My friends offered to lend me this Vostok Amphibia Albatros (or Albatross, I'm not even sure of the proper spelling). My friend’s aunt bought one for him and his brother as a souvenir. It came a little box plastic box with no strap of its own. I think it was meant to be kept as a rare collectible item, and not to be worn. It has a certificate underneath which is all in Russian.


It's been kept in great condition because it hasn't been worn at all. I've seen other photos of the Albatros in other eBay listings and the red star has faded to yellow. A shame though that it hasn't been worn. While it is rare, Vostok Albatros watches are selling right now for around  $25 to $150 on eBay. I think after seeing these prices, my friend is now less afraid of wearing it. It’s a cool watch and I think it definitely deserves some wrist time! 

It seems like the Vostok Albatros is a special edition of an Amphibia. It was made in the town of Chistopol in the Republic of Tatarstan during the USSR era sometime in the 90's or late 80's. The case is made with stainless steel and has an angular octagonal shape. It has a rough brushed sunburst pattern throughout.

The highlight for me is the dial, which features the USSR emblem in a red star. It looks to be painted on which has developed some blisters over the years. The lume on the hands and hour markers have also developed patina over the years as well. 

The bezel is bi-directional with no clicks. It’s made with chrome-plated brass which could eventually chip off if you constantly expose it to water. Right now, it’s really tough to rotate probably because it’s old. While it’s meant to be a dive watch with 200m water resistance, it might not be a good idea to take a 30 year old watch swimming. The case diameter measures in at 38mm, lug to lug 47mm, thickness at 12mm including the domed acrylic, and 18mm lug width. 

The Vostok Albatros is powered by the 2409A, which is a 17-jewel no-date manual wind movement. It runs at 19800 beats per hour and it has a power reserve of not less than 38 hours. It was introduced in the late 1970’s and is still sold today on eBay for around $20.

For this wrist shot in the photo above, I put it on a grey seatbelt nato strap (purchased from Cheapest Nato Straps a few months ago). I think the case size suits my 6.25" wrist well and it looks like a fun watch to wear on the weekends. 

Video below:


After this, I’m working on a tutorial video on installing and adjusting an aftermarket metal bracelet with this Vostok Albatros. Watch out for that one!

Not much info is available on the internet for the Vostok Albatros so I might mention something wrong. If I do, PLEASE PLEASE leave a comment below. We’re all learning here and I’m bound to get something wrong. I got my info from blogs, forums, and eBay listings.