# Check On Russian Watches



## Ryzyn (Apr 30, 2012)

I'm looking at several watches right now and would like to know the authenticity of them. First two Komandirskis and then a Raketa calender watch.

The watches are in the link



http://imgur.com/FkA6a


Thanks!


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## Kutusov (Apr 19, 2010)

Hi and welcome to the forum!

2nd and 3rd are authentic, the first one I'm not sure. One thing about Russian watches is exactly what authentic means. There aren't replicas of these cheap watches but some are assembled with different parts from different watches or have reprinted dials.

So that's what I think about the first one... it's one of the cheapest komandirskies in pretty bad shape (looks like it has been buried!!) and the tank was probably added later. Anyway, a new one costs US$34 from Russia (look for the Zenitar over at ebay, he's an official Vostok dealer).


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## martinzx (Aug 29, 2010)

Hi There,

Like what has been said, not 100% sure ref Komandirski, it is also post USSR probably (1993-97) because no made in USSR or Russsia on the dial & it is a gilt/plated watch they are cheap as chips so personally pass on that one because of that & it is in very poor condition, the other 2 look OK & USSR made :thumbup:

Welcome to The Watch Forum BTW

Cheers Martin


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## Jeremy Fisher (Jan 28, 2012)

This has been bugging me too, how do you know if a Komandirskie is actually made in Soviet Union and not just a modern Vostok with vintage labeling? Is it just impossible to know or is there some kind of guide to it?

I would like to buy a full size one soon (my current one is a "Junior" model which I love but would really prefer to have an adult model as well now) but I don't think modern Vostoks has the same standards of manufacture as the Soviet Union ones had. My Junior model lasted a full 21 years without service before it finally gave way - my dad's Soviet made Komandirskie survived rolling halfway down a mountain, but his post-democracy Komandirskie broke down in under a month...


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## louiswu (May 16, 2009)

Jeremy Fisher said:


> This has been bugging me too, how do you know if a Komandirskie is actually made in Soviet Union and not just a modern Vostok with vintage labeling? Is it just impossible to know or is there some kind of guide to it?
> 
> I would like to buy a full size one soon (my current one is a "Junior" model which I love but would really prefer to have an adult model as well now) but I don't think modern Vostoks has the same standards of manufacture as the Soviet Union ones had. My Junior model lasted a full 21 years without service before it finally gave way - my dad's Soviet made Komandirskie survived rolling halfway down a mountain, but his post-democracy Komandirskie broke down in under a month...


Good question. AFAIK there are at least 4 "types" of Vostok.

(btw..this is what i think i've learned. I expect to be corrected by our more knowledgeable members)

Ones made & assembled in USSR at the Chistopol factory prior to 1992. They'll be stamped USSR\CCCP on the dial, and dependant on exactly when they were made the movement may have "SU" stamped on it.

There are ones made after 1992 at the Chistopol factory which have Russia\Poccnn on the dial and RU on the movement

Then things get a little cloudy.

USSR stamped dials & movements were probably still available during the early post-soviet era and could've been used to fill stock gaps.

I'm aware this happened at Raketa, but i'm unsure whether Vostok suffered the same poor management and workers took their own initiative to continue making watches 'unofficially".

Finally there's the modern 'frankens', not assembled at Chistopol but created from old & new parts made there.

They're all Vostoks though. Some may have more 'authenticity' than others but thankfully there's no shortage of them.

If you're unsure about a particular one it's very easy to pass it by and go find one that's more appealing.

And yes .. they're built to take some abuse.






atb,

Nick


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## Kutusov (Apr 19, 2010)

I think you've got it all Nick! :thumbsup:

Just a few more words on the franken thing... Russia is huge, USSR was even bigger and watchmakers were few. Because of the standardization and maximization of industrial production, a lot of parts are interchangeable and it was easier and cheaper to just fit a new part from another watch than go about fixing it. Forget about sending it back to the factory! So some frankens are not deliberate attempts to make a different watch, something that you would call modding if it was a Seiko, or a project watch if it was something else. They are repairs made with the parts at hand but, like Nick said, they are Vostok parts.

Also a word about something you might find on some dials... "3AKA3 CCCP". These watches usually sell for a lot more money on the bay because there's the general believe that they were military issued, the same way watches are issued to some western military branches. They're not and they aren't worth (IMHO) the extra money people usually ask for them. Here's some good info on these: http://forums.watchu...als-568830.html


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## Jeremy Fisher (Jan 28, 2012)

Vostoks weren't issued to the military?

Wonder how the Komandirskie got its reputation as an officer's watch.


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## Kutusov (Apr 19, 2010)

Jeremy Fisher said:


> Vostoks weren't issued to the military?
> 
> Wonder how the Komandirskie got its reputation as an officer's watch.


Nope, or only on very rare and specific units. Remember the size and philosophy of the Red Army... cheapness and cheer numbers. Even their Spetsnaz special forces had a very different take than western special forces... the most special thing about them was their brutality and depersonalization. Their training was basically tearing down their personality so that they would do everything they were told, including (and this was a very important role) the eventual crush of Russian uprisings. They were meant to shoot, gut and burn men, women and children on command without hesitation.

Anyway, Red grunts didn't need to tell the time, just to advance when they were told :russian:


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## martinzx (Aug 29, 2010)

I like the Radio Room homages from the 1980's & 1990's but I do not understand the prices they command??

Strange what us collectors are willing to pay........

Having said that the Amphibia has to be the best quality/value ratio for a 200m diver !! with exception of the Radio Room 

Cheers Martin


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## louiswu (May 16, 2009)

Jeremy Fisher said:


> Vostoks weren't issued to the military?
> 
> Wonder how the Komandirskie got its reputation as an officer's watch.


The "Zakaz Mo" ones were sold through shops run by the Defence dept. I've no idea of their relative cost, but i'd imagine they'd appeal more to the officer-type than the grunts. The ones i've seen tend to be relatively plain-dialed and more 'dressy' compared to the vast and colourful array of designs on the 'normal' Komandirskie divers.

As for the Radio Room version. They are nice, but about 3.7 billion other people think so too which is really pushing the price up.

Often wondered why you'd need to worry about monitoring emercency radio channels every 15 mins when you're 200m under water though.


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## Draygo (Mar 18, 2010)

martinzx said:


> I like the Radio Room homages from the 1980's & 1990's but I do not understand the prices they command??
> 
> Strange what us collectors are willing to pay........
> 
> ...





louiswu said:


> As for the Radio Room version. They are nice, but about 3.7 billion other people think so too which is really pushing the price up.
> 
> Often wondered why you'd need to worry about monitoring emercency radio channels every 15 mins when you're 200m under water though.


...and while we're at it, the Radio Room was never issued or used anywhere near a radio room, either. The modern one was not a reissue, as it didn't have an original to replicate. Mark Gordon describes it as a modern tourist watch, which was simply based on the dial design of the radio room clock. Nice though; if you like it, does it matter? No, IMHO.


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## Kutusov (Apr 19, 2010)

Yeap, the white Radio Room (Italian forum special edition, isn't it? Anna would know, she has one...) is a beauty. But that dial is taken from a wall clock, not exclusive to Russian ships. It would be a serious pain in the behind if you had to change frequencies based on what the little wristwatch dial was marking. It would need a full size cyclops instead of a crystal :lol: :lol: .

Completely agree with Martin! A 20ATM auto mechanical divers watch for 40/50 quid? That works forever and ever? No other watch comes even remotely close to that...


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