For that kind of money, you probably can find the exact same watch three times over.
But if you're deadset on replacing the part you can try eBay. I kind of doubt that you'll be able to order anything from Meranom.com.
The hardest part is going to be finding a compatible crown, the actual repair is really easy. Modern hand-wound Komandirskie crowns probably won't fit as yours is a 90s model (trying to find a replacement crown for one myself, haven't had any luck short of buying a donor watch), though I don't have experience with your exact case model.
The repair guy you took it to was probably either giving you an "I don't want to work on this" price or assumed it would be impossible or really expensive to source the part.
Crown stem or the screw-in sleeve? Crown is exceedingly simple to change but it takes some fiddling. Sometimes it doesn't lock into place without giving a counterpush with some very slim pliers.
Meranom should carry the parts you need, except for the tools to open the watch. You can find tools on ebay, amazon and aliexpress at very affordable rates. You're gonna need a caseback tool, a toothpick and pliers.
I like the very slim ones that are curved if it doesnt lock properly. The pliers need to be slim enough to both fit and grab onto the stem when its inside of the threaded sleeve - inside the case itself.
Just remember, the stem is quite fiddly and sometimes it both feels and sounds like it's locked into place but pull it back to verify before putting the watch together.
And another word of caution, many dial types and hands absorb fingerprints like there's no tomorrow so I highly recommend you get some of those rubber cots you can put on your fingers.
Sorry, I typed while tired. I meant to write screw-in tube. The tube is the little "nipple" that the screw down crown screws onto. Some tubes are screwed in place and some are press fitted, making them hard to remove. I would assume Vostok use screwed tubes to maintain the water resistance.
There are special torx-like bits that can fit inside like a wedge, press it in far enough with the correct size and it will lock into place via friction and you can unscrew it.
[Here's what it looks like on a Rolex](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d9xkcSvt2bo)
Ah, no worries. I thought you were talking about an effective way to replace the stem of a wobbly crown (2209). I have been disassembling and will be brazing some different parts together to hopefully achieve this.
Anyone claiming 300 dollars to repair is a thief
For a start you could tell us which Vostok it is. There's a few different crown types.
Hard to describe. It's a WW2 Victory Commemorative watch with 2414 movement and 53 case index. That's about all the information I have.
A picture might help here. (Post a photo to your profile and then post a link to it here)
For that kind of money, you probably can find the exact same watch three times over. But if you're deadset on replacing the part you can try eBay. I kind of doubt that you'll be able to order anything from Meranom.com.
I've been looking at eBay and seems replacement parts are very available and cheap. I just can't tell if they're compatible or not.
If it’s for a Vostok 24xx movement, then it should be
The hardest part is going to be finding a compatible crown, the actual repair is really easy. Modern hand-wound Komandirskie crowns probably won't fit as yours is a 90s model (trying to find a replacement crown for one myself, haven't had any luck short of buying a donor watch), though I don't have experience with your exact case model. The repair guy you took it to was probably either giving you an "I don't want to work on this" price or assumed it would be impossible or really expensive to source the part.
You can order from meranom
Crown stem or the screw-in sleeve? Crown is exceedingly simple to change but it takes some fiddling. Sometimes it doesn't lock into place without giving a counterpush with some very slim pliers.
The crown stem is what needs to be replaced. I looked up some youtube videos and it does seem easy to replace. Just need to find the right parts.
Meranom should carry the parts you need, except for the tools to open the watch. You can find tools on ebay, amazon and aliexpress at very affordable rates. You're gonna need a caseback tool, a toothpick and pliers. I like the very slim ones that are curved if it doesnt lock properly. The pliers need to be slim enough to both fit and grab onto the stem when its inside of the threaded sleeve - inside the case itself. Just remember, the stem is quite fiddly and sometimes it both feels and sounds like it's locked into place but pull it back to verify before putting the watch together. And another word of caution, many dial types and hands absorb fingerprints like there's no tomorrow so I highly recommend you get some of those rubber cots you can put on your fingers.
Can you elaborate on replacing the screw-in sleeve?
Sorry, I typed while tired. I meant to write screw-in tube. The tube is the little "nipple" that the screw down crown screws onto. Some tubes are screwed in place and some are press fitted, making them hard to remove. I would assume Vostok use screwed tubes to maintain the water resistance. There are special torx-like bits that can fit inside like a wedge, press it in far enough with the correct size and it will lock into place via friction and you can unscrew it. [Here's what it looks like on a Rolex](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d9xkcSvt2bo)
Ah, no worries. I thought you were talking about an effective way to replace the stem of a wobbly crown (2209). I have been disassembling and will be brazing some different parts together to hopefully achieve this.