Picked up this NOS Vostok

Not really a full review this time. This one is functionally the same as the earlier reviewed Komandirskie. Same 2414A handwound 17 jewel movement. Basic design is very similar as well. This one is gold colored though. I don't know if it is brass or some other sort of plating that is used but the effect is visually striking. This particluar one is NOS (new old stock). Its dial has CCCP written on it but the included papers indicate a 1992 manufacture date. Probably was assembled from old, pre-collapse Soviet stock. Arrived in virtually mint condition. Not bad for $21.50. I think the bund strap works well with it.

Steinhart Militare UT 6498 Review

UPDATE-Steinhart/Debaufre released a small crown version of this model for a while. Thanks to the generosity of a fellow member of the Poor Man's Watch Forum, I have that crown, free of charge :) . Here it is fitted to the Militare. I think it looks terrific.








On a Nilsen aviator for a change of pace. This watch would work well with many military style watchbands.










Update: If you are wondering who Steinhart is or are having a hard time tracking the company down, point your browser to Debaufre . After another company threatened to sure Steinhart because they thought that their name and the Steinhart name were too close, Steinhart decided to change their name to Debaufre (an early watch maker who pioneered several innovations in design). Nothing else has changed (aside from models being offered), the service and value are still excellent.

I am starting to associate the arrival of a new Steinhart with good developments in my life. My last one, the World Traveler, arrived a few days before my birthday. The subject of this review, the Militare, has come to me just days before the start of a new job (more $$, better benefits, all that stuff). I view its arrival as a harbinger of good things to come.

I am a sucker for watches with subdials. There is something about that style that says old world class to me. Until now though, I have not owned a Swiss watch with this feature. My newly acquired Steinhart Militare UT 6498 perfectly fills that void. As its name implies, the Militare is designed as an ode to early military watches. The large onion crown, in particular, recalls military watch styles from the time of both of the world wars. (See examples here)
The Militare is a large and attractive watch that measures 42mm in width (50mm with the crown), 50 mm lug to lug, 10 mm in thickness and uses a 22mm lug band width. The watchcase is made of stainless steel and is equipped with a display back that gives a wonderful view of the movement. The crystal on the Militare is made from sapphire, the best material to make a watch crystal from in terms of scratch resistance. The hands and indices on the face are coated with superluminova (a high quality glow-in-the-dark paint) that after 30 seconds of continuous exposure to a light bulb remained visible for slightly more than six hours in darkness. The indices on the face incidentally have both a 12 and 24 hour scale if that is important to you. Water resistance is rated at 5 atm, which should be fine provided you don�t go diving with it. The watch comes with a comfortable, well-made, black leather band that has a signed deployment clasp.

Internally, the Militare is powered by a Unitas 6498 17 jewel hand wound movement. The Unitas is an old and very well thought of Swiss watch movement. It was originally developed by the Swiss firm of Auguste Reymonde in the 1950�s as a pocket watch movement. Today, it is manufactured by the Swiss movement maker ETA. (For a terrific history of the Unitas and Auguste Reymonde, see: this site) The movement�s large size and robust performance has made it a popular choice for many watch manufacturers these days. The example in the Militare is decorated with an engine turned finish and blued screws and makes for a nice view through the display back. The 6498 does not have a hacking feature if that matters to you. Accuracy of my example appears to be in the neighborhood of ten seconds daily, which is just fine.

To say that I like this watch would be an understatement. It has a unique look to it that pays homage to vintage military timepieces but still manages to look original. It appears to be very well assembled and contains a movement that has a rich heritage. Price wise, this one falls in the middle of Steinhart�s line. Currently listed at $695.00, the Militare is a fine watch and a good buy in my opinion. (Unitas equipped watches run the gamut from a low of $200 to well up into the thousands) I fully expect to get many years of enjoyment from this watch and its apparent high quality speaks very well of Steinhart as a company.

(As an aside, the October 2006 edition of iW (International Watch) magazine has a very nice article about Steinhart. If you want more information about the brand, this would be a good read. Additionally, Steinhart is acquiring a reputation for truly world class customer service. E-mails are returned promptly and any issues or questions are dealt with in a straightforward way. These folks really want their customers to be happy and they provide a level of service that I have frankly never encountered before. If the personal touch matters to you, you�ll love this company).

