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Alex, the founder of British strapmaker Haveston, is fueled by a passion for horology and history. Throughout Haveston's varied and growing portfolio, its designs are defined by a focus on the honest utilitarian character of vintage military industrial equipment used by service personnel for aviation, space exploration, combat and other purposes.
If Haveston's commitment to continuous refinement and innovation is any indication, we can expect much more from the company -- with one underlying idea. According to Alex: "At the end of the day, it always comes back to that service-driven purpose, regardless of whether that is to your community, family, or the world. Having a little reminder of that on your wrist is quite special."
Developed in 1941 by a civilian horticulturist for the US Army, over 150,000 M1942 HBT uniforms were produced. Originally comprising a reversible double-sided design with “jungle” and “beach” patterns, it was worn by the US Marines in 1944 in the Pacific Theatre, and had limited use in the European Theatre, where a famous historical misconception emerged that it was responsible for friendly fire misidentification.
Production was halted and remaining stock was sold off as surplus, gaining popularity with hunters, where it gained its unofficial “Duck Hunter” camo name. The pattern would be used as helmet covers in the Korean War, with its design philosophy being seen in the later 1958 Mitchell pattern helmet cover used in Vietnam.
Inspired by its namesake combat uniform, the P-42C features a two-piece canvas design, with quick-release spring bars, and is equipped with an adjusted in-house interpretation of the classic “Frog Skin” pattern.
Referencing the “jungle” side of the disruptive pattern design, it includes a discreet repeating “H” mark to reflect the USMC EGA markings on the original HBT uniforms.
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