Budget Watch?

[Rschan]

I just looked at an eBay listing of this watch. There the seller stated " Average term of service 10 years"
Thats some thing hard to believe as even a cheap Chinese watch will run run for about 6-7 Years.
Are there any one using this for a considerable time ?

Some I've seen claim the Vostok Amphibia is a good watch in the $60 range.
View attachment 507657

Although it has an inconvenient date-setting function, I have to admit I find this Russian watch intriguing.

 

[Citizen C]

Well...it appears you can buy functioning decade old Russian watches on eBay too.

 

[bth88]

I just looked at an eBay listing of this watch. There the seller stated " Average term of service 10 years"
Thats some thing hard to believe as even a cheap Chinese watch will run run for about 6-7 Years.
Are there any one using this for a considerable time ?

I have one from the 50's. The older windup only movement, still keeping time. FWIW the new ones are bulletproof by comparison and you shouldn't have a need to have them serviced which could be hit or miss on ebay with a watch a few decades old. They have a break-in period, afterwards you might want to regulate it. I mean I would suspect my new ones could survive a fall from a 10 story building if that tells you anything.

There's a forum devoted them and other Ruski watches that you can get the specs and low down here:

http://forums.watchuseek.com/f10/

 

[Legion]

I just looked at an eBay listing of this watch. There the seller stated " Average term of service 10 years"
Thats some thing hard to believe as even a cheap Chinese watch will run run for about 6-7 Years.
Are there any one using this for a considerable time ?

I have an old manual Soviet era Vostok. It still works, as rough as it is.

 

[oc_in_fw]

For what it's worth, whether it was rifles, fighter planes, or watches, the Soviets made some rugged, uncomplicated things that even an idiot would have a hard time breaking.

 

[AnthonyD]

What he said. There's a few other features that watch snobs dis. One is the plexiglass crystal. It's designed to flex under pressure at extreme water depths. It's pretty thick and can easily be buffed out if scratched.

There's a break-in period after which you have a fine running automatic that's really heavy duty.

View attachment 507688

I really like the look of that watch!

To the OP's question, does it have to be a new watch to qualify? I have my father's Timex (mechanical wind up) from the 70s and my Grandfather's Lord Elgin from the 40s and both still keep excellent time. Antique stores can have wonderful deals that would easily fall in your price range. I just picked up a Hampden pocket watch for under $100 at an antique store and after a good cleaning it's running as good as new.

 

[Neognosis]

that's the general thought about Vostoks... the AK47 of watches... cheap to make, engineered cleverly to address issues that other watches solve with precision, inaccurate, requiring little to no service, will work if dropped and run over by a tank in the mud.


I don't have one, but I consider buying one weekly...

 

[Cricket1]

Some I've seen claim the Vostok Amphibia is a good watch in the $60 range.
View attachment 507657

Although it has an inconvenient date-setting function, I have to admit I find this Russian watch intriguing.

I recently got a similar Vostok, but cannot figure out how to change the date. (aside from just advancing the hands around and around and around...) Any help on how to do that?

 

[Big Fish]

Another vote for the Seiko 5 series of watches, many variations to choose from.
Right now I'm considering a web banded military style snk805.

 

[Citizen C]

I recently got a similar Vostok, but cannot figure out how to change the date. (aside from just advancing the hands around and around and around...) Any help on how to do that?

I would say Google. I read a review of the Amphibia a few days ago that said there are two ways to change the date. The slow way and the really slow way. You already know the really slow way.

It sounded like the slightly better way was to advance the hands to 1 am, adding a day, then going back to 11 pm, then back to 1, then back to 11...

 

[shaveitoff]

I recently got a similar Vostok, but cannot figure out how to change the date. (aside from just advancing the hands around and around and around...) Any help on how to do that?

I have a Vostok Amphibia self winder. To change the date, do what Citizen C says, but on my watch, it works by moving the hour hand past 12 midnight, then back to 9 pm. Move the hour hand up to 12, back to 9 and up to 12 again to change the date. Repeat as needed. If it doesn't work for you, that means the 12 you are on is the noon time, so move the hour hand forward 12 hours and then try back and forth between 9 and 12.

If you want to set the time, and you want to hack it, the second hand doesn't stop when the stem is all the way out. So, what you do is with the stem all the way out put a slight turn on the stem to freeze the second hand until the time matches where your second had is. Just turn it a little bit in the same direction you would if you were winding it, but just enough to hold the second hand.

I find the Vostok is a fun watch to have and use. It is the one I go to if I am worried about getting my watch dinged. For about $60 bucks, it keeps respectable time. I haven't tested it lately, but when I first got it it was good to about 25 seconds per day, then eventually with a break in period it ran about 15 seconds per day fast. It is one of four watches I own so once I established how accurate it was, I didn't care any more. If I put in on in the morning, it has usually been sitting for a few days. I just set the time, wind it up and go. I don't even bother setting the date unless I figure I will wear it for a few days in a row. As for the time, I just quickly set it not really caring if I am off by a minute either way.

If I want to be more precise about the time, I put on my quartz Longines that I got about 15 years ago. Just for fun, I checked it now. I set it against time.gov when we switched to daylight savings time in March. It has lost 5 seconds since then.

 

[Cricket1]

Thanks, I was able to figure out the quick set method for the date, worked great!

I got mine Vostock a few months back for $35 shipped from Russia. It is the manual wind version, and gains about 15sec per day. At that price, it seemed silly to spend about $60 for the same watch in Automatic.

 

[oc_in_fw]

If you want to set the time, and you want to hack it, the second hand doesn't stop when the stem is all the way out. So, what you do is with the stem all the way out put a slight turn on the stem to freeze the second hand until the time matches where your second had is. Just turn it a little bit in the same direction you would if you were winding it, but just enough to hold the second hand.

Interesting tidbit for the Seiko 5 guys. I just tried this and found that if you pull the stem out to set the time, then go back (as if adjusting back in time) just a hair the second hand will stop. It took me 5 times to be able to do it consistently, but it works.

 

[StillShaving]

Interesting tidbit for the Seiko 5 guys. I just tried this and found that if you pull the stem out to set the time, then go back (as if adjusting back in time) just a hair the second hand will stop. It took me 5 times to be able to do it consistently, but it works.

This might be pure hearsay and a myth, but I have read that this method puts undo stress on the movement and causes premature wear.

 

[bth88]

This might be pure hearsay and a myth, but I have read that this method puts undo stress on the movement and causes premature wear.

I also try to avoid doing this. If I'm a few seconds off no big deal

 

[witeq]

My budget watches are Timex Expedition and Seiko 5.The first serves me well almost 6 years and the second over 10 years.

 

[ZeroGravity]

Anyone of a number of Parnis Chinese watches. "Homage" (aka copies without the brand name attached) to many high end styles. Chinese movements are becoming more and more reliable and keep as good as time as many others.

 

[StillShaving]

Nice Seiko 5. There are many variations of this watch, yours is one I had not seen before.

When this picture was taken did you remove the crown/stem?

 

[BSAGuy]

Check out Campmor.com. Lots of good outdoors watches for well under $100. One of my best is a Casio digital from WalMart. Not attractive at all, but for $7.50, can't beat it.

 

[oc_in_fw]

This might be pure hearsay and a myth, but I have read that this method puts undo stress on the movement and causes premature wear.

Well, better safe than sorry.