Vostok watches
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Vostok (Russian: Восток, meaning East) Watch Makers, Inc. produces mainly inexpensive, rugged military style and diver's watches at its factory in Chistopol, Russia. It also makes clocks and watch movements for other watch brands. Most Vostok watches range in price from US$35-85.
The Vostok 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.[1] Only defense equipment was produced during the war years, but as soon as the war was over the company started making mechanical wrist watches. The company was appointed an official supplier of watches for the Defense Department of the Soviet Union in 1965. This year marks the creation of the well known Komandirskie ("Commander") watch. The experience gained through development of the army watch led to the Amphibia, a stainless-steel watch able to withstand a 200 meter depth. By 1980, Vostok Watch Makers was producing 4.5 million timepieces per year.[2]
Watches issued to the military were marked "ЗАКАЗ МО СССР," meaning "By Order of the Ministry of Defense of the USSR." These models were subject to rigorous quality control and 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 2006, Vostok Watch Makers began marketing another new line of watches branded "Amfibia." This brand, like most other Vostok products, features the familiar 31-jewel automatic (No. 2416) movement. These watches feature "diver" styling with polyurethane or stainless steel bands. The high-quality finish and packaging of these watches drives their retail price to US$150-200.
[edit] Vostok-Europe
In 2004, the Vostok-Europe brand debuted. This brand, mainly aimed at the Western European market, is assembled by the Koliz Company of Vilnius, Lithuania using movements manufactured in Russia.[3] Vostok-Europe watches, due to their materials and finishing, cost several times the amount of an "ordinary" Vostok. Making reference to Vostok's Soviet past, the company's motto is The Best Soviet Technologies for Modern Watch Design.
Recently, the Vostok-Europe brand was introduced to the United States market via the cable television shopping network Shop-At-Home. As of 2007, a dealer network is beginning to form in North America.[1]
[edit] Notes
- ^ International Watch magazine, Nov. 2006, pg. 187
- ^ International Watch magazine, Nov. 2006, pg. 187
- ^ International Watch magazine, Nov. 2006, pg. 200