Raketa 24 Hour Watch Review

On a new black, curved-end, leather band



On a bund strap



The movement





This is the first watch I have gotten since I was a child that required me to learn how to tell time again. I have pretty much mastered it now but it took a while before I could quickly glance at it and read the time. The trick is to remember that each quarter of the dial represents six hours, not three as it is on a conventional watch face. The watch came to me by way of a trade with a fellow member of the Poor Man�s Watch Forum. This particular model dates from Soviet times but is in nearly flawless shape and modern versions are readily available today. As such, I believe that this example will pretty fairly represent what current Raketa 24 hour watches are like.

The Raketa 24 hour is a visually striking watch that really looks like nothing else I have ever owned. The watch measures 39mm in width (42mm including the crown), 42mm lug to lug, 12mm in height and uses an 18mm band. The watch wears larger than its dimensions would suggest, however, due to a very thin chrome bezel (really almost an all-dial design) and the relatively thin 18mm band width. The watch face has no lume and the hands are very thin. Water resistance appears to be non-existent, a common trait among Raketas (Someone once commented that if a Raketa says �Water Resistance 30 Meters� on the back, it means don�t get it within 30 meters of water.) In addition to its 24 hour time scale, this model also has an internally adjustable chapter ring that is marked with several world cities (and a rather odd assortment at that-Novosibirsk for instance) as well as the names of the ice research stations of Antarctica. (When was the last time you thought about McMurdo Station, if ever.) The chapter ring is adjustable via a second crown at the 4:00 position. The Raketa�s case appears to be made of chrome plated brass with a stainless steel back. The domed crystal appears to be acrylic and is mounted as a unit in a removable chrome plated bezel piece.

The Raketa 24 hour is powered by a 19 jewel model 2623h hand wound movement. Accuracy for this example is pretty good (considering its age again) at about +30 seconds daily. The movement itself has a completely unadorned appearance, even more so than in most Russian watches.

I have read that 24 hour watches are popular in Russia because the country is so large that it has over a dozen time zones. Its easier to remember where one day begins and another ends in such an environment if you use a 24 hour scale. Additionally, much of Russia lies in the arctic circle where conventions like am and pm don�t have much meaning. That also, needless to say, applies to the poles as well. It is also a useful convention for both pilots and the military (although I am not aware of Raketas being used by either the old Soviet or current Russian armed forces.)

The Raketa 24 hour is undeniably an unusual piece. It isn�t every day that you find a watch with Ekaterinburg written on the dial after all. I wouldn�t personally use it as a daily wearer although it would work fine in that role (just be prepared to mentally translate the time to the 12 hour scale if someone asks you for it.) It appears to be quite well made (Raketa movements are anecdotally reputed to be among Russia�s best) and as long as it is kept dry, it should last for a long time.

Uzi Protector Tritium Watch Review

The original band



On the Nato band


The case back

It occurred to me a few weeks ago that of all the watches I own, none of them really qualified as something I would deliberately wear while doing heavy work or during one sporting activity or another. I'm not saying that I don't have some examples that can stand up to heavy abuse (Vostoks in particular are known for their robustness), but I wouldn't ordinarily choose to wear one if I was reasonably sure it was going to be banged around. Now it is true I could have filled this gap with a Casio G-Shock or a Timex Ironman (and a G-Shock is still very much on my "one of these days" list), but I stumbled on to the Uzi Protector and it looked like it would foot the bill nicely.

The Uzi Protector is one of two watch models sold by Uzi Gear, the other model being the more upscale Defender. Uzi Gear itself appears to be either affiliated with or a subsidiary of Campco who�s url appears on the back of the watch. In addition to watches, Uzi Gear sells a number of products that appeal to law enforcement including handcuffs, pepper spray and stun guns. The brand itself is named after Uziel Gal, inventor of the Uzi sub-machine gun, and the Uzi Gear website has a short bio of him online.

