Mad Watch Collector Reviews The Vostok Komanderskie 

I own 5 Vostoks and wear them more often than I wear my Submariner or my Seamaster. Dollar for dollar they give me a lot of joy.

The water resistance is 200 m and has been tested beyond that. The bezel does not need to click because it uses pressure to keep it in place . The deeper you go the harder it turns. The crystal is acrylic because it is designed to flex under pressure instead on shattering like a sapphire crystal will under too much pressure. The features you see as cheap are actually genius by design.

I bought my first vostok last year. Surprised by the accuracy and love the quirky nature of this brand.

The 20m WR is surely a understatement. The screw down crown and the back ensures it has to be atleast 50m

Have two steel Vostok's 200m. , one Vostok Amphibia and one Vostok Komandirskie GMT. Build like tank, after 10 years they still running great, looking cool and i love them both. There's an youtube video that shows the watches surpass the high pressure water chamber test up to 700m. Excellent watches and surely way better than that entry level brass model showed in that video.

‘One night stands where you try not to look at the face’ 😂😂😂😂😂😂😂

'If that thing is leather I'd hate to see the cow's face it came from', an absolute classic quote........great video Russ matey, see you Sunday on the live chat!

Vostok can actually withstand 200 meters underwater. Many tests have already been done and they are here on RU-vid. This is a very high quality watch for the money you pay. I recommend everyone to buy at least one of them... and I promise that you will come back for more. )

They are strange beasts, but there is something about them. Love my amphibia. Cheers !

These watches with all of their quirks are addicting....once you get one, you'll keep buying more. Great review Russ 👏

Thank you for making watches fun again! I've only been in the hobby for just over three years ago. TGV's interview with you was my introduction to you and I've been a subscriber and watching ever since. I told my wife "if I would ever do a watch channel that is what mine would be like. Lots of craziness and fun and all around watches." I love your Bezel Federation and love when you share your wife's first reaction to a watch. Thank you for keeping me entertained and informed about more watches. I just purchased two Vostok watches. One for myself and one for my son who just got back from Japan (my son is the one who turned me on to watches). They have not arrived yet but am excited to get them. Will be my first Vostok. TGV has got me loving Seiko and Casio and my collection grows on a regular basis. Thank you again Russell for ALL you do for the watch community.

Nice honest review Dude. I have a modid "Suba Dude" and a Komandirskie White 24hr dial. Great watches for the price, and so cheap and easy to mod. 🤘

In Vostoks defence this is a $20 watch on the factory online store we are talking about.

Haha, great review as always my friend. My wife is always giving me funny responses to the watches too, nice to see you include that. The episodes just keep getting better and better. LOVE IT! Have a great weekend buddy. Best, MJ

I love my Vostok. I have the 431783 Komandirskie. It fits in well with my collections of my DressKX, Seamaster 007, Tag Heuer, Tissot 1000, and Mido Ocean Star GMT. It gets a lot of wrist time, and I like how it's rugged. PS, the under side of the watch says "Waterproof - Russia"

Love Vostok's wear one everyday...and is often commented on...

Great review brother! Very interesting piece to say the least! Your wife’s thoughts were hilarious!

As a Vostok aficionado i got one of these, and gave a couple away as presents. But always on a NATO and with a bezel swap. Easy to get and easy to change. Love them as beater watches.

This watch is really built like a Russian tank or an AK 47. The watch may not look good, it has a bad strap and so on. BUT the watch shouldn't look good, it should work. I think my Vostok will even survive mankind without a single service. This is what I call real quality Sh*t. And that was the idea behind it, to build a watch as simply as possible. I think Vostok has been very successful with this

Great show MWC! With a gorgeous entry for Casio Corner and an appearance from your stunning Squale right from the off I felt like the poor old Vostok didn’t stand a chance in the looks department 😂 I was expecting a much lower score from Mr Santana to be honest. That bezel is an affront to bezels everywhere 😂 Loved the new What the Wife Said segment, can’t argue with her assessment of the watch either 😂 I’ve got an Amphibia on the way myself. I love how quirky and unique Vostoks are. They’ve done their own thing across the board and there’s something to admire about that. It’s almost like an anti-luxury watch brand. Rough and ready, cheap and cheerful but actually keep quite reliable time 😂

Thanks to TGV I got to know your channel. Honestly your videos are wonderful! Also idk why but the opening music is so good that I'd listen to it for hours :)

I’m a Vostok amphibia fan, it’s older brother not so much. Your video is honest and always fun!! Great job as usually bro !!! Vostoks are the tractors of the watch market but u got to get the amphibia for the best results... love em’

Top work Russ - how refreshing to see watches reviewed in a fun and informative way - there are far too many ‘stuffed shirts’ in this industry.

