Vostok | Komandirskie VDV Russian Airborne Troops Russian Military Mechanical Watch | 818 Series |Fashion | Business | Casual Men's Watches

I've had this watch for all of about a half hour or so now and it's already my new favorite watch! I love the dial (it's amazing for the money). I love the size, it matches my very small wrist better than any automatic I have. I very much like the look of the bezel, though the function is admittedly a little questionable. The bezel is bidirectional and very easy to turn, no locking clicks. I'm imagining that with the right bumping and jostling the bezel could be moved by accident quite easily. I could be wrong, but I'm guessing so. I personally don't need a bezel to act as a timer, generally speaking... so I'm not personally going to dock it for that. One thing that could potentially be very annoying for people is that there isn't a crown position to set the date. To set the date you have to go all the way around - 24 hours (There is cheat for this in the instructions but it would still be way easier to have a crown position for setting the date). Again, I'm not personally going to dock it for that as, for me, this watch is an easy 5 out of 5 stars. It's love at first sight. Also, make sure you read the directions on how to use the screw down crown. Don't go directly from position 3 to position 2, i.e. don't try to start winding the watch immediately after setting the time. Make sure you completely screw down the crown, then unscrew it to wind the watch. Finally, as we are all aware, there is a war going on with Russia right now. I bought this watch from the merchant, but it was shipped by Amazon. I had no problems getting it. I have no idea what might happen if you try to purchase it "shipped from" the seller.

This watch has the dna of an Kalishnakov rifle. Very cool with it’s paratrooper logo, but completely utilitarian. This will not be my last Vostok! 🇺🇸👮🏻‍♂️👍🏻

*UPDATE* December 22. The watch didn't last a full 24hrs after the recommended 25 rotations. It's not automatic like some people were suggesting. First impressions, nice watch. Didn't care much for the leather strap, seems cheaply put together. Switched it out with a green leather strap I took off my Bulova Hack watch, and shows nice in my opinion. Easy enough to set time & date, and winding the watch is pretty straightforward. I would it 24 times, said don't wind past 25. Also states if its your daily, no need to wind as it's automatic. I set it at 7.30pm, so will see what it does overnight. Will make an update at a later date.

For the price it is good! Definitely one of a kind! Will make your collection very diverse!

The technique to winding the watch is a little finicky..... you have to play with the crown and learn the exact spot it wants to be in to wind the watch. Once you do, it works well. Keep in mind to NOT overwind it....as soon as you feel the slightest resistance in winding, STOP. The self winding function seems to work a little, but not much. You still should wind it once a day, at least to top it off. I got this on a whim from reading a book where a Vostok watch was mentioned....it was described as nearly indestructible. On the first day of wearing it at work, less than 24hrs old, I immediately spattered the face with sparks from a grinder, and now have 3 large pits in the face. Yeah, I probably should not have worn it at work, but with the reputation it was supposed to have.....I'm not faulting the watch for it, as this is an extreme example of use, but I will say I have a 25 year old casio watch face I've used as a work watch, and the face has one small scratch in it.....nothing else from grinding, welding, smacking/scraping along concrete, etc.

I originally wishlisted this watch because of the retro Soviet-esque colors, not knowing much about the design. I've since learned about the Russian military world and the VDV, and knew I had to have it. The colors are excellent, especially the grainy dial. The seconds hand sweep is choppy but consistent. The indexes are neat and text is elegant. The hands can be hard to locate on the busy dial, but I'm happy to ignore it--I love the dial face. The lume last surprisingly long. Negatives: Most issues concern the crown. As the manual admits, it's easy to accidentally screw the crown in when winding or adjusting. When screwing back down after adjusting, it's easy to accidentally move the hands. There is no positive confirmation of leaving adjustment mode. Included NATO strap seems easy to degrade and slightly short--I recommend preparing an 18mm replacement. My strap is already deforming at the holes. Misc tip: When picking a color way, I recommend gunmetal grey or another non-reflective color. Something like chrome seems too bright and shiny for a watch of this aesthetic.

I got this today delivered and i am happier with this watch than expected. Looks better when you see it in person.Well built and looks sharp and its all made in Russia right down to the movements inside. I really recommend Vostok.

The watch is good bang for you $. Fast reliable shipping. I had a defective watch and was sent a replacement with in 48 hrs.. That's good business. I will be making more purchases in the future, as I like collecting these. Thank you.