BENRUS

BENRUS was founded in 1921 as a watch repair shop in New York City by Romanian immigrant brothers Benjamin, Oscar, and Ralph Lazrus. The name is a portmanteau of 'Ben' from Benjamin and 'rus' from Lazrus. In the 1920s, they transitioned to manufacturing watchcases and assembling watches using Swiss movements from La Chaux-de-Fonds. During WWII, BENRUS halted watch production to manufacture timing systems for military munitions. The company produced robust military watches issued to American servicemen from WWII through Vietnam, with the Type I and Type II becoming collector favorites. Notable models include the Sky Chief chronograph, Dial-O-Rama jump hour watch, and Wrist Alarm. The company was sold to Victor Kiam in 1967. The quartz crisis led to bankruptcy in 1977. After multiple ownership changes including Hampden Watch and M.Z. Berger, the brand is currently owned by Benrus Holdings, LLC.