Collection Find: Benrus Early 1960s Three Star Stainless Automatic
A New Addition to my Private Collection:
There is something incredibly satisfying about finding a vintage piece that punches far above its weight class. Benrus is a brand often remembered for its utilitarian military field watches or standard gold-plated dress pieces, but this Reference 7026 "Three Star" is an entirely different animal.
What drew me to this watch immediately was its striking brushed grey dial. It catches the light with a moody, architectural texture that stands out beautifully against the typical silver or white dials of the era. Paired with minimalist baton indices, the quirky, dominant "3" and "9" layout, and that perfectly balanced circular date window at 6 o'clock, it oozes mid-century sophistication.
Another major reason I kept this piece is its solid stainless steel construction. A massive portion of mid-century civilian watches used chrome-plated or gold-filled base metals that degrade and pit over decades of wear. Finding a solid steel monoblock case from this era that has retained its crisp lines is a treat. The front-loading design keeps the case profile slim at just 11mm, allowing it to hug the wrist seamlessly.
Finally, it houses a genuinely high-quality Swiss movement for a Benrus. Seeing the copper-plated Benrus FE 2D6 (ETA 2452 base) inside confirms that they weren't cutting corners on this line.