The Vostok Amphibian has a deep and enduring cult following. Built for practicality and durability, they’re also inexpensive and plentiful but one of their best traits is how easily they can be modified and repaired. They are also not without their own elegance and charm.
With examples of 200m WR automatics to be had for under $40 used, it’s hard to go wrong. For those on a budget or not interested in paying for a luxury watch, Vostok offers a vast range of customization to rival almost any company catalog. It’s important to be careful and not spend $200 modding your $30 watch, making it both, no longer a bargain and spending as much as you might for something more sophisticated.
Even a novice can tear them down pretty far. The screw back case is simple and can be upgraded to an exhibition case to see the inner workings for around $40 with parts from eBay.
Bezels are held in place with a single spring and press fit into place. New stock parts can be had inrxprnsiveky or custom parts can be ordered if you’re willing to wait while they ship from places like Poland, Russian Federation or the Ukraine.
You can even score an increasing number of things like hands and dials that are normally found on much higher priced watches if you can find them at all.
Sky’s the limit on these watches. They’re a solid buy right out of the gate but can be turned into highly unusual pieces you won’t see on anyone else if you spend a little time getting to know them.
While not a dress watch, this one turned into a “go anywhere” piece that gets a lot of wrist time.
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