US military watches are watches that are issued to US military personnel.
Origins
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Military watches are believed to have received their name from a German military request for a soldier in a watch house, otherwise known as a guard tower. One story tells that the military wristwatches came into use when a German naval officer needed to know the time but could not pull out a pocket watch since both his hands were busy operating the machine. Another story is that Wilhelm I placed an order at a Berlin trade show. These new wristwatches saw their first action in the Boer War.[1] Later seen in World War I, rudimentary wristwatches were small sized pocket watches with metal lugs soldered on so that a fabric strap could hold the watch to a wrist. Some had no cover over the watch crystal, while others had a metal cover, some of these had pieces of the cover cut, so that the watch could be seen without opening the cover.
General watches
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US Army specification 55-1B
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This watch was known for its luminous hands and markers, had a seven jewel movement, an olive drab cotton strap, and a stainless steel case. It has been described as "reasonably shock resistant and waterproof". They are accurate to 30 seconds per day, and are produced by Movado, Waltham, Elgin, and Hamilton.[1]
Revision A of specification MIL-W-3818 was released on March 12, 1956 to include the following:
A. Reduce the variety of grades and types of watches.[2][3]
B. Assure consistent quality of items.[2][3]
C. Eliminate testing requirements of one year and substitute in lieu thereof a guarantee provision.[2][3]
D. Incorporate a new case design.[2][3]
The B revision was meant to provide a single standard for a 17 jewel watch with a life of at least two years.[2]
It required the 1.40″ metal case and all metal pieces be protected by a finish or preservative, except parts which would be adversely effected if so treated. A black, non-ferrous metal dial with numerals and graduations in white, a triangular hour indice at 12 was required to be luminescent yellow and the other hour markers were green. Hands made of cartridge brass, painted white, filled with green luminescent paint, the tip of the second hand was luminescent orange with tritium (hydrogen 3) as the luminescent.[2]
It required a 17 jewel bearings, stem wound and set, a power reserve of 36 hours and a 30-second daily accuracy rate. It is straight-knurled and includes the "dimple" typical of similar period Benrus U.S. military watches (e.g. Benrus Type I / II and the MIL-W-46374). The acrylic crystal is referred to as "copolymer plastic". Drawing C 8636227 was to be used for the band, but was amended on January 12, 1966, to now follow the newly published MIL-S-46383 Type II strap – color black.[2]
Benrus Watch Co., Longines-Wittnauer Watch Co., Mathey-Tissot Watch Co. (Frankfort Arsenal documents refer to the company as *Matbey*.[2]) and Clinton Watch Co. of Chicago submitted samples in bid for the specification, with only the Benrus meeting it. On September 16, 1963, Benrus was notified that its product was now on the Qualified Products List for Specification MIL-W-3818B. On February 2, 1964, the Marine Corps submitted a Military Interdepartmental Purchase Request to purchase 10,849 MIL-W-3818B watches, a request for proposal was issued to Benrus on February 7, 1964. Benrus quoted a unit price of $28.28. Bulova alleged that Benrus merely imported cases and sold watch movements from foreign sources. Benrus’ documents were submitted and showed that it imported the movement and dial setting, dial stem and spring bars and that the case, crown, attachments, packaging material, and jewel bearings were all domestically produced. The costs of the domestic components were in excess of 50 percent of the costs, meeting the requirement.[2]
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1943 US Army Air Force - A-11[1] Navigation watch with 15 jewels, a black or white dial, a dull stainless steel case, and an olive drab or black cotton band.[1]
Specified by MIL-W-6433A[6]
Dive watches
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Navy spec for submersible watch, with rigorous dust and moisture specifications, tested under pressure while submerged in water.[1] As the US military gained experience with amphibious landings they developed new strategies, one of them was the Navy's formation of combat demolition units. In the summer of 1943, in Fort Pierce Florida, training for these units began, one emphasis of their training was swimming and amphibious landings.[8] In Operation Overlord during the D-Day landings, the Navy's CDU teams on Utah Beach were able to clear 1,600 yards of beach of steel and concrete obstacles, paving the way for the liberation of France, and the end of World War II.[9]
