{"product_id":"benrus-g-i-watch-1973-as00474","title":"Benrus G.I. Watch - 1973","description":"\u003cmeta charset=\"utf-8\"\u003e\u003cmeta charset=\"utf-8\"\u003e\u003cmeta charset=\"utf-8\"\u003e\u003cmeta charset=\"utf-8\"\u003e\u003cmeta charset=\"utf-8\"\u003e\u003cmeta charset=\"utf-8\"\u003e\u003cmeta charset=\"utf-8\"\u003e\u003cmeta charset=\"utf-8\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThere are some watches that scream at you from the wrist, blasting their provenance and their precious-metalness from miles away.  Then there are watches that prefer to stay half in the shadows; horological ninjas executing their perfect timeliness with understated poise.  In our opinion, the Benrus G.I. watch is about as ninja as a wristwatch can get.  \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe General Issue wristwatch, ordered by the Department of Defense in 1964 for the ramp-up to Vietnam, was designed to resist the exposure that combat in inhospitable environments presented.  Built from a corrosion-resistant steel, the uni-body case excelled at protecting the movement from debris, moisture, and shock.  The spartan dial design, reminiscent of the Rolex Explorer I dial, was daubed with Tritium luminous paint to be legible in low and modified light conditions.  The 17-jewel, manual wind movement was equipped with a hacking feature - a mechanism that stopped the second hand from moving when setting the time - enabling soldiers to synchronize their timepieces to incredible accuracy for elite operations and coordinated movement.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAlthough the mechanical G.I. watch was produced under contract by a number of manufactures (Hamilton and Benrus, most notably), and went through a handful of modifications during its war-time production, it remained virtually unchanged during the 30 or so years it was made - a testament to it's stalwart form-follows-function engineering.  \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThis particular example was produced by Benrus, and dates to March of 1973.  It has a tremendous patination across the dial and hands, and is a fantastic example of a well-worn military watch used extensively during the Vietnam War.  While military watches of all kinds attract a certain eye, there is no question that an American watch built for American service members is an incredible piece of history to wrap around your wrist.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Benrus","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":3273420865,"sku":null,"price":495.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0809\/1255\/products\/Benrus_GI_Watch_1973_Culture1.jpg?v=1433278387","url":"https:\/\/www.analogshift.com\/products\/benrus-g-i-watch-1973-as00474","provider":"Analog:Shift","version":"1.0","type":"link"}