Vostok 30 days mechanical watch challenge

[Santos]

Well today my parcel arrived from the ukraine allowing me to join the ranks of Vostok/Bostok owners.  Paid a whole Euro$18 for my Amphibia (no date) including postage. I haven't got a camera handy so i just pulled a picture from the listing and its the one in the orange box


The rest are a shortlist of components i found on ebay to potentially pimp out a Soviet Kustom.
To explain what i have in mind from here i have to go off on a tangent.

I have a stainless 'Havoc Amphibian' divers watch with green watch face which was given to me for my 21st (or maybe 18th i cant remember) by my mother. It was made by Adina, an australian watch company that basically puts swiss quality quartz movements in their own designed case/dials/straps etc. My mother used to on sundays in a jewellery shop and got the watch for the rep for below retail. The havoc amphibian was built as surfers dresswatch.

I had the battery changed twice in its life and it went back a third time to a family friend watchmaker when i dropped it and it stopped working. Everytime the watchmaker family told its repairable but time to retire and for sentimental reasons even though i dislike battery only watches i had it fixed.  A year or so back i dropped it from the mantle and smashed the oval crystal, i pulled out the crown so the movement would not be wrecked with the glass fragments. The likehood of finding an oval crystal off the shelf for a limited run watch is probably nil.

Which brings me back to the Vostok Amphibian. The watch case is very similar to the Adina Havoc in overall dimension, the havoc is all flowing curves whilst the vostok is boxier.
My plans is
1)to salvage the watchstrap from my havoc
2) replace the bezel for a completely smooth one or perharps like the ones pictured (i like the compass but not sure it would suit what i'm going for)
3) Green watch face, thinking scuba dude, but i need to work out what i will do about the date slot as i suspect their is no date ring hiding under the dial.
4)find out if the havoc watch hands (or seiko diver ) fit


The other option is just rip it all out and put it in to the complete modern body which is about $30 shown beneath the orange box, an idea which might work for Grathr if he wants to upspec his kommie , there are some more classic round bodies as well etc

[Grathr]

Looking forward to seeing it when finished


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[jzmtl]

Got a mesh bracelet for it, I dunno, not sure if I like the look. May go back to stock bracelet, which while looks dinky seems secure enough.

[Grathr]

Got a mesh bracelet for it, I dunno, not sure if I like the look. May go back to stock bracelet, which while looks dinky seems secure enough.

(Image removed from quote.)

I think it looks better with the original bracelet.


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[ducttapetech]

Same here. The other is ok, but I like the original better.

Nate

[jzmtl]

Yeah I've gone back to stock. I'm never a fan of mesh, but thought I'd try it once. It's going into the drawer, at least it was cheap. 

[ducttapetech]

It would look good on a smaller watch I think.

Nate

[Grathr]

The 30 days have passed, and the Vostok will soon go into the final test. I will put it in a bucket of water for 24 hours. Hopefully it will survive.

Its last days had not been uneventfull. I have been on a 3day stag party for an old friend this weekend, and the Vostok was ofcourse with me. On the last day the loop on the strap broke and disapeared. Luckily I did not loose the watch.


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