Corona Watches - Watches with a Crown (not rolex) purchased over the last year

WYO_Watch · Mar 14, 2021

Over the past year we’ve all been confronted by the coronavirus and it’s wake. “Corona” means crown in Latin, so it only makes sense that I would stumble on to a watch with a “crown” emblem (not Rolex). Without further ado, Belforte

Belforte was a sub-brand of Benrus that offered more affordable pieces. Benrus was a Goliath of American watch makers. You can read a decent write up here on the two brands here: http://www.thewatchguy.com/pages/BENRUS.html

Belforte hired Jerry Lewis to help sell their affordable watches. Unfortunately, many of the watches they released were chrome plated. However, in my humble collection I have stainless as well as Delrin plastic too. Case material is just one of the varieties Belforte offers. Dials, hands, markers, and the gambit of dress pieces to field watches.

Anyone else have one or two in their collection!? Or would you care to share what watch(es) you purchased over the craziness of the last year?

Canuck · Mar 14, 2021

I haven’t bought any during the Corona virus. But I have added several that I have stumbled upon amongst my stash.

I

X350 XJR · Mar 14, 2021

This is the only one with a crown.

JwRosenthal · Mar 14, 2021

Belforte is a neat cheap-thrills brand to collect, not that Benrus is all that expensive...if you don’t include their Mil watches....like the divers, or the Sky Chief, or the 3061 Bullit or the Deep Sea, or the Heuer made Chrono....ok, there are a few really expensive Benrus’.

Here is my one and only Belforte, actually it’s a Marcel Renoir made by Belforte- for whatever discount brand that thought a fancy French name made it sound more expensive than a Belforte. But it’s actually a really nice watch.