Boctok (Vostok) Amphibia

Any owners here of the Amphibia watches, including the 1967 Amphibia re-issue?

Nyet!!

I don't have the 1967 but I do have a "scuba dude"... why?

I also have a scuba dude.

AlbertaTime wrote:I don't have the 1967 but I do have a "scuba dude"... why?

Why do YOU have a "scuba dude?" Only YOU can answer that question...


Recently I have been running across articles on the 1967 reissue and visiting some of the sites that sell the Boctok dive watches, I have seen a variety of other Amphibia models. I was just curious if anyone had one. I see that some people have had problems with the re-issue.

Rusty wrote:Recently I have been running across articles on the 1967 reissue and visiting some of the sites that sell the Boctok dive watches, I have seen a variety of other Amphibia models. I was just curious if anyone had one. I see that some people have had problems with the re-issue.

Understood. I really like my garden variety Amphibia. It's a pretty tough little $70 watch, quirky enough to be fun and very reliable.

AT, what's the issue yr of your amphibia?

AlbertaTime wrote:Understood. I really like my garden variety Amphibia. It's a pretty tough little $70 watch, quirky enough to be fun and very reliable.

Good to know, Ron. Thanks for the feedback. There is an ebay seller, in Russia, that seems to have a large and diverse stock on them. I am always a little leary of ebay sellers in general and overseas sellers, especially in Russia. But the guy has a very good feedback record.

I owned a Scuba Dude for awhile; a surprisingly well-made, accurate watch for the money. I ordered it from ebay seller zenitar, and got it within two weeks from Moscow.

Having said that, the Vostok Amphibias are not superb watches in any real way; their bracelets are garbage, very difficult to size and uncomfortable. The lume is terrible, the crystals (which are plastic, I think) scratch at the drop of a hat. The bezel feels like a toy, is bidirectional, and will certainly lead to your death if you actually dive with it (and I've seen pics from guys at WUS with them wearing them under water.)

On the other hand, they boost an interesting case design that supposedly keeps them dry up to 200m, and the movement in mine was very accurate, about +4 seconds a day. I think I paid $70-80 for mine, and it's more a novelty than a serious tool watch.

I've never held a 1967 reissue in my hands, but have seen pics of them and read several reviews. It has a different case and apparently a good quality bracelet. I've seen them sell for pretty high money for a Vostok, around $200-300 on the second hand market.

Rusty wrote:

AlbertaTime wrote:Understood. I really like my garden variety Amphibia. It's a pretty tough little $70 watch, quirky enough to be fun and very reliable.

Good to know, Ron. Thanks for the feedback. There is an ebay seller, in Russia, that seems to have a large and diverse stock on them. I am always a little leary of ebay sellers in general and overseas sellers, especially in Russia. But the guy has a very good feedback record.

If it's Zenitar, he's 100% cool in my books. I've done a few deals with him.

They used to and continued to be, an entry level, cheap watch, the non hack/nonquick set date 2416b movt is dated... Soviet era memorobilia is pushing the price up... nothing else.
But they are like Ron said, lots of fun and very reliable for very little money and they are cool .

I'm just not sure I could tell anyone about my KOOL Russian dive watch. I think I would rather put my money into a Seiko or Citizen. But that's just me...

Rusty wrote:I'm just not sure I could tell anyone about my KOOL Russian dive watch. I think I would rather put my money into a Seiko or Citizen. But that's just me...

Not just you.....but they are apples and oranges, different watches from the Japanese.

Zenitar has been screwing me over since 2011. He sent me a vostok that kept HORRIBLE time so I sent it back. He sends me the watch back "repaired". And it still kept horrible time, so back it went. He now says I have to pay half the repair bill because I broke the hairspring. I didn't touch the hairspring. This has been going on for months and it's past the 45-day window for a paypal claim. As of now he still has my broken vostok that I paid for around october 2011. Fuck zenitar.

Oh, and his english translation is atrocious.