Chistopol Watch Factory „Vostok“ is the flagship of the Russian Watch Industry. At the end of last millennium Vostok hit the point with Komandirskie watches, which became one of the most popular and faked brands in the world. At the beginning of the new millennium the giant from Tartarstan is dreaming to become Russian ETA and to conquer the world market with its movements.

Vostok was founded during the World War II as many other industrial enterprises of the Middle Russia. At the end of 1941 Slava watch factory was evacuated from besieged Moscow to Chistopol, where in several month production was restarted. Thus the biggest watch factory was born. Now it produces over 1 million watches, alarm clocks and maritime clocks. The factory provides with jobs most of the Chistopol inhabitants.

The successful combination of several economical, social and even geographical factors allowed the factory to keep on production capacities and qualified personnel. While other Russian watch enterprises suffered significant sales decrease Vostok is continuing to increase its output. It is not a surprise. Chistopol Watch Factory produces everything that watch making needs by itself - from jewels, wheels and balance springs to movements, cases and glasses. Besides that Vostok is going on to build-up its equipment. It buys relatively new machinery at Russian factories as well as latest machines in Switzerland. Now Vostok is the best equipped watch factory in the country.

The Year of Movements.

The year 2003 was declared by Vostok’s authorities as a Year of Movements. Although Chistopol Watch Factory General Director Mr Vladislav Tsivilin is not satisfied with last year’s results, saying: “We did not manage to do everything we could”, Vostok has improved its movement production significantly. The factory developed several non-standard movements which are already in great demand of watch connoiseurs. There are now following modifications of automatic calibre 2416: 24-hour indication and date-calendar; two versions of day/night indicator; “open-heart”; classical small seconds. With the help of new equipment for decorating movements Vostok started to produce more expensive variants of 2416 – with decorated plates and blued screws. At the same time there is a going-on development of an ultra-thin version of 2416 calibre and a chronograph on its base.

Recently Vostok has demonstrated test samples of high-frequency movement and movement with so much popular nowadays power reserve indicator.

Production of mechanical alarm wristwatches on the base of calibre 2612 is to start soon. For Vostok the 2612-alarm is not just another new calibre. With production of 2612-alarm Chistopol Watch Factory joins the elite club of watch manufacturers as rightful member.

 

Vostok is reconstructing and widening the range of its production with long perspective goals. It is going to turn into Russian analogue of ETA. Chistopol Watch Factory has everything to make this dream come true. It provides with movements, cases and watch components almost all Russian watch companies. Mr Tsivilin is interested in widening of co-operation with other watch manufacturers because production capacities of Vostok exceed national market. “It is high time we developed further international co-operation”, Mr Tsivilin says.

To find new foreign partners Vostok launched advertising in Western watch press. Chistopol participated at BaselWorld, Inhorgenta (Munich) and Frankfurt-on-Main trade fairs.That helped to sign an agreement with one of the largest European clock manufacturers. Supplies of escapements to Germany have already started.
The year of Marketing

The year 2004 was declared by Vostok as a Year of Marketing. “Our customer is the main person for the factory”, - this is the policy of Vostok determined by its General Director.

The work out and launch of new models at a higher price rate are being planned at the factory. Vostok gold watches and jewellery sets created in co-operation with Kazan jewellers have already appeared on the market.

There is still lack of skills to promote our watches,- the General Director Mr Tsivilin says. – For example, we tested our new watch line “Breeze” on the American market. It is a modern “Amphibian” with fashionable elements, long lasting luminescence and a lens-glass. Americans were very positive about this product, it sells there very well. But in Russia the amount of sold pieces of this model is much lower. So this kind of activity remains the most difficult for us. But we have always been consequent and decisive about the goals we had. The power and perspective of Vostok are proved by the fact that we do everything watchmaking needs ourselves at our place. This provides our mobile response in launching new watch modifications and creating new models and movements.

Extracts from the Magazine "Watch Business in Russia"