Just an FYI. The Red dots are not a 20 min interval counter. They are a 4 hour interval used with the Hour hand. They represent a 4 hour on...4 hour off shift in the military. Lots of Military watches have this feature. You could use it for a 20 min counter using the minute Hand but I don't see much use in that because bottom time when diving is variable depending on the max depth you dive, so there's no fixed dive interval on every dive.
Great review! You did get a great deal for $39! I will be looking for Zennitar also. So far I can not find an Amphibia for that low of a price anywhere. You not only got a great price, but you got an extra jewel! Other Amphibia owners have the 2416B movement which has 31 jewels, but yours has 32! Yep, I have GOT to find Zennitar!!! Thanks again for the information!
Is this must be the oldest vostok review on TH-cam. Pretty cool. I think the popularity of Vostok has exploded in the last 5 to 10 years, thanks to TH-cam. Must be cool to feel like a pioneer.
@Hurlanator no; going backwards doesn't wind it at all; it makes the crown just slip against a little ratchet device. technically, if you just turned the crown backwards all day for years, you'd wear the ratchet out and probably break something crucial in the stem, but otherwise, it's fine! it can be quite useful if you want to get a feel for different tensile resistances compared against the static 'resistance' of backwards turning. :)
The spinning dial is for diving - you put the leftmost red dot on the current minute hand just when you go under, and as you're diving you know you must come up when the minute hand gets to the right-most red dot. I'm not a diver, but that's my understanding of it.
The lume on the new ones is good. I have the black amphibia with the scuba dude on 710 ministry case from Moscowtimeseller on eBay. Thanks for the great video.
They are designed to be very water resistant from the start, can't post link so google for "VOSTOK AMPHIBIA: An Analysis of Design Methodology", very interesting.
On Amazon the Amphibias are 79$ and Komandirskie-49$ but it takes a month to arrive.I have 8.I find them to be exotic,hipster and honest.My next step is to take them to a watch shop to be regulated.
I got my Vostok Amphibian for $39.00 too, but not on ebay though, amazon. I absolutely enjoy wearing it all the time. I take it in the shower everyday. You can reset the time every time you have to set the date on the mechanical, because you can use the bezel to tell you the actual time by moving it everytime the time changes.
Seller claimed to have bought but never used it, so he doesn't have others for sale. It has a wide screw in crown, deep Cyrillic engraving, a sharply printed blue dial with anchor (a recognized variant) and sculpted hour markers. I'm not inclined to crack it open just to prove it, but I can tell you for sure it does NOT contain a Japanese mov't. The mov't also doesn't sound, feel, or behave like any of the low end Chinese mov'ts I've tried. Its authentic.
Hey cool, I just ordered my first Amphibian with the same dial. $39 on Ebay is bullcrap off course, they cost around $60. You could get a fake though for $39.
@jgrossma There ARE a lot of fake Vostok watches out there. Especially if you buy a pre-owned one. Could you tell me the name of the seller? Not to check if its fake or anything but I want a second Vostok Amphibia myself.
I took links out of the bracelet no problem. I like my original bracelet. I have my sailboat version on a blue german leather sports strap. Lume is good enough if you have good night vision. If you can't see the lume at 4am you shouldn't be night driving. See an Optician. Or have a torch by the bed
You have a VERY nice variant of the Amphibia! :) By the way, would anyone bother to replicate an already cheap watch? Just curious. Feel free to comment on this.
It's easy to change/remove the links! I've just did so with a 2dollar tool.. But changing the bracelet as a whole is F*cked up (without damaging the original bracelet)! Tips and tricks are really welcome :)
If you were listening, truthabout watches said they run $32-60 on Ebay. I personally just got a brand new one for $39 last week on Ebay, shipped to my door. And no, its not a fake. Why on earth would anyone fake a $40 Russian watch with minimal popular demand? Makes no sense. Even a good quality FAKE watch costs more than that!
I agree with this review. Stock metal bracelet is thin, rattly, hard to size and has a flimsy clasp. Lume paint is worthless, visible for only about 10 min after charging. Bidirectional bezel is terrible with unreadable markers and no click feature. No date-set feature is a PITA. My watch also has lousy accuracy, gaining about 2 min per day. I guess that could be adjusted. In short the ONLY thing this watch has going for it is a sort of conversation piece Commie-chic kitchiness.
Just an FYI. The Red dots are not a 20 min interval counter. They are a 4 hour interval used with the Hour hand. They represent a 4 hour on...4 hour off shift in the military. Lots of Military watches have this feature. You could use it for a 20 min counter using the minute Hand but I don't see much use in that because bottom time when diving is variable depending on the max depth you dive, so there's no fixed dive interval on every dive.
Just bought one of these. Excited to see how it works out.
Great review! You did get a great deal for $39! I will be looking for Zennitar also. So far I can not find an Amphibia for that low of a price anywhere. You not only got a great price, but you got an extra jewel! Other Amphibia owners have the 2416B movement which has 31 jewels, but yours has 32! Yep, I have GOT to find Zennitar!!! Thanks again for the information!