On to the watch now. The Uzi Protector is a nylon cased quartz watch with a unidirectional rotating bezel and a mineral glass crystal. The watch measures 42mm in width (not including the crown, 15mm in thickness, 44mm lug to lug and has a 22mm band lug width. The case back is made of stainless steel and the crown screws down. Water resistance is rated at 200 meters and the stated battery life is 36 months. The second hand can be hacked if that is important to you and the watch has a date function. The Protector is advertised as having a movement that includes Swiss components and the case back indicates that the movement was assembled in Thailand. While I haven't opened the case to check (I don't want to risk spoiling the water resistance), these specifications are consistent with a Ronda Powertech 585 movement. As an aside Ronda is a Swiss movement company with a large factory in Thailand in addition to its Swiss facilities.

By now you have probably realized that there is nothing really remarkable about the basic specs of the Uzi. There are, however, two characteristics to this watch that make it a keeper. The first is the tritium tube lume. Like the earlier reviewed Marathon watch, the Uzi has small vials of gaseous tritium on its hands and face. This is, in my opinion, the very best night visibility system for a watch. A watch with tritium tubes will glow continuously for many years without first being exposed to light. The glow isn't intense like freshly charged conventional watch lume (e.g. superluminova) but is instead a cool consistent glow that does not fade away in a few minutes or hours. If nighttime visibility matters to you, this system is the way to go. The tritium vials on this model are positioned on the hour and minute hands and at the 3, 6, 9, and 12 o'clock positions on the face (two orange tubes are used to mark 12:00). There are also conventional superluminova paint markers at the other numbers on the dial and on the second hand.

The second noteworthy aspect of the Uzi is its price. Until I encountered this brand, the least costly tritium lume watch around was Marathon's field watch, which cost about $100. The Uzi, however, retails for $89.95 through the company's website. While that's only a $10 difference, the Uzi has a much higher water resistance rating, 200 meters vs the Marathon's 30 meters, and the Uzi is physically much larger, 42mm compared to the Marathon's 36mm. In addition, while the retail price for this model is really quite low, even better deals can be found if you are persistent. Mine was, new in the box, for about half the retail price on ebay. This model is available with either a nylon/Velcro strap or a rubber diver�s band. I got the nylon band and while it is comfortable and good looking, I swapped it for a nato style band. I think it gives the watch a stealthy/military look but that is just a matter of personal preference. There is nothing wrong with the stock band.

In all other respects the Uzi Protector is a typical quartz watch. Its accuracy has been excellent so far (remarkable really-I hacked this watch to atomic time five days ago and so far it is spot on). It appears to be quite rugged and would make a good beater/sports watch. If you have been considering a tritium vial watch but are put off by the prices of other brands with this feature (Luminox, Traser, Ball, etc.) the Uzi Protector is a great way to go.

As an aside, I apologize for not posting a lume shot. My nice old Fuji F700 camera died (the one I photographed the Marathon's lume with) and the Olympus FE-130 cheapie that I replaced it with just can't get it done. One of these days I'll have to spring for a good camera again.

Steinhart World Traveler Chronograph Review

On an aftermarket 22mm aviator band. Buttery soft waterproof leather. Got it at Central Watch Band Stand in Grand Central Station. Highly recommended.

On a nylon Nato band for hot weather.















Update: If you are wondering who Steinhart is or are having a hard time tracking the company down, point your browser to Debaufre . After another company threatened to sure Steinhart because they thought that their name and the Steinhart name were too close, Steinhart decided to change their name to Debaufre (an early watch maker who pioneered several innovations in design). Nothing else has changed (aside from models being offered), the service and value are still excellent.


It has been a long time since I had the opportunity to open a box with a brand new Swiss watch inside. There are few events that are as nice for a watch collector. (OK, it�s not up there with the arrival of my kids, my wedding, graduating from law school or other such big life events. It probably rates just a few clicks below on the happiness meter. Maybe.) The subject of this review, the Steinhart World Traveler, arrived new-in-the-box courtesy of Steinhart and the Poor Man's Watch Forum (PMWF). The watch was a prize that I won in the PMWF Ascension Contest. (The subject was the history of New York if anyone is interested.) I still can't believe that I won this beauty and I wish to thank both Steinhart and PMWF for making it possible (that it arrived a few days before my birthday was icing on the cake).

