TYPE I-C
IYKYK
THE ORIGINAL WATCH OF AMERICAN HEROES
CASE DIAMETER:
42.5mm (without crown)
CASE LENGTH:
47.5mm (top lug to bottom lug)
CASE HEIGHT:
15mm
Lug Width (strap size):
20mm
CASE TYPE:
Bead blasted 316L stainless steel case w/ screw-in high-grip textured crown
MOVEMENT:
Soprod P024 w/ 38-hour power reserve
STRAP:
Quick release two-piece rubber tropic strap
WATER RESISTANCE:
30ATM
OTHER:
Double domed sapphire crystal
BW G9 Super-LumiNova on dial markers and hands
Special American Flag case back
Swiss Made
A piece of history that in some respect has fallen into obscurity, the Type I was the first of its kind from BENRUS after successfully landing the first Vietnam U.S. military watch contract. With 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.
The specifications included a depth rating of 1,000 feet below and 30,000 feet above sea level, which was unheard of prior to the Type I, and an automatic movement that could resist physical and temperature shock. As a result, the military wrote Mil-Spec MIL-W-50717 that specified the design details for the BENRUS Type I dive and field watch, which ultimately set the standard for what a tool watch should be: purpose-built, rugged, and simple. Few would imagine that this watch would become one of the most sought after by servicemen and now recognized as one of the most iconic military dive watches ever made.
What remains one of the most notable details of the Type I is the stark, simply legible and sterile dial. The clean face without company logo or numerals, big indices and large luminous hands make this watch instantly recognizable and easily readable in all conditions.
Now introducing the new era Type I-C, maintaining the same aesthetic and with respect to as many of the original design details.
Embodying the American spirit, the new Type I-C features classic red, white, and blue, alongside the original design.
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."
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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."
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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."
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