18W8 (INT) wristwatch (watertight) "buship" "canteen" dive watch
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An iconic post military watch and a result of the Navy's FSX-797, colloquially known as the US Navy's Bureau of Ships "canteen watch", started out with Jacques Depollier & Sons' waterproof and dustproof strap watch. The first known example of the now common "screw down crown", unlike later examples of the canteen watch, this one lacked the emblematic chain anchoring the crown to the watch. One unusual feature of this watch was the heat disk on the back of the case to prevent the heat from the wearer's wrist from causing the oil in the watch to drip out of the jewel holes. Depollier ads claim that the US Army Signal Corps used the case to protect watch movement stores in long-term storage. The gasketed and spring-loaded screw-down crown is kept on the case by two flanges on the crown held against two grooves on the case.[10] US Navy Bureau of Ships specification 18W8, published in December 1944. A matte black metal dial, two vertical luminous dots over 12, along with one for every other hour, the hour and minute hand, as well as the tip of the second hand covered in radium lume. With war shortages, the case was made of chromed base metal. A Koroseal gasket is used inside the crown. The crystal is tempered glass with a metal rim soldered to the case, creating a watertight seal. The 17-jewel sweep-second movement is covered by another Koroseal gasket under the caseback.[8]
Later, better-known dive watches would come from Elgin and Hamilton.
22717A
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With the advent of SCUBA diving, the canteen watches, limited to 49 feet, needed to be replaced. The military needed watches, issued in 1961 for special forces, that could be submerged up to 400 ft and were nonmagnetic. A new spec needed to be included to accommodate this; spec 22717A, which superseded several previous specs. With SCUBA's commercial and public use, as well as the natural evolution of watches, the military started buying the commercial dive watches that were entering the market. Popular examples included the Benrus 7951 and 7952, the Blancpain 50 Fathoms, the Doxa 300T, the Rolex Oyster Perpetual, and Submariner, the Tudor Submariner and Prince, the Seiko DEO-95, and the Zodiac Sea Wolf.[1] The first watch made for 22717A was made by Allen Tornek in the Rayville Factory, a representative of Blancpain, it was the Tornek-Rayville TR900.[1]
See also
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References
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Tactical watches are an asset for anyone with an active lifestyle, especially Navy SEALs. These watches must be durable, water-resistant, and easy to read because anything is possible when part of an elite task force.
Overall, every watch has slightly different features depending on the company and the model.
The watch industry is constantly evolving because of the changing needs of society. After World War 1, there was a resurgence of desire for watches that were durable, water-resistant, shatter-proof, and other features that would be helpful in the field. The Navy SEALs are notorious for their elite missions and accomplishments. Part of their tactical gear is military watches. As the SEALs started to publicly wear these watches, the tactical watch market has boomed for both military personnel and civilians. Today, there are hundreds of brands and models of tactical watches. Continue reading to find out what watches real Navy SEALs wear!
The G-Shock DW-6600 watch is an all-time lightweight classic that is trusted by military personnel from around the globe. This model is shock protective, water resistant up to 100-meters of water, and has a 2 year battery life. DW-6600 watches are equipped with an electro-luminescent backlight with afterglow, 1/100-second stopwatch and a full calendar to the year 2099. Most importantly, G-shock watches are immensely popular because of their affordable price point.
Luminox Navy Seal Watches are the most dependable watches for night missions because of their self-powered illumination capabilities. Each watch has been individually tested and proven to be water-resistant for 200 meters. Although Luminox is more expensive, these swiss made watches have 60 months of battery charge and are highly rated amongst consumers.
From athletes to military personnel, Timex Ironman watches are designed to keep up with the user’s every need. Within the Ironman collection, there is a range of features differing on which model best suits your necessities. These watches are equipped with variations of interval training times, INDIGLO light-up watch dial, long battery life, calorie tracking, and bluetooth connectivity capabilities.
