug 🤷🏽♂️
There's no quick set for the date. Bummer.
yeah big time
They are quirky watches for sure. But I love mine.
This is my first Vostok watch & my last 😂😂😂
You either love Vostoks or you don't. Personally I do like them but I agree with you, their bracelets are awful. Although the mesh bracelet they do is actually very good. I've got they same watch with the black dial and I bought it from the vostock.inc site for £47 including shipping. For that sort of money you're getting an in house movement and he history but it's not luxury LOL.
Do your home work! The bezel needs adjustment. This is the mistake vostok makes, they do not communicate with their consumers. at $75, you cannot expect better, honestly. This is how tool watches from the 70sand even up to the 80's will be in terms of finish. Everyone dies over vintage watches but I wish we saw them when they were brand new.
Nice concept….but lacks execution
Why you complaining lol its not vostok europe watch its a vostok watch made in Russia
Wow I've heard of the fan fare about Vostok, but this is a big turn off...Makes this brand seem like trash.
I'm guessing the reason you still have this watch is because you felt guilty about inflicting it upon someone else 🤣
this or a seamaster?
lol Seamaster!
Best watch and worst video
I might buy one if they came out with a Putin watch.
Yes, they have one.
Another bad choice from me. Before 15 days I ordered the same watch from Germany. Price: € 145 My god it's not watch but garbage
It doesn't offer the minimum quality I would need...
I bought a vostok for $75 and I feel I paid way too much for that garbage
It feels cheap, because it IS cheap. The engineering of the watch is beautiful. The caseback and ring is a brilliant idea and it is more effective than any other type, even on high end divers. Those things are what make it stand out. You'll never buy a watch under 100$ that is as attractive as a Vostok.
If you start to nitpick, you'll eventually come to the conclusion that a quartz watch is the best. It's more resilient, it is MUCH more accurate, it's lighter, it's cheaper. It makes all of those moving parts, springs and rubies pointless. But we still don't like them right?