Vostok 30 days mechanical watch challenge

[jzmtl]

For those of you have/had one for some time, how do you find the crystal as far as scratches go? I know from my old timex the small scuffs are easily shined, but I also have a few deep gouges that'll never come out. And the crystal on Vostok is sticking way out too.

[RamoN]

You wind til it won't wind anymore. There will be a sudden stop.


That's us mobile.

Do you know if thats true for russian movements too or any other movement? i always heard the "if you wind it too much you may damage the spring" and was always extra careful about that. I have a manual wind orient but i use it only from time to time so i never gave more than 10-15 revolutions that give me a full day or more of timekeeping.

[mr626]

For those of you have/had one for some time, how do you find the crystal as far as scratches go? I know from my old timex the small scuffs are easily shined, but I also have a few deep gouges that'll never come out. And the crystal on Vostok is sticking way out too.

I've owned mine for a few months and haven't managed to get any scratches so far (very much a 'desk-diver'). From what I have read though, while the Vostok crystal scratches more easily than something like Sapphire, it is also easy to buff/polish scratches out.

So probably similar to your old Timex

[ducttapetech]

You wind til it won't wind anymore. There will be a sudden stop.


That's us mobile.

Do you know if thats true for russian movements too or any other movement? i always heard the "if you wind it too much you may damage the spring" and was always extra careful about that. I have a manual wind orient but i use it only from time to time so i never gave more than 10-15 revolutions that give me a full day or more of timekeeping.

I haven't used a russian movement, but different ones I have used is like this. That stop I was talking about is more like a major resistance. It will feel like a stop. It is pausable to wind it more, this is when you can mess up the spring.

That's us mobile.

[Grathr]

You wind til it won't wind anymore. There will be a sudden stop.


That's us mobile.

Do you know if thats true for russian movements too or any other movement? i always heard the "if you wind it too much you may damage the spring" and was always extra careful about that. I have a manual wind orient but i use it only from time to time so i never gave more than 10-15 revolutions that give me a full day or more of timekeeping.

I haven't used a russian movement, but different ones I have used is like this. That stop I was talking about is more like a major resistance. It will feel like a stop. It is pausable to wind it more, this is when you can mess up the spring.

That's us mobile.

On mine I can feel it suddenly becoming very heavy after about 20-25 rotations. It feels like a stop. A cording to the manual you can damage it when trying to wind it past this point.

[ducttapetech]

My pocket watch is the same way. About 20 then it hits that point.

That's us mobile.

[Grathr]

This morning the Kommanderskie was actually 15 secs too fast. I havent checked its accuracy in a couple of days and expected it to be about half a minute late. Could it be the temperature? Its a lot milder temperatures now than it was a week ago.

I also went on a short hike today. The rotating bezel made it a lot easier to use the watch as a compass.

[ducttapetech]

It could be that it was breaking in. Some times the temp or the humidity might have something to do with it.

That's us mobile.

[sawman]

This is shaping up to look like a pretty decent watch, although, I can't imagine having to remember winding every day.

[ducttapetech]

Once you get used to it. You just do it automatically.

That's us mobile.

[Grathr]

This is shaping up to look like a pretty decent watch, although, I can't imagine having to remember winding every day.

I honestly thought I would have forgotten it atleast once by now, but I havent

[Grathr]

Update:
The Vostok is still going strong.
I must admit that Im quite impressed by it, really. I have bought many cheap watches over the years, and most of them have been disapointing. Many have looked and felt a lot cheaper in real life than on the pictures. Almost all that has a pic of what looks like a rotating bezel has had a solid one. All have had cheap easy scratching crystals or some other big flaw, that eventually makes it end up in a drawer sooner, rather than later.

The Vostok kommanderskie on the other hand, looks as good as it did in the pics. Its bezel rotates and its crystal has not scratched yet. The leather strap is comfortable and its not too big but not too small either. Its mechanical but still quite accurate. It simply does not feel cheap. If only it had better lume it would have been perfect.
I really thought that I would get a rattly cheap grossly inacurate watch that would actually be a challenge to EDC. In stead I got a nice watch that Im enjoing to wear and use.
Vostok 1- 0 Grathr.




Sent from a device made from star dust using tapatalk

[ducttapetech]

Glad you are getting along with it.

That's us mobile.