Vostoks can set the date by going past 12, winding back a little before 8 and going back to 12. I have 3 different models that can do this so I assume most if not all of them can do that.

I hope you do another Vostok video!

First time I watched the Mad Watch Collector, won't be my last. What a crack up!

Nice review and fun to watch,thought the comb over Wig was real hair at first. Brilliant, in all fairness ,awesome watchs for the cost ,wear mine more than the more expensive ones. Just wish they come with better straps ,maybe they do on purpose.

This was hilarious!! 🤣🤣 I picked up one of these around 6 months ago and had all the same negatives you had. Even tho I did like the dial and the domed crystal I just couldn’t get over the chromed platting, crown, and bezel... so I moved it on.

I live in Japan, but the Casio ae1200 is not officially sold in Japan. So I import it overseas and wear it😂😭

I think the off-gold nitrile coating looks better than the silvery chrome. Oh, and don't underestimate those straps, they are comfy as hell and basically do not age at all.

Great review as always Russ👍👍 A very honest and informative video on one of the most iconic Russian timepiece ⌚👏👏

One of those one night stands when you try not to look that face lmfao 🤣 I had a long week I needed this thanks!

I have an Amphibia Scuba Dude that I actually really love. Wound up putting it on a Casio Duro strap ironically.

This is the best review I have ever seen!

Vostok Virgin Mistakes: 1/ avoid early Amphibias and most Kommanderskis ... chrome on brass, starts to chip afer 5 years or so. Price is usually the sign, chrome ones are about £50. Stainless, up to £150 2/ having bought dozens over the years.. the BEST case shape IMHO for practicality, confort and durability is the 44mm cushion with 22mm lugs. Unlike the Turtles from Seiko these lugs have a minimal curve and the high watch back caused by the propriatory water resistance system, means that it sits about 1mm off the wrist ather than hugging the wrist like a Willard. Having said that the ergonomics of the Vostok Cushion are a different league to the round case 'amphibia' default which suffers from top heavy design. 4/ if you buy 'Vintage' then avoid any built between about 1989 and 2010. The company was in all sorts of trouble especially in the 1990s. Things started to improve with new owners and modernised movements/stainless steel by 2007. Having said that, everything is relative and in the 90s these went for £15 in the UK. I wore one as my daily beater for about 8 years. It never broke, was never serviced, kept reasonable time and deapite the chrome flaking off it never ever leaked on me. Ive still got it somewhere. Watches made under the USSR especially early ones are collectable and great quality as are early Amphibias, but they all have chromes brass cases due to Seel shortages (ain't communism great,kids?) 5/ bracelets... just dont bother... if you want a bracelet then buy a strapcode with straight end links and live with rhe vintage gap look 6/ if you havent owned one before and before you buy one, make sure you read the history of Vostok, especially the development of the Amphibia, which is an amazing story and which explains some of the 'quirks' which are actually serious design features: jumping second hand= shock absorber Wobbly crown with clutch system is deliberate to stop sausage fingered peasants from damaging the keyless works when winding or setting Acrylic is all part of the vibe and waterprooving. The USSR needed dive watches but had no cash for decadent western patent licenses so the Vostok team literally invented a dive watch from scratch without using ANY of the tech developed in Switzerland and Japan. The waterproofing is ingenious, reliable, simple and arguably a better and more elegant design than the traditional. 7/ mod away with enthusiasm. My current favourite is a Cushion Cased Amphibia Scuba Dude with the teal dial and the 3rd party (in this case the Spanish Vostok Forum) 'Lake Baikal' bezel which just sets this watch off and gives it such a unique period look. There's a UK seller on ebay who sells these with the Baikal fitted for about 100 quid. I wear mine on a blue isofrane which costs considerbly more than the watch. It is my snorkelling/sailing beater, and if I ended up losing it, its only £240 with the isofrane and I can replace the watch for the cost of a date with the missus in a half reasonable bistro. All in all, an iconic 20th C design and a piece of history.

