1968-VIETNAM-ISSUE-BENRUS-MIL-W-3818B

1175 Buford Highway. Suite 120
Suwanee, Georgia. 30024
www.goldsmithworks.com
770.831.1257 - 1.800.438.6894

Date/Report Number …..120111.Y'I0.04 Item: 1968-VIETNAM-ISSUE-BENRUS-MIL-W-3818B

Description of item: VINTAGE 1968 VIETNAM ISSUE BENRUS MIL-W-3818B WITH CUSTOM ILLUMINATED ORIGINAL DIAL AND CUSTOM 21 JEWEL 8215 MIYOTA AUTOMATIC MOVEMENT WITH NATO STYLE G-18 NYLON MILITARY GREEN STRAP WITH KEEPERS CONDITION IS FINE.

.Estimated Retail Replacement Value $ 499.00

Reports are supplied at the request of the customer and it is for the customer's exclusive use. Reports express an opinion of the time of the examination of the jewelry. This report is for customers use only for the following two purposes, indicating estimated retail replacement value to obtain insurance coverage, or for the purpose of providing geological information. goldsmith Works does not guarantee that the appraisal valuation will result in a sale at the price. Estimated retail replacement value is arrived after analyses of what the approximate high retail cash asking price is for labor, materials, and design. These prices may be substantially higher than actual transaction or warranty with regards to any item described in the report, since jewelry grading is not an exact science, this report represent the best opinion of the company. GoldSmith Works is in no case responsible for differences that occur by repeated grading by other experts in the field and/or use of other standards, norms, methods or criteria other than those used by GoldSmith Works. GoldSmith Works is expressly held harmless by customers including, but with out limitation for any claims or actions that may arise out of negligence in connection with the preparation of this laboratory report, or actions based upon the customer's use of the report. The information on the carat weight, clarity grade, color grade on the report is approximate due to the limitations in jewelry grading. The item was tested, graded, and examined under 10x magnification using the techniques and equipment available to GoldSmith Works, including fully corrected triplet loupe, binocular microscope, master color comparison guides, diamond color comparison tools, electronic carat balance, non-contact optical measuring device, and ancillary instruments necessary at the time of Exam

OK. I KNOW YOU WANT THE STORY ABOUT THIS AUTOMATIC" VIETNAM ISSUE 1968 MIL-W-3818B WITH FULL ILLUMINATED DIAL

FOR ALL YOU WATCH LOVERS, THERE WERE NEVER EVER GOVERNMENT CONTRACTED AUTOMATIC WRIST WATCHES FROM 1930 THROUGH 1980. NO BENRUS, HAMILTON OR WESTCLOX WERE AUTOMATICS. MOST WERE 7 TO 17 JEWEL HACKING THROW ALWAYS.

THE BENRUS MIL-W-3818B'S SHORT LIFE UTILIZED A BENRUS 17 JEWEL HACKING MOVEMENT IN A WITH SINGLE CASE DESIGN LIKE THE WYLER.

*** FOR THOSE OF YOU WHO DO NOT KNOW DENISE, SHE IS MY WIFE AND THE PERSON WHO ASSURES YOUR WATCHES COME WRAPPED LIKE DIAMONDS, THAT I GET YOUR MESSAGES AND KEEPS ME BUSY & ON SCHEDULE WHILE HANDLING EVERYTHING! LOL ***

.... WAS BROWSING THE BAY LOOKING FOR WATCHES FOR AND CAME ACROSS A 1968 MIL-W-3818B. SHE WAS SITTING ACROSS THE WAY FROM ME AND SAID, "I FOUND A 1968 MILITARY WATCH FROM NAM"

I WAS IN THE SHOP WHEN THE WATCH ARRIVED. I OPENED THE BOX AND SAW THAT THE CRYSTAL LOOKED WEIRD. UPON PICKING THE WATCH UP I FELT IT HAD A ROTOR.. SAY WHAT? AN AUTOMATIC.. NAH.. NO WAY

SO, NOT ONLY WAS THE MOVEMENT WRONG, THE CRYSTAL DIAL AND HANDS WERE VIETNAM OR CHINESE FAKES.

