I just looked, he has everything but N.America excluded.

 

Fancy lugs!! Where's Dave?? (Sorry Ken, same guy as before).


https://www.ebay.com/itm/254715186696Purchases made through these links may earn this site a commission from the eBay Partner Network

 

Nice looking GP Elgin, dial is really attractive and lovely markers and nice lume pips.


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Ok, an Omega in the bargain thread- yes. 2 years ago I wouldn't say this was a "bargain", but we all know the watch world isn't what is was 2 years ago- and this is a nice watch for the price.
SS Omega Seamaster with linen dial. Dial looks about as good as they get, case looks unpolished and sharp, movment looks great. Obviously could use a service but this watch is nice.


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Elgin made some funky watches back in the day The red tip second hand is a nice touch.

I need to start researching Longines more, that type of look, in a SS or white gold Longines would weaken me at the knees. I better go buy my wife that new pair of Fluevogs in preparation for me declaring my 12 watch box full.

Edit: I’d also like it in a salmon dial. This sounds expensive, I think I’ll just go to bed early

 

If this were stainless I would have bought it. If it were Longines, neither one of us could have afforded to buy it.

 

wow

 

Here is the Mondia from a few weeks back. I'm diggin' it.

 

Sweet! That’s nice. Enjoy

 

Now that is a sweet watch! We need a couple more pics. That would scratch the Railmaster itch a bit.

 

Someone got that linen dialed Seamaster- was it someone here?

 

This one has an hour left and still hasn't moved much!

 

Still at $49, with 3 minutes left... (I'm not bidding, BTW)

 

Sold, for $49!

 

The one we all love- Bulova 23j with starburst dial. This one is the non-lume version which tend to age better than the lume. Gold plated case that looks really sharp, no back pic but we all know what that looks like. This should be the USA movement and these are smallish at around 31mm so don't be surprised.


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I don't yet know how to tell a good Benrus from a bad one (what cals are great, what was their golden age etc), but looking at eBay's sold listings, you can get a lot of Benrus for not much money.

I'm now looking after picking up two Benrusesess in two weeks. And yes, this methodology is how serious collectors approach watch buying

 

Golden age is 50's-60's IMO. There were different series like the 3 star, the tri-color band under the name and the 1 Star with Lord series. Some of their 60's watches used ETA movements (branded as Benrus but when you cross reference the movements, they are ETA, but can't verify if everything from them during that period was ETA. By the late 60's/early 70's they were sourcing Japanese movements and although some of these have great desigs and are still well made, I think they were cost cutting measures when the writing was on the wall for the quartz crisis. I haven't found a difinitive guide to Benrus watches- sounds like a pet project Dave

 

Thx JW. I might as well do something useful around here . Winter is coming, so a project would be good. I am also working on a "adventures in buying a Canadian dialed railroad pocket watch". Though that might be a while in coming, pausing acquisitions for a bit.

 

The prizes of the Benrus catalog are the ones we will not feature here on the bargain thread as they will never be bargains- the Sky Chief, the Type I & II military divers, the Deep Sea Super compressor, the 3061 "Bullit", and the Mil-spec field watch upon which the Bullit was based which was made through the Vietnam conflict era. There are a few more esoteric models but those are the big ones for any Benrus collector.
What I find amusing about the aforementied watches, it that they weren't collectible when they were made, Benrus didn't put higher grades in these watches thinking they were "special", they were just watches they made-some on spec as a mil contractor and considered disposable. These watches (aside of the chrono and the SC) were no different that the ones we show in this thread in terms of quailty and construction. It's just dumb luck that these have become grail watches for collectors...if Benrus had only known

 

This one is great. Textured dial if you look close too. Pictures don't do it justice. https://www.ebay.com/itm/203103586156Purchases made through these links may earn this site a commission from the eBay Partner Network