Are Vostok Straps Bad?

The Russian watchmaker Vostok is well known for making very reliable, robust and affordable mechanical watches, but when it comes to their straps and bracelets the consensus is that they are terrible, but is this actually the case? 

Well, unfortunately yes, but it’s not as bad as everyone makes it out to be. Some of them are not too bad and overall most of them are comfortable enough and when you look at what you are actually paying for them, I think what you get is fair enough and we probably shouldn’t be judging so harshly. 

Swapping The Strap Out Is Common On A Vostok

Originally Vostoks did not even come with straps. They were just sold as the watch head and that was it. They now all come with some sort of strap, as would be expected when you are buying a watch.

A large number of people swap the strap out immediately as they have been told it’s bad. They don’t even give it a chance. Others do try and it and quickly decide for themselves that it’s not to the level of quality they want.

You will also find other people, like myself, who just like the look of the watch on a different strap. Changing it to something different can give your watch a more unique feeling, which is a pretty funny thing to say when you are talking about Vostoks as they are pretty unique anyway! 

If you look at the Vostok catalogue you will see there are a number of strap and bracelet options available. In general, the more you pay, the better the strap tends to be.

(You can read more about – Where Is The Best Place To Buy Vostok Watches?)

Vostok Bracelets

I would say that the vast majority of Vostoks come with a bracelet, so it is no surprise that they are the most complained about type of strap.

Most models of watches are issued with the lower end “standard” bracelet. They look okay and can be alright on the wrist, but the main issue that is reported is that they are just low quality.

They are made from folded links and are very light in construction, often been referred to as like folded aluminium from a drinks can. Basically they are very light and flimsy.

They also can look a little shiny and cheap. However, the rest of the watch can look like this. Vostok bezels often have that look like they are cheap plastic that is trying to be metal, especially on the Komandirskie models.

This light construction can result in them being very rattly, even joking referred to as rattle snakes by some people. They also have a habit of catching people’s arms hair, which if you have ever suffered, you will understand why they are disliked!

However, you can find many people saying that if you size the bracelet correctly, you should have no problems. This does make sense, if it is not sliding around your arm, it can’t pull your hair. Obviously every ones wrist size is different so it is not possible for everyone to get a perfect fit, but this could be the reason why you are not enjoying the strap as much as some other people do.

The bracelets do come with 8 holes of micro adjust, so you should be able to find a good fit. Personally I do not mind the bracelets. I think they equally rival what you would get from other cheap watches, such as Casio and I don’t mind wearing bracelets from either of these companies.

(You can read more about – How To Adjust A Vostok Bracelet)

Higher End Vostok Watch Bracelets

If you buy one of the more expensive models it will usually come with a different version of the bracelet, which actually isn’t too bad. Most of the issues people complain about are not found in this bracelet. It’s a little sturdier so it has less rattle and that super cheap, low quality feeling isn’t really as apparent.

You can buy these bracelets separately and they will fit any model (you can buy the end links for any case shape) so no matter what Vostok you buy, you can get a better bracelet that will still have a signed clasp.

The standard, awful bracelet costs about £4 when bought alone, where as the universal, higher quality one costs about £16. So it’s 4 times more, but in the grand scheme of things it’s still rather cheap. 

Vostok Mesh Watch Straps

Only a small handful of models come with a mesh strap, however, like the bracelets you can buy them separately. They are relatively cheap and come in various sizes to fit the watch you need and all have a signed clasp.

Personally I don’t like these. I just don’t like the look. However, anyone who has tried one says they are great and very comfortable. If you like the look of them then you should not be disappointed after buying one.

Vostok Leather Watch Straps

A lot of the Komandirskie models come with a leather strap as they are field watches, not dive watches, so their water resistance is not that great and so a leather strap makes sense.

These watches are pretty cheap and the strap you get reflects this. They are just a plain black leather strap made from genuine leather. They are clearly two pieces of tough leather glued and sown together and really don’t look great. They are also incredibly stiff at first and just have that cheap almost plastic leather feel to them.

However, this doesn’t mean they are bad. Firstly they fit with the rest of the watch very well. Most Vostoks look like they came straight out a time machine from the 1960’s and the strap is no exception. For the overall aesthetic of the watch, it’s perfect, even if it is not to every ones tastes today. 

Secondly, if you fight through the first week or two and let it break in, it actually becomes surprising comfortable. It will conform to your wrist pretty well and you will really not notice it is there.

It may not look the best, but it does the job. Although I think it’s better to swap it out, for what it is, it’s not too bad.  

Higher End Vostok Watch Straps

Vostok also offer a number of higher end leather straps. They are not that expensive and I have personally not had my hands on them, so I cannot pass full judgment.

However, they appear to be of better quality than the low quality standard issue leather strap that I do have. The clasps and the stitching look far superior so I would imagine they wear very well, especially since I find the lower quality strap pretty good.

Silicon Vostok Watch Straps

Vostok also offer a number of silicone straps. They come in a number of different patterns and colours. Again I personally haven’t had my hands on these, but they look pretty good. Any one I have spoke to says they are really happy with them. They also claim to be anti-dust, which is a common problem found with low end rubber and silicon straps.

(You can read more about – What Are The Advantages Of A Rubber Watch Strap?)

Third Party Watch Straps For a Vostok

Although Vostok offer a number of strap and bracelet options the majority of people opt for a third party strap.

Vostoks are just like any other watch and can be easily paired with any number of different strap types and colours. Just treat them like how you would pair a strap for any other watch and you can’t go wrong.

Nato Watch Strap

If you can see past the irony of wearing a Soviet era watch on a strap issued to the British military, then the Nato can be a great option. This is how I wear a lot of my watches, especially my Vostok, they are just so comfortable and look great.

You can also get equally as many colour combinations with natos as you can crazy vostok dials, so you should always be able to find a strap that will suit the watch you have.    

Aliexpress Watch Straps

It is very common to buy straps and bracelets from Aliexpress. While a lot of these are great you can very easily end up with a low quality strap, which kind of defeats the point of trying to buy a strap to replace a low quality strap.

Just be careful what you get and shouldn’t have any trouble. The good thing is they are always cheap, so if it’s not the best quality, you are not really out of pocket. 

Conclusion

Vostok straps are not the best, but they are also not the worst. When you consider the overall cost of the watch they are actually pretty decent for what you pay. Just like the watches, they are a little rough and rugged, but perform pretty well. For the low price you can’t really complain.

You should give them a try and although you will probably swap them out you might find that they are not as bad as everyone makes them out. 

You can read more about – What Watch Straps Work Well With A Vostok Watch?