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Wristwatches · Wristwatch

Benrus Type 1

DocumentedDocumented from a dealer's listing; attribution and date as stated by the dealer.
Maker / attribution
Benrus (maker)
Date
1973
Country of origin
United States
Object type
Wristwatch
Stock no.
Product 9861053677844
Credit line
Dealer listing, Collectors Corner NY (product 9861053677844)
Catalogue title (original)
Benrus Type 1 - Rare (English)

View the source record (dealer listing) ↗ (opens another website in a new tab)Suggest a correction

Record summary

Catalogued by Collectors Corner NY (dealer), New York (stock number Product 9861053677844), this is a wristwatch by Benrus, made in United States, dated 1973. The Atlas places it in the Quartz Revolution period (1969 – 1990) of its Wristwatches collection. The record is illustrated with 6 photographs.

Assembled from the source record's structured fields. Dates and attributions are given as the source states them; where a field is missing the Atlas leaves it blank rather than estimating.

Catalogue description

Dealer description — Collectors Corner NY

When thinking of the most iconic military watches ever produced, it would be hard not to place the Benrus Type 1 in the top 5 on the list (up there with the Rolex MilSub, Tornek-Rayville etc.) The unique and ergonomic asymmetrical case shape of these watches went on to influence later mil-spec pieces from the 70s to today. Perhaps most noteworthy is its pure and well-laid-out dial design, which we believe holds its own against the brilliance of the Rolex Explorer 1. This particular example was issued in December of 1973 and remains in stunning vintage condition. The dial and hands are phenomenally well-preserved and boast a warm and attractive patina. The case has light signs of use. Notably, the bezel insert remains in fantastic shape with no cracks or chips and the "dimple"-signed crown is correct. For anyone looking for a true collector-grade Type 1, this piece is a great opportunity as these do not come to market often.

Historical context

Quartz Revolution (1969 – 1990)

Seiko's Astron begins mass quartz timekeeping; traditional industries contract sharply.

Quartz and digital watches transformed the market after 1969. Swiss employment collapsed, Japanese and Hong Kong production soared, and the Swatch (1983) helped the Swiss industry recover; mechanical watches survived as luxury goods.

Read the period in the timelineMore wristwatches from this periodEarlier: Modern Mechanical Horology

Atlas type guide

Wristwatches

Bracelet watches were worn by women from the early nineteenth century — Breguet made one for Caroline Murat, Queen of Naples, in 1810–12 — but the wristwatch only became a man's instrument with military use and aviation in the early twentieth century. Between the World Wars it overtook the pocket watch; the 1920s and 1930s brought rectangular Art Deco cases, water-resistant cases and the first automatic winding systems.

After 1945 the wristwatch became a carrier of identity — dress watches, sports and dive watches, chronographs, calendars — produced by Swiss, American, Japanese, German, Soviet and Chinese industries. The quartz revolution after 1969 and the mechanical renaissance since the 1990s, including the rise of independent watchmakers, complete the story.

What to look for

  • The reference number (between the lugs or inside the case back) and serial number, the starting point for dating.
  • The calibre: its maker and number are often stamped under the dial or on the bridge.
  • Originality of dial, hands and crown — refinished ('redial') dials are common.
  • Case material marks: 18K/750, 14K/585, stainless steel, gold-filled, plated.

Dating clues

  • Wire-lug cases: before c. 1925.
  • Water-resistant screw-down cases: from 1926.
  • Quartz movements: from 1969; sapphire crystals widespread after c. 1980.

General guidance written by the Atlas editors about this kind of object. It is not a statement about this particular piece; for that, rely on the source record above and on physical examination.

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