MIL-W-46374 Military Watch
MIL-W-46374 Military Watch
US Military Issue
1964 issued spec. It required accurate, disposable, and non-maintainable watch in either a plastic or metal case to be issued to infantry and other ground forces. Most of these featured the numeral “12” painted in tritium.
Revision A 1968
The MIL-W-46374 spec evolved over time, with subsequent revisions labeled A through G. Revision A, for example, which was released in 1968, called for the option of a “corrosion resistant steel” case (though this requirement was later changed to “stainless steel” in 1973). Plastic versions of Rev. A watches were made by Westclox and Benrus between 1970 and 1976, and the metal versions were produced by Hamilton.
Revison B 1975
Revision B, published in 1975, added a requirement for the radiation symbol and “H3” on the dial to indicate the usage of tritium, as well as the words “Dispose Rad. Waste” on the case back and a coating for the hands to preserve the tritium. These watches were generally made in steel, although a rare plastic Timex version was produced only in 1982.
Revision C 1983
Revision C, published in 1983, saw the introduction of Stocker & Yale into the mix of manufacturers making issued watches for the U.S. This model, whose spec called for updated maintenance standards, was made in plastic by Stocker & Yale and dubbed the “SandY.”
Revision D 1986
Revision D, published in 1986, would spawn five different variants, including the highly accurate Type 1 that constituted a serious departure from many of the plastic, disposable, non-maintainable versions of the MIL-W-46374. Though we won’t go through all the iterations here, Type 2 is notable for being a plastic model, and Type 3 for being the first analog quartz specification. Rev. Ds were made by Hamilton, Stocker & Yale, and, most rarely, Marathon/Gallet.
Revision E 1989
Revision E, published in 1989, called for drastic changes in dial font, and the switch from tritium paint to tritium vials. These plastic watches were manufactured by Stocker & Yale and Marathon in several versions.
Revision F 1991
Revision F, published in 1991, was also produced in many different versions, with Type 6 being the most notable departure from previous specs. This “Navigator” watch features a better quality, hacking quartz movement with a rotating, GMT-style bezel, as well as updated special requirements for operating in various adverse conditions. These watches were produced by Stocker & Yale and Marathon.
Revision G 1999
The last revision of this spec, Revision G, was published in 1999, and saw the Department of Defense giving more leeway to the manufacturers to design watches that would live up to specific criteria; the government did require, however, that manufacturers clean up the dials of their watches, featuring only the radiation symbol and the H3 tritium symbol, and no manufacturer name or “U.S. Government,” as found on some Marathon watches.
There is also a non-military Benrus Mil-W-46374 issued for the 50th Anniversary of D-Day with unique serial number to caseback. Appparently sold to veterans of the landings. See here for more information.
Credits
Thanks to https://wornandwound.com/military-watches-world-u-s-part-2/ for this information
