1950's Solid Gold BENRUS Fancy Lug Wristwatch - Caliber BH14

This is an extremely well kept Benrus solid 14K gold wristwatch from the 1950's. IT is in excellent condition. A true 9/10, with 10 being “brand new, unworn”. You will notice some very light chipping around the dial. This is where the front of the case meets the dial, and is 100% not noticeable when inside the case.

For a watch from this era, it is a TRUE HEAVYWEIGHT. The case weighs 10.1 grams without the crystal. Based upon scrap value on 12-6-21, it contains $319.21 worth of gold alone. I’m stating this for a reason - I am not a scrapper - and any scrappers that offer below market value for a beautiful 70 years old precious metal watch in perfect working order, It’s insulting to do so. Personally, I feel that scrapping vintage timepieces is a travesty...as they can never be made whole again. A complete, functioning watch is NOT worth less than the sum of it’s shell as a melted blob of metal.

Having said that, here is where I would rate this piece:

Crystal - 9/10

Case - 9/10 - Minor scratching on the back edge and bezel. You CAN buff this out. If you want me to do it upon purchase, I’ll be happy to do so. I know some collectors want to keep it as original as possible, so I am leaving this option open to you as the new owner.

Dial - 8.5/10 - The only reason for the 8.5 is for the chipping where the case meets the dial It is exquisite otherwise.

Hands - 8/10 - Minor patina developing on the hands, but as you can see, they are in nice shape.

Crown - 10/10 original.

Movement - 9/10. Keeping time within +/- 2 minutes per day. Free of any major screwdriver marks, even under a loupe.

Band - not original. Brand New, never worn. The original Alligator strap unfortunately cracked when I tried to put it on the stand to take photos.

Lugs - Crisp and clean.

Box - 6/10 - probably not the original box. However, it is still a nice presentation piece.

For any collector of Benrus, or vintage Gold timepieces in general, this would be a piece to hold in your collection and be proud of. The watch itself is what I would refer to as “Museum Quality”.

Sizing:
Case - 31.2mm including and excluding crown, due to the crown being recessed
Lug to Lug - 37.7mm
Lug width - 16mm
Thickness - 9.2mm

Thank you for looking! Please feel free to contact us with any questions, or respectful offers.

Movement:
Benrus Watch Co. INC
Model BH 14
17 Jewels
Swiss Made
Unadjusted

Cased Back Signed:
BENRUS
Cased and Timed In U.S.A.
By The Benrus Watch Co.
A73128
14K

Vintage watches are traditionally smaller than today's watches. Men's watches typically measure between 29-36mm (some larger, some smaller) wide excluding the crown. In the listing details we typically try to do our best to list all pertinent dimensions of a watch. If you don't see it, or we failed to do so, please reach out to us. Women's watches from the 1900s-1970s were also somewhat smaller than today’s offerings in many cases. Please also feel free to ask any questions you have pertaining to size.

We prefer to shoot photographs outside when weather is permitting. However, when we shoot indoors, please be aware that we shoot our photographs inside of lightboxes that are lit with 360 LED bulbs. This indeed magnifies any flaws. Usually, they are much less obvious to the naked eye. Having said that, we never photoshop any of our photography, remove blemishes, etc. We adjust light, when necessary, but what you see is what you are getting, and we take pride in that.

The condition is pre-owned.
The item may have some signs of cosmetic wear, but is fully operational and functions as intended.
See all the photos, feel free to ask questions if you have any.

It will be carefully packed.

Check out my other items listed.
Thanks for looking!

WA-1809