I’m interested in purchasing a WW2 or Vietnam era issued watch for no other reason than I like watches and I enjoy history.

Are watches still issued to our men and women in uniform? If so, what make and model?

Does anyone here collect military watches?

Other than eBay, where is a good and reputable place to source say WW2 era GI issued watches?

I was issued a Marathon Dive watch commonly called a GSAR in 2008. The Chief gave them to all of us in the shop.

I still have it and it is a very nice watch.

But I enlisted in 88 and was never issued a watch before that. I think the Chief got the watches by the storekeepers by saying we had to have a way to keep time when we were instructing at the range.

Ours had he government markings and the nsn on the back

https://www.marathonwatch.com/...rnment-markings-41mm

My last deployment in 2015 i was issued a Suunto Ambit3

Here is a cool list of some vietnam-era watches. The most famous would be the Seiko "Willard" so-named for Martin Sheen's character from Apocalypse Now.

https://www.60clicks.com/vietnam-war-watch-guide/

USAF 1977-1981 I was not issued any kind of time piece. During my stent, the military was not well respected. It doesn't matter. I stood tall and did my job.

I have Soviet Red Army and Red Navy issue watches. Does that count?

They actually keep really good time, but they're manual wind.

My uncle was Army intel attached to the French in Korea before we got into it [he told me 40 years ago, no way to verify]. His watch was his Omega, and he used to tell me of its history on his wrist, marching across a bridge just before it got blown up. Lots of marching. The watch is now lost to history.

I would recommend going to the watchuseek forum. They have a sub forum just for military watches I believe. They are the Sigforum of watches.

I have a 1942 Bulova USGI issue.

We literally used anything we could get and all they did was rollmark the casebacks.

The Dirty Dozen Swiss brands command princely sums, where the American watches can be really affordable.

85-99. No watch issued. Of course trying to get anything issued was usually a bear. I was stationed up at NAS Brunswick (Maine) and I had a summer weight flight jacket from training in Florida and Texas. Tried to get the winter weight one was like asking for unmarked gold bars.

Pics when you get yours please. Sounds like a cool endeavor.

I was never issued (as in, I filled out a hand receipt for it) watch in my time (87-present). Most of us bought Casio G-Shocks or those Timex Ironman.

Chongosuerte mentioned watchuseek forum.
They are a great source of information for watches and the members are very helpful.
This is a link to the Pilots & military section of the forum.
Let us know what you decide.

https://www.watchuseek.com/for...-military-watches.7/

The US military doesn't issue watches. If you want a watcb while in the military, it's up to you to go to any store that sells them, and buy one. I've heard that pilots in WWII were issued Hamilton watches. In Vietnam, Rolex Submariners were popular.

quote:

Originally posted by houndawg:
The US military doesn't issue watches. If you want a watcb while in the military, it's up to you to go to any store that sells them, and buy one. I've heard that pilots in WWII were issued Hamilton watches. In Vietnam, Rolex Submariners were popular.

Incorrectamundo. There were, at least through the mid 70s, military issued watches. Not an issue item to all troops for sure. My last issued watch was an Olive Drab non-repairable plastic with green 2 piece strap band.

Google MIL-W-46374

My son has my original issue Hamilton somewhere in the many boxes of stuff he has accumulated.

I still have my Benrus wind watch from my time in USAF. It made it to Vietnam X2 and still works like a dream. It is a "hack" watch that you can stop and restart with the stem to sencro all watches in the flight.

quote:

Originally posted by MikeinNC:
I was issued a Marathon Dive watch commonly called a GSAR in 2008. The Chief gave them to all of us in the shop.

I still have it and it is a very nice watch.

But I enlisted in 88 and was never issued a watch before that. I think the Chief got the watches by the storekeepers by saying we had to have a way to keep time when we were instructing at the range.

Ours had he government markings and the nsn on the back

https://www.marathonwatch.com/...rnment-markings-41mm

That's a beautiful piece of kit. I feel like I should ping our man David Truong for availability and cost as I'm getting ready to retire and would buy (myself!) my own retirement watch! David are you out there?

quote:

Originally posted by YellowJacket:
Here is a cool list of some vietnam-era watches. The most famous would be the Seiko "Willard" so-named for Martin Sheen's character from Apocalypse Now.

https://www.60clicks.com/vietnam-war-watch-guide/

Many of these were purchased privately. The Seiko 7005-8030 is highly sought after now as they were issued to SOG soldiers, but documenting one as an actual SOG watch is very difficult unless you get it from an actual SOG member. Even still, these are valuable even if they are "regular" 7005-8030s.

The so-called "Willards" (Seiko 6105) were not issued, but are now valuable because of the movie "Apocalypse Now."

Beware of counterfeits of these watches.

The Bulovas and Benrus watches are more affordable.

quote:

Originally posted by Johnny 3eagles:

quote:

Originally posted by houndawg:
The US military doesn't issue watches. If you want a watcb while in the military, it's up to you to go to any store that sells them, and buy one. I've heard that pilots in WWII were issued Hamilton watches. In Vietnam, Rolex Submariners were popular.

Incorrectamundo. There were, at least through the mid 70s, military issued watches. Not an issue item to all troops for sure. My last issued watch was an Olive Drab non-repairable plastic with green 2 piece strap band.

Google MIL-W-46374

My son has my original issue Hamilton somewhere in the many boxes of stuff he has accumulated.

Then you were one of the rare chosen few that the US Government deemed super special enough to annoint with a watch. Watches are in the system but aren't issue items.

I'm not going to argue with you. 5 watches were ordered through unit supply and 5 were issued. Location, Schwabach West Germany, B troop, 1st Squadron, 1st Cavalry, 1st Armored Division. O/A 1976.

After I was discharged in 71, I went to work as a veteran's employment counselor. I could spot the vets when they walked in the door by their Seiko. Mine was $17? in the PX at Long Binh.