Before I launch into the review, I think that an introduction to Steinhart is in order as the company's presence in the United States is still pretty new. The firm was founded by Gunter Steinhart (who I believe is also associated with the Robert watch brand of Germany see: Robert Imprint page). Steinhart watches are made in Switzerland and are marketed in the U.S. online through the Steinhart website. The company offers an interesting line of watches that include several Unitas based vintage military style models, some automatic diver models (including a GMT variant) an automatic aviator watch and the chronograph model being reviewed here. Update-Steinhart has also introduced a fine looking new line of mechanical chronographs. The models all have a generally upscale look and feature set. It seems that Steinhart is still in the early stage of its marketing efforts (at least in the U.S.) and I would not be surprised to see the brand achieve a greater market share in the future. Incidentally, the World Traveler is Steinhart's only quartz regulated model and, as such, is sort of their entry level piece. That it is as nicely made as it is speaks well of the rest of their line. Update: Steinhart has changed it's name to Debaufre. Apparently another watch company felt that the name Steinhart was too close for trademark comfort to their's and threatened to sue. Rather than face a lawsuit, the Steinhart folks adopted a new name.

The World Traveler is a large stainless steel aviator style chronograph whose overall look is consistent with the trend towards big watches these days. The watch measures 42mm in width (49mm from crown to crown), 11mm in height, 51mm lug to lug and has a 22mm band lug width. My watch shipped with two bands, a nubuck leather band and a thickly padded model (pictured) with a large signed buckle. (Note to Steinhart, if you are only going to ship this watch with one band in the future, make it the second one). The World Traveler has two crowns. The 3 o'clock crown is conventional while the 9 o'clock crown adjusts an internal chapter ring. The lume on the face and hands appears to be superluminova and, while not in the league of a Seiko diver (what is really?), it remains visible in the dark for at least five hours by my observation. The case appears to be a three piece design, i.e. the bezel/crystal is part of a removable unit and the back snaps on. The watch is rated at 5atm water resistance which is fine as this isn't a diver's watch. Lastly, the crystal is made of mineral glass which is adequate but not as scratch resistant as a sapphire crystal (although it is less expensive which counts too I suppose).

Internally, the World Traveler is powered by a Ronda 5040.B 13 jewel quartz chronograph movement. As an aside, Steinhart deserves praise for both inscribing the movement type on the case back and further for including in the box a copy of Rhonda's manual for the movement. (It took me months to find a third party's documentation of my Tag Heuer Formula One's movement. It was an ETA. I could have just opened it I suppose, but then I would have to get its water resistance checked again after closing it). Unlike many ordinary quartz movements, the 5040.B has an interesting complication that sets it apart from most other movements. The complication is what Ronda calls a "big date" feature. See: Timezone Simply put, instead of just a single rotating date wheel, this movement has two, one for each digit. The result is a comparatively large twin date window that is very prominent on the watch face. In other respects, the movement is very much like most other multi-function chronographs. Accuracy is excellent, as is typical for a quartz movement and the battery life, which is rated at 48 months, is quite good. This particular movement is also used in watches made by Mondaine, Jacques Lemans, and Traser. To my knowledge, the World Traveler at the current price of $249.00 is among the least expensive watches available with the 5040.B movement.

To sum up this review, I think that the World Traveler is an exceptionally fine watch that is well worth its price. I particularly appreciate again having a chronograph that I can use as a worry free daily wearer. (A quartz chronograph should be much more durable than a mechanical model. A few ordinary knocks here and there should not damage one. Servicing is considerably less of an issue too.) This Steinhart appears to be very well made, it uses an interesting movement and it is quite handsome. It really would be an ideal traveling companion.

Zlatoust Diver's Watch

The awful stock strap








Screw-pin detail







Crown detail










A Type One Movement. It is a Russian made copy of an old American Dueber-Hampden pocketwatch movement,




About three inches from end to end.



