Benrus Type I - Military Issued Sterile Dial
Watches of Espionage? Read on!
Watches still played a critical role in military service in the 1970s. As a result of the need for a more robust dive watch tailored to the military's needs, the United States Department of Defense issued the MIL-W-50717 standard, which put forth a more robust list of required specifications, more so than any prior contract. There were many options for lower level officers and platoons when it came to timepieces, but for the best of the best including the renowned Navy Seals, the Benrus Type I and Type II were the best option.
The Type I was the earliest version and far more rare, making this piece one of only a handful ever produced. Benrus made these pieces exclusively for the military from 1972 to 1980 and this 1979 (April of 1979 to be exact!). The case is completely unpolished with its original sandblasted finish, its caseback is sharp with all of its original military issue marks and its tritium dial is a perfect background to its vibrant lume, with the edges of the dial showing paint loss consistent with a military issued and worn watch!
Due to their limited production and active use during military trials, very few of these pieces survive today in this kind of condition. We are pleased to offer this Type I up for its next tour of duty, and invite you to strap a real piece of history to your wrist. If only it could tell you the place it’s been….
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Shipping, Returns, & Warranty
At Oliver & Clarke, domestic shipping is on us! If you are international and require a quote – please feel free to reach out to us at info@oliverandclarke.com so we can get you squared away.
Returns (accepted within 3 days of initial delivery of your purchase) must be sent overnight or by priority international delivery, fully insured and paid for by the customer. For payments via Credit Card, a 5% restocking fee will be in place for any returns or cancellations in order to cover our processing fee. Of course, watches must be returned in the same condition as initially shipped.
If you happen to trade a watch with us, which we welcome, trades are final, except of course if the watch is grossly misdescribed or misrepresented.
We back each Oliver & Clarke timepiece with a one-year mechanical warranty starting at the date of first delivery. We service or perform necessary maintenance to the extent necessary to all of our watches, unless otherwise noted. All watches are listed and sold running and functioning as intended.
*Please note that due to the vintage or antique nature of many of our watches, these machines may not run as accurately as they did when new, nor will any mechanical timepiece keep time as accurately as a quartz or electronic device.
We do not guarantee water resistance, thus do not warranty against moisture incursion or water damage.
*We also do not recommend deliberate exposure to water or worse - steam!
Our warranty is voided under the following circumstances:
- Internal or external damage caused by an accident, mishandling, abuse, modification, or handling/service performed by a third party individual other than one of our own.
Our warranty is non-transferable.
The Oliver & Clarke Guarantee
Through rigorous vetting of each watch offered, we’re able to guarantee authenticity of our pieces. Ultimately, your satisfaction is our mission, as is helping you get YOUR perfect watch. If you have any questions at all, we will get back to you ASAP.
Each of our timepieces are vetted, evaluated, authenticated, and approved by our experienced team prior to sale. We guarantee the period-correctness of all components unless otherwise disclosed. We guarantee the authenticity of each watch in perpetuity.
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"As collectors themselves, Oliver and Clarke are on a mission to make buying vintage watches as painless as possible."
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From Rolex & Patek Philippe, to Cartier & Audemars Piguet. As collectors first, we love the small details that separate the Submariner from Daytona and Calatrava from Royal Oak. This is why you'll find our curated assortment spans decades of generations of models and brands. We believe that watches don't just tell time, they tell history - and life is too short to wear a boring watch.
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