WOTD- Field Watch Friday March 20th: Bulova Mil Ships · Watch Lover

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WOTD- Field Watch Friday March 20th: Bulova Mil Ships

I saw a reel last night with Jason Mamoa on Theo Vonn’s podcast. He was wearing what I initially thought was a Blancpain Fifty Fathoms, but upon further inspection, it was not. Instead, he was wearing the Tornek Rayville tr660! This is one of those IYKYK kind of watches, so he’s definitely a watch guy!

In the 1950s, watch brands, including Rolex, Blancpain, Bulova, and many more were developing watches for military use. Ultimately, Rolex and Blancpain were the choices for many militaries around the world. Fast forward a bit, and the Vietnam war is in full effect. Watches are needed for the Navy’s experimental divers and demolition teams, and the Fifty-Fathoms is a great choice, except for the fact that it’s Swiss. A clever Blancpain distributor named Allen V. Tornek devised a plan to work around the “Buy American Act” by rebadging Blancpains as Tornek-Rayville and replacing some parts with locally sourced versions (evidence of which is hard to come by). Thus, Tornek-Rayville was born: an “American made” Blancpain Fifty Fathoms.

The reissue of this watch is still sold today, but they are extremely difficult to get. I had been trying to get one for years, but every time I went to order, they were sold out within minutes. I settled for the Bulova version, which is a re-issue of their original entry into the military sphere. Today, I’m wearing my Bulova Mil Ships with a new army green strap that I think looks perfect! Very cool to see big stars wearing niche watches, especially affordable ones!

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