Coin show find, Benrus from 1963
Hey all, I found this for $30 at a coin show today. Running and running pretty accurately. Anyone got any info about it?
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Joe
Live in West Central Ohio, lived in the Midwest my whole life. Always have liked watches, and got into them more seriously last year. I like some of the big brands, but I'm generally more into afforda...
Urbana, Ohio
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Last active: 2 days ago
It has 25 jewels and is self winding. Great linen dial as well.
For a major American watch maker, I am not aware of any obsessives running a website with information for Benrus like you can find with Bulova, Elgin, Gruen, or Hamilton. There is a niche to be exploited.
Nice find.
For a major American watch maker, I am not aware of any obsessives running a website with information for Benrus like you can find with Bulova, Elgin, Gruen, or Hamilton. There is a niche to be exploited.
Nice find.
In other words, you can find really nice vintage watches of that brand for cheap?
In other words, you can find really nice vintage watches of that brand for cheap?
Not sure about cheap. They just don't have the cult following that other old American brands have. Try to find a Sky Chief or a Sea Lord and you will see that prices are pretty high. Their jump hour watches bring a premium too.
You can find affordable Benrus watches from the 1930's through the early 1970's that are very desirable. Benjamen Lazrus and his brothers were jewelers from Romania that immigrated to New York. They imported movements and cased them in the United States. They tried to buy Hamilton. Ultimately, Clinton bought them. After the late 1970's they are just a name. The name has bounced around and occasionally gets slapped on a watch of some sort.
Not sure about cheap. They just don't have the cult following that other old American brands have. Try to find a Sky Chief or a Sea Lord and you will see that prices are pretty high. Their jump hour watches bring a premium too.
You can find affordable Benrus watches from the 1930's through the early 1970's that are very desirable. Benjamen Lazrus and his brothers were jewelers from Romania that immigrated to New York. They imported movements and cased them in the United States. They tried to buy Hamilton. Ultimately, Clinton bought them. After the late 1970's they are just a name. The name has bounced around and occasionally gets slapped on a watch of some sort.
Did they make sport watches, or just daily wear or dressier types?
The Sky Chief was a pilot chronograph. They made field watches during the Vietnam War and Steve McQueen wore one in Bullitt allegedly. By the 1960's they were starting to make "sports" watches like everyone else. The sports watch market was a small part of watch sales until the 1970's. Now it is probably the largest segment, at least in terms of units sold.
The Sky Chief was a pilot chronograph. They made field watches during the Vietnam War and Steve McQueen wore one in Bullitt allegedly. By the 1960's they were starting to make "sports" watches like everyone else. The sports watch market was a small part of watch sales until the 1970's. Now it is probably the largest segment, at least in terms of units sold.
Thanks