BENRUS has introduced the Type 1 M1, a modern evolution of the brand’s legendary Type 1 MIL-SPEC watch that was issued to United States elite military forces during the 1970’s. Founded in New York in 1921, BENRUS has a rich heritage of supplying watches to the United States Military during World War II until the Vietnam War.
Key Features
Functions
Central hours, minutes, and seconds. Hacking or stop seconds function.
Dial
Image: The Type 1 M1 is a modern evolution of the legendary Type 1 MIL-SPEC. Notice details such as the seconds hand coated in BW G9 Super-LumiNova and the red tip, the latter offering a nice contrast with the rest of the dial, bezel, and case.
Champagne-coloured dial. “A departure from the original black no-logo design, enhances the modern appeal of the M1 while staying true to its military heritage.”
The hands and hour-markers are filled with BW G9 Super-LumiNova, “ensuring maximum legibility in all lighting conditions.” An important criteria for a military watch.
Case
Image: Well-made case with an abundance of details. Notice the ceramic inner ring on the bezel, and the screw-down crown at 3 o’clock.
Case is made from stainless steel with a satin-finish and polished bevels.
Diameter: 41.50 mm. Thickness: 13.70 mm. Lug-to-lug distance: 49.85 mm. Lug width: 20 mm.
The unidirectional 1 hour rotating bezel is made from stainless steel with a circular-brushed finish and a ceramic inner ring. Dial side features a double domed sapphire crystal with anti-reflective coating on both sides. Caseback features a sapphire crystal. Water resistant up to 20 ATM or approximately 200 metres.
Watch comes with a fabric strap fitted to a pin buckle.
Movement
Image: American brand. Swiss Made watch. Notice the brand’s name embossed on the open worked automatic winding rotor. The ETA 2892 is a dependable movement and easily serviceable by qualified watchmakers worldwide.
Powered by the Swiss ETA 2892, a mechanical automatic movement that drives the hours, minutes, seconds, and hacking or stop seconds function.
Frequency: 28,800 vph or 4 Hz. Jewels: 21. Power reserve: 42 hours.
Our Thoughts
Image: Military-inspired yet suited for casual wear. A fabric strap is provided as it is “lightweight, comfortable, and field-ready,” an important criteria for a military watch. The owner could choose a range of aftermarket straps – both colours and materials – as per their individual preferences. The Type 1 M1 hits far higher than its price point.
Until I wrote this article about the Type 1 M1, I knew little about BENRUS. Their website takes you through the history of BENRUS, from its founding in New York in 1921 to the present day. It showcases their range of impressive historical military-inspired watches.
Military and military-inspired watches fulfil a vital need and have their own cult following. Brands such as Breitling, Bremont, Casio, IWC Schaffhausen, MICROMILSPEC, Rolex, Tudor, and Seiko – to name a few – have a heritage in supplying watches to military and special forces around the world. Over here, dependable watches with adequate lume are critical. No need for applied gold hour-markers and hand-finished interior angles as these watches are about survival.
BENRUS’s Type 1 M1 will appeal to collectors who can relate to or have an affinity with this world. Nevertheless, it might also appeal to collectors who want a well-made, robust, dependable, and good-looking watch at an accessible price point. I look forward to seeing the M1 Type 1 and other BENRUS watches in the flesh and doing a hands-on review.
Additional Details
Name: Type 1 M1
Price: United States Dollar (USD$) 1,900 / Swiss Franc (CHF) 1,758 (excluding taxes)
Warranty: 2 years
Please visit the brand’s website and Instagram page for more information.
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