On the theory that you can never have enough cool vintage chronographs, here is another little gem that I have known and loved, the Benrus “Sky Chief”. Produced in the post WWII-era by the New York-based Benrus Watch Company and marketed with its evocative name to the aviation-mad public of the late 40s and 1950s, as well as the increased purchasing power of the Western world’s newly beefed up air forces and transatlantic airlines, the Sky Chief is a classic pilot’s chronograph by design.
In its most common iteration, it has 3-registers for constant seconds, minute recorder and 12-hour recorder, the latter complication being a somewhat new development for a mass-produced wristwatch that came to be the standard for most fine chronographs going forward. The usual engine found under the hood was a Venus 178 well before it was adopted by Breitling for their Navitimers in the mid-50s. And a bit later, perhaps because Breitling sucked up almost all Venus production, Benrus used the ubiquitous Valjoux 71/ & 72 column wheel chrono ebauches that would go on to serve the watch industry for so many years. Different alphanumeric codes were engraved on the bridges to indicate which caliber was being used and none of these movements had shock protection at this early date.
Sky Chief with Venus movement
There were also some rare Sky Chiefs produced with the Valjoux 72c triple calendar complication which can be found in both steel and 14k yellow gold.
But the best looking Sky Chief in my opinion is the classic 3-reg glossy black dial version with gilt printing. Also available and slightly more uncommon with white dials, which are usually found in larger cases, there is nonetheless something ultra-cool about these gloss black dials with their highly-legible Arabic luminous numerals, somewhat reminiscent of the earliest all-black AOPA Navitimers sans the external slide rule bezel and track. They also have a delightful tendency to age to a “tropical” brown.
At 35mm wide, the black Sky Chief is certainly not a big watch but it is nicely chunky with its 3-piece snap back case with prominent bezel. And there is something very cool about all that mechanical complexity being housed in such a compact package. Besides, the modest size harkens back to a very particular 1940s ethos before the explosion in chronograph sizes that began in the mid-1950s. As its flat pushers attest, the Sky Chief is not much more water resistant than a pocket watch. But then what good pilot plans on ending up the drink anyway?
Prices for Sky Chiefs are quite variable with really high quality examples being scarce due to dial damage most likely from the poor water resitance. But generally the standard black dial 3-register models fetch slightly under $2k, with brown dials and the Triple Dates commanding a premium, a large one for the latter if found in gold. Time was when the Valjoux 71/72 versions seemed to cost more than their Venus counterparts but that doesn’t really seem to apply anymore. If you’re interested in one take your time and find a really good one — there are a lot of Sky Chiefs out there in the scheme of things so no sense settling. For more on this classic aviator’s chrono and the Benrus company itself here is a cool write up from a passionate Romanian collector, Caesari Romania. Among the many things you’ve got to love about the vintage watch hobby is that it is truly a global addiction!
