Stocker & Yale 1993 Sandy 490

​Stocker & Yale can look back on a long history as supplier to the US Armed Forces. Amongst their products are also watches. The Sandy 490 finds its origin in an embarrassing situation for Stocker & Yale. In 1988, during a routine control in an army depot in Pennsylvania, a Geiger teller showed elevated levels of radiation. The source turned out to be Stocker & Yale Sandy 184 watches. To comply with military requirements they applied the numerals and hands with tritium. However, the Geiger teller indicated that some watches had up to 100 times the maximum radiation level allowed from the watch.

Ironically it was also Stocker & Yale that put pressure on solving the problem. For their military compasses Stocker & Yale already used tritium in little vials containing the radiation. They wanted to apply the same technology to their watches. However, the current military requirements prevented the military from purchasing such watches since they didn’t comply with the requirements. Stocker & Yale successfully convinced the US government that an update of the requirements was a necessity. In 1989 Stocker & Yale started the development of the Sandy 490, and it was accepted shortly after by the US Department of Defense. It could immediately report for active duty, because the first Gulf war was about to break loose.​ - Monochrome​
Brand: Stocker & Yale
Model: US Military issued “Sandy 184A MIL W 46374C“
Movement: ETA 2801 Manual wind
Case: 37mm
Strap: Rubber

CONDITION & SERVICING
-This watch comes as watch only.
-Dial, markers and hands are in excellent condition.
-Case is in very good condition with only minor wear.
-Watch is running on spec, service history is unknown.