This vintage Benrus alarm watch is more than just a beautiful timepiece, it’s a reminder of a bygone era when wristwatches weren’t only worn, they worked. With its stainless steel case, clean dial, and elegant blued steel hands, it has a timeless charm. But what truly sets it apart is its mechanical alarm complication, a function once essential for travelers, professionals, and anyone who needed a reliable reminder long before digital devices existed.
The mechanical alarm works by using a second, independently wound barrel. When set, it activates a small internal hammer that vibrates against the case, producing a distinctive buzz. Today, we don’t need this function, but collectors appreciate it deeply — not just for the clever engineering, but for the story it tells about how people lived and relied on their watches decades ago.
Benrus, founded in 1921 by the Lazrus brothers in New York, became one of America’s most important mid-century watch companies. Known for dependable military watches, innovative complications, and U.S.-assembled timepieces with Swiss movements, Benrus carved out a legacy of durable, honest watchmaking. By the 1950s and ’60s, their alarm watches exemplified this spirit: practical, well-built, and quietly stylish.
This piece runs well by vintage standards, and its mechanical alarm transforms it from “just a watch” into a conversation piece. With its steel case, crisp dial, blued hands, and charmingly functional complication, this Benrus offers not only beauty, but a slice of American watchmaking history that still hums to life with a twist of the crown.
This vintage Benrus alarm watch is more than just a beautiful timepiece, it’s a reminder of a bygone era when wristwatches weren’t only worn, they worked. With its stainless steel case, clean dial, and elegant blued steel hands, it has a timeless charm. But what truly sets it apart is its mechanical alarm complication, a function once essential for travelers, professionals, and anyone who needed a reliable reminder long before digital devices existed.
The mechanical alarm works by using a second, independently wound barrel. When set, it activates a small internal hammer that vibrates against the case, producing a distinctive buzz. Today, we don’t need this function, but collectors appreciate it deeply — not just for the clever engineering, but for the story it tells about how people lived and relied on their watches decades ago.
Benrus, founded in 1921 by the Lazrus brothers in New York, became one of America’s most important mid-century watch companies. Known for dependable military watches, innovative complications, and U.S.-assembled timepieces with Swiss movements, Benrus carved out a legacy of durable, honest watchmaking. By the 1950s and ’60s, their alarm watches exemplified this spirit: practical, well-built, and quietly stylish.
This piece runs well by vintage standards, and its mechanical alarm transforms it from “just a watch” into a conversation piece. With its steel case, crisp dial, blued hands, and charmingly functional complication, this Benrus offers not only beauty, but a slice of American watchmaking history that still hums to life with a twist of the crown.
