Are There Any Down Sides to Vostok Watches?

The short answer is yes. There are plenty of downsides to these Russian watches. Some people just straight up hate the idea of  Vostok, while others will see these downsides as deal breakers and not want one, other people (like me) can over look these and see the negatives more as little quirks that add to the already huge amounts of uniqueness to the watches.

Whatever way you feel about Vostoks you need to be aware of these things before deciding to make a purchase. (You should also read – Why People Love Vostoks)

Vostoks may be far from perfect, but I think it is important that we remember how cheap they are. Some of the points below are frustrating, but you should always weigh that up against what you are actually paying for. I think it’s only sensible to manage these expectations properly. You are never going to get the same experience when you buy a £50 Vostok compared to a £5000 luxury watch.

Delivery

Being a Russian watch, they are not easy to find in local shops, so you have to order them online and get them delivered, which can be an interesting experience.

Order A Vostok

Firstly to order the watch you are probably going to have to enter your credit card details into a Russian website. This can be a little freaky, but I believe it is relatively safe. (Meaning I’ve not heard anyone having a problem).

You can source a Vostok from eBay and other platforms, but then you are dealing with private sellers or second hand watches. Ordering direct from the factory website in Russia is actually going to be your best bet, you get a new watch and they are usually the cheapest option.

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

The Wait

Ordering from the factory website means you will now have a long wait until your watch arrives. If you are impatient, this will kill you. It took about 3 and a half weeks for my watch to get to the UK and I know other countries can average about a month.

If you order from eBay, this can be quicker but not always.

Also depending on where you are, you may get hit with import duties when your package goes through customs. Luckily the watches are cheap, so they usually don’t qualify for charges, but not always. 

Vostok Packaging

Let me get this clear. The packaging to keep it safe is amazing. The bubble wrap is perfect. Zero issues with that, the watches are very well protected during their long journey.

My issue is the packaging that you would see if it was on a shop shelf. (I imagine these are sold in a shop somewhere in the world).

Depending on the model you get you will either get a pathetic cardboard box, or a very cheap looking plastic one. The plastic boxes used to be an awful red colour, they now seem to be black, which is ever so slightly better, but they are still extremely cheap and ugly looking.

I know for a watch at this price point we cannot expect much more than this, but it’s still disappointing and makes me just want to throw the box away.

Paper Work

The instruction manual only comes in one language, Russian.  I know a lot of us don’t care about the instructions, but for anyone who does it can be a little frustrating that they only come in Russian.

The warranty also is also all in Russian, so I am not actually sure when it is valid to (on their website it says 1 year).  Although I have to admit that the stamp they use does look pretty cool.

Warranty

The fact that is warranty is written in Russian is only a mild inconvenience. I think the real problem will be if you want to actually use it.

 I imagine that it’s going to pretty hard to get a situation dealt with. I am sure some of the staff speak English, but it’s still going to be a nightmare going back and forth with them and then you might have to send the watch back to Russia, let alone them sending it back to you again. It just seems like it might be a long and difficult process.

The good thing is that the watches are quite cheap, you can pretty much justify cutting your losses and binning it if it all goes wrong, you won’t be down thousands of pounds as Vostoks can be picked up for less than £50. Although I know a lot of you will not agree with this in principle, if a warranty is offered, it should be easy to redeem.

(You can read more about – How To Get A Vostok Watch Repaired or Serviced)

Build Quality

Some people just straight up don’t like the look of Vostoks, it’s just not for them and that is fine. Other people think they are okay, but when they get them in hand they don’t like it. While they are built to work and be reliable for a long time, they are not built like many other watches.

Vostoks Are Kind Of Cheap Looking

The cases of the Vostoks are usually brass plated, so they can look a bit shiner than polish stainless steel. Sometimes this can give it almost plastic/fake metal look, especially on the bezels. You will often hear people describe them looking like a child’s toy or just kind of cheap looking.

This will also affect how they age and how they pick up scratches and chips. Personally I feel this is no different than owning a Casio that is “metal” but really made out resin. Although, it is something you should consider before buying one.

(You can read more about – Are Vostok Watches Worth The Money?)

Vostoks Have Awful Bracelets/Straps

It is pretty much universally accepted that the straps are awful, even those that love Vostoks can’t deny this. The standard bracelets are awful but the ones on the more expensive models are passable, just about.

The same is true for the leather straps, while they are not the best quality; they actually are not too bad. I don’t mind the leather straps, it’s kind of ugly, but sort of works with the watch and more importantly it is comfortable.

