Vintage Timex Watches

Timex Military Watch 1982 Ref. MIL-W-46374B

Vintage Timex mil-w-46374b 1982 Military Issue
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Year: 1982
Reference: MIL-W-46374B
Model: Equivalent Marlin (Later Camper)
Movement: M24 (Manual Wind)
Complication: Manual Wind, Sweeping Seconds

If you trawl eBay and other forums you will see many, usually black dialed watches, labelled as being vintage Timex military watches. In fact there was only 1 Timex military watch issued and it was this Timex MIL-W-46374B that was manufactured for just 2 months in February and March of 1982 [source]. According to Timex, this watch was issued to US Marines which makes it pretty cool. However in a Hodinkee article they suggest that due to its limited production, this watch might not have been officially issued. They concede that it may have found its way into issue. Unfortunately as with all vintage Timex some of the historical information is best left to the stuff of legend. Like other military watches of the time, the watch was designed to a specification:

Timex MIL-W-46374 Specification

  • Case produced in metal or plastic with Timex being the only manufacturer to ever produce a plastic cased military watch.
  • Movement is mechanical or quartz
  • Dial markings include radiation symbol and H3 added to highlight use of Tritium lume
  • Revision B of this specification used by Timex indicates the specification was post May 7 1975
  • Hands and dial details to be printed using Tritium lumed. This was coated to make them hard wearing
  • Acrylic crystal
  • 7 jewel movements which interestingly is not found on the Timex military watch
  • Nylon single pass through strap with black anodized steel buckle specification Type II MIL-S-46383B
  • Case back has the engraved text DISPOSE RAD WASTE
  • Integrated or fixed bars (No removable spring bars)
  • The font used on the dial is an evolution of the one originally designed for an earlier specification and is designed specifically to have high legibility.

[Source]

This watch was the second production Timex watch to use a plastic. These had been previously used in the Fun Timer range of kids and ladies watches in the late 1960s

vintage timex mil-w-46374b mil spec watch caseback

At the time of writing this page there is one example of the Timex Military watch on sale at the auction house Barnebys with a starting price of $1861 USD making this the most expense Timex in my collection,

Repair/Servicing: Access to movement is through the crystal. Remove the crystal using a crystal lift, remove the dial ring, then use a tweaser/tool to hold the stem down the side of the dial and unscrew the crown. Reverse the process to put it back together.