- Vostok Amphibian SE020B35 Automatic Dive Watch Review - UNDER $200!

Watch Addiction Watch Reviews

<https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCmXWZi0fyb9DF8A7bsMHbPg>, Su 2018/07/08
03:12 … once it goes underwater it [the bezel] tightens up and you won’t
be able to move it… supposedly
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o6zOY3PzkGU

- Vostok Amphibia 150 (Review) + Amphibia History

Albert Kaminsky <albert.kaminsky@gmail.com>, Mo 2017/05/29
https://www.cheapestnatostraps.com/ [Canada, Est. 2012]
https://kaminskyblog.com/2017/05/29/vostok-amphibia-150-amphibia-history-review/

- Vostok Amphibia Review

Rick Korchak <https://watchesyoucanafford.com/author/rickkorchak/>, Tu 2009/12/29
# Dimensions
# WebWatchWorld Photos, Blueprint & Video
https://watchesyoucanafford.com/vostok-amphibia-review/

- Vostok Amphibia: An Analysis of Design Methodology

Seele <http://forums.watchuseek.com/member.php?u=64129>, Mo 2011/01/10
http://forums.watchuseek.com/f54/vostok-amphibia-analysis-design-methodology-
491757.html
[ from
Vostok Amphibian Review - A Cash Grab Offering of a Once Great Watch
Take Time, w/Patrick Marlett
<https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCp7suTPcrVV3APcyHi38dng>, Fr 2018/01/26
Want an excellent (vintage) Vostok Amphibia analysis? Click here:
http://forums.watchuseek.com/f54/vostok-amphibia-analysis-design-methodology-
491757.html
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E3c0Vccf-iE ]

~~~~~~~~

The Vostok Amphibia - A Brief History, Guide & Review (Boctok Amphibian)
RUDGE HOROLOGY <https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC2sjLQhLjV_gehfue9a0Jmg>, Th
2017/03/02
09:07 Case Models
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=04pTuzwSAsg

~~~~~~~~

The Dude abides: Vostok Amphibia

Fr 2013/10/11
http://www.thetimebum.com/2013/10/the-dude-abides-vostok-amphibia.html

If The Time Bum stands for anything, it is the prospect of a bargain. This
does not always mean a dirt cheap price, but rather, getting a watch that
has more to offer than its cost might suggest. This eternal search for
“more for less” led me to the Vostok Amphibia, a Russian work horse that
enjoys a cult-like following among a certain segment of watch nerds, and
not just because you can buy them for about $70. There are plenty of cheap
watches out there, but this is one of the special ones.

Vostok traces its origins back to 1942 when the Moscow Watch Company
evacuated to its current home in Chistopol City<1>. The Vostok name was
adopted in honor of the Soviet space program in the 1960s, and the Amphibia
arrived in 1968. It is driven by the venerable Vostok 2416b, a 31 jewel
hand winding automatic movement, which is rather accurately described on
the Chistopol City website as being “tougher than Russian steak”. It has a
power reserve of over 30 hours. Water resistance is 200m and accomplished
by a unique system incorporating a fat seal compressed by a bayonet-style
locking case back, which is secured by a threaded ring. This design allows
for a high degree of water resistance while permitting lower production
tolerances than would be necessary for a threaded case back. At higher
pressure, the case back is actually pressed tighter against the seal,
increasing water resistance as the watch is submerged to greater depth.
It is a brilliant solution. For more background and mechanical detail, see
these excellent articles from Hodinkee<2> and Watchuseek<3>.

While tough and utilitarian, Amphibias are by no means Spartan. Vostok

offers more variety in dials than Baskin Robbins has ice cream. Numerous
colors, designs, and commemorative editions have been produced, most with
a date window at 3:00 or 6:00. There are several different cases available,
but all are stainless steel and approximately 40mm, however, with a small
dial and simple chrome bezel, the watches tend to appear even smaller on
the wrist. They sport one of three bidirectional, plated brass bezels.
A screw-down crown is located at 3:00.

