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Thread: Russian Watches - I'm a convert!

  1. #51
    Grand Master ryanb741's Avatar
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    Poljot24.de is a German based seller and I've had a good experience with them. The owner Julian can do servicing

    Sent from my SM-G950F using Tapatalk

  2. #52
    Master Lampoc's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by ryanb741 View Post
    Poljot24.de is a German based seller and I've had a good experience with them. The owner Julian can do servicing

    Sent from my SM-G950F using Tapatalk
    Decent seller but his Vostok prices have always been beyond ridiculous.

  3. #53
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    Quote Originally Posted by Kaffe View Post
    They're good fun. Tough and reliable watches. Plenty scope for modding as well.



    I'm not so keen on the Vostok Europe watches. They have some lovely designs but are just too big for my taste.
    That's really cool, can I ask what model it is & where you got it from?

  4. #54
    Master Dr Wolff's Avatar
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    Couple of things to add. The Russian postal service is not currently in operation at all because of covid (according to Kommandirskie's website). So you have to register and opt for UPS tracked delivery. This takes about a week and UPS do hit you with duties and admin fees. I ordered on boxing day with ups giving me a delivery date of 31/12, however this has now pushed back to Monday.

  5. #55
    Grand Master snowman's Avatar
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    I've had a watch delivered by Russia post since Komanderskie.com posted that.

    From them!

    M

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    Breitling Cosmonaute 809 - What's not to like?

  6. #56
    Craftsman
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    I'm loving this. I'll have to try and get on of these. Shame you had to let them go though.



    Quote Originally Posted by Incursore View Post
    Had two of them; loved them so much but finally parted with them to fund Everest.
    Both new "170" amphibia cases (42mm, 200m); one with PAM looking dial, the second one so sought after Batman GMT:

    Not my photos / writing from my laptop




  7. #57
    Master Dr Wolff's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by snowman View Post
    I've had a watch delivered by Russia post since Komanderskie.com posted that.

    From them!

    M

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    Bum! So I've paid for courier service and duty. Still incredibly cheap though

  8. #58
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    https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Vostok-Am....m46890.l49292
    I've just seen this on ebay and would appreciate any advice, the seller is UK based, 100% positive on 4,288 sales & he messaged me the dimensions - 39mm x 46mm x 12mm for the case, 18mm strap (could I fit a 20mm NATO / Erika's type strap?)
    I really like it but is it a bit pricey?
    Many thanks,

  9. #59
    Grand Master Mr Curta's Avatar
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    Some fairly straightforward Amphibia mods.







    Don't just do something, sit there. - TNH

  10. #60
    Master Lampoc's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Speedy2254 View Post
    https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Vostok-Am....m46890.l49292
    I've just seen this on ebay and would appreciate any advice, the seller is UK based, 100% positive on 4,288 sales & he messaged me the dimensions - 39mm x 46mm x 12mm for the case, 18mm strap (could I fit a 20mm NATO / Erika's type strap?)
    I really like it but is it a bit pricey?
    Many thanks,
    Brand new, it's a £50 watch with a £14 custom bezel. If you do want a bigger case with 20mm lugs, look on Meranom at the 670 Amphibias or the 02/65 Komandirskies which (unlike most Komandirskies) are basically Amphibias with the same 200m depth rating.
    Last edited by Lampoc; 3rd January 2021 at 00:20.

  11. #61
    Master Glen Goyne's Avatar
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    Read an article somewhere on three innovations included in my USD 70 Vostok
    Scubadude. The article emphasised that if these innovations would have been invented in the “west” they would have been highly marketed and the inventors would have been famous. Now they are just three very solid ideas to making watxh better.

    It’s the wobbly crown preventing the movement from impact via the crown. The crystal that will use pressure when diving to make it better water resistant and my favorite the ring over the case gasket which means you can unscrew the case a couple of times without needing to replace the gasket.


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  12. #62
    Master ed335d's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Glen Goyne View Post
    Read an article somewhere on three innovations included in my USD 70 Vostok
    Scubadude. The article emphasised that if these innovations would have been invented in the “west” they would have been highly marketed and the inventors would have been famous. Now they are just three very solid ideas to making watxh better.

    It’s the wobbly crown preventing the movement from impact via the crown. The crystal that will use pressure when diving to make it better water resistant and my favorite the ring over the case gasket which means you can unscrew the case a couple of times without needing to replace the gasket.


