THE ORIGINAL NEVER GETS OLD
REINTRODUCING TYPE I
THE WATCH OF AMERICAN HEROES
CASE DIAMETER:
42.5mm
CASE TYPE:
Bead blasted 316L SS case w/ screw-in high-grip textured crown
CASE HEIGHT:
14.6mm
CASE LENGTH:
47.5mm (top lug to bottom lug)
MOVEMENT:
ETA Swiss automatic movement w/ hacking seconds feature
STRAP:
Black two piece seatbelt nylon NATO
LUG WIDTH (STRAP SIZE):
20mm
WATER RESISTANT:
30ATM
Double domed sapphire crystal
BW G9 Super-LumiNova markers and hands
Limited Edition engraved case back
Assembled in the USA
The sales of Type I support Boulder Crest Foundation, a non-profit and leader in Posttraumatic Growth that works to ensure combat veterans, first responders, and their families can live great lives in the aftermath of trauma.
With the experience gained through the beginning of the Vietnam War and the increasing use of covert and specialized military teams such as, the US Navy UDT/SEALs, US Navy EOD, US Navy Divers, Army Rangers, Green Berets, and CIA operatives, the Department of Defense determined that these specialists needed a more robust dive watch that would be purpose-built to meet the highest standards of the military and its operatives. As a result, the military wrote Mil-Spec MIL-W-50717, that specified the design details for the BENRUS Type I diving and field watch.
For the first time, the military wrote a specification heavy requirement with details previously never requested. This was to be a larger, shock proof, highly legible, waterproof, and self-winding watch that was truly durable enough for the CIA and special military units to whom they would be issued. The new specifications included a depth rating of 1,200 feet, which was unheard of prior to the Type I, and an automatic movement that could resist physical and temperature shock. This had to be a truly rugged watch. Interestingly, the specification of this watch essentially became the standard for what a tool watch should be: purpose-built, rugged, and simple.
During the Vietnam War, the practice of issuing all soldiers a watch was discontinued, meaning soldiers needed to procure their own watches. Although the military did continue to procure watches, they were limited in their distribution. Watches were issued only to personnel whose mission required purpose-built, rugged timepieces. Approximately 16,000 Type I and II and Class A and B versions were produced. They were issued to the Elite Forces throughout the Vietnam War, making the Types I and II some of the most famous and coveted U.S. military dive watches ever.
Before the Type I, BENRUS had been producing the DTU-2A (MIL-W-3818) field watch for the military since 1964, so when the concept of the Type I arose, BENRUS was in prime position to bid for the Type I contract. One can find countless photos of our brave soldiers wearing the original simple field watches, which were sought after in both steel and a later plastic version (MIL-W-46374). The MIL-W-46374 version is believed to be the first military watch constructed in plastic.
BENRUS was awarded the Mil-Spec contract and began production of the Iconic Type I. As a result of both adaptations to the military's needs, as well as different applications, the contract led to the Type I (Class A and B) and Type II (Class A and B). The original dial design in the Mil-Spec is simple with only block markings for the hours and minutes, and no other markings on the dial whatsoever. The later Type II was the same watch, but with a modified dial, which showed standard and military time. The last differentiation for each model was the designation of Class A or B. Class A watches had tritium (glow in the dark) hands and markers for visibility at night, while the Class B was designed without any lume or radioactive material as they might be used in locations containing delicate instruments that were sensitive to even the smallest amounts of tritium contained in the lume (for example, on nuclear-powered submarines). While not for a specific branch of the services, the Type I was most commonly issued to the US Navy UDT/SEAL, EOD and Dive teams where dive operations required this type of watch, but also found its way to the field and even the CIA.
The Type I and Type II in all their variants were produced from 1972 through 1980 with no changes to the design in that time signaling the importance of the design itself. In total, there were roughly 16,000 produced, with much fewer circulating today.
It is important to note that unlike many of the now "collectible" military pieces, the BENRUS Type I and II were never made available to the public or designed as such. The Type I was a purpose-built tool that many years later became recognized for it's advanced design and merits. The watch itself remains fully contemporary in design, and at the same time a mystery to many since this wasn't a watch you could just ever go out and buy.
TYPE I STORIES
Veteran, David Bailey
23 years U.S. Navy
"We wore them all the time and were always complimented on them. The simplicity of the watch and its easy-to-read face were a plus, so it wasn't a surprise that it completed many dives with me."
READ MORE
Veteran, David Windsor
20 years U.S. Navy
"I wore it on many of my recovery missions of test run torpedoes, in which I needed a non-magnetized watch. Somewhere along the way in my early-undocumented adventures while stationed there, I lost the stem and the watch drowned."
READ MORE
Veteran, Jake Brodersen
20 years U.S. Air Force
"As I learned navigation, timing was always critical. We started engines on time. We took off on time. And hopefully landed on time. The Type I was central to every move during flight."
READ MORE