Sunday, May 14, 2017

Adventure Watches: Vostok Timepieces From Russia

Everyone wants a watch that is a little edgy.  Everyone wants a watch that has an element of DANGER!  Well, you can't get much more dangerous than Russia.  I have had this Soviet-era submariners watch for years.  It is a reminder of cold war era games of cat-and-mouse under the sea.


During the Cold War, American and Soviet submariners used to stalk each other quietly under the sea.  The Russians hoped to use their submarines to neutralize America's military advantage in aircraft carriers.  Both countries used increasingly sophisticated attack submarines in a desperate attempt to track the other's "boomers" which carried nuclear ballistic missiles for potential use in a nuclear showdown.

Soviet Akula-class attack submarine

When I strap on my submariner's watch, I feel like I have a little Hunt for Red October occurring right on my wrist.

The Hunt for Red October (Amazon)

Today, Russia is a resurgent super power that is flexing its muscle all over the world.  From "little green men" encroaching on Ukraine to low flying fighter jets buzzing this U.S. Navy destroyer, the Russians are a force to be respected.  Under Vladimir Putin's rule, Russia is even more unpredictable than the old U.S.S.R.  Where stodgy party officials once made decisions for a monolithic state, today's Russia has a leader with wily KGB credentials and a bias for action.


In the real world, this means politicians shouldn't try to have amateur private servers, use "Password1234" to secure their email, use Russian financing for investment deals, or sign up for speaking engagements with Russian propaganda papers.  Under the leadership of watch collector Vladimir Putin, modern Russia is more than a little edgy.  Today's Russia is downright dangerous when crossed.  When you strap on a Russian Vostok Amphibian watch, you can capture just a little bit of that danger for your wrist.

Vostok Amphibia on the wrist

Amazon offers a wide selection of Vostok mechanical watches at attractive prices.  For less than $100, you can get a genuine Russian military watch with 200 meters of water resistance, a well-made mechanical movement, and a history dating back to the cold war.  Vostok watches are just plain cool.  But, act fast, with all the controversy surrounding Russia and western election tampering and conflict in the Middle East, you never know if sanctions will someday be enacted against Russia. 

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