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    Possibly this?

    https://www.watchuseek.com/threads/v.../491757?page=1

  13. #63
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    Quote Originally Posted by Lampoc View Post
    Brand new, it's a £50 watch with a £14 custom bezel. If you do want a bigger case with 20mm lugs, look on Meranom at the 670 Amphibias or the 02/65 Komandirskies which (unlike most Komandirskies) are basically Amphibias with the same 200m depth rating.
    Thanks for the tip, I found the watch on a couple of sites but couldn't find the bezel anywhere on the sites that had modding parts for sale. Can you recommend anywhere else I might look?
    I don't fancy paying £130 if I can do it for less.
    Thanks,

  14. #64
    Craftsman Caminos's Avatar
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    Very nice watch, good quality and not expensive. Thanks for sharing


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  15. #65
    Master Lampoc's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Speedy2254 View Post
    Thanks for the tip, I found the watch on a couple of sites but couldn't find the bezel anywhere on the sites that had modding parts for sale. Can you recommend anywhere else I might look?
    I don't fancy paying £130 if I can do it for less.
    Thanks,
    Meranom has always had the best selection of bezels: https://meranom.com/en/amphibian-cla...sal-bezel.html
    Pay in Rubles, not US$. For some reason it's always cheaper.

  16. #66
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    Quote Originally Posted by Lampoc View Post
    Meranom has always had the best selection of bezels: https://meranom.com/en/amphibian-cla...sal-bezel.html
    Pay in Rubles, not US$. For some reason it's always cheaper.
    Thanks for the tip. I've had a look round the site, they have the bezel but not the watch. They also have another bezel I like which, with the 512 dial & a donor watch would be a stunner I think. The plan is looking like 2 bezels & a donor watch from Meranom, plus the GRU Amphibian & a 512 dial from vostok-watches24.
    Is there anything to beware of in the swapping process or the choice of donor watch?
    Thanks for the advice and patience in the face of all these bone questions!

  17. #67
    Master Lampoc's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Speedy2254 View Post
    Thanks for the tip. I've had a look round the site, they have the bezel but not the watch. They also have another bezel I like which, with the 512 dial & a donor watch would be a stunner I think. The plan is looking like 2 bezels & a donor watch from Meranom, plus the GRU Amphibian & a 512 dial from vostok-watches24.
    Is there anything to beware of in the swapping process or the choice of donor watch?
    Thanks for the advice and patience in the face of all these bone questions!
    Not really anything else to worry about - almost everything can be swapped between watches. The only things to be aware of is that some of the larger bezels can catch on the crowns of the smaller cases and that crown/stem assemblies aren't always interchangeable between different case types.

  18. #68
    Grand Master snowman's Avatar
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    Don't forget, too, just how much pressure a Vostok Amphibia can take!

    This is a fantastic read if you've not seen it before :

    https://forum.tz-uk.com/showthread.p...=1#post4420711

    M
    Breitling Cosmonaute 809 - What's not to like?

  19. #69
    Just One More Watch on YT did some fantastic videos on Vostoks... https://www.youtube.com/results?sear...e+watch+vostok

    Still not really my cup of tea but they are very interesting watches indeed!

  20. #70
    Master Dr Wolff's Avatar
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    My two arrived today & I'm impressed at the style and quality, even of the straps, although the metal bracelet is a bit shiny (might try brushing it - any tips?). Now I know the wobbly crown is deliberate, I think it is great design.
    Unfortunately the instructions are in Russian, so can anyone answer a couple of questions for me. They don't seem to hack and I can't fathom whether it is possible to set the date independently of the time, is that correct? I had to scroll from the 12th through to the 5th! Also, I didn't try, but can they be wound manually or should they not?

