My love affair with Russian watches continues

[Oeilvert]

I can vouch for Vostok and Strela, great watches:

 

[Hesekiel]

If there was ever a Russian military diver for big boys, the mother of all underwater tool watches, it's this one:



Circa 1974 Zlatoust 191ChS, purchased from the son of the original user in Russia. User, because these watches were never sold to civilians; they were owned by the USSR's navy and assigned to hard hat divers. Size is 60mm in diameter, 74 with the canteen crown, worn above the diving suit. Fixed lug bars make strap changes a challenge.



The case is 1-piece stainless steel, like a Seiko Tuna.



These are real battle scars, documenting a hard work life underwater.

 

[Teamjlf]

I have succumbed…..
This is on its way from Russia with love.

 

[Knxvlln]

That Zlatoust is an incredible watch, 100%tank. Very nice. The sub second auto Komandirskie, very good looking watch. The only thing that got an amphibia off my wrist for daily destruction is a Willard turtle project... The Russian watches are the ONLY virtually indestructible acceptably accurate cool looking watches OOTB Gen - that haven't succumb to unnecessary inflation. Nice buy, it's going to be nicer in person. Great bezel.

 

[Teamjlf]

That Zlatoust is an incredible watch, 100%tank. Very nice. The sub second auto Komandirskie, very good looking watch. The only thing that got an amphibia off my wrist for daily destruction is a Willard turtle project... The Russian watches are the ONLY virtually indestructible acceptably accurate cool looking watches OOTB Gen - that haven't succumb to unnecessary inflation. Nice buy, it's going to be nicer in person. Great bezel.

Yes I’m looking forward to receiving it and taking it away on my upcoming trip… plenty of water, swimming and heat and rough and tumble.

Now I’m on the look out for the white dial amfibia scuba. Arghhhhh !

 

[Teamjlf]

Hahaha ! After much searching, I finally found a white dial Amphibia SCUBA in the UK and it’s now also on the way to me. This one was hard to track down…. Not your traditional Amphibia scuba dude and not likely the one that the Vostok zealots chase after but I just the love the look on this one. Had to have it.

 

[Oeilvert]

Hahaha ! After much searching, I finally found a white dial Amphibia SCUBA in the UK and it’s now also on the way to me. This one was hard to track down…. Not your traditional Amphibia scuba dude and not likely the one that the Vostok zealots chase after but I just the love the look on this one. Had to have it.

Actually they do chase them, that's why it's so rare and when they do come up it's often overpriced

I paid £250 for mine s/h, which is actually a fair price for what you get.. Managed to badly scratch my mineral glass the first week I had it though

 

[Teamjlf]

Actually they do chase them, that's why it's so rare and when they do come up it's often overpriced

I paid £250 for mine s/h, which is actually a fair price for what you get.. Managed to badly scratch my mineral glass the first week I had it though

Yes the prices are high for what they are. Mine cost 280 GBP delivered to Australia but it’s never been worn and is sold as new with the protective stickers still on it.

The strap will be an issue as it’s documented to be very large and not suitable for wrist sizes under 7inches. My wrist being 6 3/4 means I’ll need to whack on an aftermarket strap. So I’m on the hunt for a good orange strap now to give it a funky new look like the below examples..

 

[Oeilvert]

Yes the prices are high for what they are. Mine cost 280 GBP delivered to Australia but it’s never been worn and is sold as new with the protective stickers still on it.

The strap will be an issue as it’s documented to be very large and not suitable for wrist sizes under 7inches. My wrist being 6 3/4 means I’ll need to whack on an aftermarket strap. So I’m on the hunt for a good orange strap now to give it a funky new look like the below examples..

Can confirm, the original rubber strap is silicone which has good and bad points... On the plus side it's super soft but on the neg it attracts lint like nobody's business! And yes, the holes are definitely designed to fit over a wet suit, on my 7" wrist the last hole is still too loose.

I have that exact orange strap, if you want one it's a Zuludiver modern tropic: https://www.zuludiver.com/products/zuludiver-modern-tropical-watch-strap-mkii-orange-silver-hardware

It's a great looking strap and has a nice vanilla scent! It's quite thick and inflexible though... The polar opposite to the Ampfibia one.

