Russian Watch

         Russian watches have become rather popular among collectors because of their low cost. By Swiss watch standards, however, Russian watches could be considered to be "unfinished." The pictures below are of a Wostok wristwatch (1999) from the Wostok Watch Factory in Chistopol, Tatarstan, about 500 miles east of Moscow. It has a colourful dial (or face) and a shiny chrome-plated brass case.

         Anyone looking for a low-cost mechanical watch might consider a new Seiko "5" instead. For a similar price, you could get a 21-jewel automatic Seiko with day and date. Seiko USA does not import these watches into the United States, but they are available in many other parts of the world, especially in areas where batteries for quartz watches are difficult to find. Look for a Seiko that says "automatic" and "21 jewels" on its dial. Avoid all others. For a small increase in cost, consider the Seiko S-Wave. The metal band is higher quality, with a better finish. The mechanism is the same, but it is visible in the back of these watches, a nice feature. They are available with dials in several colors. I got one with a black dial. Here are three photos I found on the internet and edited for this page. I believe this watch represents one of the best values available today at very reasonable cost. You can find them on Ebay: just do a search under "seiko wave" and look for one with a metal band (these represent better value).

         There are also several new Swiss watches in military watch style cases that have 25 jewel automatic Swiss Ebauche (ETA) movements. These Swiss watches cost a little more, but they represent an unbeatable bargain for collectors who like the appearance of military watches.

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