This episode made me cry with laughter. Well done!

Great watches for the money. Some of the new Komanderskies are in an amphibia case basically and have 200m of water resistance

It’s a very solid movement you could take it into a battle or a rave.

This was very good coverage in terms of the effort you went to in understanding the watch, so many fail to bother and so don't know anything re the crown design, date hack etc. Good job! The only thing I would say is that some komandirskies have 200 meter water resistance. Also not all are chrome plated, you can in fact get many steel variants, though the price is around 70-80 odd quid for those. Fun video :)

I love my Komandirskie, the alloy/chrome case annoys me but I have modded it with a Seiko style bezel and it looks superb. The paratrooper dial is the one to get, the colours really pop.

I have a Komandirskie with a tank. I actually like the strap. I also have a gold tone Komandirskie the bezel does not move.

Nice dial choice, it looks really good. The chrome plated brass is a turn off though, i feel like it will chip off in the long run. For me, the old Seiko 5's are still the best value-for-money mechanical watch.

I had one and gifted it to my friend. The case feels like it’s made of recycled beer cans or something lol. It felt rough and hollow. Great value though, it’s just I’d a resin DW5600E at this price point.

They certainly have their qwerks, but I still love mine. Much like your channel Russell 😆

Great review as ever is it just me but is kirt santa face from the A team 😂on a bad day Please keep doing these great watch reviews Regards steve 🙂 👍

Same one I have .....👌🏾 ....think I might buy a dedicated case just for Vostoks 😁

Kurt Santana is the best comedy character in the whole watch community - and maybe beyond! Awesome work TMWC! 😂

Most people will never dive to 20 meters. If they do ears will hurt, not to mention most can not hold their breath to get to that depth. It is perfect for a field watch. Take it swimming ,no problem. You want to dive, get a Amphibia for $80. For the money, is hard to beat.

So a question. Do you think this is the best mechanical value watch or the Pagani PD1639 sub alike? The Pagani has the stainless steel, 100m and a ratchitty bezel(albeit a bit wobbly😬). Great video 👍

Now that was a funny review! I'll keep my Casio's

Love these..I came across mine in a car boot sale which I bought from some frankenstein looking russians who had a picnic table full of them...I love this watch and as long as I wind it every morning it gives great time for needs..I am sorry I did not buy five of them...I got mine for a bartered down to 17euro from 25...wish I could get a new one but with the conflict at present I would say unlikely..Will be on the look out for them on the second hand market...It shames some more expensive makes..

Another great production, Sir! I think there is a reason these watches haven't changed....or will ever change, and that is... Why would they? When RU-vidrs, including myself, spend hours and hours making essentially free promotion for Vostok. And while people love to tear these watches apart, figuratively and literally... They all seem to have NO problem purchasing and wearing them with reverence. Also, why would Vostok improve the Kom's stats when they know that if we need a more rugged watch, we will just buy ANOTHER Amphibia! Beauty is only chrome deep. These are really cool little machines with a ton of history and a cult-like following... Nuf' said. Now, about my Starking.... 😉

i love staring at mine.

Thought you were opening a Wonka's whipple -scrumptious fudgemallow delight,i keep watching this one Russell, brilliant, worth the £45 for this video alone, keep up the good work matey & remember, don't look at its face when you're pushing your crown in.

I kinda like this simple and mechanical feel. I chaged the strap and bezel, bought it with the watch. Case feels really cheap and it is, I don´t wear it often mostly because of the crown to wind and to set the date, that´s a painful experience, but it´s comfortable, nice size and the vintage style are really nice, I´ll go there set the date and wear it.

I like the blue face and the red hands but it’s not really my style of watch thought, great review as always👊

the 20m might be a translation error, the vostoks i know have 20 atm, that is equal to 200m

Recently bought one of those too. $ 35.- from ebay if I remember correctly. Got the 811783 (same case as yours, classic field watch dial with 1-12 and 24h military time) If you know what you're getting yourself into, these are great little watches. I like the bi-directional bezel on this one. I really like the winding action of the movement. And if Vostok says it's water-resistant to 20m you can bet it is. I read you can go swimming with these no problem. Ps. and how cool is that domed plexi!

