Channel Support - Patreon: www.patreon.com/idguy Latest Releases: kzfaq.info/love/zf6rqsEBni5G2TSevD6F4Afeatured Follow me on Instagram: instagram.com/id.guy/

Bought my Zodiac Sea Wolf at the PX in DaNang,1967, still have it, still keeps good time.

My sterile 34mm Benrus Field Watch I was issued in Vietnam is still with me today and it still runs great after 50+ years. Mine was made in August 1967. ~I removed it's 18mm nylon strap in favor of a rubber strap. I still wear it occasionally.

Today most soldiers wear gshock, and can only dream of owning a rolex... A bit sad if you ask me

When I served in the U.S Army, the only watch and last watch I wore was a Timex digital Ironman watch. Never failed me. In basic training (1989) I was able to afford and bought at the PX only a cheap throwaway green plastic Timex, analog manual winding watch. I found later during my training that it was a mistake getting it. So finally I bought my Timex Ironman for a few bucks more. It was very useful through out my Army career until I retired. Honestly, I couldn't afford those fancy watches talked about on this video during those times. Good for those that have.

Some fun facts about the field/military watches: Hamilton is still making actual field watches that are tougher than ever. They use Tissot's modified PRS80 which is an eta base without the plastic escapement and it is free-sprung balance. Marathon watch is on contract with the government to make watches for soldiers and medical professors. G-shock is the most used military watches in the current times because of you-know-why. Seiko 5 is as the field watch is one of the unsung heroes as it is one of the cheapest watches White dial watches are supposed to be used to not blind the users in snowy places because they bounce the light off.

I served in the US Army Special Forces (Green Berets) from 1980-1992, mainly in Latin America. My watch of choice was a Sea-Dweller. I still own and wear one.

We could obtain with relative ease, especially if the Supply Officer or Supply Sgt was a friend, the Hamilton 113. I wore that watch until the day arrived when the PX got a shipment of Rolex GMT Masters. As a young lieutenant on what one might call a limited budget, I paid a visit to the Navy Federal trailer parked outside the PX and promptly borrowed a massive $300.00 or so to get the watch. It remains today in perfect running order. I also still have the little field compass that attached to the web band on the supply issue 113. It’s a bit worn but it still works as well.

When i was in college Army ROTC in 1980, the PMS (professor of Military Science/Commanding officer) was a LTC Special Forces-5th SF officer. He wore a Rolex Sub with the De Oppressor Libre emblem soldered on the clasp. It was so bitchin' looking. A few years later as a young LT i bought my own Sub to reward myself for being sent to 3 years in a miserable CONUS post. Had it for 22 years. Left the army after one tour. Work in private industry, went to law school, passed the bar, and worked as an attorney with that Sub.

Fantastic release ! I really enjoyed this one. Thank you for putting the time into it.

As a new subscriber I enjoyed this video, the stories behind every single watch and of course it was nice to see one of my favourites watches, which is the Seiko 6105-8110 that my grandfather gave me a few years ago and that in addition to loving me,it still works perfectly and is in great condition. Many thanks for your video and for sharing.

Another fantastically-researched, informative video. I used to own a Glycine Airman 18. Loved that watch and the history behind it.

You tell the story of telling the time, and you do it well. These hypnotic videos about the history of military watches command me to listen, and then listen again. Maybe it's not just the teller. Maybe the story itself is also highly compelling. At any rate I have truly enjoyed this video and one or two others that you have made in a similar vein.

Absolutely LOVE your perspectives on the history of these watches. Thank You Again!! (Subscribed and thumbs up!!)

Outstanding historical video, and thanks also for the other links! Great content on your channel, as always.

Wow! Yet another amazing video IDGuy, well done sir! I really enjoy these videos on military watches. My favorites of this episode are the Glycine Airman, the Rolex GMT Master 1675 and the Tudor Mil Sub. Thank you.

Great historical/informative video! Thanks for sharing.

My favorite video of yours yet!

When I was in Iraq our jamming equipment blew up g shocks and our suunto. So lots of us went with luminox and cheap marathon mechanicals. I was us marines infantry. Demolitions mainly

Great video and very informative! Thank you 🙂

Before I joined the Army I had settled on a Zodiac Sea Wolf. It was the only watch that survived me. It took me through Basic, AIT, OCS, Airborne, Special Forces Officers Course, Special Forces Underwater Operations Course, and one tour of Vietnam. In Vietnam our Sergeant Major and I were the only ones scuba trained when there was a boat accident in front of our boat dock on the Bassac River. Two water taxis sank. Our HQ sent down two scuba rigs for us, and we dove down to search for bodies, none were found. It wasn't a deep dive, maybe 30 feet, compared to one training dive in Florida to 135 feet. I always knew the correct time. After leaving the service the watch didn't survive me getting drunk and night diving in Greenwood Lake in NJ. Jumped into the water with it. Noticed it was gone some time later. My next watch was, of course, a Zodiac Super Sea Wolf.

