Benrus has spent several years revisiting the Type I and Type II, watches originally produced to U.S. military specifications during the 1970s. The new Type 3X goes in a different direction. It asks what that basic idea might look like if Benrus designed the watch today. There are two versions, but I think the green Type 3X is easily the more interesting of the pair.
Benrus pairs its turquoise-green dial and matching rubber strap with a dark-treated titanium case, composite carbon mid-case, and titanium dive bezel with an aluminum insert. The other Type 3X gets a black dial, more traditional titanium finish, and taupe rubber strap. Both measure 42mm across and 12.5mm thick. To me, the green watch makes the concept easier to understand because it puts some distance between the Type 3X and the Type I and Type II.
Those earlier watches remain obvious reference points, although the Type 3X doesn’t look especially similar to either one. My take is that Benrus made the right call here. There are already Type I and Type II models in the current catalog for anyone interested in a closer connection to the originals. Another variation on the same formula wouldn’t tell us much about where the modern Benrus wants to go.
The development story also deserves some attention. According to Benrus, the Type 3X was created with input from former special operations veterans who considered what a modern version of those earlier military watches should include. I think that makes the premise more credible, especially given Benrus’s actual history supplying watches to the U.S. military. I’d still like to know more about which specific features came out of that collaboration. “Designed with operators” can cover a lot of ground.
Inside is the ETA 2893 automatic GMT movement, with a quick-set 24-hour hand and roughly 42 hours of power reserve. In my opinion, it’s a sensible choice. The movement isn’t what draws me to the Type 3X, though, and the caller-style GMT arrangement feels fairly conventional in 2026.
Other specifications are more closely aligned with the watch’s intended purpose. You get a sapphire crystal, Old Radium Super-LumiNova on the hands and markers, 200 meters of water resistance, and 250-gauss magnetic resistance. Benrus also offers a Velcro strap alongside the rubber option. Then we get to the $2,950 price.
That’s a substantial increase over the Type I and Type II models already sitting in the Benrus catalog. Titanium, composite carbon construction, and the GMT movement account for some of it. At nearly $3,000, though, the Type 3X has to make its case on execution as much as specifications. And that’s something we can’t determine from a release.
I think Benrus has a more interesting watch here because it allowed the Type 3X to look new. The green version especially feels comfortable leaving the 1970s references in the background.
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Michael Peñate is an American writer, photographer, and podcaster based in Seattle, Washington. His work typically focuses on the passage of time and the tools we use to connect with that very journey. From aviation to music and travel, his interests span a multitude of disciplines that often intersect with the world of watches – and the obsessive culture behind collecting them.