Reynard
Guru
- Location
- Cambridgeshire, UK
Show us your watch Collection.
- Thread starter Cycleops
- Start date
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Drago
Legendary Member
- Location
- Suburban Poshshire
This is my 1967 pattern Vostok Amphibia. A standard production watch,m not one of the weird numbered ones that are otherwise pretty much identical but which go for double the money.
And interesting piece. In the 60's the Russian navy commissioned engineers to develop a dive watch for military divers and amphibious commandos.
Wary of infringing any patents owned by the likes of Rolex or Doxa they added some interesting features. Of course, were they to do the same today they'd just copy Rolex or whoever and to hell with it.
The glass is plexiglass rather than crystal. Not only is it relatively inexpensive, but as pressure is applied it deform and spreads outwards, thus actually enhancing the water tight seal. No infringing Rolex's oyster sealing system patents.
The rear is not a standard screw-on type back. The opening has a seal much like a regular design, but instead of the back screwing down onto the seal it instead rests in place and is held down by a threaded lockring that fastens over the top. This sidesteps the patents, and actually improves the sealing by eliminating the shear forces on the O ring seal.
During WWII the US gave Russia a watch factory, nice of them, and the movement is a development of the original design the factory produced. Nothing fancy, no ISO, COSC or superlative certification, but it's tough and keeps decent enough time.
And interesting piece. In the 60's the Russian navy commissioned engineers to develop a dive watch for military divers and amphibious commandos.
Wary of infringing any patents owned by the likes of Rolex or Doxa they added some interesting features. Of course, were they to do the same today they'd just copy Rolex or whoever and to hell with it.
The glass is plexiglass rather than crystal. Not only is it relatively inexpensive, but as pressure is applied it deform and spreads outwards, thus actually enhancing the water tight seal. No infringing Rolex's oyster sealing system patents.
The rear is not a standard screw-on type back. The opening has a seal much like a regular design, but instead of the back screwing down onto the seal it instead rests in place and is held down by a threaded lockring that fastens over the top. This sidesteps the patents, and actually improves the sealing by eliminating the shear forces on the O ring seal.
During WWII the US gave Russia a watch factory, nice of them, and the movement is a development of the original design the factory produced. Nothing fancy, no ISO, COSC or superlative certification, but it's tough and keeps decent enough time.
Last edited:
Joey Shabadoo
My pronouns are "He", "Him" and "buggerlugs"
Unfortunately it runs on vodka and keeps nicking bits of the neighbours garden.
Drago
Legendary Member
- Location
- Suburban Poshshire
I really like it, but wearing anything Russian is up there with wearing a Jimmy Savile T shirt these days.
Reynard
Guru
- Location
- Cambridgeshire, UK
Didn't the Russian watch factories buy up all the old Swiss (and some French) tooling to produce movements when the latter upgraded their stuff?
Russian (and Eastern European) tech at the time was designed to be easy to make and to be churned out in vast numbers by largely unskilled workers to meet the production quotas pulled out of thin air by Moscow's apparatchiks.
Russian (and Eastern European) tech at the time was designed to be easy to make and to be churned out in vast numbers by largely unskilled workers to meet the production quotas pulled out of thin air by Moscow's apparatchiks.
This was bought back in 1986 for my 21st. My daughter wears it these days with a stainless bracelet.
Drago
Legendary Member
- Location
- Suburban Poshshire
Saw this in a charidee shop for £2. At the time I owned a Peugeot, as indeed I do now, so I bought it and shoved a strap on it.
Mrs D bought me this one for my birthday c.2007. sadly, for reasons not known, it no longer works but I don't want to bin it. It's not the battery before anyone asks...
And my trusty Traser Code Blue. Carbon fibre case, no less. This one has been out of production for a while and used prices are now well in excess of new, not that I'd ever sell it. This one passes the Lewis Collins test.
Mrs D bought me this one for my birthday c.2007. sadly, for reasons not known, it no longer works but I don't want to bin it. It's not the battery before anyone asks...
And my trusty Traser Code Blue. Carbon fibre case, no less. This one has been out of production for a while and used prices are now well in excess of new, not that I'd ever sell it. This one passes the Lewis Collins test.
Regular.Cyclist
Über Member
- Location
- East central Scotland 🏴
When it comes to sports tracking watches my favoured one is the Epix Gen2.
Might look out some of my Russian watches later this week. Not worn any for a while.
Might look out some of my Russian watches later this week. Not worn any for a while.
Regular.Cyclist
Über Member
- Location
- East central Scotland 🏴
One of my smaller watches on today.
A Tudor, hallmarked 1968.
A Tudor, hallmarked 1968.
Poacher
Gravitationally challenged member
- Location
- Nottingham
Three recent auction purchases, each with a hammer price of £30. Add £7.20 for the first and £7.50 for the other two.