Weight lifting :)



According to watch industry buzz, big watches are "in" these days. I regularly hear folks discount 38mm watches as being far too small while the old 34mm standard man's size watch is barely considered large enough for ladies now. Well, if big watches are your cup of tea, I've got the thing for you. The Zlatoust diver's watch is big, really big. I've owned alarm clocks that weren't this big. How big, well its 58mm in diameter (not including the huge canteen crown which brings the overall width to 74mm!), 24mm in thickness (which is thicker than the width of many a ladies watch), the lugs are 24mm wide, lug to lug the watch measures 73mm and the it weighs 10oz. (For those of you who are curious, my wrist measures 7 1/2" around. The watch, as you can see, completely covers it and actually sticks out a bit) Needless to say, this is not the most comfortable watch out there. Frankly, it�s at best clumsy and at worst (on the stock band) downright painful to wear.

The watch itself is undeniably fascinating. I wore it around my law firm one day and at least a dozen people commented about it. No one had ever seen a watch like it and a number of folks actually tried it on. Even people who probably were not all that interested in watches were amazed. The Zlatoust uses a one piece case design (the movement is installed through the front) with an unusual screw-down bezel to hold the thick acrylic crystal tight against a rubber gasket. The watch ships with a sort of rubberized canvas band (complete with CCCP logo) that is possibly the least comfortable watch band I have ever encountered. It is stiff, sticky and does not breathe at all. I suppose the band would make sense if worn over a wetsuit but otherwise, it�s more like a handcuff than a watchband. I currently have my Zlatoust on an old Rhino band I had lying around. It�s still not remotely comfortable but it is wearable. In addition to the odd band, the bezel unscrews completely to allow the wearer to remove the protective grill and place a thicker (included) gasket in its place. The lug pins are of a screwed in type and can be removed with the small screwdriver that also came with the watch. The huge canteen style crown screws down and has a rubber gasket to protect the movement from water. An attached chain keeps the crown from getting lost. The numerals and hands on the watch face are luminous and, in a pleasant surprise, the lume is pretty good. The movement on this model is the same one used in the old First State Watch Factory Type One (reviewed below). It is a 15 jewel hand wound mechanism that must be wound once daily by unscrewing and partially removing the canteen crown cover. I have not actually opened the case to see the movement since this type of case design is tricky to extract a movement from, but the frequency sounds exactly the same as the low-beat tick of my Type One models. The one curious bit of data that I don't have is water resistance. I have fully immersed my watch with no damage but I don't know how deep it can go. I read a post over at watchuseek.com that stated that this watch is not really meant for very deep water at all but is instead meant for prolonged use in shallow water along the lines of a diving bell. I honestly don't know for sure.

The Zlatoust watch factory has an interesting history. During WWII, the one of the Moscow watch factories (I believe it was First State Watch Factory) was evacuated east to Zlatoust in the Chelyabinsk region to avoid being captured or destroyed by the advancing Nazi army. (many other Russian factories were moved this way as well) There, watch and clock production was quickly brought back online. According to the factory, (be patient, the page loads very slowly) over 90 percent of the clocks installed in Soviet tanks and aircraft were made at Zlatoust. After the war, the factory continued to produce all sorts of clocks and watches including stopwatches and this huge diver watch. (As an aside, they don�t just make watches in Zlatoust. This place was also the center of the old Soviet nuclear weapons industry. See: Zlatoust . It is also reputed to be one of the most contaminated places in the world as well. Scary stuff. (Additionally-If you are interested in modern Russian history I recommend reading Andrew Meier's book Black Earth. It is a collection of stories consisting of recent reporting by the author as he traveled throughout Russia. A real eye opener.)

It bears noting that watches like this one appear on frequently ebay and other Russian watch seller�s web pages these days. Many of them are clearly modern reproductions of the Zlatoust diver. Models with the text �700 Meters� on the face or with a centrally located second hand or a subdial are not, to my knowledge, real military diver�s watches. They may be made at the Zlatoust factory, however, but their movements are probably not the old low-beat Type One variety. Additionally, I have heard that modern examples have chrome plated brass cases instead of the solid stainless steel cases the originals used. If you are going to suffer owning one of these, try to get one that is as historically correct as possible. (Mine isn�t perfect either, it doesn�t have the plain back that the real issued ones have). Watches like this are available from a number of Russian watch sellers. I got mine here.

I think it should be obvious from this review that the Zlatoust diver is clearly never going to be anyone�s daily wear watch (That is unless your wrist is over eleven or so inches around. Then it might work for you). Still, I�m very happy to have this beast. It is, without question, the most unusual watch I own and may be the biggest wrist watch ever made. It is also an interesting piece of history. The one thing it is not is boring.