Another great video !!

As a big fan of your channel I cannot explain how I missed on this one since I am so interested into that period and conflict. Thanks to the algorithme I finaly saw it and I learned a lot thx and keep on the good work

Always enjoy your videos keep up the good work getting better all the time !!

This is a really great overview. Thank you!

Fantastic history lesson - entertaining and informative - Thank you Guy 😊👍

OUTSTANDING video (as always)!

Another great and detailed episode, cant wait for the next one

Fantastic video, I really appreciate this.

Very informative. Very interesting, Overall just excellent. Thank You!

Excellent presentation - very helpful for collectors. Thanks!

Bravo! Great video and very well researched, as always!

👏 that was great! Thank you for Great content

What a great summary of vintage military tools. Congrats with cheers fm Singapore+

Been waiting for this one

Awesome video. Very informative

You have such a good voice for this. Easy and soothing to listen to. You should do audio books.

Great great great video! I especially appreciate the story that went with the Sub. Thanks

Outstanding review! My favorite is the "modified" Blancpain.

A lot of work went into this and it shows - thanks

Quality content, thx!

That was awesome! Proud to say that I have one of them...the Benrus 1966 issue.

Outstanding!! I love the history you put behind these pieces.

Thank you for featuring my Bathy and Sub submissions on your last live show (check it out, those just visiting). As per this video, watches are all well and good. But, it's the personal stories we attach to the objects that remain closest to us, that are of most importance. My pepsi Seiko Samurai has just bust a gasket, but - have taught my son to swim whilst wearing it over last couple of years. Even if it never runs again, will always be with me

Wow! An excellent and comprehensive video on the subject

Great work!

Wow, feels like I visited a museum with a guide after watching this video. Really great presentation.

Excellent content. Bravo 👏🏼 🇺🇸

Excellent video, thanks!

Always interesting to watch these historical highlights of watches that were worn by different people. This time American soldiers in the Vietnam 🇻🇳 war. Some really nice pieces highlighted by you here. Very interesting stuff. As always, another great video my friend. ✊

Brilliant presentation

Excellent video, 👏

Crackin vid, man! I wonder what Simon the watch guy thinks of your videos.

I served with that guy wearing the 5th Special Forces flash beret in your video thumbnail. We often ribbed him because he had been a recruiting "poster boy" in the 1980s. We still wore the Vietnam flagged flash until 1985. His photo was taken in the early 1980s and I don't believe he was a Vietnam vet. Still a great guy and and cool photo.

Great video.

Great video my friend 👍🏼

Fantastic Document

Brilliant video

Awesome research, thank you so much (love military watches and the story behind)

I really enjoyed this video, now I start liking Tudor

An excellent video

Seiko 6105 is the most iconic watch of period for me. Very beautiful

Great Video!🙂👍

Great Watch Video

Great video as always. Actually, it got me thinking that it would be a good idea to make a video about the Marathon's SAR (Search and Rescue) family of watches, where GSAR/TSAR 41mm seem to be one of the most popular military watches among enthusiats.

Great video

I just read across the fence by John Stryker Myer of MACV-SOG he talks about his "luminous" seiko watch. He says it's so bright he had to hide it under his gloves as to not give him away.

Thanks for the great history.

Great video - well researched. One slight correction though - the triangular lumed hour markers with arabic numerals on the Zodiac Sea Wolf were not unique but are cribbed from the early 1950s Eterna KonTikis. Eterna created that design.

I’ve always loved watches! This is an excellent video! I can’t afford real expensive watches but I can still appreciate an attractive, functional pice of art! Thank You Sir!

A coworker of mine brought to work a Vietnam era Seiko 5 watch his father was issued during the Vietnam War. He was an officer in SOG.The watch was running fast and stopping at times. Initially he didn't get it serviced because he thought the service cost would surpass the value of the watch . I suggested that since it's his fathers watch he should have it serviced. I did a search on e-bay and google and found out it was a special procurement of watches by SOG from Seiko and could go for over $1000.00. That changed everything the service cost about 100 bucks and he comes into work sometimes wearing his dads watch.

I love coming back to this video. What kind of straps did they use?

Overall nicely done :)

The Milsub is watch perfection.

