VOSTOK | Komandirskie 289 Submarine Commander U-Boat Military Mechanical Wrist Watch

If you’re a Cold War artifact lover, you more than likely need this watch. Yes, it’s a bit of a pain to set accurate time and I don’t recommend you tinkering with it unless, like me, you’re familiar with how to regulate the speed of a mechanical hand-winding watch as I’d recommend you take it to an horologist who knows how to do such things. That being said, once you have the time accurately set, you’ll be happy. This is a quirky little watch to wear and, even though it has a date window, it doesn’t have a “quick date set” function so to speak. If you want to set the date quickly, instead of continuously turning the crown, simply roll the time backwards to about 8 o’clock and then both hands forward again to 12 as that’s enough to change the date - just keep doing that until you get to your desired date as this process will take much less time and is part of the quirkiness of this little gem. The komandirskie has less water resistance than the Vostok Amphibian but if you know anything about Vostok watches you’ll know the water resistance is always better than what it says as I’ve read many a review of those also owning a Rolex submariner saying the amphibian (having 100m less water resistance) performs just as well if not better under the pressure. This is due to the Lucite crystal which improves water resistance as water pressure increases on it making your watch more waterproof as well as the legendary two-piece case back and screw-down crown - features you’ll almost never get on a watch of this quality for the price. However, this review is about the komandirskie which has the same features as the amphibian with the only difference being it has a nickel-plated brass case meaning it’s not as structurally sound for diving as those with stainless steel cases and is for most people who will never go to any true diving depth yet want something durable and attractive you can shower/swim/bathe in without worrying about. Don’t let the 30m water resistant tag on the komandirskie fool you as it’s good for at least 50m and possibly even 100m. If you want an inexpensive timekeeper that’s a little quirky with a great backstory of how it came to be, this is the watch for you. If you love Cold War artifacts as well as watches, your collection is not complete without a Vostok.

recently received..looks good but the power reserve is only 6 hours after full winding.stops every 6 to 8 hrs...i am suprised that its having this issue as the product specified to be having 30 hrs minimun power reserve after full winding...not happy

Very good watch, it's my second Vostok watch, the first one has lasted years and stood up to several hits from hammers while punching gaskets, many drops on concrete, ect and still keeps time! And I expect this one to hold up just as well, excellent fit and finish for a solid work watch.It needs to be wound daily, I turn the knob 15 times when I put it on each day and it keeps accurate time the entire day. When I put it on the next day I do need to wind it up and move the hands on it, 15 turns seems to last about 17-19 hours. The contrast between the face I picked and the hands makes it very easy to read at a quick glance. I also really enjoy the NATO strap I opted for over the original leather strap (they sent me a spare leather strap in the box in case I want to change it out) and I have no doubt that it will last through the years along with the solid watch. The reason I got another is because the strap broke on my original one and it is all scuffed up and the brass finish is dingy looking after years of abuse and sweat, and I must say, Vostok has a life long customer in me!Unfortunately I ordered the watch directly from Amazon as I needed a watch asap and couldn't wait the approximate month and a half it could take to ship from overseas, Amazon forgot to put the Russian chocolate bar in my package! No worries though, the quality of this watch is well worth the $60 price tag, amazingly they haven't raised the price to match the quality of their rugged kommanderskie watches.

This a great little watch. It has history as being supplied to the Russian military from the 60s up to the 90s, so if this is an issue for you, this may not be the watch for you. If not, you can't find much better bang for your buck for a mechanical watch. The movement (or engine) of the watch has proven to be very durable and reasonably accurate. It has an acrylic crystal, which can pick up scratches, but normally are easily removable with Polywatch or toothpaste. The crown is a little odd, because when you pull it out to set the time it wabbles around. This is by design so that if the crown gets hit hard, it won't damage the internals of the watch. You have to wind it every day which to most people is no problem. The strap could be better, so you will probably want to replace it at some point. There is a big following for these watches. Overall a decent watch.

This is the most analog watch you can find. It is not self winding, it requires daily wind up. It keeps perfect time. I had an issue with the seller...After waiting 3 months for the watch, they told me it was delayed in Russian customs for unknown reasons and they promptly refunded my money. One day later it was again available through Amazon for $20 more, so I placed a new order and I received it in two days. I don't think there was a customs delay! All being said, it is a really nice watch, but the blue nylon band is very flimsy and not well made. It did come with a black leather band which I have not tried because I wanted the blue that was pictured. Be aware that the nylon band looks nice, but I do not believe it will hold up for long term use.

Reloj de regular calidad de cuerda, con duración de año y medio según las especificaciones.