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1965 Benrus DTU-2A/P, Vietnam War era, US military issue

Including NOS 1965 US Government olive green strap

£565.00

This is a good example of a Benrus DTU-2A/P dating from July 1965, supplied to the US Government and issued to US Air Force personnel during the Vietnam war.

These watches have a high grade Benrus DR 2F2 movement, based on the ETA 2372, with hacking seconds. The 33mm Parkerized case is a 'front-loader' without a removable case back. For maintenance and servicing, the crystal has to be removed, the outer stem and crown are separated from the inner crown via a split-stem arrangement, and the movement complete with dial and hands can then be removed from the front.

The watch was fully overhauled and condition is as described in the condition report.

The watch is supplied with an original New Old Stock 1965 US government issue olive green nylon strap.

The case is clean with general minor marks on the Parkerized finish as a result of use. The back has some wear from the strap and other minor marks but in good condition. The dial and hands are good. The hand frames are in good shape and the white paint on the frames has mellowed to a nice off-white colour. The lume has darkened to the grey/green colour that is characteristic of the Benrus and Hamilton watches of the period. The crystal is a replacement OEM wedge ledge crystal and is in good condition. The crown was missing and has been replaced with our own remanufactured DTU crowns, made in Switzerland using an original 1965 DTU crown as the pattern. These are the best available replacement for the original crowns and are only available from Sumac Watches.

Please carefully examine the images to assess cosmetic condition for yourself. The images form an important part of the description.

The watch was fully stripped, cleaned and serviced in November 2026. The case was ultrasonically cleaned. The original Benrus DR 2F2 (ETA 2372) movement is in lovely condition and was fully stripped, with all parts cleaned and rinsed mechanically and ultrasonically in waterless solutions and hot air dried. The movement was reassembled, lubricated and regulated. The mainspring was servicced and refitted.

Amplitude is 290 degrees, beat error is 0.0ms and accuracy is within a few seconds per day (on the bench, this may differ when worn). The service was photo documented and images have been added to the listing, including an image of the watch on the timegrapher showing the readings. The watch hacks and adjusts correctly from the crown.

Please note that the design of this watch includes a split stem arrangement. If too much force is used when pulling the crown to hack or adjust the time it is possible to detach the outer stem and crown, so care should be taken. If the crown does detach it is not a major issue as it can easily be refitted.

The watch is absolutely suitable for everyday use, but it is vintage watch so is not recommended for sports or use in extreme conditions. The watch has not been pressure tested so water resistance is not guaranteed. This watch is covered by our non-waterproof 6 month guarantee.