Beloved for its clean utilitarian aesthetic, the field watch is one of the most iconic styles of watch produced today and it’s available in a dizzying array of variations from many watch brands, large and small. However, whereas the modern-day field watch is worn primarily for fashion, the aesthetic was born out of a need for an efficient and reliable tool. Over a half-century ago, a plain but purpose-built wrist watch came out of final assembly at the New York Hippodrome building on 6th Avenue between West 43rd and 44th Streets. It was subsequently delivered to the United States Army as part of the MIL-W-3818 contract for a standard military issue field watch. This was the Benrus Military Field Watch.

From there, the Benrus Military Field Watch was issued to one of thousands of American soldiers — journeying over 8,500 miles to the jungles of Vietnam, and then at some point, returning safely to the shores of North America. As remarkable as is the journey of this timepiece, its sterile appearance gives very little indication of its history. At first glance, the caseback is unremarkable — adorned only with bureaucratic military reference numbers and a date of manufacture. However, the date stamped on its caseback is fairly significant. “April 1969” represents America’s peak troop deployment to Vietnam — over 543,000 personnel. With the war becoming increasingly unpopular back home, the U.S. would steadily draw down their forces from this point until the last Americans were airlifted out of Saigon in dramatic fashion exactly 6 years later.

The diameter of the case is quite small by modern standards at just over 33mm. But don’t be fooled by her diminutive stature; She was built for war. The steel case is parkerized — a process that produces a corrosion-resistant surface along with a very appealing matte nickel finish. The case of the Benrus Military Field Watch is also monobloc and can only be opened through the crystal for added protection against moisture intrusion — a sensible measure in jungle warfare. Once inside, you’ll find a hand-wound ETA 2372 with the all-important hacking feature. The fact that you can find a Benrus Military Field Watch in relatively good condition is a testament to the durability of this design. Considering how many field watches were modeled off these originals, I find it amazing that the originals can still be had for just a few hundred bucks. If you’re going to get a field watch, you might as well make it the O.G.