Description
Vostok Amphibia diver’s watch — 17 jewels
Manufactured at the Chistopol Watch Factory “Vostok”.
Амфибия (Amphibia) is the name Vostok gave its 200-metre diver’s watch: a watch meant to be as much at home underwater as on land.
The dial carries a portrait of Yuri Gagarin, the first man in space, in his spacesuit helmet, beside the Vostok rocket that carried him on 12 April 1961. “Антимагнитные” under the logo reads “Antimagnetic”. There is no “Заказ МО СССР” (Ordered by the Ministry of Defence) marking on this dial: this is a civilian Amphibia.
About the Amphibia Line
The Chistopol Watch Factory was appointed official supplier to the USSR Ministry of Defence in 1965, and the Komandirskie was created that same year. The experience gained developing the army watch led directly to the Amphibia in 1967: a stainless-steel diver’s watch rated to 200 metres (20 atm). Instead of an expensive screw-down crown, Vostok sealed it with a case back that is pressed down harder by water pressure the deeper the watch goes, a simple solution that made a proper diver’s watch affordable.
This is the octagonal stainless-steel Amphibia case with a rotating bezel, fitted with the manual-wind calibre 2409.
About This Watch
The dial is cream, with applied polished baton hour markers, a printed minute track and round lume dots outside the markers. On the left is a colour portrait of Yuri Gagarin in his white spacesuit helmet; on the right, the Vostok rocket lifting off between two clouds of smoke. The circled “В” Vostok emblem sits above centre, with the script “Восток” logo and “Антимагнитные” (Antimagnetic) below. The hour hand is an arrow with a lume insert, the minute hand is a lume-filled sword, and the central seconds hand is red with a red-ringed lume dot. The rotating bezel carries red markings on the left half and black on the right.
Gagarin dials of this design are generally dated by collectors to the early 1990s, around the 30th anniversary of the 1961 flight. The dial carries no country marking (“Сделано в СССР” or otherwise) and Vostok case-back numbers are serials, not date codes, so we do not give a year. The case back, held by a retaining ring and sealed with a thick rubber gasket, is marked “Амфибия”, “Водонепроницаемые” (water resistant) and “Противоударные” (shock-resistant). We do not claim water resistance for a watch of this age. Inside is a Vostok calibre 2409: manual wind, 17 jewels, central seconds, no date. We identified it by its bridge layout; the calibre stamp is not visible in the photos.
Technical Specifications
- Brand: Vostok (Chistopol Watch Factory)
- Line: Amphibia
- Movement: Vostok 2409
- Jewels: 17
- Winding: Manual
- Case Material: Stainless steel
- Case Size: Approx. 45.5×43.5mm (with crown)
- Lug Width: 18mm
- Crystal: Acrylic
- Functions: Hours, minutes, central seconds; rotating bezel
- Country of Manufacture: USSR / Russia (early 1990s; not marked on the dial)
Condition Report
The dial is clean, with complete printing and a sharp Gagarin portrait. There is light brown discolouration at the outer edge of the dial, most visible between 2 and 4 o’clock and around 7 o’clock. The lume dots and hand inserts have aged evenly to a cream tone. The acrylic crystal shows a few small marks near its edge. The steel case shows light scratches from use. The bezel has scratches and small marks in the paint, and its knurled edge shows a brass tone where the plating has worn.
This watch has recently been serviced by a professional watchmaker and keeps good time.
Comes complete with a new Komandirskie padded leather strap.
This watch ships from 🇺🇦 Ukraine with tracking number
Shown with optional black bezel — highly recommended add-on!
Why Collectors Want This Watch Today
The Amphibia is the most famous Soviet diver’s watch, and plenty were made, so the appeal here is not scarcity. What sets this one apart is the dial: Gagarin’s flight is the proudest moment of the Soviet space programme, and the watch factory that shares its name with his Vostok rocket put both the man and the rocket on the dial. It sits in the octagonal Amphibia case with its pressure-sealed construction and rotating bezel, and the 2409 is a simple, robust manual-wind movement that any watchmaker can service. If you want a more purposeful tool-watch look, the bezel can be swapped for the optional black diver’s bezel.
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We guarantee the item you receive looks and works exactly as advertised — or your money back.
About the watch factory
Watch Factory “Vostok” – began as the “2nd State Watch Factory” was evacuated during World War 2 to Chistopol in 1941.
In 1943 began producing Kirovskie watch – first Soviet man’s wrist watch earlier made on 1st Moscow Watch Factory. From 1949 famous “Pobeda” watches were made here.
From 1965 “Commander’s” watch Vostok were made on the factory.
Since 1965 factory was official supplier of Ministry of Defence, all watches produced were branded as “Vostok”
Other brands produced: Albatros, Amphibia, Buran, Chaika, General’s, Kama, Kolos, Komandirskie, Mir, Pobeda, Saturn, Sekonda, Sputnik, Svet, Uran, Vostok