  21. #71
    Master ed335d's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Dr Wolff View Post
    My two arrived today & I'm impressed at the style and quality, even of the straps, although the metal bracelet is a bit shiny (might try brushing it - any tips?). Now I know the wobbly crown is deliberate, I think it is great design.
    Unfortunately the instructions are in Russian, so can anyone answer a couple of questions for me. They don't seem to hack and I can't fathom whether it is possible to set the date independently of the time, is that correct? I had to scroll from the 12th through to the 5th! Also, I didn't try, but can they be wound manually or should they not?
    1) No, they don't hack
    2) There is no quick-set date (you have to turn the date over, wind back to 21:00, back over 00:00, repeat). I tend to not worry about date setting, or try to get ones without date!
    3) Yes, they can be wound manually

  22. #72
    Grand Master Sinnlover's Avatar
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    Re brushing the metal, I brushed the replacement bezel on mine as it stuck out like a sore thumb against the battered case.
    I used a pot scrubber and I think it came out well, it’s also been bashed about a bit so this adds to the ‘charm’

  23. #73
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    I've got five vostoks and I'm waiting on the sixth plus the "luna dude" when it's ready. They can be quite addictive!
    Lately I've been buying from vostok.inc which is the factory store. Best prices and selection but you need Google translate and there is no PayPal option. Meranom is of course very good and so is komandirskie.com. Vostok24 is nice because there's no chance of having trouble with the customs office and the item arrives fast but it's pretty expensive.

  24. #74
    Master Dr Wolff's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by ed335d View Post
    1) No, they don't hack
    2) There is no quick-set date (you have to turn the date over, wind back to 21:00, back over 00:00, repeat). I tend to not worry about date setting, or try to get ones without date!
    3) Yes, they can be wound manually
    Many thanks

  25. #75
    Grand Master snowman's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by ^Deadly_Sin^ View Post
    I've got five vostoks and I'm waiting on the sixth plus the "luna dude" when it's ready. They can be quite addictive!
    Lately I've been buying from vostok.inc which is the factory store. Best prices and selection but you need Google translate and there is no PayPal option. Meranom is of course very good and so is komandirskie.com. Vostok24 is nice because there's no chance of having trouble with the customs office and the item arrives fast but it's pretty expensive.
    I can't find a website called vostok.inc.

    Do you have a link?

    M
    Breitling Cosmonaute 809 - What's not to like?

  26. #76
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    Quote Originally Posted by snowman View Post
    I can't find a website called vostok.inc.

    Do you have a link?

    M
    Sure. This is the site of the factory https://vostokinc.com/

    and this is their shop

    https://online.vostokinc.com/

  27. #77
    Grand Master snowman's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by ^Deadly_Sin^ View Post
    Sure. This is the site of the factory https://vostokinc.com/

    and this is their shop

    https://online.vostokinc.com/
    Thanks!

    M
    Breitling Cosmonaute 809 - What's not to like?

  28. #78
    Master Yorkshiremadmick's Avatar
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    Attachment 18669
    My venture back into Vostok or Bostok
    But stopped working within 2days



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  29. #79
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    Russian Watches

    Quite tempted but are they reliable ??

  30. #80
    Grand Master snowman's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by gubbins View Post
    Quite tempted but are they reliable ??
    Why would you think not?

    Basic watches with movements that have been pretty unchanged for decades.

    Like any watch you can get a duffer, but they're not inherently unreliable, probably quite the opposite.

    M

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  31. #81
    Master Yorkshiremadmick's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by gubbins View Post
    Quite tempted but are they reliable ??
    All the previous ones I’ve owned Have been reliable. One was even as accurate in terms of time keeping to my Milgauss the others not so accurate.
    This last one. Took 6 weeks to get here and I think it’s been kicked round Heathrow for several weeks. Just won’t go.


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  32. #82
    Master Lampoc's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by gubbins View Post
    Quite tempted but are they reliable ??
    They can be a bit hit and miss straight from the factory and I have had a couple issues in the past (although bear in mind I've probably bought 50+ brand new Vostoks over the years). If you're comparing them to Swiss brands they don't come close. Apart from Tudor - they're definitely more reliable than Tudors :D

    You can "kind of" hack them too by putting back pressure on the crown while it's in the hand setting position.

  33. #83
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    Quote Originally Posted by Mr Curta View Post
    Some fairly straightforward Amphibia mods.







    What was the original brown reference? Would be interested in doing something like this myself

  34. #84
    Grand Master Mr Curta's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by emb_164 View Post
    What was the original brown reference? Would be interested in doing something like this myself
    420419B

    I've got a feeling that was only a strap change although I've changed the crown since the photo.
    Don't just do something, sit there. - TNH

  35. #85
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    Quote Originally Posted by Mr Curta View Post
    420419B

    I've got a feeling that was only a strap change although I've changed the crown since the photo.
    Seems to be discontinued online. I’ll have to look on eBay.

    Good choice. The perlon looks great on it!