(Buyer's commission went up from 24% to 25%). I was looking for back ups to my aging Seiko kinetic.
The Seiko chronograph, cal 7T62, came with original purchase documents including user manual and even records of battery replacement.
I prefer metal straps, but get on OK with the leather one; it looks like it was hardly ever worn!
When I went to viewing day for the other two, a Seiko cal 7N43 and a Citizen eco-drive titanium cal E101, I remarked to the auction guy that the seller must have an even smaller wrist than mine, but foolishly didn't bother trying them on, assuming there was room for adjustment. I left bids on three watches, including another Seiko which I didn't like as much as these two - fortunately another buyer went way over my bid. The Citizen was running well but the Seiko was stopped, hopefully only needing a new battery. After I'd collected them, I found that they were a tight but acceptable fit on my puny wrist, but with no potential for further adjustment - wish there were spare links, but they're OK as is. The Seiko came with a choice of French or English day display and I decided to opt for French, but changed the Spanish on the Citizen for the English alternative.
I found I couldn't hold the Seiko tightly enough to open the back with my cheapo Jaxa style tool. An offcut of western red cedar from building my greenhouse came to the rescue, with a 35mm Forstner bit being only just a smidgeon smaller than the watch case. Gripped in my bench vice, it did a superb job, and the watch is now running like a good'un.
The larger Seiko, at 44mm, would be too large for my improvised clamp when the time comes to replace the battery (it's still running well), so I came up with the solution of splitting the cedar, drilling holes for two dowels and cutting out a suitable hole with cutouts for the protruding crown and buttons.
Yeah, I know it would be less faff to buy a proper clamp, but I enjoyed making it and I'm a cheapskate.
(Buyer's commission went up from 24% to 25%). I was looking for back ups to my aging Seiko kinetic.
The Seiko chronograph, cal 7T62, came with original purchase documents including user manual and even records of battery replacement.
I prefer metal straps, but get on OK with the leather one; it looks like it was hardly ever worn!
When I went to viewing day for the other two, a Seiko cal 7N43 and a Citizen eco-drive titanium cal E101, I remarked to the auction guy that the seller must have an even smaller wrist than mine, but foolishly didn't bother trying them on, assuming there was room for adjustment. I left bids on three watches, including another Seiko which I didn't like as much as these two - fortunately another buyer went way over my bid. The Citizen was running well but the Seiko was stopped, hopefully only needing a new battery. After I'd collected them, I found that they were a tight but acceptable fit on my puny wrist, but with no potential for further adjustment - wish there were spare links, but they're OK as is. The Seiko came with a choice of French or English day display and I decided to opt for French, but changed the Spanish on the Citizen for the English alternative.
I found I couldn't hold the Seiko tightly enough to open the back with my cheapo Jaxa style tool. An offcut of western red cedar from building my greenhouse came to the rescue, with a 35mm Forstner bit being only just a smidgeon smaller than the watch case. Gripped in my bench vice, it did a superb job, and the watch is now running like a good'un.
The larger Seiko, at 44mm, would be too large for my improvised clamp when the time comes to replace the battery (it's still running well), so I came up with the solution of splitting the cedar, drilling holes for two dowels and cutting out a suitable hole with cutouts for the protruding crown and buttons.
Yeah, I know it would be less faff to buy a proper clamp, but I enjoyed making it and I'm a cheapskate.
Reynard
Guru
- Location
- Cambridgeshire, UK
Just shows that there are bargains to be had - and they'll last far longer than the couple of takeaway pizzas that they cost.
DCLane
Found in the Yorkshire hills ...
- Location
- Dewsbury, West Yorkshire
Visiting my parents this afternoon I was given a watch that belonged to my great uncle, who I never met. It's a Rodana (now Rodania) Tank antimagnetic. Not much history with it, except it was family owned, and it works but was last looked at in 1994 when the glass front was changed (it came with the scratched original as well).
The watch face looks dirty / worn and the strap is worn but it's holding time.
The watch face looks dirty / worn and the strap is worn but it's holding time.
Reynard
Guru
- Location
- Cambridgeshire, UK
Oh, that's truly lovely, @DCLane.
1940s, I'd guess, going by the looks. Wear it and enjoy it - I know I would, if I were in your shoes.
DCLane
Found in the Yorkshire hills ...
- Location
- Dewsbury, West Yorkshire
Reynard
Guru
- Location
- Cambridgeshire, UK
As for the dial, the lacquer eventually degrades on the black ones - it looks dirty, but it's not. And that's radium lume btw. It's just a nice, honest piece typical of its time. It won't be shock protected, so don't drop it.
And I've just noticed the copper banded minute track. Fabby.
And I've just noticed the copper banded minute track. Fabby.
