Don’t Be Caught Wearing This Watch Brand

Vostok

“In the company’s heyday of the 1960s and ’70s, a Vostok was the best watch you could get inside the USSR, but that’s not saying much.“

The Watch Snob is in. 

Vostok Watches

I am of university age and have modest means. I work on commercial and smaller film sets and, as such, need a rugged watch. I have several cheaper quartz movement watches, the nicest of which is a Seiko Kinetic (feel free to scoff). After doing some reading, Vostok watches caught my eye, as they appear rugged, fairly minimalist in design and because all the movements are designed and manufactured in-house at its Russian factory. What do you think of these watches? Are they an abhorrence to mechanical watches or a solid choice for a young man in search of a unique, rugged mechanical watch?

If you’re looking for a reminder of why the Soviet Union collapsed, buy a Vostok. It is the horological equivalent to a Lada automobile, and that is not a compliment. In the company’s heyday of the 1960s and ’70s, a Vostok was the best watch you could get inside the USSR, but that’s not saying much. Designed and manufactured in-house? Sure, under threat of a long sentence in a gulag.

Other than a recent bankruptcy filing, little has changed for Vostok since it was building watches for the Red Army, and, while I have a respect for the history of watchmaking, cheaply made, wildly inaccurate movements should have been the first things to go after the Wall came down. Look at what the brands in Glashütte were able to do after the Cold War ended. The stamped metal rotors and unadjusted movements were melted down for scrap and pride restored for East German watchmaking tradition.

Unique and rugged? Yes. Just don’t rely on it to get you to your film sets on time for work. For that, you’d better keep your Seiko around.

OMEGA Speedmaster Professional Calibers

Please aid me in my decision to purchase an OMEGA Speedmaster Professional. I know from reading previous articles that you have nothing but admiration for the Speedmaster Professional. I would like to know which calibers you would recommend: the 321, 861 or the 1861. Do you hold all calibers in high esteem?

The Speedmaster Professional is a case in which the evolution of a watch diverges from the admiration of its devotees yet remains a fine timepiece. In the canon of required knowledge for anyone calling himself a watch aficionado, the story of the Speedmaster Professional’s movement variations is well known. But, judging from some of the emails I receive, I can see it bears repeating.

The original Speedmaster used a Lemania-based hand-wound chronograph movement with a column wheel actuation mechanism. This movement, known as the caliber 321, was produced until the late 1960s and was in the watches that were worn on the moon. OMEGA proceeded to completely change this caliber, opting instead for a simpler cam-actuated chronograph movement that was cheaper to produce and easier to build and adjust. This was the caliber 861, and, despite OMEGA’s proud pronouncements, this movement never made it to the moon. Finally, the current caliber 1861 added another jewel to the movement and replaced a metal brake with a plastic one, and though probably more 1861-equipped Speedmasters have been sold than any of its predecessors, it is the least desirable of the lineage.

Make no mistake, the caliber 1861 is a fine movement, and one can understand why OMEGA made the changes it did for a watch that was purpose-built. But from a collector’s perspective, the caliber 321 is the one to have. Column wheel chronographs on their own are finely tuned crafted mechanisms, and for those who don’t think the moon landing was staged by the CIA, there is no better watch.

Question From A Watch Knob

I was standing in line at a local cafe and a gentleman who was next to my left side noticed my watch. I noticed him looking at it and I kind of got excited because I enjoy meeting people who love watches. It’s those serendipitous moments of bonding with another watch lover: comparing each other’s watches, admiring their choices and just having a good old time. So I responded to him, “What’s up?” to see why he was staring at my watch and to also see what type of watch he was sporting. He said, “Nice watch. Is it an automatic?” (That question raised some red flags.) My response was a simple “Yup,” and I proceeded to turn away. Apparently, this guy wasn’t alone and his buddy also made the same comment: “Nice watch.” But then this #&%% said, “I’ve seen nicer because with automatics, you tend to want it to be skeleton watches because of the movement.” I didn’t know how to respond back, because I was just caught off-guard. I was wearing my Jaeger LeCoultre AMVOX 1. What would be a great smartass answer to respond if I ever run into that type of situation again?

Smartass answer? Sounds like you don’t need any help with that one. Given your monosyllabic response and cold-shoulder turn, and your unrequited watch lover’s ignorant reply, I just can’t see why you didn’t hit it off famously.