Just got this in for a customer, and I must say I am impressed!



This is AGATs smallest (46MM) Diver, made exactly to specs of the huge 60MM soviet dive watches of the 60s and 70s...BY THE ORIGINAL ZLATOUST FACTORY! These are where all the Dueber-Hampden parts and machinery went. I went ahead and included a little history so you could see how significant this "little" watch really is.



The years of service.
The 191Chs was made exclusively or the military. It remained property of the state and was issued for a job only. It was 100% a dive tool and unavailable for sale.
As such it had no branding, no markings whatsoever save for a serial number on the back.
It remained in production unchanged until 1974 when the last batch was made. In all some 6.000 of the Zlatoust Vodolaz dive watch had been made.
It only knew some minor detail differences over time:
The earliest ones have minute marker, which disappeared at the end of the fifties.
The end of the fifties also saw the use of radium for the luminescent paint disappear.

The rebirth.
After 1974 the Agat factory made no dive watches.

“We produced these watches until 1974 for the Soviet Navy,” a watchmaker, Nikolay Moskvichev, told RT. “Then we stopped, because there was no need for them, but now, suddenly, they have become popular. So, we have renewed production, but in a very small capacity.”

Less than 300 a year were made of ALL sizes from 2010-2014.

When you realize that the origins of some of the stuff is the early part of the 19th century, possibly even 18th the reach of the time warp becomes surreal.


This when the Agat Zlatoust Dive Watch is reborn.
Over the course of 2011 the design is scaled down to a 53mm case; the 193yc and a 46mm. The latter is first known as the 194 but soon as the 195Chs. Both have the automatic version of the 2409, the 2415, ticking inside.



Although they do produce the 195, only the 192 and 193 are in the factory model line up. Unofficial word from the factory is that the 46mm is the most difficult to make and at the same price as the 53mm gives less profit whereas the market expects a lower price as the diameter decreases. I.e. they are not keen on it and behave accordingly. Only a few 195 Agats were made each year.



Currently.
Per 2014 the Agat factory produces some 300 dive watches per annum, all models together.
Apart from the soviet design Vostok movement the 192 is a reissue of the 191.
The 193 and 195 are accurate scaled down versions.
They are all made on the same machinery as the vintage originals.

Comes with papers signed at the factory and with the watch serial number on them. (this one is #121) Also comes in a nice wooden box.














The bottom line is that this watch can be judged and weighed on the usual criteria as it is made and assembled with care but it is watch hardware from and with a different set of parameters. It was as REAL a dive tool as there ever was and the scaled down reissue oozes THAT in presence and properties.

Pretty neat Diver with a LOT of history behind it.

simple but nice sometimes less is more.

It's a nice looking watch. The Vostok 24xx autowind movements are almost on par with their Seiko counterparts ...just not quite. At least they're jeweled. In all cases, the finish is horrible and the performance is generally sub-standard. I give the Russians extra points for styling though! I have a Vostok with a nuclear sub on the dial; It's very colorful and unique but absolutely the worst automatic wrist watch ever made! But hey, it was only $20 at Harbor Freight tools at the time

It's not my wish to be contrary, but I've worked on more than a few of these Vostok autos over the years.

William

These newer ones have a really nice case. The finish is excellent on them, everything machined
and polished perfectly. Not like the big lunkers of the 50s 60s and 70s. And these watches are far from inexpensive. With the Euro to USD conversion and the unfair paypal conversion fees as well as the shipping this watch will cost **** near $700.00!

But it's hardly a harbor freight example...LOL

Thank you Tom, great read. I couldn't even imagine being strapped in to one of those ready deployment seats with a re-breather... ready for insertion in the op area.