O ye fans of storied American watchmaking, rejoice! Benrus returneth.
What is a Benrus, you might ask? Benrus was an American watchmaking concern set up in New York City in 1921 by one Benjamin Lazarus (“Ben” + “-rus” from “Lazarus” = Benrus. Get it? Sure you do). The company made several well known military and aviation models (the DTU-2A/P, the Type I and II, the Sky Chief) and underwent or initiated several mergers, acquisitions, buyouts, etc. over the course of its life. For all intents and purposes, the models that excite most watch lovers were produced from the 1940s through the 1960s.
Benrus HQ was originally in the storied Hippodrome in NYC. It will return to the current iteration of the building in 2020
Now Benrus is being revitalized following its acquirement by a private investment group led met M&A attorney Michael Sweeney, and it plans on returning in late 2020 ahead of its 100th anniversary in 2021. For now, Benrus 2.0 is showcasing its Heritage collection watches, which are inspired by the company’s past designs, but evidently their launch in late 2020 will include “the reissue of select highly collectable vintage timepieces that helped to define the brand along with the opening of its historical archive.”
Gear PatrolA Benrus DTU-2A/P on left
