The Bullitt Benrus

repOman

Tyme Twister
Joined
Dec 15, 2018
Messages
7,563
I found this interesting article...Bullitt is definetly one of my favorite movies...

https://wornandwound.com/review/affordable-vintage-bullitt-benrus/

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This watch or company has nothing to do with Benarus. It should be in the NABWB section. The Benarus band trademark is currently owned and produced by M.Z. Berger & CO. who revives brands the bite the dust. https://www.benrus.com/

https://watchintyme.com/showthread.php?61724-A-few-years-ago-when-I-shut-down-STEVRAL

A few years ago when I shut down STEVRAL, it was a very difficult time. To protect myself I would not go into details online with people about why I was deciding to stop operating Benarus in the USA... basically we could not get a Trade Mark on that name because of the old BENRUS watch company. So I didn't see it as a brand I could grow with, it also left me vulnerable to getting sued...

https://watchintyme.com/forumdisplay.php?193-North-American-Based-Watch-Brands

The bulk of the manufacture took place in Switzerland. Benrus also had a factory in Waterbury CT which is where they made the cases for Benrus watches. ... In 1923, Lazarus acquired the legal protection of the trademark Benrus from the Swiss federal office for intellectual property.Dec 9, 2015

http://www.watcheshistory.com/benrus-watch-company/

The company founded in New York City in 1921 by three brothers – Oscar, Benjamin, and. The brothers were Romanian immigrants. The name “BENRUS” was a combination of Benjamin Lazrus first and last names. Hence “BEN”jamin laz”RUS”

The original company headquarters were located in the Hippodrome building on 44th street in Manhattan. While some watch assembly took place there,

Benrus Watch Company
the bulk of the manufacture took place in Switzerland.

Benrus also had a factory in Waterbury CT which is where they made the cases for Benrus watches. The company would later own factories in France, St. Thomas, and Virgin Islands in the late 50’s early 60’s.

In 1923, Lazarus acquired the legal protection of the trademark Benrus from the Swiss federal office for intellectual property.

Benrus, like many other watch manufacturers of the time, manufactured watches for WWII servicemen. Most US companies (including watch companies) were brought into the war effort to produce items for military use. Benrus was no different. Indeed, Benrus was manufacturing items toward the War effort.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Benrus

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.[1][4] 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]

In the early 1950s, Benrus failed in a hostile takeover of Hamilton,[1] and subsequently lost a legal battle with Hamilton in which Benrus had acquired Hamilton stock for the stated purpose of investment but for the actual purpose of control.[5] The decision in this case has become a part of the United States Department of Justice Antitrust Manual with regard to the establishment of preliminary injunctions in antitrust cases.[6]

In the 1960s, the company introduced self-winding watches and entered into the automobile market with steering wheel-mounted self-winding clocks.[1] Also in this decade, Jerry Lewis was hired as a pitchman for the company's Belforte brand.[1]

In the early 1960s, the Federal Trade Commission determined that Benrus' marketing practices--specifically, its published list prices--were misleading for a substantial minority (about 14%) of potential customers at the time.[1][7]

The company was sold to Victor Kiam, later of Remington Razors, in 1967.[1] Over the next ten years, the company suffered in competition against inexpensive Japanese wristwatches, adopting a strategy of diversification into military timepieces and costume jewelry.[1] Nonetheless, Benrus filed for bankruptcy in 1977.[1][a] The company emerged from this after a reorganization which involved entering into a joint venture agreement with the Wells and Roka Watch Company.[8] Thereafter, the company marketed watches under the two tradenames of Benrus and Sovereign, contingent on royalty payments through the joint venture.[8] , Benrus filed for bankruptcy once more in 1981, due to defaulting of its royalty payments.[8] By 1984, the company had taken on the name Wells-Benrus Corp. and was operating under a bankruptcy agreement where the company owed $12 million to Victor Kiam and sought to borrow additional funds to maintain operations.[9] The Wells-Benrus company was based in Middlebury, Connecticut.[9]

The Benrus brand was acquired from the Wells-Benrus company by Clinton Watch Company of Chicago, which renamed its business Benrus Watch Company. Irving Wein, the owner, brought Benrus distribution to large retailers such as Walmart, Kmart, Sears, JC Penney, as well as major catalogs such as Spiegel and JC Penney. The Benrus brand thrived during the 1980s and 1990s until it was sold to Gruen Watch Co. which was soon acquired by M.Z. Berger, a watch importer which had previously acquired the Elgin and Waltham brands.

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​Thanks for posting this up REPO.:hat:
 
This watch or company has nothing to do with Benarus. It should be in the NABWB section. The Benarus band trademark is currently owned and produced by M.Z. Berger & CO. who revives brands the bite the dust. https://www.benrus.com/

https://watchintyme.com/showthread.php?61724-A-few-years-ago-when-I-shut-down-STEVRAL

A few years ago when I shut down STEVRAL, it was a very difficult time. To protect myself I would not go into details online with people about why I was deciding to stop operating Benarus in the USA... basically we could not get a Trade Mark on that name because of the old BENRUS watch company. So I didn't see it as a brand I could grow with, it also left me vulnerable to getting sued...

https://watchintyme.com/forumdisplay.php?193-North-American-Based-Watch-Brands

Dang Mike...I had to go get a drink halfway thru...:lol:
 
Very cool Whitey. Those texting four wheeler operators are a menace, be careful out there.
 
luv that BENRUS wearing the king of cool REPO...


and QED to ROAD WARRIOR... knew all that TM stuff as " BENARUS "& STEVERAL played out in real tyme on WIT...... took me a while to assemble all the minutae and place the BENRUS TRADEMARK in sit's historical perspective as a major USA military watch contractor ... and we all remember WING had that TM stuff and voila the wingdom of android became the KINGDOM OF ARAGON ( never recall reading the terms of that settlement...and also LIOR BEN SCHMUEL and the much loved WOW had that issue with AP... best of my knowledge JOMA picked up WOW...and it appears LBS has deep pockets and landed on his feet from what I read... although I must post LIOR imho was special... great business acumen, relentless energy & drive, and so personable i got to speak to him a couple tymes, and without complaint he serviced those dozens of autos i stupidly wound daily and weakened the spring on ... race mark infringement on the periphery of the tool and " homage " biz... the red line is only bright with hind site goggles... imho consult a high price patent & trademark attorney ...


yeah long MILITARY TRADITION USA BENRUS... like I have posted USA dominated watch business during industrial revolution ...but by WW2 most factories in USA converted to produce munitions and instruments of war to beat GERMANS,JAPANESE with americas superior industrial base...

after the war... the leveled countries of japan...germany...many more could produce watches much cheaper than USA... and over the years USA watch manufacturing kept eroding until it virtually vanished... a couple assembly start ups now... nobody making the engine blanks that i am aware ... just not possible under our current trade status to produce a watch in a 1st world country paying living wage that is competitive with wages and costs in the people's republic
 
repOman, Tanks for the re-visit to the classic care chase of all time and the link to the article bout a Benrus Bullitt connection.
 
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