Vostok watches

The Vostok Komandirskie, marked "ЗАКАЗ МО СССР", meaning "Ordered by the Ministry of Defence of the USSR"

A mechnical watch of the Russian Federation era featuring an insignia of the Russian Airborne Troops

The Vostok Watch Makers company was founded in 1942 when one of the Moscow watch-making plants of the First Moscow Watch Factory was evacuated to Chistopol, a small town located on the Kama River in Tatarstan.[2] Only defence equipment was produced during the war years, but as soon as the war was over the company started making mechanical wrist watches. However, the company did not begin using the "Vostok" brand name until the 1960s. Presumably, the "Vostok" brand was named after the Vostok space programme, as were some other soviet watch brands, namely Poljot and Raketa.

The Vostok diving watch Amphibia

The company was appointed an official supplier of watches for the Ministry of Defence of the Soviet Union in 1965. This year also marks the creation of the well known Komandirskie ("Commander's") watch. The experience gained through development of the army watch led to the Amphibia, a stainless-steel diving watch able to withstand a 200-metre depth (20atm). By 1980, Vostok Watch Makers was producing 4.5 million timepieces per year.[2]

Watches sold to the military were marked "ЗАКАЗ МО СССР", meaning "Ordered by the Ministry of Defence of the USSR". These models were sold exclusively through Voentorg stores, which catered to military personnel with identification only. Today, these models have become sought-after collectibles.

At turn of the 21st century, Vostok launched a line of 1940s-style replicas called the Kirovskie K-43 collection. Vostok also began producing a "luxury" line of watches called Kremlevskie. Both lines are made of stainless steel, produced in limited quantities, and aimed toward a more affluent consumer.

In 2004, Vostok Watch Makers began supplying movements to the Koliz Company of Lithuania, makers of the Vostok Europe brand of timepieces.

In 2006, Vostok Watch Makers began marketing another line of watches branded "Amphibia". This brand, like most other Vostok products, features the familiar 31-jewel automatic (No. 2416B) movement. These watches feature "diver" styling with polyurethane or stainless steel bands. An updated version of the Komandirskie debuted in summer 2007, and a special anniversary edition of the Amphibia (called the "1967") appeared in early 2008.

Despite the introduction of the new lines of Komandirskie and Amphibia, the "classic" models (mostly designed in 1960s and 1970s) of these lines were still in production (as of 2014).

In early 2010, Vostok Watch Factory filed for bankruptcy and their official website was disabled. The factory went through restructure and resumed the production of watches and movements.

Vostok produces its own mechanical movements. The company also owns "Briolet", which specializes in the production of technical ruby-jewels. Vostok supplies models for other watch makers including Vostok Europe, Volmax, Moscow Classic and Poljot International.

The models produced are listed in the table below. Movement codes are based on the standard Soviet-era system.

• Amfibia
• Poljot
• Raketa
• Pobeda

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Vostok (watch).

• Official Vostok site
• www.najdihodinky.sk