Recommendation? Thinking about a Vostok

P

Psy223

Joined
Dec 17, 2018
Messages
107
I am considering the purchase of a Vostok. Why? I want an automatic. I am on a budget. I like the history behind them. They have really... interesting options. I already have Japanese, and Swiss made watches, and want something different.

The question for me is where to get one. I’ve been spooked by the customs disclaimer on meranom and I am generally skeptical of the river.

Should I get one from Russia? Did anyone have unexpected difficulties with that? Is there a trustworthy source I might not be aware of?
 
For your Vostok needs, buy from Herr Julian Kampmann from Poljot24 in Germany. Very trustworthy and heartedly recommended. Ive dealt with him for years. Website (also) in English and no problem shipping to for example the USA (if thats where you are).
No affiliation except as a customer.
 
Meranom is the unofficial Vostok factory outlet store in Chistopol, Tartarstan, home of Vostok's factory. Their disclaimer means they can't control what happens after Russian Post picks up your shipment and takes it to the regional postal center in Kazan. Like many dealers exporting from Asia and Eurasia to the United States, they put a low valuation on their shipments. US customs duties used to kick in at $200 and now it's $800. These are inexpensive watches and you probably won't pay customs duty unless you order a pallet load. But Meranom cannot guaranteed that, or estimate how long your order will sit in US Customs and Border Protection's New Jersey warehouse before it is released to USPS. My shipments have taken from 10 days to 6 weeks, depending on how jammed up the pipeline was and the state of US–Russian relations. The delays were always at Russian customs in Moscow and US customs in New Jersey. When foreign relations revert to Cold War mode, USPS stops tracking Russian Post shipments. That is very annoying but it doesn't actually slow down your shipment.

Meranom takes PayPal. If your PayPall account debits your credit card, you have two layers of protection. Their web site is secure, they have a Facebook page, and they monitor the Russian Watches forum at watchuseek.com. They are easy to talk to and their English is pretty good.

Meranom's SE (special editions) cost a little more but you won't find them elsewhere. One of mine:

se_670454s-1-jpg.657900


se_670454s-2-jpg.657901


se_670454s-3-jpg.657902


Vostok Albatross was designed for but not adopted by the Soviet Navy. It has an iron anti-magnetic shield which is supposed to be useful if you work around big radar. And it is the official watch of Spinal Tap because the dial goes to 24.
 
Vostok Station in Princess Elizabeth Land, Antarctica, and Vostok Watchmakers in Chistopol, Tartarstan, were both named to capitalize on publicity for the Soviet Union's Vostok space program. Vostok (Восто́к) is Russian for "East."
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top