The VOSTOK Komandirskie 650539 GMT is an automatic watch with a strong military design, perfect for lovers of robust and functional watchmaking. Made in Russia, it perpetuates the legacy of Soviet watches with a raw style and reliable mechanics.

It's a real Kalashnikov, it's basic but reliable. The red GMT hand allows you to follow a second time zone, which adds a touch of charm.

Under the hood, we find the VOSTOK 2432 automatic movement, known for its reliability and simplicity. With a power reserve of 31 hours, it offers sufficient autonomy for daily use. Its supposed water resistance to 200 meters (I haven't tested it in an aquatic environment) reinforces its adventurous side, making it ideal for outdoor activities.

Its slightly domed acrylic glass adds a retro charm, reminiscent of military watches from years gone by.

In summary, the VOSTOK Komandirskie 650539 GMT is a watch with a strong character, perfect for those looking for an authentic and functional piece, with a rich history and a timeless design.

A robust watch with timeless charm

Passionate about conquest, I wanted a watch with a space history at a lower cost. This GA8470.WBB limited to 999 copies is the replica in a smaller diameter of the one worn by the taikonaut Zai Zhigang during the first spacewalk. It is rather imposing and will not suit all wrists, but it has a look of its own and its finish is rather good. I have never had any problems to date. The rubber strap is of very good quality, it just lacks one or two holes for more precise adjustment.

The Chinese taikonaut watch

It's one of the watches I wear the most and yet paradoxically it's one of the watches that disappointed me when I received it. Why? Its diameter. At the time I wasn't used to 39 mm and my first impression was "it's too small". Finally I love its contained diameter, its vintage look with its yellow hands never tires me. I don't dive with it unlike other of my divers but it accompanies me almost everywhere. It is very reliable with its yema 2000 and I have never had any problems.

Yema Navigraf

Certainly one of the best value for money emotions. Its vintage look, its movement that flatters the eye and its history make it a must have. Of course it is a chinoiserie, you should not expect exceptional quality. But compared to the price there is nothing to complain about. I have had it for 5 years, it still works impeccably and I really enjoy putting it back on regularly. Its small diameter can be scary but on nato it has a beautiful presence and always arouses a look and questions from people who lay their eyes on it.

An interesting chinoiserie

Of course it is not a Bianchi in the literal sense. But the quality/price ratio is good, it retains some of the brand's codes including the crown on the left and the shape of the case with a more fun side thanks to the Octopus. It is a nice tool watch that does the job when diving. I always wear it with great pleasure.

Attractive diver

Founded in 1942 in Chistopol, Russia, Vostok is an iconic watchmaking company, recognized for its robust and reliable mechanical watches. Its history is closely linked to the industrial and military evolution of the Soviet Union, and its creations continue to appeal to watch enthusiasts around the world.
<h3 dir="ltr">Origins and History</h3>
The history of Vostok begins during the Second World War, when the Moscow watch factory was evacuated to Chistopol to escape the advancing German forces. Initially, production was oriented towards military equipment. It was only after the war that the factory began manufacturing watches for the general public. The name "Vostok", meaning "East" in Russian, was adopted in 1963, probably in reference to the Soviet Vostok space program, which marks the beginning of the USSR's conquest of space.
In 1965, Vostok became the official supplier of watches to the Ministry of Defense of the Soviet Union. This collaboration led to the creation of the famous "Komadirskie" (meaning "Commander") series, specially designed for military officers. These watches were subject to rigorous quality controls and were exclusively available in stores aimed at military personnel.
<h3 dir="ltr">Iconic Models</h3>
Among Vostok's flagship models, two series particularly stand out:
Vostok Komandirskie : Launched in the 1960s, this series was initially intended for the military. Komandirskie watches are renowned for their robustness and functional design. They often feature dials illustrated with military motifs, such as red stars, tanks or submarines. Equipped with reliable mechanical movements, these watches are designed to withstand the most demanding conditions.
Vostok Amphibia : Introduced in 1967, the Amphibia series is specially designed for divers. These watches are characterized by their water resistance of up to 200 meters, made possible thanks to an innovative design of the case and the seal. Amphibia are valued for their durability and ability to operate in hostile underwater environments.
<h3 dir="ltr">Innovation and Know-How</h3>
Vostok is recognized for its expertise in mechanical movements. The company produces its own calibers, which it also supplies to other watch brands. This internal control of production guarantees constant quality and proven reliability of its watches. Vostok movements are renowned for their simplicity, robustness and ease of maintenance, essential qualities for watches intended for intensive use.
<h3 dir="ltr">Expansion and Partnerships</h3>
In the early 2000s, Vostok joined forces with the Lithuanian company Koliz to create the brand Eastern Europe. This joint venture aims to offer watches with a modern design, while integrating Vostok's proven movements. Although distinct from the parent brand, Vostok Europe benefits from the Russian company's heritage and know-how, while targeting a Western market with contemporary designs and innovative materials.
<h3 dir="ltr">International Recognition</h3>
Vostok watches have gained worldwide fame, not only for their quality, but also for their rich history and connection to significant events. For example, after Operation Desert Storm in 1991, the Pentagon rewarded allied soldiers with a special edition of the Vostok Amphibia, commemorating their participation in this campaign. Additionally, Vostok watches have been worn by Russian cosmonauts during space missions, attesting to their reliability in extreme conditions.
<h3 dir="ltr">Conclusion</h3>
With more than 80 years of history, Vostok has established itself as an important player in Russian watchmaking. Its commitment to quality, innovation and sustainability has allowed the brand to stand the test of time and adapt to market developments. Today, Vostok watches continue to seduce with their singularity, their robustness and their timeless design, delighting collectors and watch enthusiasts around the world.
(Updated February 2025)