The writing on the bottom does mean “Made in Russia “.

This is the antithesis of the nobility of your shop selling Teddy Baldassare, and I Loves it!!!

Got a “scuba dude” on a rubber strap-cool, quirky watch!! Ordered it from the Meranom website for 75 USD.

interestingly I've seen these tested on forums and the water resistance is almost comically understated, not a dive watch but fine for any swimming or snorkeling you'll do

Love that Squale

i have 2 vostok amphibia love them both

I have a few Vostok's and they are quirky to say the least and tough as old boots, they are also very "'Modable'" with plenty of different bezel inserts, hands, dials and domed crystal inserts for the dial. Check out Jody at JOMW as he's modded a few over the years.

I have watched several Vostok reviews and I just can't pull the trigger, yet.

I just bought a vostok in China, the price is worthy of this quality, high cost performance, only cost me 399rmb (approximately). It's a good watch for the people

The water resistance rating is really confusing with the classic Komandirskie watches, as in my experience they behave more like 5atm resistant watches. My first Vostok was one just like this and being that type of guy who never takes his watch off I wore it in the shower, in the bathtub, went swimming with it and never had an issue. So you can probably imagine my surprise when I first read about this dodgy 20 meter rating. I'd say as long as you buy the watch new and you treat the crown and caseback threads with silicone grease as a safeguard it should do fine (of course as long as you don't go scuba diving with it). BTW you've got yourself a new subscriber, I really like your review style!

Where did you get the shark hat???

I feel like this would look much better if you stripped the chrome from the brass case and gave the brass a nice brushing...

The vintage ones are much better. I have one from 1985 that my grandfather got as a ww2 veteran, special soviet mod order and they are still working great.

They have already made this Komandirskie in titanium cover

I think you've taken one for the team in buying this one! It has a face only a mother could like.

The bottom text does indeed say made in Russia.

25 $ price in Russia

Some of the Komandirskies have a stainless case. They have a 0 in the third digit of the 6-digit model number.

There are some Vostok Komandirski in stainless steel.

New to your channel. Enjoy that hair while you have it young man. Enjoy 😊

Привет, приятель, это было круто, и ты должен полюбить эту шаткую корону ... Счастливых выходных и спасибо, что поделились;)

if you want more water resistance just buy an amphibia...

subbed.

A much better deal at the $27 delivered price I got last year. The Komandirskie versions in self wind and Amphibia water proof offer a much better watch.

Always a worthy watch comrade. If the original strap isnt bad, its no original vostok.

I wonder how this would look if you sand off the chrome plating

Great show! I think that for russian watches something very interesting is to go for vintage. That way you can add some history value which make them even more worth it. Kind of cool to have cold war pieces printed USSR or CCCP :)

I think you're missing the point of the Komandirskie, it's a bit like the seagull in the sense that you're supposed to appreciate it for remaining 100% faithful to what it was in the 60s. Make any improvements and you end up with a fundamentally different watch. Go to meranom and see for yourself -- Vostok produces modern iterations of the Komandirskie (going by the name K39 and such) with probably all the features you mentioned, and arguably a lot less of the vintage soviet cool factor. Also: all your translation guesses on the dial writing were spot on.

Love what the wife said !

Ultimate beata watch

I have no faith in them. My Scuba Dude stopped working 7 months after I bought it. And changing the date on them BLOWS!!!! 🌬 Loved it for a minute tho. 👍

The what the wife said for pretty much all my watches is : “what is that monstrosity!?” . Not really tempted by a Vostok

Looks like a toy... classic, it's got some very quirky design features, never seen the wibbly wobbly thing before might be something Seiko could use?? Joking aside thought great little movement very good time keeper and hopefully by design rather than luck, Thanks great content really enjoyed that one.

Vostoks are pretty good

Still better than a squale

Tank looks wear better than the blue.

I own two of these bad boy's and I love 'em. I share your dislike of the strap, they are rubbish.

The time tardis. Looks like Jimmy Saville.

20m water resistance, what in the world😂 it does rain in the field though I feel like all field watches should have AT LEAST 50m. Preferably 100 though.

They are good for slackers who don’t care about being on time for work

Отличные часы 👍👍👍

Oh God! There are plenty of beautiful Vostok watches, you could have take a nice Amphibian special edition for your review. That is really a bargain for 120 euros.