This is a Vietnam era Benrus Type II Class A Mill-W-50717 military watch that I recently serviced for a regular ClockSavant customer. If you go back over my past posts, you will see two other versions of this Benrus military watch. This is a wonderful example and was a pleasure to service. I count my blessings with watches like this one— when the only major roadblock I hit is an incorrect mainspring, as this one had (someone overpowered it, probably to compensate for poor cleaning methods), I am happy. Everything is original and correct on this watch. I highlighted in one picture the case, first showing all parts together before cleaning, then the parts after cleaning. I wanted to point-out that cleaning a case and removing dirt and corrosion is an important task. It takes time. The owner of this watch is an experienced collector who understands what it takes to service a watch properly. But I do get so many inquiries from people asking me “my rate” and think servicing their watch cost less than a plumber unclogging their toilet ;-). I just don’t get it. Frankly I can’t understand why folks don’t first ask the question “what do you do when you service my watch,” learn as my followers do about the work involved, and read my website. If you ask “what does it cost” but don’t know what “it” is, you are asking for trouble. It’s an age-old issue I know, but I still remain perplexed. Why do folks that enjoy the rich history and mechanical brilliance of these masterworks not understand that restoring them is no easy task? Even a watch like this one, where things go well, requires quite a bit of work and investment to service well. In the end, this watch now runs possibly better than new. It will outlive all of us, and I left my mark in it along with the the owner who invested in it. This is what watch collecting is about, we are preserving these not only for ourselves but for future generations.