I have the O&W M5 a reissue of the Surfmaster sold in the PX shops in Vietnam,I also have a curio in the MWC Vietnam reenactor's copy of the typical field watch issued by the army A black resin case and field watch dial,a quartz movement replaces the 5 jewel movement of the original watch.Very simple but it does the job and has the look required................

Of related interest: the small American brand MKII offers perfectionist/improved new releases of classic military watches. For example the Paradive 3 isa reborn Benrus Type 1, and they boughtthe Tornek-Rayville brand as well forthat remake.

Rayville is kind of an anagram of the town Villeret (french, can be pronouced as: Villeray). Villeret was the town where Blancpain was founded in 1735 and headquartered for over 200 years. Later "Villeret" became a collection of Blancpain watches.

The classics will never die

Great video for that era. Now it's all Casio and for good reason. Tough, Cheap and a lot of bells and whistles a lot are solar now to so perfect :)

Brilliant

great video! very informative. perhaps look into steve mcqueens benrus. it may have been the 3061 civilian version.

The Glycine Airman Special really sing to me!

Please do American WW2 watches! My grandfather was a Marine in the pacific.

The TR900 you featured is my no1 grail, alongside the Chs Frod. Double Impulse

Great video. Thank you. Could you answer me a question? Did all of them have screw down crowns?

My dad was 1st force recon and had a Tornek-Rayville. he has tons of pictures of him wearing it in Vietnam. He was able to keep it somehow and it lived in his glove compartment for years. It was no longer working and he didnt really know what to do with it since you cant exactly service it due to the polonium so he threw it away. DAMN IT........

This is truly an excellent video! Thank you! I think you may be on to something with the Rolex GMT red, white and blue as well. Just a thought, PX's are also located on US bases and my guess is many of the watches you describe were purchased at these post exchanges before the soldiers shipped out. Of course, the PX's overseas were very important as morale boosters to the troops. Back in the day I noticed many Rolex watches for sale there myself, as well as many of the other brands. (Nowadays, not so much!) I myself purchased a Chronosport in one, a watch made by Breitling I believe. (Still have it.) If I may, we used to be concerned about the glint of light a flat crystal might provide an enemy soldier and thereby betray our position. As a result, we used to wear wide nylon, velcro straps to cover the watch. One problem was that when checking the time one had to pull back the velcro which made a racket. As a result, I've often believed that a true field watch needed a curved crystal.

Superb...I was in later during the colld wat. I had baught a Pulsar Quarts as a junior rescue aircrewman. My senior Petty Officer wore the Seiko Diver. He made more bucks.

Seiko Willard is my favourite watch....period.

From 1965 till 1992 in USSR Army we knows Komandirskie and Amphibia by Vostok (Восток)😂 It was best of the best for us))) another watches we did not see))) and this watches can buy soldiers and officers in specials military market only, citizen can not to buoyed Komandirskie, it was Soviet Law) sorry for my English) Hello 🤝👋 from Russia 🇷🇺

This is exactly why mechanical movements will forever be a part of watches and why smart watches just can’t make the cut. These will take a beating, be exposed to the elements, and never be near electricity and keep on moving. The same can’t be said for a fragile, electric, smart watch that needs to be charged. Smart watches also don’t have the style, aesthetics, beauty, and history that mechanical time pieces possess. It’s a bond between human and watch.

My dad was an Australian Advisor with a ARVN Armored unit, working under American command, so he used all American equipment. Dad brought home his issued field watch, which looks similar to the Benrus, but has a green plastic case that seems to be sealed. There are no manufacturers markings on it though so I assume it was a mass produced ' throw away ' made for the military.

Nice

An uncle of mine served with 5th SF in Vietnam in 1967. The professional SF soldiers (my uncle only served one enlistment) wore Rolex watches and Ray Bans. Mind you, these were not issued watches like the MacV Sog Seiko. They bought their own. Also, in a book about the early days of SF called “Aaron Banks’ Children”, there’s a line about early SF sergeants being guys who showed up at Ft Bragg every so often with “a bag of laundry, a Rolex watch, and an erection.”

Great history.

Being a bit of a mad Steve McQueen fan, I bought several Mil-Spec watches some years ago. I have 3 Benrus, 2 Bulova & 1 Hamilton. Yeah I got on a roll after my first Benrus!🤣 They have never been serviced to my knowledge but all still keep very good time.👍🏼😎🇦🇺

The Chronosport udt was an excellent watch plus used in navy seal movies by Steven Sagal And Sylvester Stallone

Cool

Just bought a MWC … Beautiful, simple, no nonsense, quality

I still have my issue type II, and wear it daily!