After several decades of absence arguably one of the most legendary military watches is back, and it’s not a homage it’s actually the real deal – well, sort of.
Last year we took a brief look at the return of the (New York based) Benrus watch company which dates back to the early 1920s, and had just returned under new management.
Their debut model, the
SEA CHIEF, a watch that was inspired by the Type I, was a bit of disappointment; certainly nowhere near worthy of the Type I name, which is probably why it was called the Sea Chief.
Why they relaunched with such a questionable watch, I will never know, but 18 months on and Benrus have rectified any past transgressions with the release of the watch they should have made their comeback with in the first place.
This is the Benrus Type I Limited Edition watch, a faithful recreation of the OG Type I, a military diver’s watch from the 1970s.
The Type I was commissioned by the US Military for use in the Vietnam War. It was a purpose built tool-watch that ending up setting a benchmark for all US military watches of its era.
It was employed by the UDT (Underwater Demolitions Team), the predecessor to the Navy SEALs, the US Army and even the CIA.
An iconic watch and one of the most copied and coveted that there are; so much so that some watch brands owe their very existence to the Type I, but ultimately there has only ever been one name that should be seen alongside that famous asymmetric case – and that is Benrus.
Today that watch is back in a Limited series of 1’000 pieces recalling all the traits that made the Type I such a legend. The
ETA 2681 powered watch has been assembled in the US.
A full list of technical specifications can found
HERE by visiting the Hodinkee shop where it is listed for 1’695USD.
Thoughts? It goes without saying that the design is flawless but actually the spec. too is pretty damn near perfect - 42.5mm is plenty big enough as well. What do you think?
Last year we took a brief look at the return of the (New York based) Benrus watch company which dates back to the early 1920s, and had just returned under new management.
Their debut model, the SEA CHIEF, a watch that was inspired by the Type I, was a bit of disappointment; certainly nowhere near worthy of the Type I name, which is probably why it was called the Sea Chief.
Why they relaunched with such a questionable watch, I will never know, but 18 months on and Benrus have rectified any past transgressions with the release of the watch they should have made their comeback with in the first place.
This is the Benrus Type I Limited Edition watch, a faithful recreation of the OG Type I, a military diver’s watch from the 1970s.
The Type I was commissioned by the US Military for use in the Vietnam War. It was a purpose built tool-watch that ending up setting a benchmark for all US military watches of its era.
It was employed by the UDT (Underwater Demolitions Team), the predecessor to the Navy SEALs, the US Army and even the CIA.
An iconic watch and one of the most copied and coveted that there are; so much so that some watch brands owe their very existence to the Type I, but ultimately there has only ever been one name that should be seen alongside that famous asymmetric case – and that is Benrus.
Today that watch is back in a Limited series of 1’000 pieces recalling all the traits that made the Type I such a legend. The ETA 2681 powered watch has been assembled in the US.
A full list of technical specifications can found HERE by visiting the Hodinkee shop where it is listed for 1’695USD.
Thoughts? It goes without saying that the design is flawless but actually the spec. too is pretty damn near perfect - 42.5mm is plenty big enough as well. What do you think?
That price is steep. The mkii homage was too big for me at 42mm so I went with the Karlskrona Hemlig at 40mm. The Benrus is a beauty though, wow! The OG.
ReplyDeleteIt looks to be the same size as the original, which is actually about 39.5 mm at the bezel. 42.5 mm includes the integrated crown. I owned one - it wears like a fat vintage Sub.
ReplyDelete