Mine:

 

[Teamjlf]

Can confirm, the original rubber strap is silicone which has good and bad points... On the plus side it's super soft but on the neg it attracts lint like nobody's business! And yes, the holes are definitely designed to fit over a wet suit, on my 7" wrist the last hole is still too loose.

I have that exact orange strap, if you want one it's a Zuludiver modern tropic: https://www.zuludiver.com/products/zuludiver-modern-tropical-watch-strap-mkii-orange-silver-hardware

It's a great looking strap and has a nice vanilla scent! It's quite thick and inflexible though... The polar opposite to the Ampfibia one.

Mine:

Yep looks amazing.
I’ll be sourcing something similar from one of the AliExpress stores I normally buy from to try out the look and feel before I get more serious and start looking for a better quality unit .

Overall how have you found this watch, the date changing is quirky AF I’ve heard and seen…

 

[Oeilvert]

Yep looks amazing.
I’ll be sourcing something similar from one of the AliExpress stores I normally buy from to try out the look and feel before I get more serious and start looking for a better quality unit .

Overall how have you found this watch, the date changing is quirky AF I’ve heard and seen…

It's fine, uses the standard Soviet designed Vostok automatic movement which is reliable if not the most accurate. I've never regulated it but mine runs +4 minutes per day, has done since new. I rarely wear a watch for more than 12 hours in a day and never the same watch two days running so it makes no difference to me as I have to set the time before I wear it no matter if it's accurate or not lol.

Date change I've not noticed anything unusual. There's no quick set date but there is a little trick where you wind the time from 9pm to 3am thus advancing the date, then you wind back to 9pm and on to 3am and it advances the date every time... Saves a lot of winding but I did read it might induce some wear to the movement.

The only other quirk is the internal bezel, you set it where you want it and then as you screw in the crown it will move 2-3mm to the left, so when setting it you have to set it 2-3mm right of where you actually want it. Probably QC related, yours might be different. It certainly gives it character...

It's easily my most complimented watch.

 

[Oeilvert]

Luch one hander today... Doesn't get much simpler than this.

 

[Karbon74]

I have succumbed…..
This is on its way from Russia with love.

I have this exact model. I changed the bezel to the black ceramic one, and will change it again to a neutral polished/brushed bezel
I am also thinking of changing the hands to Pilot style...

it is super light and comfortable

 

[Karbon74]

It's fine, uses the standard Soviet designed Vostok automatic movement which is reliable if not the most accurate. I've never regulated it but mine runs +4 minutes per day, has done since new. I rarely wear a watch for more than 12 hours in a day and never the same watch two days running so it makes no difference to me as I have to set the time before I wear it no matter if it's accurate or not lol.

Date change I've not noticed anything unusual. There's no quick set date but there is a little trick where you wind the time from 9pm to 3am thus advancing the date, then you wind back to 9pm and on to 3am and it advances the date every time... Saves a lot of winding but I did read it might induce some wear to the movement.

The only other quirk is the internal bezel, you set it where you want it and then as you screw in the crown it will move 2-3mm to the left, so when setting it you have to set it 2-3mm right of where you actually want it. Probably QC related, yours might be different. It certainly gives it character...

It's easily my most complimented watch.

If you are the kind of person like me that never moves the bezel, an easy fix is to put some screw thread loctite.
You can also take out the bezel and adjust the wire friction spring inside

 

[SRower003]

 

[Teamjlf]

2nd arrival

Also just installed a glass caseback as well.
It’s keeping good time so far and a real pleasure to wear.

 

[Teamjlf]

Strap change

 

[Teamjlf]

Or maybe orange ??

 

[Watch-addict]

Or maybe orange ??

Orange for me! strap picks up the accents on the face and second finger.

 

[Procurator]

If there was ever a Russian military diver for big boys, the mother of all underwater tool watches, it's this one:



Circa 1974 Zlatoust 191ChS, purchased from the son of the original user in Russia. User, because these watches were never sold to civilians; they were owned by the USSR's navy and assigned to hard hat divers. Size is 60mm in diameter, 74 with the canteen crown, worn above the diving suit. Fixed lug bars make strap changes a challenge.



The case is 1-piece stainless steel, like a Seiko Tuna.



These are real battle scars, documenting a hard work life underwater.

Amazing amazing story and wonderful piece of history you’ve got there.