Is the Vostok Amphibia the right watch?

Its a good watch for the wrong time and depends on who benefits from the sale. Amazon will sell for anyone but getting one of those out of Russia would be difficult. At that price your not getting it from a gray market seller.

In my case it is very difficult to get it out of Russia since it would have to go through half the world, maybe the watch as such would be cheaper buying it from a domestic buyer in Russia but with shipping and customs costs it starts to grow, and I have some personal trust with Amazon.

I know one can order Vostoks on Vostock24.com. what i do not know is where their warehouse is since i do not own a vostok. My 2 Poljots came from ex eastern germany, and they can take a beating, thats for sure

Thanks for the info.

I have a Scuba Dude, it's an excellent beater watch for sure. I'd see if I can find a used one on Ebay in good nick, pref. on the mesh bracelet. Bonus points for getting one from Ukraine.

Don't know about being shock resistant ...

I dropped mine on the floor and the rotor fell off.

also the plexi crystal is easily scratched.

The Amphibia is an affordable fun and dependable watch, I own two but there are also two reasons why it's not the watch I will take with me into the great outside.

Firstly because we are not stuck in 1965. When you have something like a GW-M5610U G-Shock that can be had for the same price there is no reason to settle for an eastern block mechanical relic.

The second reason is that I don't feel like advertising Russian products, but feel free to wear one if it doesn't bother you.

Just my opinion but loads of better options out there with Sapphire lenses 200m screw-crowns etc, still around or below $100, that will do everything

Personally I would look at ADDIESDIVE or STEELDIVE over Vostok

When is a #vostok #amphibia NOT the right watch?!😜

I think of my Amphibia as my mechanical G-Shock really. The one I wear when the chances are high that it will get banged up against something at work (I used to work in research in mechanical engineering, so chances were always high), or if I’m in town for one too many drinks.

Sure the Amphibia will be a good companion for your endeavours in the wild.

Soviet era Amphib ... still looks great and still runs! Get one!

Quite a large second hand ebay market for Soviet-era watches from Ukraine, I have bought one and bid on several others from there, the one I got was completely serviced for me by the seller even, which is a relief given how difficult it can be to find someone who will service them in the west.

I think that's a komandirskie, also very good watches, but made for the army rather than the navy, different text on the dial and it usually doesn't have a numbered bezel, and aside from that they're very very similar

True, a whole lot of interesting stuff there, especially vintage ones. Got my radar up for a Slava Tank :)

Guess a whole lot of watchmakers there are happy to stay in bizniz by providing serviced vintage tickers to western watch nerds.

I'd buy a Casio Duro for even less money. Better looking and, putting aside that it's a quartz watch (which may turn off some), the bigger plus is not bearing the stigma of wearing a Russian watch.

They're not exactly the good guys on the world stage at present.

I have owned several vostoks and while they are a fun watch if you like modding and tinkering, try are a cheaply manufactured watch using technologies that have been obsolete the 1960's. Many people go on about their durability but there are also many that have the watch for a couple of years and it stops working. it's a crap shoot with Vostok. Also, while I love the warmth and charm of a hessalite crystal, it requires maintenance with something like polywatch to buff out inevitable scratches. It's a charming watch that is cheaply manufactured but if you are okay with that than go for it. it's a hobby, do what brings you joy.

Clean bro

My recommendation is an Invicta 3044 Grand Diver, which has hardened mineral crystal (as opposed to Vostok's acrylic), 300m WR, NH35A Automatic movement, and built like a brick outhouse. It's only $77.00 USD right now on Amazon. Best part: if it DOES break, buy another one. At that price, you can afford to.

https://www.amazon.com/Invicta-Stainless-Steel-Automatic-Silver/dp/B000FVE3A2/ref=sr_1_1?crid=1QVZA4VWJ8LAK&keywords=invicta+3044&qid=1680621016&sprefix=invicta+3044%2Caps%2C104&sr=8-1

I love my Vostok but I bought it for the history - it's not the sturdiest thing on the market. As with many Soviet relics, you have to understand that you're getting something that looks indestructible, but is really less sophisticated and durable than the alternatives in its price range. The uniqueness of the brand is a big selling point but it's not the obvious choice just based on specs.

...but then, wearing any mechanical watch on an outdoor adventure is technically unnecessary, so if you love the design then it's the right choice.

"I want you on team Zissou."

Agreed with most, Vostoks are cool, maybe even an acquired taste. But rugged they are not. Just as likely to break as any $100 mechanical watch or more with the acrylic crystal.

If you want an affordable adventure watch that's truly shock resistant go with Casio or Timex, any model that has 100m or better water resistance. If it has a plastic or mineral screen get a screen protector. They have digital and analog quartz. No fuss, no problem.

If you want a mechanical adventure watch microbrands offer the best value in my opinion. I always recommend Vaer and they have quartz options as well. More pricey though, but watches that may actually survive a real adventure.

thanks ❤

I’ve owned one. It’s a very interesting piece of watch history and a marvel of engineering ingenuity on how to address the issue of water resistance. Cheap horological fun!

Having said that, my choice would be a G-Shock. I’ve seen some people describe Vostoks as “tanks”. That’s not my impression from ownership. Maybe they mean Russian tanks? We see how well those are doing…

It’s pretty simple. Plenty of people want nothing to do with the country - in an ANY way - because if what’s going on, and that includes what they put on their wrist.

If you take a different approach that’s fine, but I think it's more than fair to say that plenty of people aren’t interested in engaging with the country on any level at present.

Politics aside I'll never buy Vostok again. I had one and it was well ... in this case your getting what you pay for.

The second hand would catch the minute hand from time to time and never mind the annoyance of changing the date. You either have to increment it by turning the hands round and round or using a hack were when the date flips you turn the minute hand back to 8 and then forward again over and over.

@Rodiow has the right idea. I bought that Addiesdive he pictured in his post put it on a nice leather strap and it's never let me down. If you hate the logo they sell it without a logo and it looks like every other Fleiger out there. Plus, your getting a sapphire crystal, great water resistance, and a NH movement far superior to the movement in the Vostok.

If you are looking for grab and go it isn't the Amphibia. Take a look at the Casio Duro for a good go anywhere do anything watch. The Amphibia is capable, I own one myself but it just isn't the most accurate watch around.

I enjoy mine. Vostoks are quirky and pretty durable…….for the price. As for getting one, like a lot of things in the watch space, patience is a virtue 🙄. One last thing to address the virtue signaling, we should not be canceling the people for their governments actions. It’s unfortunate that we’d do that as I’m sure there are Russian crunchers here that simply want share the same interest we all have………..COOL WATCHES😃 Let’s not let what we wear become political statements. Just let them be the cool things we enjoy.

I don't own one. I have looked into buying one.

I just haven't pulled the trigger yet. I would rather buy a G Shock.

I know what I am getting for my money.

Hell, I am poor and I can afford one.

These watches are not a lot of money IMO.

They have a lot of models to choose from too.

If you get it and don't like give it to a friend.

QA is definitely an issue.

To be fair, I think you are better off buying a vintage #vostok over a more recent model. The older they are, the more sturdy they seem to be. While the factory recommends a 10-year service interval, I have seen both #amphibia and #komanderskie aged 30 plus years having never had a service running perfectly. The analogy that they are like other Soviet engineering marvels like the AK-47 in that they "take a licking and keep on ticking" is literally true in this instance.