The Benrus Type 2 Mil Spec Re-Edition

Benrus, founded in 1921 in New York City, is an American brand that tends to fall in the shadows of historic counterparts like Hamilton and Bulova, but it played a comparable role in supplying military personnel in the mid-20^th century. The latest Type 2 Mil Spec was originally produced alongside the lauded Type 1 Mil Spec in the 1970s, and both modern re-editions share the same specs, but the Type 2 has a different and more focused dial design. Both were produced to meet the MIL-W-50717 specification for the U.S. Navy SEALs, Underwater Demolition Teams (UDT) and other elite units, and this latest model is tough enough for any adventure, above or below water.

The Type 1 Mil Spec is a simple, no-nonsense military watch with large applied indices and a simple minute/seconds track, while the Type 2 brings Arabic numerals with a small 24-hour scale just inside. Triangular marks every 5 minutes also replace the simpler bold lines on the Type 1 dial, making this more of a field watch with pro diving capabilities (the Type 1, particularly in its modern form, is more diver than field watch). The dial closely matches the 1970s aesthetic, and the matte black eliminates reflections for optimal legibility during the day, while Super-LumiNova BGW9 on the hands and dial elements keeps things lit up at night.

The stainless steel case has a matte, sandblasted finish and angular aesthetic with an asymmetrical design that’s larger on the right side to form a partial guard for the screw-down crown. The bidirectional rotating bezel has a black aluminium insert with a detailed 20-minute scale, which complements a robust 365-metre (1,200ft) water resistance rating. A double-domed sapphire crystal with dual anti-reflective coatings protects the dial, and the caseback is solid with the Mil Spec engraving. Interestingly, the case is actually smaller than the 1970s original at 39.5mm in diameter and 14.4mm in height (compared to 43mm x 16mm). It’s usually the other way around, with watches getting bigger. Lug-to-lug is 47.66mm. It comes fitted with a 20mm black rubber strap with a steel pin buckle and quick-release levers.

Powering the Type 2 Mil Spec is an ETA 2892 automatic with 21 jewels, a beat rate of 28,800vph (4Hz) and a 42-hour power reserve (the current calibre is the ETA 2892A2). Functions include central hours, minutes, hacking seconds and date, although the date isn’t utilised here. Accuracy is rated at +/-20 seconds per day.

The Benrus Type 2 Mil Spec retails for CHF 1,590 (excl. tax) or USD 1,790, which matches the Type 1 variant. For more information and to make a purchase, please visit benrus.com.