The Best Watch 50 Bucks Can Buy: The Vostok Amphibia
A review after a week of wrist time
Let’s be clear first: if you just want any daily tool watch, a G-Shock is the best option. You can beat the heck out of it, it will do more than any watch and it’s cheap (well, not if they are titanium).
But if you want to add a mechanical beater watch to your rotation, I don’t think you can do better than a Vostok Amphibia.
This is a reference number 420386 with a diameter of 39mm (without the crown), 46mm lug to lug, and 18mm lug width. This one arrived last week from Russia. It hasn’t left my wrist in a week. Here are my thoughts on it.
The bezel with the dots, the scuba dude in the dial, the crown that feels like it’s going to fall off when you unscrew it, and thin lugs. It’s all quirky, but it works.
These Vostok’s are easily modded and the first thing I would change is the bezel. I should have ordered a replacement bezel with minutes on it. Well, actually, it is the second thing I would change. I already replaced the bracelet with a silicone strap that I got from the same store. It’s nicely finished for a 3 Euros strap. I’m not a bracelet guy and the original bracelet on the Vostok won’t change anyone’s mind.
However, you get a lot for 50 Euros (that’s before the 7 euros for the extra strap and shipping). Automatic mechanical watch with hand winding, screw-down crown, date window, and enough lume. Plus, it’s tough. People have frozen this watch and driven over it, and will still tick. You also get 200-meter water resistance, so don’t worry about swimming with the Amphibia.
The biggest flaw of this watch is not having a quickset date feature. So you might have to turn that crown a lot to get the right date on your watch. But if this is your daily watch or if you don’t mind having the wrong date on it, it’s not a problem.
What are the other options out there in this price range? Zero. If you can find a Seiko 5 SNK805 (or 807, 809…) for under 100 bucks, then maybe go with that. You would have a tough automatic Seiko with a day-date complication in a more aesthetically pleasing design. But you probably shouldn’t take it to the water. Prices for Seiko 5’s have increased so you might not find it for under 100 Euros. And definitely not for 50 Euros.
I posted a review on YouTube and you can see more of the Vostok Amphibia in detail. I also posted a link there to where you can get one for yourself. You won’t regret it.
