On vintage examples of this watch, the luminescent material is generally no longer glowing. Luminous hands were produced using radioactive Tritium (hydrogen 3). At 34-35mm, they are relatively small by modern standards, but have ample wrist presence due to their lug length and high domed crystals. A classic black dial with 12 hours in arabic numerals, an inner ring marking 24-hour time, and a 60-increment seconds index with darts indicating the hour positions. The dial layout for the various incarnations of this watch is extremely sterile, with some manufactures names on dial markings (see the Marathon’s dial). These marking make it easy to identify the manufacturer and year of issue. Additionally, some of the field troop models lacked a hacking movement.Īll of these watches will bear case back markings with contract type, federal stock number, manufacturing part number, contract number, manufacture month and year, and serial number.

The MIL-W-3818B movement was generally considered lower quality, and differed primarily in its jewel count. Although both of these watches look nearly identical, the GG-W-113 was issued to military pilots while the MIL-W-3818B was issued to troops on the ground. There is generally some confusion between the GG-W-113 specification and its predecessor, the MIL-W-3818B. Shock resistance (must survive a fall from 4 feet onto a wooden block).A mechanical movement with an accuracy of +- 30 seconds per day.They were utilized most prominently in the Vietnam War, but may also have been deployed in conflicts within the Persian Gulf and other middle eastern theatres. They were produced between 1967 and the late 1980’s, when quartz movements began to gain popularity and start replacing mechanical models. These watches were meant for issue to pilots and were produced by Benrus, Hamilton, Marathon, and Altus. The differentiation was that it featured exclusively a 17-jewel, manual-wind and hacking movement and a “sterile” dial for legibility.

GG-W-113 was a spec released in 1967 and was issued concurrently for many years.

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