Even if you find the strap/bracelet acceptable, you will still end up swapping it at some point. For most watch collectors it’s common to change straps often, so you might not really be worried about this.

(You can read more information about – Are Vostok Straps Bad?)

Vostoks Have Terrible Bezels

I’ve already mentioned that the bezel is can look sort of cheap and plastic like, but that’s not the main the problem. A bezel, especially on a dive watch (which the amphias are) is used to measure dive times.

You use the bezel with the minute hand as a timing gauge to measure how long you can stay underwater. It is very important that once you set it, it doesn’t move. Most bezels only move in one direction, so if you accidently bump it will only move in the direction that makes it look like you actually have less time underwater. Considering your life can depend on this, it’s pretty important, so the fact it makes you think you have less time is actually a very good safely feature.

The problem with Vostoks is that they are not a clicking bezel, they are just kind of stuck on and move around with friction. They move in both directions and do not lock into place. You can look down at your watch and see it’s moved on its own. It’s basically totally useless and can’t be used for the function it is designed for.

Even if you are not using it for diving, it’s still annoying that it does not have those satisfying clicks that other watch bezels have.

(You can read more about – How To Change The Bezel On A Vostok Watch)

No Hacking or Quick Date Set

The Vostok movements may be in-house, but they are still very basic. The second hand does not hack, which means it doesn’t stop. This isn’t really a problem but if you are looking to set your watch to exactly the correct second, this can be a little tricky, if not impossible.

The bigger annoyance comes with the date setting. Some watches will let you pull the crown out and then as you spin it, the date changes. It’s quick and easy.

With a Vostok you need to spin the hands around a full 24 hours to get the date to change so it can take a while. There is a “short cut” where you move the hands back and forth between 8pm and 1am. While this is certainly quicker than doing a full 24 hour rotation, it can still take a while. Especially if you have to go through a lot of dates to get the one you need. It becomes annoying, fast.

(You can read more about – Are Vostok Movements Good?)

Vostok Have Poor Lume

While the lume on a Vostok isn’t bad, it also isn’t amazing. Personally I think it is satisfactory. It’s applied neatly and is a good colour, but I do agree it can run out faster than I would like. I think when it is fully charged it looks pretty good.

I have no real use for lume apart just enjoying that neon glow coming off my wrist when I go form light to dark.  If lume is important to you, the Vostoks may not be quite up to your requirements.

Acrylic Crystal

While the acrylic crystal may give it a cool vintage feel and also help with waterproofing the watch, it is also a scratch magnet.

I think I had mine less than 24 hours before I put a large scuff on it. Luckily if you rub it with polywash (or toothpaste) you can buff the scratches out, but this is still annoying and I do find myself being a little more cautious when wearing it as I hate scratches.

Ugly Dials

Personally I love the dials, but I get it, not everyone wants a soviet era tank or missile on their watch. However, there are a large number of plain designs so if you are not into the military stuff you should still be able to find something to your taste.

Running Accuracy

While a Vostoks ability to keep ticking is strong, its accuracy isn’t always the best. The factory promises anywhere between a loss of 20 seconds a day all the way up to a gain of 60 seconds a day.

They usually operate better than this, but as you can see the goal posts they have set are pretty wide. A Rolex is set to be a maximum of plus or minus 2 seconds a day while some quartz watches can reach the crazy accuracy of being off by only 1 second… a year.  

It can be fairly easy to regulate a Vostok if you are into taking case backs off and tinkering, but I know this is not for everyone. 

(You can read more information about – How To Improve The Accuracy Of A Vostok Watch)

The Negative Associating With The USSR

For me Vostoks are a direct link to the soviet era of Russian history. I find this fascinating, but I understand this is not for everyone. It’s easily argued that the soviet era was a very dark time in history, the threat of nuclear war, Communism, the KGB, the gulags and much more misery.   

I can fully understand why having a watch that is associated with this time would be very unappealing for some people.

(You can read more about – Do People Collect Vostok Watches?)

Conclusion

Vostoks are not for everyone and the things I have listed in this article are usually what put people off. If you are not a fan then that is totally okay. There are thousands of other watches from all over the world to enjoy. In fact it’s actually good if everyone does not like the same thing, it means we all have a different collection and can have our own unique tastes and styles.

If anything you have read here doesn’t seem that bad to you, maybe you should read Why Do People Love Vostok Watches?, as I think you might agree with a lot that is written there.