I received this Komandirskie K-65 as a Christmas gift, it is with this watch that I discovered the brand, and it is "already" my fourth self-winding watch.

For me, it is a real favorite. If I had seen it on a display in a store, nothing could have stopped me from buying it. I am delighted that my brother chose this model, he is more of an Apple Watch person, but surely by a clever mix of good taste and the work of the saleswoman, here is my gift.

I appreciate the octagonal-shaped case, rough cut with an axe with a brushed finish. The contrast brought by the shine of the bezel, the red second hand flying over its black dial, all topped with a domed mineral glass reinforce the presence of the object on the wrist. And the little extra for me, I love watches with a date, even more so when it is at 6 o'clock (12 o'clock on this dial, haha) because the symmetry is not disturbed.

The bracelet is rather convincing, especially considering the price of the set. It is very comfortable and does not give the impression of being fragile or of low quality, as one might expect given the price of this watch. I find this truly remarkable, especially since with 20 mm between the lugs, we have a multitude of choices to dress the watch according to our desires.

Finally, the major asset lies in the dial and its hour hand which makes the complete turn in 24 hours, with a disconcerting number of different indexes that must be integrated. Don't count on me to tell you the time in the dark yet, haha.

As a conclusion, one word comes to mind spontaneously to describe it: disconcerting. The bidirectional bezel without a click (but which holds its position well, to be seen over time) and the crown, if my brother had not repeated to me what the saleswoman had said, would have seemed broken or faulty to me. You have to find the right position for manual winding, and the position to set the time has a distinctive click in one direction when you pull the crown, but not really when you return in the other direction. However, it seems to be a quasi-signature of the brand.

In any case, it contrasts well with the robust appearance of the watch. You have to be careful with each manipulation, and I even find that it gives an intimate side to the manipulation of the crown once unscrewed. Everything becomes a call for vigilance and delicacy once in this vulnerable position. It is an intriguing aspect that, in a way, adds a special dimension to the experience of interacting with this watch.

This Komandirskie K-65 turned out to be much more than a simple Christmas gift. It is a watch jewel that captured my admiration from the first glance. The combination of its unique design (for me, being a beginner I do not know if other 24H models exist elsewhere), the quality of its manufacture and its distinctive features make it an exceptional piece in my eyes. My brother made a wise choice, and I am delighted to own this watch.

A nice surprise under the tree

I present to you my Vostok Komandirskie ISS, in fact this Russian watch has a history that can be easily verified on the internet... This is the Vostok Komandirskie of the Russian military space forces. This watch was worn in the ISS, the badge visible in the upper part of the dial of the watch is that of the launch teams of the space forces of Baikonur in Kazakhstan and Plesetsk in Russia. It has a Vostok Caliber 2414A with 17 jewels and its diameter is 40mm it has a screw-down crown and a power reserve of 36 hours and the bezel is bi-directional, I really like this special and space watch it is my only Vostok watch and I will never part with it it was delivered to me with a blue nato but I alternate with a Milanese mesh.

My Vostok Komandirskie iss Russian and space watch...

