Vostok 030598 "Fifty Fathoms": One Year Retrospective

Hello! I figured that I'd start a series in which I look back on timepieces that I've owned for a certain amount of time (6 months, 1 year, etc) in order to determine if my opinion of that timepiece has changed significantly, if at all. I figured I'd start by looking at the watch that inspired me to start reviewing timepieces: my Vostok Komandirskie 030598, more popularly known as the "Vostok Fifty Fathoms".

I bought this watch semi-impulsively last September after realizing they were being sold by Meranom. Like most people I was made aware of this particular model because of Ben's Watch Club, since he reviewed this same watch, albeit in a different color. Since I learned about it I knew it had to have a spot in my collection, because it had the same legendary hardiness of the Scuba Dude, yet in a more slick and discreet package.

While I still do love this watch, it isn’t the golden child of my collection anymore; that honor now goes to my PRX. But like the PRX I love that Vostok made it have elements of similar watches while still maintaining its own identity. It has the same general dimensions of modern Submariners (along with a surprisingly good solid-link Oyster-style bracelet from Vostok), a scalloped Seamaster bezel, and a whiff of Moser in the sunburst dial. Meanwhile the hands and indice font are Vostok standards, both appearing on other Komandirskies over the years, such as the 020706 and 650547.

The performance out of my Komandirskie has been nothing but stellar. After I regulated it, the 2416b that lives within it stays within +/-10spd with no beat error. When I initially got it I somehow managed to regulate it to run half a second fast a day, which made it brush up against Rolex and their famous +2/-2 rule despite being Soviet-designed. However, it took a hard whack in the following weeks, and I got it repaired under Meranom’s warranty because its power reserve was halved and refused to start after winding.

The bracelet that’s currently on the Komandirskie isn’t actually the one that came with it. Although it was made by Vostok, it’s actually a universal bracelet with the correct end links for the 020/030 case style. The original one was probably the worst bracelet I’ve ever seen; even worse than what you get on other Vostoks. The reason why was because if you moved your hand/wrist up or down, the butterfly clasp would literally come undone, making it useless to actually wear on a day-to-day basis. It’s the only time a stock bracelet or strap was so bad I threw it away. Anyways, the Oyster-style bracelet it has now has a traditional deployant clasp with security pushers. It feels decent enough, though the hollow end links that came with it are a little jangly.

Another reason why I like this watch so much is that it can go with so many straps. Because the watch’s dial and bezel are navy blue, it’s hard to find a strap or bracelet that’ll clash horribly with the timepiece. Before I bought the Oyster bracelet I’d alternate between a generic quick-release mesh bracelet and a tropic strap from Uncle Seiko for a skindiver look.

While I did wear this watch a lot last fall and winter, I ran into a conundrum on February 25th: Russia invaded Ukraine. While there’s about a million other things more pressing about the invasion than my personal taste, I really struggled to figure out what to do with my Komandirskie. I mean, it’s one of my favorite watches, but as stupid as it sounds, I didn’t want people to think I was sympathetic to Russia. I thought if people found out about where my Komandirskie came from, they’d, at best, spit in my face.

But after a long, hard think, I realized that I (and lots of other enthusiasts) love Vostoks because they’re bare-bones yet brilliantly engineered tool watches, not an extension of Russia‘s foreign policy or oppressive government. It’s the same reason why insurgents and gun enthusiasts like the Kalashnikov family of rifles, despite the fact that it was the main weapon of the Soviet Union for decades.

Even though the world at large might not like Russia right now, it’d be ignorant to completely ignore and scoff at what people love about the country due to its current government. Even though their watchmaking industry is probably not the first export that comes to mind, I personally feel that it's one of the most unappreciated highlights of a beautiful country with an encapsulating history.