The way Amphibian worked was not necessarily by keeping moisture out of the watch by creating a static environment like other divers but instead it used the pressure of the ocean to compress the watch in order to firmly choke any leak-points. The case was made of unique stainless steel for which a specific technical standard ( GOST) was introduced. It had a particular screw-down crown and a 3mm thick, uniquely shaped acrylic crystal. A special technology for glass had to be designed and special rubber manufactured.Īfter many years of work the Vostok Amphibian was created. Obviously, Novikov and Belova couldn’t just copy Blancpain or Rolex, so everything had to be developed from scratch. Their goal was to come up with a sturdy dive watch that could compete with the likes of Fifty Fathoms or the Rolex Submariner. The watches designers and creators were Mikhail Novikov and Vera Belova, the two chief engineers employed at Vostok in the 60s. It was the experience of developing the Komandirskie watches which allowed the Chistopol technicians to manufacture the Vostok Amphibian. Vostok Amphibian Vostok Amphibian 1976 featured in a 1976 export catalogueĪfter many years of trial and error the Vostok factory created what was to be considered one of the greatest contributions to Russian watches, it was Russia’s first reliable 200m dive watch called Vostok Amphibian. These watches no longer carried the Zakaz inscription because they were not commissioned by the Ministry of Defense. Vostok Komandirskie, Tank DialĪt the same time, additional model names were introduced such as Generalskie ( general’s), Admiralskie ( admiral’s), etc. ![]() The Vostok factory reacted by introducing additional models of Komandirskie in more modern cases and featuring dial designs with a strong military flavor (tanks, U-boats…). In late 80s, military budgets were significantly cut which reduced the number of Komandirskie watches purchased by the ministry. Vostok Komandirskie were made in different cases and sported different dial designs throughout the years. Vintage Vostok Komandirskie, official military order This exclusiveness made this model really popular and even now it is much sought-after by watch collectors especially considering its under-$100 price tag. These watches were sold to the military with the inscription “Ordered by the Ministry of Defense of the USSR” ( Заказ МО СССР) exclusively through Voentorg stores, which catered solely to military personnel with identification. Iconic Vostok watches Vostok Komandirskie The Komandirskie were officially produced for the USSR Ministry of Defense (Заказ МО СССР or “Zakaz”)ĭuring the period when the Vostok factory was the official supplier of watches for the Ministry of Defense, the famous Komandirskie ( Командирские: in Russian, commander’s) watches were created, characterized by their increased durability and water-resistant case. In 1969, “Vostok” was incorporated in the factory name: it became Chistopol Watch Factory “Vostok” and remains a full-fledged watch factory nowadays. Finally, in 1965, the factory became the official supplier of the USSR Ministry of Defense. The first watches under the brand Vostok were produced in 1957. After the war (1949-1950), it produced the extremely popular wristwatches “Pobeda”, among other equipment. However, Chistopol Watch Factory continued to be active. ![]() When the Battle of Moscow was over, part of the equipment was returned to Moscow. Source: film “Chistopol Watch Factory – past and present” In particular, the plant developed and manufactured delay-action mines and devices to monitor aircraft fuel consumption. The Chistopol Watch Factory (or Factory 835 – its code name during the WW2), staffed with specialists from the 2MWF and with local people (some of them are just 15 years old, as older men are all in the army), started producing military equipment in spring 1942. Chistopol is located on the Kama river, connected with Volga, so it made sense to use water transport even though both rivers froze during the winter, which delayed the relocation. From there, equipment was moved on barges to the small town of Chistopol, some 140 km away from Kazan. The machinery and 488 workers are evacuated to Kazan (720 km east of Moscow) by rail. ![]() The Second Moscow Watch Factory (2MWF) is one of the concerned plants. In October 1941, the situation is critical and on the 15th the decision is taken to relocate key industries out of Moscow to prevent the useful equipment from falling into enemy hands. Consequently, they are considered as important military assets. Watch factories located in Moscow have at that point shifted their production from civil watches to munitions, specifically fuses and timers. The German army invades the Soviet Union and quickly approaches the capital.
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