  36. #86
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    Quote Originally Posted by Yorkshiremadmick View Post
    All the previous ones I’ve owned Have been reliable. One was even as accurate in terms of time keeping to my Milgauss the others not so accurate.
    This last one. Took 6 weeks to get here and I think it’s been kicked round Heathrow for several weeks. Just won’t go.


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    Did you try winding it and then give it a good slap on the palm of your hand? It sounds weird but sometimes the "vostok slap" works.

  37. #87
    Master ed335d's Avatar
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    Latest modification


  38. #88
    Quote Originally Posted by ed335d View Post
    Latest modification

    Love the full dial lume on this, very nice!

    Sent from my SM-T970 using Tapatalk

  39. #89
    Grand Master Mr Curta's Avatar
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    Nice work Ed
    Don't just do something, sit there. - TNH

  40. #90
    Master ed335d's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by ubiquitous View Post
    Love the full dial lume on this, very nice!

    Sent from my SM-T970 using Tapatalk
    Quote Originally Posted by Mr Curta View Post
    Nice work Ed
    Thanks chaps. Commissioned Tony to take the photo too

  41. #91
    Master ed335d's Avatar
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    Another mod


  42. #92
    Grand Master Mr Curta's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by ed335d View Post
    Another mod
    Love it.
    Don't just do something, sit there. - TNH

  43. #93
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    I had some i hated and some i liked. The pilots and divers are pretty nice and cheerful

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  44. #94
    Grand Master dkpw's Avatar
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    Many thanks to Jamie (Lampoc) for providing some excellent help and advice which allowed me to copy some his ideas for a Komandirskie mod.

    I picked up a Komandirskie 650537 from Meranom. Jamie is absolutely right, in that the 65 case with a 20mm lug gap is a step up in quality over the previous two I have. Here it is, as it comes, with a quite nice diver's bezel and god-awful bracelet. The clasp is worse!




    I wanted to change it up and found AM Bezels from Germany on eBay. Their stainless steel bezels are not cheap, almost as much as the watch, but they are very well made and come in a variety of options and colours.

    I decided on a black 24hr GMT bezel, which gives it a nice look, although the practicalities of using a 24 bezel with a 12 hour hand are not extensive - ahem. However it can also be used as a simple countdown timer too. It took a while to fit the AM Bezel and then some more time to refit it because the bezel was far too loose to be of any use at all, and had to be tightened.




    But as you can see, it works very well with the case shape of this model and is an improvement over the original. I may splash out on another version, possible an "LV" and put the GMT on my Scuba Dude 420 series. As you can also see, I swapped out the bracelet for a £14 special from eBay. Even at that low price, it's miles better than the Vostok.




    Finally, I popped off the caseback and decided to regulate it. It was initially running well but a touch too fast for my liking. After several tentative jabs at the internals, I managed to improve it. There's still a fair amount of positional variance but on the wrist, I know it's good and resting face up, it's on the money. They're great fun to play with and you can end up with a good looking watch for not much outlay at all.

    Last edited by dkpw; 31st March 2021 at 15:11.

  45. #95
    Co-incidentally I'm wearing a Vostok today.


  46. #96
    Master pacifichrono's Avatar
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    Just a few of the Russians I've had...


























  47. #97
    Master Kaffe's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Speedy2254 View Post
    That's really cool, can I ask what model it is & where you got it from?
    Dear Speedy

    I must apologise. I have just noticed your question from 2 months ago! The watch is a Vostok Amphibian SE 020B38.
    https://meranom.com/en/amphibian-se/...lon-strap.html
    I replaced the dial with one from a 512. Neither seem to be available just now, though I have found the dial on ebay,
    https://www.ebay.com/itm/DIAL-TO-VOS...-/122140985471
    I got them both from Meranom.
    Cheers
    Kaffe
    Last edited by Kaffe; 31st March 2021 at 20:28.

  48. #98
    Master ed335d's Avatar
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    Latest


  49. #99
    Master Kaffe's Avatar
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    [QUOTE=pacifichrono;5713278]Just a few of the Russians I've had...







    Very nice. What is this one please.

  50. #100
    Master pacifichrono's Avatar
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    [QUOTE=Kaffe;5713318]
    Quote Originally Posted by pacifichrono View Post
    Just a few of the Russians I've had...







    Very nice. What is this one please.
    Poljot Aviator.

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