"Oh, my husband broke his hand doing some work and the watch withstood the shock." A Russian lady told me this when she saw me wearing the same Vostok. All my customers at the café wear Rolex GMTs and often this reference crudely nicknamed "Coke" Above all for its two-tone red and black bezel but maybe also secretly because those who wear them consume a lot of them in the offices;)

I swim with it and I find it really funny with its small 24-hour hand and its small second at 10 o'clock. At first glance, the screwing of the crown is not reassuring but when you know the Vostoks, you know that it is reliable. I received the watch with two bezels and I immediately put on the red and black one. So I have the same watch as the boss of my company but at the employee price. The matte black dial, the arrow hour hand make this watch very readable. The octagonal case gives it a very successful old school and modern touch, but it is especially its Oyster-type bracelet that I find very pleasant to wear and aesthetically perfect. The folding clasp is provided by a lock engraved with the B (V in Cyrillic) of Boctok. A watch that is water-resistant to 200 meters, automatic with 40 millimeters for less than 100 bucks, it is to take or take but do not leave.

Everyone must have at least one Russian watch in their collection, as much as it is fun.

La GMT Master slave

This is one of the first models of Komandirskie, po Zakaz MO SSSR.
This small watch (35mm diameter) from the late 60s early 70s has a design that I like a lot. It is a production of the Chistopol factory on order of the Ministry of Defense of the USSR. It is therefore a watch that was used and distributed in the army. Afterwards, it was not necessarily soldiers who wore them because many were sold in stores reserved for the military, the stocks left very quickly, in just a few hours and served as a currency to have other products or services, so that indirectly everyone could get it. Moreover, the following generations of this watch will be called ministry, because that is what was required to be offered to the officials of the ministry when we met them. This watch has a 2234 movement with the date (in red) and the stop-second function that allows you to set the time to the nearest second, it has a 38-hour power reserve. It has a luminescent coating (radium) on the indexes and hands. I can't say that I wear it often but I like it a lot. The gray star as a sign of mourning and the inscription Chistopol remind us that this city is known for its watch factory but also for its prison where many political opponents, especially Ukrainians, have been and that Anatoly Marchenko, the first winner of the Sakharov Prize, the European prize for freedom of thought, died there in a last fight against the Soviet dictatorship. The publication of "My testimony", an autobiographical work in 1966 and his incarceration after the repression of the Prague Spring in 1968 are contemporary with this watch. His death occurred in Chistopol in 1986 and his posthumous victory in 1987 when the first secretary of the party granted his request for the release of political prisoners. He received the Sakharov Prize in 1988. As if freedom of spirit is stronger than the totalitarian oppressive machine, torture or death.

One of the first Komandirskie

This VOSTOK watch is of unparalleled simplicity. Its chrome-plated brass case, its dial with affixed numbers, the famous red star in place of the noon, the hand-wound movement from the Russian manufacturer and cut with a billhook, give the watch a crazy charm. A charm of yesteryear but so current with its vintage spirit.
The 40 mm case and the chrome bezel give it ideal dimensions. On the other hand, its 18 mm wide strap in "very" bad leather deserves to be replaced. I did it with a black nato which reinforces its military aspect. In addition, the engraved case back is of the most beautiful effect. The same is true for its domed acrylic glass so vintage. Despite its screw-down crown and its ingenious system of compression of the case back gasket which crushes the gasket without stretching it, it is only slightly waterproof.
For 38 euros, its purchase price at the time, I do not regret this watch. Certainly old-fashioned but full of charm.

An outdated look but so current...

