Vostok Europe - History, Models and Owners' Reviews

I was looking for an affordable automatic diver's watch for diving, water sports and outdoor activities. Since I wasn't planning on wearing it with a city outfit and I have a 19 cm wrist, I could afford to choose a hypertrophied model that was far from the classic (and monotonous to my taste) canons of diver's watches. I came across this model from Vostok Europe, in a limited edition of 299 pieces. I particularly appreciate (i) the atypical shape of the titanium case and bezel, (ii) the tricolor cocktail (black, gray and yellow), (iii) the skeletonized dial that reveals the Seiko NH72 movement, while preserving readability thanks to its large diameter, (iv) the method of attaching the strap to the case that reminds me of the mechanic of my childhood, and allows the leather strap to be very easily replaced by one of the two other black or yellow rubber straps supplied with the watch, using a hex screwdriver also provided, (v) the lightness and comfort of the watch, despite its size, thanks to the materials of the case (titanium) and the straps (leather or rubber). In short, a diving watch that is at once virile, unique and endearing, which perfectly meets my criteria.

Full of paradoxes. Looks like a big brute but a tender heart. The size is imposing but the watch is more delicate than it seems with its finishing imperfections and its huge fully polished surfaces. The pretty movement seems a little lost in this big case, like an Alfa V6 in a Hummer or Chun Li in Zangief's body, a sort of dress watch for lumberjacks. Personally, I have no use for the 4th hand but it brings, as well as the flange and the second crown, life and relief to this big monochrome block. On the other hand, I regret the absence of a quick date adjustment which is therefore almost never up to date... In the end, an interesting watch to get started in the world of automatics, less reassuring than a Seiko or a Tissot but more original with its Lithuanian origins and its Soviet look.