[jzmtl]

Aw man, I can't wait to get mine, but I know it'll be a while though. 

[jzmtl]

Wow I'm very impressed by how fast the post office was!

the links are indeed uttercrap. They would rather die than being removed from the stamped sheetmetal bracelet. I have to disassemble it by bending the metal tabs. I swear I can buy watches from Walmart for $20 and it would have a better quality bracelet.

The lume is also pathetic, last minutes.

More to come later.

[jzmtl]

Some first impressions. The quality isn't bad, but more on the "meh" side. Case is decently machined, I'm glad I chose the square case with 22mm lug, round/18mm would've felt too small. Bezel is well designed but seems kinda dinky, very nice grip though. Crown is bad, feels like it's stamped out of old beer cans, the smooth surface and no knurling means very difficult to screw down/unscrew. The crystal/dial has sort of a vintage feel to it. I can't quite say why, maybe it's the fact neither appears to be flat, the painted markers/graphic is 2D (as oppose to the modern raised 3D type), and the tiny round lume dots make it feels like my dad's watch from the 70/80's.

I've already mentioned the bracelet, but on the plus side it's very light being hollow, so doesn't have the weight associated with the solid metal bracelet.

Forget the lume, pretend it doesn't have any, I charged it and I could no longer see it in 5 minutes.

[Grathr]

Too bad the lume is just as bad as on mine. I had a tiny hope that the more pricy amphibian would have better lume.



Sent from a device made from star dust using tapatalk

[mr626]

Too bad the lume is just as bad as on mine. I had a tiny hope that the more pricy amphibian would have better lume.



Sent from a device made from star dust using tapatalk

Nope, you don't buy a Vostok for the lume I'm afraid.

That said, they are a very 'moddable' watch- I'm sure if you looked hard enough you could find details of someone applying a better lume

[jzmtl]

I remember seeing one but it costs twice the watch did.

[Grathr]

Update:
Its now running a little fast. I have been wearing it on the underside of my wrist for the last few days because of a bug bite. Could that affeect it? The air temperature is also 10-15 degrees celcius lower now than when I got it.




Sent from a device made from star dust using tapatalk

[ducttapetech]

Maybe. I think it was/is breaking in. Kinda like a diesel engine. Once you run them for a while they loosen up.

That's us mobile.

[lowtech]

Running in a different position surely will affect the running speed of a watch. Usually they are tuned to work most eactly with teh crown facing down, as this is teh usual position on your arm.

A good watchmaker will check the wacth in different positions on it´s timescale, trying to find the best compromise while regulating it.

[sawman]

How's its water resistance? 

[Grathr]

How's its water resistance? 

Its supposed to be water resistant to 30m. I have not tested that as it will make the leather band wet wich will make it hopeless to wear. I will test it in a bucket of water at end of the 30 days.


Sent from a device made from star dust using tapatalk

[jzmtl]

Mine stopped, once again I found out I don't walk enough to keep automatics going, especially that as soon as I get home I take it off. 

It doesn't have the "stop" to let you know when it's fully wound either.

[microbe]

Mine stopped, once again I found out I don't walk enough to keep automatics going, especially that as soon as I get home I take it off. 

It doesn't have the "stop" to let you know when it's fully wound either.

You don't need to walk. any arm movement will wind it. How long is the reserve rated for?

[jzmtl]

Mine stopped, once again I found out I don't walk enough to keep automatics going, especially that as soon as I get home I take it off. 

It doesn't have the "stop" to let you know when it's fully wound either.

You don't need to walk. any arm movement will wind it. How long is the reserve rated for?

31 hours? I only wound it once after I received it and not sure if I fully wound it for fear of damage, so I guess a little deficit every day eventually added up.

[Grathr]

The honeymoon is definitly over for the Kommanderskie.
I found some dirt on its back and used a q-tip to remove it. It removed the dirt all right, and the chrome...







Sent from a device made from star dust using tapatalk

[jzmtl]

Heh maybe you do have some corrosive sweat.

If the front start peeling as well I wonder if it's impossible to strip all the chrome and just have a brass watch

Time to get a stainless amphibian. 

[Grathr]

Heh maybe you do have some corrosive sweat.

If the front start peeling as well I wonder if it's impossible to strip all the chrome and just have a brass watch

Time to get a stainless amphibian. 

Sent from a device made from star dust using tapatalk