Is this must be the oldest vostok review on TH-cam. Pretty cool. I think the popularity of Vostok has exploded in the last 5 to 10 years, thanks to TH-cam. Must be cool to feel like a pioneer.
According to the manufacturer moving the hands back is the standard way of advancing the date.
The 200m is true, it works perfectly as a diving watch.
Thanks for the review.
I love my Vostoks!
@Hurlanator no; going backwards doesn't wind it at all; it makes the crown just slip against a little ratchet device. technically, if you just turned the crown backwards all day for years, you'd wear the ratchet out and probably break something crucial in the stem, but otherwise, it's fine! it can be quite useful if you want to get a feel for different tensile resistances compared against the static 'resistance' of backwards turning. :)
It is manual wind as well, no need to shake it to get it going.
The spinning dial is for diving - you put the leftmost red dot on the current minute hand just when you go under, and as you're diving you know you must come up when the minute hand gets to the right-most red dot. I'm not a diver, but that's my understanding of it.
The lume on the new ones is good.
I have the black amphibia with the scuba dude on 710 ministry case from Moscowtimeseller on eBay. Thanks for the great video.
The manual that comes with the watch says to follow the procedure shown in the video to set the date quickly.
Nice helpfull review.
I've just bought one + a lumpy bracelet as seen in a pic on watchuseek, looks great.
The wait begins! :)
They are designed to be very water resistant from the start, can't post link so google for "VOSTOK AMPHIBIA: An Analysis of Design Methodology", very interesting.
On Amazon the Amphibias are 79$ and Komandirskie-49$ but it takes a month to arrive.I have 8.I find them to be exotic,hipster and honest.My next step is to take them to a watch shop to be regulated.
I got my Vostok Amphibian for $39.00 too, but not on ebay though, amazon. I absolutely enjoy wearing it all the time. I take it in the shower everyday. You can reset the time every time you have to set the date on the mechanical, because you can use the bezel to tell you the actual time by moving it everytime the time changes.
It's ACTUALLY 31 jewels. And, the crown DOES have a small rubber seal inside to ensure the watch is waterproof.
that''s the way you change the date on the wacth, as far as I know there is no damage to the movt.
why do you under estimate this brand......its a great watch
Seller claimed to have bought but never used it, so he doesn't have others for sale. It has a wide screw in crown, deep Cyrillic engraving, a sharply printed blue dial with anchor (a recognized variant) and sculpted hour markers.
I'm not inclined to crack it open just to prove it, but I can tell you for sure it does NOT contain a Japanese mov't. The mov't also doesn't sound, feel, or behave like any of the low end Chinese mov'ts I've tried.
Its authentic.
Beautifull watch
9 to 12 will do it.
It will NOT hurt the movement. Neither will back wind hacking.
Hey cool, I just ordered my first Amphibian with the same dial.
$39 on Ebay is bullcrap off course, they cost around $60.
You could get a fake though for $39.
@jgrossma
There ARE a lot of fake Vostok watches out there.
Especially if you buy a pre-owned one.
Could you tell me the name of the seller?
Not to check if its fake or anything but I want a second Vostok Amphibia myself.
where did you buy yours
I got an Amphibian with the rubber strap and it's the bee's knees!
I took links out of the bracelet no problem.
I like my original bracelet. I have my sailboat version on a blue german leather sports strap.
Lume is good enough if you have good night vision. If you can't see the lume at 4am you shouldn't be night driving. See an Optician.
Or have a torch by the bed
@outdoorsurvivors That's because as far as Russian goes - I am indeed an Ignorant foreigner. I apologize if I mispronounced the name :)
Sure THE glas is cristal??
that is the 420 case, it is 39mm, most of all the others are 41; this is not including the crown
The 8 to 12 is a quick set lol,before that was invented you had to go around the 12 two full times, so yes it does have a quick set lol
very tough acrylic crystal.
You have a VERY nice variant of the Amphibia! :)
By the way, would anyone bother to replicate an already cheap watch? Just curious. Feel free to comment on this.
please do not shake it. wind it with crown
I have same, and same nato strap :)
It's easy to change/remove the links! I've just did so with a 2dollar tool.. But changing the bracelet as a whole is F*cked up (without damaging the original bracelet)! Tips and tricks are really welcome :)
If you were listening, truthabout watches said they run $32-60 on Ebay.
I personally just got a brand new one for $39 last week on Ebay, shipped to my door.
And no, its not a fake. Why on earth would anyone fake a $40 Russian watch with minimal popular demand? Makes no sense. Even a good quality FAKE watch costs more than that!
You can buy without date. Meranom.com.
Amphibia watches waterproof to 200m plus no problem.
I agree with this review.
Stock metal bracelet is thin, rattly, hard to size and has a flimsy clasp. Lume paint is worthless, visible for only about 10 min after charging. Bidirectional bezel is terrible with unreadable markers and no click feature. No date-set feature is a PITA.
My watch also has lousy accuracy, gaining about 2 min per day. I guess that could be adjusted.
In short the ONLY thing this watch has going for it is a sort of conversation piece Commie-chic kitchiness.
Great review, spoken by a true uninformed watch snob. :P
At least in regards to this particular watch.
31 jewels