Every since getting the Speedy and Explorer I have said if I had to get rid of everything and just keep 2 that it would be those. Now I think I would want to extend it to keeping 3. So if I were to purge and go to a simple 3 watch collection my current feeling is I would have the Speedy Pro, Explorer, and Bremont S300 (To be clear I have no plans on such a downsizing/purge).StrappedUp wrote: ↑Sat May 29, 2021 10:15 am I could happily live with a 2 watch collection made up of the Bremont and Exp.
Some heavyweights in that first box, but I really do have a thing for the contents of the military box.
Curious, is the Seiko an official military piece or was it just a particular model that became popular because of the robustness?
That is an awesome question regarding the 6105. From everything I know the Seiko 6105 was never an issued watch. I do know of other mil-spec that would have been issued during that time-frame to include possible leftover/late-production A-17's like the Bulova I have or early models built to the spec of those last 2 Hamiltons (MIL-W and GG-W). Based on my research those or or similarly produced watches would have been issued. I also have seen ads from teh Vietnam era for the BX/PX (on base stores) where they were selling 6105's.
So best I can tell they were not issued by the government but could be bought on base and soldiers/airman found they held up better in the humidity of the jungle. My 6105 was actually bought by a USAF Airman in the late 70's at a BX in the US b/c they were stationed in Florida and wanted to learn to scuba. A few years later they were sent to the SW US in the desert and it went into a drawer for years. It later was purchased by a couple of enthusiasts, one after another, before I bought it from one of them. This to me was really nice as through my acquisition it was a nice circle back as I am in the USAF as well. I still have the original crystal in the box though which is kinda cool and have debated having it put back on the watch at some point. (Only things swapped out in servicing so far were the original crystal for a sapphire replacement and new gaskets, otherwise fully original.
Sorry for the lengthy response, but these kind of stories are a lot of what draws me to the collecting.