Why We Love It

While Benrus produced a ton of military grade watches back in the 60s and 70s, they also excelled at making attractive dress pieces.

While most dress pieces from this era were cased in stainless steel, this little curiosity made from 14k White Gold. Distinct fancy lugs and applied gold indices give the watch character while remaining understated. At 32mm, the case is extremely thin and will wear comfortably under a sweater or shirt cuff. 

Fitted on a black lizard strap, this Benrus would be perfect for an unexpected daily wear or paired with your finest tuxedo.

The Story

The Benrus Watch Company, founded in New York City, quickly became one of America's iconic watch brands.  With large assembly efforts in the United States, and a case factory in Waterbury, CT, Benrus was an honest-to-goodness American watch.  The company went bankrupt in 1971 because of the Quartz Crisis, but for many years, Benrus was the second largest American watch company after Hamilton.

While Benrus is probably most famous for its defense-contracted GI watches that they produced for troops during the 60s, it was during the 1940s that Benrus produced some of their best watches.