How To Get A Vostok Watch Repaired or Serviced

If you own a Vostok you probably know how tough and hard working they are, but like all mechanical watches, they will get to the point where they break or at least need a service.

Repairing or servicing a Vostok is going to pretty much be the same as it would be with any other watch, but due to the fact they are quite uncommon, you might need to find a specialist to do the work.

A Vostok should be serviced every 10 years, but they can break any moment. While they are robust and can take a lot, they are still quite delicate and can easily get into trouble if you drop them so it is good to know how you can get them fixed or serviced.

Buying Parts For A Vostok Watch

Luckily Vostoks parts are easily sourced. You can easily buy individual parts or whole movements directly from authorised sellers, such as Meranom or you can buy them from private sellers on Ebay.

As they are cheap watches, the parts are also very affordable. This does lead you to ask the question of whether or not you should repair the watch or just replace the whole movement.

Of course this will depend on what the problem is. If you crack the crystal, then of course you need to buy a new one and replace it.

However, if the movement stops working for an unknown reason, then you need to decide if you will just simply buy a replacement and have it swapped over, or pay for it to be serviced.

Servicing means having it taken completely apart. It will then be cleaned and all the pieces will be examined individually. If the issue is caused by a damaged part then this small part will need replaced before everything is reassembled again.

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

Replacing Vostok Movements

If you go for this option it can be very quick and easy, as well as very affordable. The main benefit from doing this is that you now have a brand new movement and you don’t really have to mess around with your old one, hoping you can get it back to a good standard of operation.

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

Do It Your Self

This will depend on your confidence, but you can do this yourself. You will just need a couple of simple tools to complete the job.

All you need to do is open the case back, remove the movement, remove the hands and dial and then reserve the process with the new movement. Add the dials and hands to the new movement and then place this back into the case and seal it up again.

Maybe I am making it sound a lot easier than it is, but in terms of watch making/repairs, it’s fairly basic and this is commonly done by amateurs around the world.

(If You just want to improve your current movement, you can read more information about – How To Improve The Accuracy Of A Vostok Watch)

Use A Watch Maker

If you don’t feel as confident or don’t have the tools, then you can very easily ask a watch maker to do this for you.

You can buy the new movement and bring it along with the damaged watch to the repair shop. They will charge you a small fee and will swap it over for you.

Even if they do not usually deal with Vostoks, they should still be able to do this for you since it is such a simple job. It is very unlikely that your local watch maker will have Vostok movements in stock, so they would need to order them in, so if you can do this for them, it makes the process easier for them and makes it more likely for them to agree to help you.   

Repair and Servicing A Vostok Watch

If you decide to repair or service your watch you can do this in a number of ways.

The main benefit of doing it this way is that you keep all the original parts. This is usually more important for older and vintage watches. Being able to keep everything original is usually preferred by collectors.

However, most of us own Vostoks for fun and this doesn’t really matter too much to us, although, in general it is less wasteful to repair and service watches.

Sometimes a watch just needs a simple clean and fresh oil to solve its issues.  

(You can read more about – Why Has My New Vostok Randomly Stopped Working?)

Local Watch Maker

You should go to your local watch maker in the first instant, but don’t be surprised if you are turned away. Most watch makers are trained to work on more common movements, which basically means Swiss watches.

Unfortunately Vostoks are not that common and while a watch maker may be able to deal with it, they don’t want to take the risk.

Servicing a watch takes a lot of time and skill. It really isn’t a simple job as you have to take everything a part and then rebuild it. They may tell you they only service and repair certain brands and usually Vostok doesn’t make this list. 

There is of course no harm in asking, if they can’t do it for you, then so be it.

Online

Luckily there are plenty of online watch makers who will deal with Vostoks.

You can find plenty of official repair centres where you can send your watches off to be serviced and repaired. A large number of these are in Russia, so it can take a while to post them over and get them sent back again.

However, you can find plenty of independent, unofficial watch makers who will deal with Vostoks, some exclusively. This doesn’t mean they are of any less quality and they are often found a lot closer to home. I know there are a few available in the UK and they get a lot of good reviews. This also means the whole process will be a lot quicker as you are not sending the watch as far away.

Do It Yourself

You also have the option of repairing it yourself, but something tells me if you’re reading this, you probably don’t know how to service a watch. Repairing watches is a hobby for some people and they can often start with cheap Russian watches as they are inexpensive and usually not very complicated.

If it is your first time, I wouldn’t really suggest trying to service your favourite Vostok, but the good thing is that if you do try and mess it up, you can easily replace the movement.

(You are wanting to just adjust the bracelet yourself, you can read more about this – How To Adjust A Vostok Bracelet)

Conclusion

Getting a Vostok repaired is very similar to how you would treat any other watch. You just might need to look online for a watch maker who is willing to work on them, rather than find someone local.

They are serviced in the same way as any other watch and as they are so affordable it can often work out cheaper and easier to just replace the whole movement. If you own a Vostok then you will need to deal with this at some point, it is always inevitable with any mechanical watch. 

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