Introducing some amazing vintage military watches! Jaeger-LeCoultre, Longines, Benrus, Eterna

A wonderful vintage military brand

In this article, I'll introduce four great vintage military watches, ranging from well-known brands like JLC and Longines to lesser known brands like Eterna and Benrus.

These brands were originally produced for the Australian, Czechoslovakian and American militaries.

JLC (Jaeger-LeCoultre) Mark XI (for the Royal Australian Air Force)

When I think of the finest vintage military watches, I think of Geophysic, Polaris, Deep Sea Alarm, Jumbo Memovox, and of course the Mark XI.

The JLC Mark XI wristwatch features a chronometer-class movement and, in my opinion, is the finest military watch ever produced.

Many of these military watches are no longer available for sale today.

While most of the watches were military watches for the British Royal Air Force (RAF), there were fewer watches for the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF), probably only around 600 made.

The Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) produced the Mark XI through JLC (Jaeger-LeCoultre) in 1950 and 1953, and through IWC in 1957.

What we are introducing here is the finest JLC ​​(Jaeger-LeCoultre) from 1953.

By looking at the markings on the back of the case, you can determine whether it is from 1950 or 1953.

Also, unlike the British Royal Air Force (RAF), the Mark XI has a spring bar instead of a fixed bar, so it can be identified as a RAAF Mark XI by looking at the bar.

This feature sets the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) apart from other military watches because it allows the versatility of wearing the watch on a strap or bracelet.

You can read more about the JLC (Jaeger-LeCoultre) Mark XI here , and about the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) Mark XI here .

Additionally, this JLC Mark XI is currently selling for approximately 723,055 yen.

Longines (for the Czechoslovak Air Force)

It is a reproduction of a watch used by Czechoslovakian pilots in the 1930s, and can still be purchased new from Longines Heritage 1935 (more details written by Stephen here ).

The Longines Heritage 1935 has been praised for being the design closest to the original, but it also proves that no model can come close to the original.

The original was made around 1938 and is best characterized by its extremely rare enamel dial with gold-plated numerals.

This is a stunning watch with its contemporary size, cathedral-like hands and unique case shape with lugs.

The radium triangle on the inside of the circular bezel also allows the measurement of elapsed time.

These are wonderful features that have been lost in modern watches, but are well worth appreciating.

This Longines is priced at approximately 329,340 yen, but is likely to sell quickly.

Eterna (for Czechoslovak Air Force)

In addition to Longines, Eterna also produced watches for the Czechoslovakian military during the same period in the 1930s and 1940s.

The Eterna model is 2mm smaller in diameter than the Longines, but is much more affordable.

It also differs from Longines in terms of design, such as its unadorned hands and simple numerals.

Another feature is that it cannot measure time to within one second and its second hand does not glow in the dark.

You will also notice that, unlike Longines, there is no radium metal triangle on the bezel or within it.

Like Longines, it was produced for the Czechoslovak Air Force, but it could be said that the overall design was simpler and less complicated.

This model is currently on sale for approximately 137,800 yen.

Benrus MIL-W-46374A (for the U.S. Army)

We've covered the history of Timex military watches dating back to 1982 , which have influenced some of the most popular modern Timex models.


However, many of our readers probably don't know that Westcrox (1970) and Benrus (1975, 1976) were making these plastic military watches earlier than Timex.

This military watch has no unnecessary decorations, but it does have seven jewels embedded in the movement, making it a valuable piece in itself.

It is also remarkable that it remains in a usable condition to this day.

This Benrus was manufactured in June 1975. You can read more about the MIL-W-46374 model here .

While they are hard to find in good condition, Benrus is not too expensive, so you can own a piece of history for just a few hundred dollars.

This Benrus is on sale for approximately 24,000 yen.