When the United States put the submarine USS Nautilus SSN-571 to sea in 1954, it was much more than a regular watercraft. Although being the largest submarine in its day the engine was the most impressive achievement: the SSN-571 was powered by a STR nuclear reactor making the vessel the first operational submarine impelled by nuclear power. Less than 3 years later the SSN-571 logged her 60,000th nautical mile and became a game changer during the Cold War. The Americans used this submarine in different training manouvers and generated a deterrent effect on their opponent. Thankfully, the vessel was never used to deliver it's full potential (by travelling undetected to the Soviet border and getting into battle position) but achieved another milestone in history. In August 1958 she completed the first successful submerged voyage around the North Pole within 4 days. Together with the Association of Veterans of US Submarine Service the brand new Vostok Europe SSN-571 Nuclear Submarine line was created. The main focus was to create a consistent design in the style of the real USS Nautilus that was decommissioned in 1980. Hence, the cases of the watches reflect the hull of the reactor. The hands are inspired by the on-board instruments. And the vertically aligned Tritium tubes provide a bright and clear illumination of the dial. The flexible and expandable silicon strap adjusts perfectly to any surface: either directly on the wrist or on firm/heavy fabric such as a diving suit. Naturally, the watches are 30 atm waterproof and were tested individually by the manufacturer. Each piece comes with a total of 2 straps (silicon and leather) in an original Vostok Europe Dry Box which also includes a tool to change the straps.
Manufacturer: Koliz Vostok
Brand: Vostok Europe
Country of origin: Lithuania
Limited edition
Movement
SII VK61
Japanese quartz movement (battery-powered)
Functions:
Central 60-minutes-chronograph with stop function and timing up to 59 minutes 59 seconds (at 12 o'clock)
Case back: screw-in, with a 3D outline of the SSN-571 submarine
Illumination: Swiss Made gaseous tritium light source (GTLS)
The vertically mounted tritium tubes provide an enhanced illumination of the whole watch. The fluorescent time exceeds conventional illuminants by far. More information on GTLS
Additional illuminating coating on sub dials
Unidirectional bezel with a diver's scale
Engraved serial number
Straps
Material: leather / silicone
Lug width: 22 mm
Buckle: robust pin buckle out of stainless steel
The strap can be removed with the included tool or with any 1 cent coin
Impressed Vostok Europe logo
Delivery set
Vostok Europe Nuclear Submarine SSN-571 watch
2 straps in total (leather and silicone): 1x pre-mounted strap, 1x additional strap
Original Vostok Europe Dry Box (see item images for details)
A booklet with the history of the submarine and description of whole SSN-571Nuclear Submarine watch line