Jacques Bianchi French Military Issue

Military issued wristwatches are one of the coolest subsets of vintage timepiece collecting, if for no other reason that they were literally built to kick ass.

While purchasing military-issued Rolexes and the like can require a second mortgage (or the sale of several vital organs), there are more affordable ways to enter into the realm of military watch ownership, such as with the Hamilton & Benrus Vietnam-era GI watches we so often curate for sale. But few military pieces top this one.

Jacques Bianchi, a French brand, came on the scene to build capable dive watches for the French military in the 1980s and 1990s. This particular piece is one such military issued timepiece.

Issued in 11/1994, this Jacques Bianchi features 300M of water resistance, overbuilt dive watch aesthetics, and robust construction. This piece was designed to be thrown against the wall and stay ticking-- befitting a military issue piece designed to withstand the most grueling of demands.

Owning a military watch is owning a piece of history, and this out of the box piece is incredible.