Vostok Komandirskie Amfibia Classic 24-hour Dial | Review

This is my second new Vostok. The first was a champagne dial Komandirskie (020708), that I reviewed here on WC, but ended up gifted to my nephew, leaving a Vostok-sized hole in my collection.

There's something about the utilitarian, uniquely Russian vibe of them that brings me back to the brand. This time I went for a Komandirskie 650541 24-hour dial, from Manarom AD.

I recall seeing one of these on yt (just One More Watch?), and was intrigued by the 24-hour dial.

The reviewer said they thought it was a bit pointless, a gimmick even, saying it was hard to read, however the 24-hour dial makes instant sense to me, and there's something very industrial about it - as though it's meant for folks who don't always see sunlight in a 24-hour period; miners, submariners, or perhaps folks who only see sunlight, such as in Antarctica, etc.

The 3 o'clock position is 0600, 6 o'clock is 12 noon, 9 o'clock is 1800, and so on. The movement is a Vostok 2431 automatic w/ manual wind, no hacking.

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The all-brushed octagonal-shaped case really appeals to me, and fits with the industrial theme. It has quite sharp edges, both in the angular design, and the finish on underside. The case is 41mm, 15mm deep with domed crystal, and 49mm lug to lug.

The crown is screw-down, machined to a good finish, but the outer-edge has an unpleasant sharpness to it. That will dull with use. It's the usual wobbly crown when unscrewed Vostok set up - a feature not a bug, intended to minimize lateral stress on the movement from clumsy fingers.

The case back is solid, with a screw-down ring, and features a radar-inspired? design, as well as text in Cyrillic.

The crystal is 'antique acrylic' - Manarom, which has a much warmer look than sapphire, and has a heavy dome on the edge, giving it that nostalgic vintage look. The theory is the higher the water pressure, the greater the seal. 200 meters.

The bezel is stainless, with an acrylic insert, no ratchet mechanism, and it offered zero resistance when new, and would move in the breeze, so I removed it, and placed a 33mm case back o-ring in the groove under the tension spring, and now the resistance is just right.

The dial is satin black, with a fine pebble-grain to it, the numbers are large and clear, features a red Soviet military-inspired star and chevron, and a date window at 12 noon, or the 6 o'clock position usually.

The font for date is very fine, and not easy for old eyes to read, however it is a 'jump date', changing over instantly at midnight.

The lume is adequate, not over the top in it's application, and doesn't glow for long, but assessing lume in broad daylight with your eyes adjusted to the light really doesn't do lume justice. You'd be amazed at what your eyes can pick up in the dark at 4am.

The watch came on a stainless steel bracelet of brutalist design, no end-links, and the usual center row polished, outsides brushed. Inexplicably, the bracelet is nowhere near the quality of the 020708, even though both watches are at the same price point. In fact this cost slightly more if I recall.

The links do not stack, the polished center scratches if you breath on it wrong, and it's noticeably rougher in fit and finish than the 020708. So is the double-lock clasp.

I quickly removed it and paired it with a 20mm black Milanese as a test, and I think it's a perfect pairing.

I feel the watch now has a vintage 007 vibe, or maybe Darth Vader's watch, but back in the 70's. There's a certain sinister look to it.

Paceba Tavarishi.

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Star ratings are relative to price point.