Tank Treads on the Wrist

While many makers of sports watches will tout the strength of their watchcases and clasps, only a few will focus on the strength of their bracelets. Squarely in the latter category, Los Angeles-based MTM/Special Ops Watch Company wants you to take a very close look at the titanium bracelet it developed for the MTM Sherman 3-GER watch.

One clue to the nature of the bracelet, which MTM has developed in-house, is the name of the watch it holds on the wrist. The patented bracelet, conceived by MTM (Multi Time Machine) owner Joe Casis, was inspired by the thick treads of the Sherman tanks used by the U.S. military in World War II.

Like the tank treads, the bracelet utilizes ball bearings instead of spring bars or rods to connect each link. Each bracelet link is machined from solid titanium and connected to another link via a machined metal, sapphire or ruby ball bearing. Echoing their function for a tank, ball bearings set between the bracelet’s links reduce the friction between the links, minimizing wear and tear on the bracelet. MTM says the invention is the first watch bracelet to be made using ball bearings.

Not only does this novel construction reduce wear and tear, the ball bearings also underscore the watch’s (and the brand’s) deep military inspiration.

But MTM veers from military protocol by offering the Sherman 3-GER with a wide variety of color and material options. The ball bearings can be made in any of three color and material choices: synthetic sapphire (blue), ruby bearings (red) or steel (metallic). The links themselves can be made in any of four colors to match the case, including titanium, black DLC titanium, gray sandblast or brushed gold-plated. To really mix it up, each MTM Sherman 3-GER is sold with three additional straps, including a leather strap, a nylon fabric strap and a rubber strap.

The Watch

The Sherman 3-GER, which MTM Special Ops debuted in late 2017, is a military style, COSC-certified, 46mm chronograph watch powered by an ETA Valjoux 7750 automatic chronograph with day-date display. Each individually CNC-machined case features a screw-down crown and a clear sapphire caseback topped by an MTM sword logo. The watch is water resistant to 200 meters.

MTM didn’t build all its technical surprises into the Sherman 3-GER bracelet. The watch boasts a bezel that, with a quick clockwise twist, can be raised 1mm. This MTM Special Ops ‘Double Action’ approach to minimizing crystal wear and tear again demonstrates the brand’s can-do approach to performance-minded case and bracelet design.

Each MTM Special Ops Sherman 3-GER watch is individually numbered. A total of 340 pieces will be made: 200 in black DLC, 50 in silver, 50 in gray and 40 in gold hues. Price: Between $10,000 and $12,500, depending on the material and color options selected.