Worn & Wound
Benrus Brings Its Military History into the Modern Era with the New Type 3X Collection
The Benrus Type I and Type II are among the category of iconic military watches that first took root in the 1940s around WWII with the famous Dirty Dozen. The Type I and II are an extension of this lineage with designs that met the U.S. military’s formal specifications for wristwatches better known as MILSPEC during the Vietnam War in the 1970s and later throughout the special operations community, particularly among CIA paramilitary forces, Navy SEAL, and UDT teams conducting maritime missions. Benrus has kept this piece of horological history alive in its contemporary catalog, with modern interpretations of both models becoming part of the brand’s permanent collection in the new millennium. Now, that legacy continues with a brand new twist and a brand new collection: the Type 3X. Today, the needs of military forces look very different than decades ago when the Type I and Type II were originally developed. Technology has transformed warfare, but there’s still a need for simple, dependable tools that work if technology fails. This sparked a simple question among a group of former special operations veterans: what would a modern version of the Type I and Type II look like if it was designed by the people who actually use it? Instead of beginning in a design studio, the project started the way many special operations ideas do – around a table, with this small group of individuals who had spent their careers solving problems in demanding environments. Their approach w...