Since 1936, Suunto has pushed the limits in exploration and support adventurers all over the globe. The Suunto Core watches have a 12-month battery life, 30-meter water resistivity, and a built-in compass. All watches operate in a wide range of temperatures, calorie tracking, and satellite systems for GPS.
The United States Navy Sea, Air, and Land Teams, commonly known as the Navy SEALs, complete special operations to fight terriorism all around the world. In order to engage in highly dangerous missions, SEALs are devoted to honor, courage and commitment. This elite unit operates in the most extreme climate conditions from scorching deserts to humid jungle to the freezing arctic. Navy SEALs are called on to perform missions of strategic importance on behalf of the United States. Their direct action is to neutralise, capture and kill enemy forces through offensive strikes like raids and ambushes.
The Navy SEALs can be traced back to five elite units in World War 2; the Scouts and Raiders, Naval Combat Demolition Units (NCDUs), Office of strategic Services Operational Swimmers, Navy Underwater Demolition Teams (UDTs), and Motor Torpedo Boat Squadrons. These groups trained together for the immediate national security issues in the 1940s, such as the Normandy D-Day invasion, but were called upon year after year due to their high success rates. They were heavily involved in the South Pacific region such as China, Korea, and Vietnam. President John F. Kennedy officially founded the Navy SEALs in January of 1962. Each unit specialized in a section of combat, but together they mastered unconventional warfare. Since their establishment, the Navy SEALs carry out small-unit, high impact missions that affect high level platforms.
Protecting Navy SEALs is critical in order for missions to be completed successfully. The constantly evolving warfare directly creates the need for updated gear.
Protective headgear is critical for the safety and survivability of any soldier. From shrapnel to homemade bombs, tactical helmets are essential for any modern-day soldier. Typical helmets are equipped with a multi-layer internal foam cushion, a comfortable chinstrap, and a hard outer shell. Navy SEALs wear a variation of tactical helmets due to the nature of the mission.
Navy SEALs engage in high level risk operations in all types of environments. Soldiers need to be prepared for any condition. Night vision goggles are a necessity in dark night time conditions. Night vision goggles use thermal imaging technology to capture infrared light in order to see what is going on in the dark. Thermal imaging uses the heat being produced by an object to create an image for the user. Night vision goggles have been an incredible asset in the most high profile missions such as the Bin Laden raid.
The primary purpose of a tactical backpack is to store your gear in a convenient location. The most important factors in choosing a backpack is durability and practicality. Navy SEALs endure extreme conditions and are constantly on the move. Any soldier needs to know their belongings are secure and readily available.
Body armor is protective clothing designed to deflect and protect from a physical attack. From the beginning of time, people have always used materials to create body armor to protect themselves. In medieval times, knights wore metal plates. In World War 1, body armor technology allowed protection from gunfire. By the second World War, recognizably modern forms of body armor such as nylon were developed. Today, armor technology allows soldiers protection and mobility. Navy SEALs wear the highest level of protective body armor that money can buy. The armor includes gloves, bulletproof vests, tactical boots, and more.
According to the United States Government, the Navy SEALs do not have an official watch. Watch preferences are individualized decisions based on several factors like purpose, weight, and functionality. Jocko Willink, a famous SEAL lieutenant commander of Team 3, wears the Timex Ironman watch because he “prefers the practical, robust, and affordable kind” (watchranker.com). On the other hand, Richard Machowicz, a former Navy SEAL who specializes in weaponry and military technology, prefers the Suunto Core Watch because of its multi-function digital capabilities.
After completing extensive market research, it is apparent that Luminox and G-shock are the most popular companies in the market. Together, the two companies hold a huge share of the tactical watch industry. At the end of the day, Navy SEALs choose their own watch based on personal preferences. What watch will you wear on your next elite mission?
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