P.S.-Another great review of this watch can be found here

Seiko Monster Review SKX779

On a nylon band for a change of pace









I wasn't originally going to write this review because it seemed to me that there was nothing much left to say about this excellent watch. However, after living with the Monster for a few weeks now, I just couldn't resist putting my own two cents in.

The Seiko Monster is one of those rare products that rightly seems like it should cost a lot more than it does. From its massive stainless steel case to its big solid-link bracelet everything about the Monster says first class. Its hard to explain it but this watch has that perfectly designed and assembled look about it that sometimes you don't see on watches that cost twice the Monster's price or more. Count on this big Seiko being noticed by anyone who appreciates nice watches. Its really that well done.

Externally, the Monster is 42mm in diameter (not including the crown), 12mm in thickness and has a 20mm band lug width (although the stock bracelet flares out to a width of 24mm thus making the lugs look much wider). The watch is equipped with a very large stainless steel unidirectional diver's bezel (with its own luminous marker embedded) and a screw-down crown. Water resistance is rated at 200 meters and the crystal is made of Seiko's proprietary Hardlex reinforced mineral glass (Hardlex sort of splits the difference between regular mineral glass, which scratches very easily, and sapphire, which is best at resisting scratches but is expensive and can shatter when knocked.) Additionally, it deserves noting that the bracelet on the Monster is exceptionally well done. It is a heavy, solid link design (including solid end-links thankfully) that frankly seems better made than any other watch bracelet that I have ever encountered, irrespective of price. The bracelet uses a double locking clasp and includes a diver's extension. Lastly, the Monster's lume is, far and away, the best light activated lume available anywhere. Expose this watch to light for a little while and it will remain visible in darkness for at least eight hours. It may last longer for all I know but that is as long as I have tested it. With the exception of tritium lume watches (and their lume does lose power over a number of years) the Monster is as good as it gets when it comes to visibility in the dark.

Internally, this Seiko is powered by a 7s26 21 jewel automatic movement. This is a very popular movement among Seiko models and is renowned for its durability and longevity. 7S26s have been known to run reliably for ten years or more with no maintenance and are reputed to be very resistant to abuse. It should be noted that the 7S26 will neither hack or handwind, if those features are important to you. To wind the watch, you just set it and give it a shake. The automatic winding mechanism takes over from there and your normal body motions throughout the day will provide a day or so worth of power at a time. Seiko's automatic winding mechanism is considered to be among the best in the industry. For a detailed explanation of its operation, check out this fine review by The Purists.

All told, it is my personal belief that you can't go wrong with this watch. Truthfully, if I could only own one watch (horrors!), the Monster would likely be it. It has no real weaknesses (the inability to hack or handwind might bother some folks but it has no practical effect on the use of the watch) and it possess loads of strengths. If you want a very high quality watch that will give trouble free service under all conditions for many years, look no further. Best of all, the Monster is a bargain. New examples regularly appear on ebay in the low to mid hundred dollar range, the PMWF Sales Corner seems to regularly have them in stock for very good prices (and Reto and Helen are a pleasure to deal with). I happened to get mine while vacationing in the Philippines at the Seiko store in the Glorietta Mall in Makati (Very nice folks there by the way. Great place to buy a watch.) I really can't sing this one's praises enough.

Vostok Radio Operator Review

On a newly acquired factory bracelet

The subject of this review, the Vostok Radio Operator watch is one of the new old stock (NOS) models that have been turning up of late on the worldwide tag sale. I got this particular example a few weeks ago in what looked like its original box with the factory paperwork. It did not have a strap, however, and I decided it would look good on a black Nilsen bund (Nilsen incidentally has a great selection of bund style straps for excellent prices. Quality is quite good too.) (For more information on the history of Vostok, check the monthly archives of this site for the Vostok Komandirskie review)

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The watch itself is powered by Vostok's 17 jewel model 2409 hand-wound movement. It uses a thick acrylic crystal, the company's trademark two piece stainless-steel case back, the usual wobbly screw-down crown design (normal for this make), and Vostok's typically awful lume. The watch is rated at 200 meters water resistance but since this is NOS, I wouldn't rely on that figure without having it tested first. This Vostok has the old style octagonal stainless-steel case style that thankfully had nary a mark on it when it arrived. The case measures 38mm in width (42mm including the crown), 12mm in height and has an 18mm lug band width. Like most Vostoks, it has a bi-directional chrome plated bezel but this one also has a luminous marker embedded in it. So far, the watch has run flawlessly, gaining an acceptable 15 seconds daily.

