Benrus is an American watchmaking and lifestyle company founded as a watch repair shop in New York City in 1921 by Romanian-American Benjamin Lazrus and his two brothers.[1][2] Benrus watches were worn for decades by the U.S. military from World War II through Vietnam.
History
The name "Benrus" is a portmanteau of the name of cofounder Benjamin Lazrus.
In the 1920s the company transitioned from watch repair to the manufacture of watchcases and assembly of completed watches using imported internal components from La Chaux-de-Fonds, Switzerland.[1] During World War II, the company stopped manufacturing watches and switched to the manufacture of timing systems (e.g. fuses) used in munitions. In the 1940s and 1950s, Benrus released the Sky Chief (a chronograph), the Dial-a-Rama, the Wrist Alarm and a bracelet watch called Embraceable.[1]