Age of my Benrus watch

[pieterpaul]

I-am very happy with my vintage Benrus day-date watch with CE13 movement.
I would like to know the age of this watch
The backside of the watch provides the following information:
Serialnumber: 854391
US patent:2.581.268

Is there any database of Benrus serialnumbers available?

Thanks for unveiling this little mystery

 

[doug sinclair]

My Bestfit catalog lists a Benrus CE (no CE 13 listed), as an 11 1/2 ligne, manual wind ETA 1015, with calendar, but it doesn't specify day/date.. Checking Dr. Ranfft's archive, there is no picture of the movement, and it too just says the movement has a calendar. I would suggest that a manual wind day/date watch would be fairly scarce. If I have ever seen one, I don't recall when it would have been. This doesn't constitute "unveiling this little mystery" (in your words), so in order to pursue this further, we'd need a picture. You used the word "vintage". Owing to how watches have changed over the last 40 years, I'd say it has to be that old, or older. Picture?

 

[pieterpaul]

file:///C:/DOCUME%7E1/ESCONS%7E1/LOCALS%7E1/Temp/moz-screenshot.jpg
Dear mr. Sinclair,
thanks for your research. I have copied a photoof my watch from e-Bay
This watch isn't rare but I regard a s nice attractive watch.
According to the seller the movement is a 17 jewels movement marked as calibre CE13. I'll provide you a better picture, home made.

 

[doug sinclair]

That clears up one thing. It is a day/date. But the rest is still speculation. Based on the style of case and dial, and the type of analog calendar and the day in the window, I'd say possibly the 1940s or early 1950s. What we don't know is if the movement is the ETA 1015, manual wind, 11 1/2 ligne.

 

[mfrmn]

This Benrus model is also one of my favorites; I actually have three of these (two of them are identical to the one in the photo, while the third is slightly different - the days of the month are listed in an interior circle as opposed to an outer one. I'm quite certain all three use the same movement.) Determining the age of these watches is a bit of a challenge. Like you, I have not come across any database on Benrus serial numbers. Nevertheless, in this instance there's a way to approximately date the watch, based on the patent number. The cited patent (2,581,268) was granted in the US on Jan. 1, 1952, so your watch (or at least the case) was definitely manufactured after that date. It seems that Benrus built these watches over a long period of time. One of the watches I have does not have the patent number listed on the back (only the serial number), which implies that it was built before the patent was issued. The filing date for the US patent goes back to 1949, but it seems the original Swiss filing dates back to 1946. Unfortunately I have no idea about when Benrus stopped manufacturing/selling this model. I will look up the serial numbers on the watches I have tonight; I doubt, however, that they will provide significant additional information.

Regards,
Mufit

 

[jimH]

Dear mr. Sinclair,
Thanks for your research. I have copied a photo of my watch from e-Bay
This watch isn't rare but I regard as nice attractive watch.
According to the seller the movement is a 17 jewels movement marked as calibre CE13. I'll provide you a better picture, home made.

Here's another example of this type of Benrus. I would guess that your watch dates to the early to mid 1950s.

 

[pieterpaul]

Dear Mufit,

what a beauty!
According to your research my Benrus must be dated as early 50's as it lacks the innovative shock-absorber.
Thanks for helping,

Regards,

pieterpaul

 

[pieterpaul]

Dear mr Sinclair,

my Benrus will be serviced but that will be beginning of next year (it takes some time to find a skilled watch specialist to trus my beaty to) A soon as I have a picture of the movement I'll post it.

Regards pieterpaul

 

[ulackfocus]

pieterpaul - be very careful of the crown, even more so than with other vintage watches. The crown sticks out a little extra as pushing it manually advances the date hand. I have the exact same watch and was warned by my watchmaker when he serviced it.

 

[pieterpaul]

pieterpaul - be very careful of the crown, even more so than with other vintage watches. The crown sticks out a little extra as pushing it manually advances the date hand. I have the exact same watch and was warned by my watchmaker when he serviced it.

https://mb.nawcc.org/

Dear ulackfocus, thanks a lot, I'll be very carefull and wear this watch only on special occasions but I wind it daily to keep it functioning.
Your Benrus is a true beauty and the strap matches wonderfull.
Do you know the age of your Benrus/ early 50's?

 

[Dresden]

I-am very happy with my vintage Benrus day-date watch with CE13 movement.
I would like to know the age of this watch
The backside of the watch provides the following information:
Serialnumber: 854391
US patent:2.581.268

Is there any database of Benrus serialnumbers available?

Thanks for unveiling this little mystery

Hello Pieterpaul,
I love your watch and I was just given one similar to it. Well, I have the movement and the dial however it does not have the case. Mine is the Benrus Calendar watch with CE3 movement. I would love to try and find a case for it and I know it is about the exact same case that your watch has. Will you please be so kind as to look at your watch case and tell me its watch case number? That is what I need to help me find a case for my watch right and possibly even a crystal, am I right? I would appreciate any help whatsoever from you or anyone else on here. Thank you in advance.

Kind regards,
Dresden

 

[DadsWatch72]

Here's another example of this type of Benrus. I would guess that your watch dates to the early to mid 1950s.

Does anything look familiar??