Item Description
Original Item: Only One Available. There is no warranty for this watch and returns for a non-working watch will not be honored. Please note all watches are wound and tested before shipment. We are not in the watch repair business- ALL SALES ARE FINAL.
This is a great Vietnam War General Purpose wristwatch in excellent functional condition. The watch has its original band which shows heavy usage, very rare to find. The back of the watch is marked:
WRIST WATCH
GENERAL PURPOSE
WESTCLOX 75071
FSN 6645-089-7273
DAAA25-68-C-0078
DATE: DEC 1970
SERIAL NO.
81810
U.S.
The Vietnam War was a long, dark period in American military history. Primarily a conflict between North and South Vietnam, and by proxy the communist and anti-communist allies, this 20 year conflict came at the cost of 3 million human lives, most of them civilian.
U.S. involvement began in 1954 and ended when Nixon ordered the withdrawal of U.S. forces in 1973. For enthusiasts of mechanical watches and military history, this period of time produced a plethora of interesting military watches with real historical provenance. From the military specific field watches produced by Bulova, Elgin and Benrus to the civilian dive and pilot watches acquired by troops at Post Exchanges.
Most of the mil-spec watches produced during this time period were “non-maintainable”, or essentially disposable like this example. They were designed to last for two years and be replaced after they quit working. Considering the rigors of combat that these watches were subjected to, it’s a miracle that this example even survived at all!
Since “military-spec” watches were not issued to troops, many servicemen acquired their own personal watches during R&R at one of the foreign military bases. Seiko watches in particular were incredibly popular, being both relatively affordable and unobtainable in the U.S., it was common to see a Japanese dive or field watch on the wrist of an American service member.
This example is in lovely functional condition with all original components. The band is stamped HONG KONG on the buckle. The watch is in great functional condition with what we believe to be the original band.
Comes ready to wear or display!
- This product is available for international shipping.
- Eligible for all payments - Visa, Mastercard, Discover, AMEX, Paypal & Sezzle