As one might expect, the price is achieved with some compromise, but not
much. Illumination is theoretical at best. Eventually, the plated bezel
will wear. The action on the crown seems somewhat wobbly, but this is a
design feature, not a flaw. The crystal is domed acrylic and prone to
scratch, but just as easily polished. I have been amazed at the damage
I have rubbed out of acrylic. To me, the worst feature is the lack of a
quick set date. You must wind the watch from 8:00, past 12:00 and back
to advance the wheel without going around the dial. It works, but it is
a pain.

For my own Amphibia, I chose the popular “SCUBA Dude” design, featuring
a frogman in the upper right quadrant of the dial. I also chose the round
model 420 case with a dive bezel and 18mm lugs. Unable to decide between
a black dial or blue dial, I got one of each. Both dials have a 3:00 date
window and a printed seconds track with lume dots at the hours. Hour and
minute hands are polished and lume filled, the lollipop second hand is red.
The black dial has a grey frogman and Arabic numerals printed at 12, 6,
and 9, while the blue dial features a white frogman with applied polished
and white bar hour markers with a double bar at 12:00. Amphibias are
available with steel bracelets, which are neither terribly attractive nor
comfortable. My blue dial had black croc embossed leather strap with blue
stitching, and the black dial came on black rubber, but frankly, these did
nothing for me either and were quickly replaced.

While I was changing things up, I decided to take the two watches in
different directions. The blue dial is the prettier of the two watches.
The color is vibrant with a subtle sun ray effect, and with its polished
case, bezel and markers, I found it looked best on a polished shark mesh
bracelet from StrapCode<4>, which at $84 cost more than the watch.

The black dial is more sober with its grey printed markers, so I paired it
with a grey and black striped Crown & Buckle<5> NATO for $12. Not content
with a simple strap change, I decided to modify the bezel as well. Swapping
bezels on an Amphibia is almost as easy as swapping straps. Just protect the
case with some plastic wrap and pry it off with a case knife or pen knife.
Tension is maintained by a circular spring that is refitted to the new bezel
before you press it back into place. Rather than choose a Vostok bezel, I
fitted a machined stainless steel one from Murphy Manufacturing<6>.
Murphy offers different styles of bezel for both the Amphibia and the Seiko
SKX007/009 for $40 each. I chose one that accepted a standard Seiko 007 bezel
 insert from Dagaz Watch<7> for $20.
Again, the cost of my modifications exceeded the cost of the watch, but the
result was well worth it. The black numeric bezel is more useful than the
factory dots-and-dashes and has the effect of making the dial, and thus the
watch, appear larger.

The Amphibia is a treat. It is a legitimate 200m diver for an amazingly low

price. It is tough as nails. It is available in wide variety of colors,
designs, cases, and bezels to suit your taste. If that is not enough, you
can get aftermarket bezels and inserts as well. The SCUBA Dude is the watch
I most often take on vacation because it looks cool and can take anything I
throw at it. For $70 shipped from Russia, I’d call that a bargain.

Pro: Reliable movement, incredible variety, brilliant engineering.

Con: Poor lume and bracelet, not-so-quick-set date.
Sum: “The Dude abides. I don’t know ’bout you, but I take comfort in that.
Knowin’ he’s out there takin’ ’er easy for all us sinners”.
____________________

1. evacuated to its current home in Chistopol City

http://chistopolcity.com/
2. excellent articles from Hodinkee and Watchuseek
http://www.hodinkee.com/blog/vostok-amphibia
3. excellent articles from Hodinkee and Watchuseek
http://forums.watchuseek.com/f54/vostok-amphibia-analysis-design-methodology-
491757.html
4. polished shark mesh bracelet from StrapCode
http://www.strapcode.com/
5. grey and black striped Crown & Buckle
http://www.crownandbuckle.com/
6. machined stainless steel one from Murphy Manufacturing
http://murphymanufacturing.com/factory_store.html
7. bezel insert from Dagaz Watch
http://www.dagazwatch.com/ [in the article: http://www.10watches.com/]