Two early Wostok divers: AMFIBIA instead of AMPHIBIAN...

[tjvreeken]

A few months ago I bought a nice early NOS Wostok "AMPHIBIAN" diver:


(Click to enlarge)

Last week I got an offer for two more of these watches, but with "AMFIBIA" on the back instead of "AMPHIBIAN". Well they came in a few days later. Not in NOS condition but running, one hase a winding problem, what I knew in advance.



A nice surprise is that the two back covers do differ from each other too: one is polished, the other is matted, as you can see:



So, with my first one, I know now of three different back covers:

1. with "AMPHIBIAN" and 'SHOCKPROOF BALANCE', polished
2. with "AMFIBIA" and 'shock-resist', matted
3. with "AMFIBIA" and 'shock-resist', polished



And with different light on the watches:



As far as I can see, the rest of the watches, case, crown, hands, dials, movement, etc.. is the same:





Well, after showing my first "AMPHIBIAN" and a picture with about six of these watches a few months ago, Jie Hong (roo7 on this forum) asked me if there was still one available. Thas was not the case anymore. But when I knew about these watches, I informed Jie Hong that one was available. (I did not know about the polished and matted back cover at that time). So, anyway, I promised Jie Hong he could get one of the two and one of these is going to Singapore this week. I will keep the one with the matted back cover, because it is the only one I know. I know for sure there are more than one pieces of the polished types. I send Jie Hong the polished version, that is also the running one. Well it has a little flaw screwing back in the crown: the minute hand goes back a bit (about 10 minutes on the dial).

Time for some more pictures:







And East meets West



Thanks for watching some of my watches!

[storyteller]

Absolutely splendid. Congratulations!

[constantin-o-politan]

Hi,

Enchanting beauties, congratulation. They're getting rarer I think. There is one thing that scracthes my mind, all of these amphibias have komandirskie style crowns, and do you think they employed this crowns in the factory process, cause I checked Mark Gordon's site and there are similar ones with the same crowns as well. Anyhow they are so lovely, have fun.

[Stone Hill]

Man... You can sure land some nice watches!

[ecalzo]

wow wow wow...
never saw anything like that....
simply stunning...
congrats comrade.....

[roo7]

I will like to say thanks to Tom as well, for keeping a look-out for me on this beautiful piece. I really appreciate it. :thanks

It will be an exciting wait for me, as I have another slightly similar piece with paddle hands on the way as well, however the condition isn't that great.

@constantin-o-politan, the earlier 2209 amphibians have this dome styled crown and the newer square styled crown started appearing from the 2nd tonneau case generation, even thou some of the tonneau cases has the dome crown as well.

[sci]

Argh! As someone posted some time ago in the forum - "Amphibian from Space"!
Great Vostoks (Rolex isn't that bad too) :) I wish Vostok reissue them again with 2415 movement.

[tjvreeken]

Argh! As someone posted some time ago in the forum - "Amphibian from Space"!

That was my first one

Arrived today: an Amphibian from Space...

[tjvreeken]

One time is enough

[Seele]

Argh! As someone posted some time ago in the forum - "Amphibian from Space"!
Great Vostoks (Rolex isn't that bad too) :) I wish Vostok reissue them again with 2415 movement.

Make it 2434 for me