I THEN WENT TO THE CP AND PULLED THE AUCTION UP AND SAW TO MY AMAZEMENT THAT A TOP RATED PO SELLER FROM AUSTRALIA WHO SELLS TONS OF MILITARIA AND "WATCHES" --HE HAS MORE LISTED-- HAD LISTED THE WATCH AS A "RARE" GENUINE AUTOMATIC AS IF HE WERE AN EXPERT.

-- I HAVE SINCE INFORMED DENISE NOT TO INVEST IN GOVERNMENT ISSUED MILITARY WATCHES WITH THE WORD AUTOMATIC ---

IN ANY CASE, I REALIZED THAT SHIPPING THE WATCH BACK WOULD COST ME 30.00 AND I SIMPLY AM SO TICKED OFF I DECIDED TO MAKE SOMETHING FROM NOTHING.

THE CROWN AND PARKERIZED STEEL CASE WERE GENUINE. I HAD A GENUINE NEW SPECIAL FONT DIAL, HANDS AND A CRYSTAL FOR THE BENRUS MIL-W-3818B . SO I DISASSEMBLED THE WATCH TO DISCOVER A NICE MIYOTA 21 JEWEL AUTOMATIC MOVEMENT.

NOW, JAPANESE MOVEMENTS WERE UTILIZED IN US GOV ISSUE WATCHES DURING THE VIETNAM WAR . IN FACT A SEIKO 17 J AND JAPAN D-407 7 j WERE TOP CHOICE , SO OVERHAULING THE 21 JEWEL MIYOTA SEEMED TO BE A GOOD IDEA.

AS I WAS SAYING, I HAD AN ORIGINAL BENRUS DIAL WITH THE ORIGINAL FUTURA/GOTHIC STYLE FONT FIRST UTILIZED ON THE MIL-W-3818B SERIES. WHAT IF I WERE TO MAKE THIS BENRUS MIL-W-3818B NOT JUST AN AUTOMATIC, BUT ILLUMINATED THE ENTIRE DIAL. THAT IS, CUSTOMIZE THIS DIAL WITH RAISED LUME EVERYTHING!

WHAT I HAVE CREATED HAS ALL ORIGINAL PARTS EXCEPT THE MOVEMENT. BUT NOW A LUCKY INDIVIDUAL CAN OWN AN ORIGINAL VIETNAM SERVICE 1968 BENRUS MIL-W-3818B WITH AUTOMATIC MOVEMENT AND AN ORIGINAL DIAL WITH FULL ILLUMINATION. AND I MEAN FULL. THE NUMERALS ARE RAISED LUME. THE MARKERS ARE LUMINATED THE 24 HOUR IS FRESH AS FRESH CAN BE. THE HANDS ARE ILLUMINATED,

WHAT AN AWESOME DIAL
THIS ORIGINAL BENRUS DIAL
IS NOW
ROCKED * ROLLED

TRIANGULAR POINTERS
RAISED LUMED LIKE NEW

NUMERALS
WITH
PROPER FONTS
NOTICE THE 9 AND 6
NOW RAISED LUMED
THE 24 HR NUMERALS
FRESHLY RESTORED

; IMG_9509.JPG (126159 bytes)

STUNNING
DIAL
1968
BENRUS MILITARY
WITH
AUTOMATIC OPERATION
AND
FANTASTIC VISIBILITY

The Miyota 8215 is a non-hacking twenty-one (21) jewel movement with a unidirectional winding system (left rotation) with an accuracy of -20 to +40 seconds per day, and a power reserve of over 40 hours. The diameter of the movement is 26 mm and the thickness is 5.67 mm. It beats at 21,600 BPH. The Miyota 8215 is used in such brands as Camel, Citizen, Dugena, Festina and Invicta and is comparable to the Swiss ETA 2824-2 movement . The Miyota is a 21,600 BPH or 6 beats per second (3 Hz).

Features
automatic
sweep second

Data
11.5''', Dm= 25.6mm
H= 5.2mm
(5.67mm with rotor screw and dial ring)
21 jewels
f = 21600 A/h
power reserve 45h