La marque Ollech &amp; Wajs a &eacute;t&eacute; cr&eacute;&eacute;e en 1956 par Joseph Ollech et Albert Wajs &agrave; Zurich en Suisse. Albert &eacute;tait charg&eacute; de la conception, de l&rsquo;ing&eacute;nierie et de la fabrication des montres, tandis que Joseph s&rsquo;occupait du marketing et de la vente au d&eacute;tail. Avant de cr&eacute;er leur propre montres sous la marque Ollech &amp; Wajs, ils ont commenc&eacute; leur activit&eacute; en 1954 en fabriquant des bracelets en acier pour d&rsquo;autres marques.
La marque est connue pour avoir distribu&eacute; des montres &agrave; des unit&eacute;s de l&rsquo;arm&eacute;e am&eacute;ricaine pendant la guerre du Vietnam et pour avoir gagn&eacute; sa renomm&eacute;e aupr&egrave;s des plongeurs et pilotes du monde entier.
Apr&egrave;s 12 ans de n&eacute;gociation et apr&egrave;s avoir &eacute;t&eacute; son distributeur pour le march&eacute; fran&ccedil;ais, en 2017, Charles Le Menestrel, un passionn&eacute; d&rsquo;horlogerie, rach&egrave;te la marque. La gamme actuelle comprend des mod&egrave;les comme la Ollech &amp; Wajs P-101 et la <a title="Page Ollech &amp; Wajs P-104" href="https://www.dialicious.com/ollech_&amp;_wajs/p-104">Ollech &amp; Wajs P-104</a>, la <a title="Page Ollech &amp; Wajs C-1000" href="https://www.dialicious.com/ollech_&amp;_wajs/c-1000">Ollech &amp; Wajs C-1000</a>, la <a title="Page Ollech &amp; Wajs Ocean Graph" href="https://www.dialicious.com/ollech_&amp;_wajs/ocean_graph">Ollech &amp; Wajs Ocean Graph</a> et la Ollech &amp; Wajs Navichron.
<h2>Combien co&ucirc;te une montre Ollech &amp; Wajs ?</h2>
Les prix des montres Ollech &amp; Wajs &eacute;voluent et diff&egrave;rent selon les mod&egrave;les. La plupart co&ucirc;tent entre CHF 1,500 et CHF 2,000 selon les mod&egrave;les et les finitions. Comptez CHF 1,456 pour une Ollech &amp; Wajs 350CI et pr&egrave;s de CHF 2,300 pour une Ollech &amp; Wajs Navichron Chronographe. Le march&eacute; de l'occasion est &eacute;galement une opportunit&eacute; &agrave; regarder pour acheter une Ollech &amp; Wajs moins ch&egrave;re. Les mod&egrave;les Vintage notamment les Ollech &amp; Wajs Navichron et&nbsp;<a href="https://www.dialicious.com/ollech_&amp;_wajs/astrochron">Ollech &amp; Wajs Astrochron</a>, sont tr&egrave;s pris&eacute;es des collectionneurs et ils convient de bien se renseigner sur le vendeur avant de franchir le pas de l'acquisition d'une vintage.
Ollech &amp; Wajs est une marque de montres ind&eacute;pendante et produit plusieurs centaines de montres par an, tous mod&egrave;les confondus. Pour choisir une Ollech &amp; Wajs qui vous correspond le mieux,&nbsp;les avis clients Dialicious sont une pr&eacute;cieuse ressource pour &eacute;valuer chacun des diff&eacute;rents mod&egrave;les &agrave; travers l'exp&eacute;rience r&eacute;elle des clients.
Consultez le <a href="https://www.dialicious.com/top/les_meilleures_marques_de_montres_suisses">Classement des meilleures marques de montres suisses</a> dont Ollech &amp; Wajs fait partie.
(Mise &agrave; jour Octobre 2024)

The brand Ollech &amp; Wajs was created in 1956 by Joseph Ollech and Albert Wajs in Zurich, Switzerland. Albert was responsible for the design, engineering and manufacturing of the watches, while Joseph handled marketing and retail sales. Before creating their own watches under the brand Ollech &amp; Wajs, they started their business in 1954 making steel bracelets for other brands.
The brand is known for distributing watches to units of the American army during the Vietnam War and for having earned its reputation among divers and pilots around the world.
After 12 years of negotiations and after having been its distributor for the French market, in 2017, Charles Le Menestrel, a watchmaking enthusiast, bought the brand. The current range includes models like the Ollech &amp; Wajs P-101 and the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.dialicious.com/en/ollech_&amp;_wajs/p-104">Ollech &amp; Wajs P-104</a>, the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.dialicious.com/en/ollech_&amp;_wajs/c-1000">Ollech &amp; Wajs C-1000</a>, the<a href="https://www.dialicious.com/en/ollech_&amp;_wajs/ocean_graph"> Ollech &amp; Wajs Ocean Graph</a> and the Ollech &amp; Wajs Navichron.
<h2 dir="ltr">How much does an Ollech &amp; Wajs watch cost?</h2>
The prices of Ollech &amp; Wajs watches change and differ depending on the model. Most cost between CHF 1,500 and CHF 2,000 depending on the models and finishes. Expect to pay CHF 1,456 for an Ollech &amp; Wajs 350CI and close to CHF 2,300 for an Ollech &amp; Wajs Navichron Chronograph. The second-hand market is also an opportunity to look at to buy a cheaper Ollech &amp; Wajs. Vintage models including the Ollech &amp; Wajs Navichron and&nbsp;<a href="https://www.dialicious.com/en/ollech_&amp;_wajs/astrochron">Ollech &amp; Wajs Astrochron</a>, are very popular with collectors and they should find out about the seller before taking the step of purchasing a vintage one.
Ollech &amp; Wajs is an independent watch brand and produces several hundred watches per year, all models combined. To choose an Ollech &amp; Wajs that best suits you, Dialicious owners' reviews are a valuable resource for evaluating each of the different models through real owner experience.
Consult the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.dialicious.com/en/top/the_best_swiss_watch_brands">Ranking of the best Swiss watch brands</a> of which Ollech &amp; Wajs is part.
(Updated October 2024)

Vostok Komandirskie Owner Review : Historical, robust and reliable

A robust watch with timeless charm

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