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Until recently, the radio operator was something of a rare bird. Even now, the examples available are apparently all there is of them as the style is not among the many being produced by the Vostok factory today. It is my understanding that the reason for the watch's name is that maritime law requires certain periods of radio silence between ships during which time they are supposed to monitor certain frequencies set aside for distress calls. The time periods in question are marked on the watch face, the first three minutes of each quarter hour. I have read that this system was developed in the aftermath of the Titanic disaster. Apparently at that time, the ship's distress calls were hard to make out amidst all the other signal traffic. For a better explanation of maritime distress communications, see this site.

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In all other respects the Vostok Radio Operator is very typical of most of the company's products. It is rugged, reliable and accurate and makes a fine field watch or daily wearer. Since this is a somewhat unusual model, I don't wear it under less than ideal circumstances the way that I do with newer Vostok models. That is more a reflection of a desire on my part to preserve this watch than a result of concern that it would be damaged easily. I have little doubt, in fact, that the Radio Operator could take all the abuse that I could normally dish out. Final thought, get one while you can.

Update-The top picture shows this Vostok on a factory bracelet. Turns out, the current generation of Vostok Amphibia bracelets will fit these older style Vostoks as well. Unlike a Swiss watch, whose accessories can be unbelievably pricey, this bracelet set me back all of $4 on the world wide tag sale, new in its wrapper by the way. The shipping at $4.50 was more. I think it looks pretty good.

Tissot PR50 Review

An October 2010 pic of this one above. Seems to be ageing quite well.

It is always nice to be able to look at a fancy wristwatch and admire its engineering. Whether it be a fine gold case, a multi-jeweled automatic movement or a three face chronograph, there is an undeniable appeal to fine watches. That being said, however, most folks just want to know what the time is. That is what the Tissot PR50 is all about. If you are not impressed by plastic watches and instead just want a solidly built man's wristwatch that will faithfully get the job done, this is your watch.
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Tissot is one of the old, well-established, Swiss watch companies. It was founded by Charles Tissot in 1853, and has been making watches for over 150 years now. The company produces a large and varied line of timepieces that run the gamut from pocket watches to fancy automatic chronographs. These days, the company is a part of the Swatch Group family of watch making companies (like many other well known brands including Omega and Hamilton to name two), but still retains much of its unique character. (For a terrific article about Tissot, see Tissot: Industrial Power)
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The PR50 reviewed here is one of Tissot's quartz models. This particular example is powered by an ETA F06.111 (look under Catalog-Trendline) three-jewel quartz movement. The watch has a hacking feature, date function and an end of life battery indicator (I believe the second hand advances two seconds at a time when power is low). Additionally, the PR50 is water resistant to fifty meters and has a remarkable battery life of ninty-four months (7.8 years). The watchcase measures 38mm in width (including the crown) and 5mm in height. The overall length is 42mm from lug to lug and the PR50 has an 18mm band lug width. The lume on the hands and face is superluminova (which is the best lume available short of tritium tubes) and the crystal is made of sapphire (the best choice to ward off scratches). Lastly, the case and bracelet are made of stainless steel, the bracelet being of the folded link variety (not so nice as a solid link model but quite strong nonetheless). In addition to quartz models like this one, the PR50 line also includes a slightly more expensive model powered by a Swiss 25 jewel automatic movement along with a quartz chronograph and several ladies models.
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All in all, if you are going to own only one watch, the PR50 is really a very good choice. It is well made, quite accurate, reasonably priced, has a very long battery life, and to my eye admittedly, is good looking. It also has the added advantage of being made by a real watch company with a long history of making quality watches. The PR50 is probably not the first choice for dedicated watch collectors, but there is nothing about it that would raise an objection from one either. After all, even a watch collector needs to know what time it is.