Going Over Land and Sea With the Benrus Infantry and H6

When it comes to watch companies, most people like to focus on the country of origin, especially if they happen to be from that same country. America has had its ups and downs with regards to watch manufacturing, and there are a handful of companies doing what they can to make watches here. We also have brands from the past that have come back from the quartz crisis grave, and today’s review is from one of those brands. Ironically enough, both the Benrus Infantry and H6 are quartz-driven watches.

Benrus is, in its current incarnation, a lifestyle-oriented brand. Just skim their site and you will see by the content – and what they have on offer. This is not to say that the products are either good or bad, it is just helpful to set a frame of reference for where the watches are coming from. First up, we have the Benrus Infantry. Of the watches that crossed my desk for review from the brand, this may have been my favorite. Sure, it’s a simple three-hander, but the styling was cleanly done. Starting with the dial, there is nothing extraneous on it – the the numerals, indices, and some branding. Spinning over that you have the needle-tipped (and luminous) handset, with the needle tips reaching out to their respective places on either side of the numerals.

Over the minute and hour hands you have something I have not seen before, with chevrons appearing on both ends of the second hand. This makes for an interesting look, and of course creates the military theme that a watch called the Benrus Infantry would be going for. That same chevron appears on the crown, which is filled with yellow paint to highlight the stripes. The crown itself is set into a 41mm case that at first has the look of a matte bronze base. The case itself is made of steel with the finish applied. The lugs have a very architectural feel to them, full of crisp angles in a contrast to the rounded sides of the case.

The 74g Benrus Infantry is set on a black leather strap that has a buckle color-matched to the case. Wearing it around, I felt that the watch was a good everyday sort of a watch. It did not raise any eyebrows at the office (disclaimer: it has a casual dress code), but this is not one that I paired with a suit at all. Topped with a mineral crystal, the Benrus Infantry can be picked up for $195. This feels like it might be a touch steep given what you get from the watch, but it does not feel like it is overly ambitious.

If you prefer to spend your time in the water – rather than on land – then the Benrus H6 may be more to your liking. Why the H6 name? Well, that is from the marine chronometers from way (and I mean way) back in the day. This does indeed seem like a stretch to tie in to that lineage, but that is just the name we have. Fittingly for a more water-oriented watch, water resistance is upped to 100m (the Benrus Infantry only has a 50m rating). You also have a themed seconds hand; in this case, we see an anchor showing up on the counterbalance as well as the crown.

This is where the similarities between the two watches really stop (oh, and the fact that they both have quartz movements). On the Benrus H6, the case size jumps up to 44mm, and we see a much different finish. I generally do not care for faux finishes on a watch, but I have to admit that it was well done on the Benrus H6. It gives the look of a much older watch that has simply had either it’s original finish slightly worn off, or that it has become tarnished over time. This is especially evident on the broad lugs, as you get extra “wear” at the edges (this extends to the buckle as well).

On top of the case you have a unidirectional bezel surrounding a mineral crystal that will act as a count-up (or elapsed time) timer. Ostensibly, you could also use it to track a second timezone. Under the crystal we have a dial finish that is very textured (reminiscent of what we saw from Manchester Watch Works, but not quite the same) and features indices that call to mind many a Rolex (or Rolex homage). That is to say, they are instantly recognizable and easy to read. They are also raised up from the surface of the dial, so you get an extra bit of dimensionality, which I appreciate. Over that spins a handset that, while it works, feels like it gets lost a little bit in the larger dial. I think if they were widened a bit, it would go a long way towards mitigating that feeling.

Coming in at 100g, the Benrus H6 is definitely heavier than you might expect for a quartz watch, but it is definitely a beefier case. Paired as it is nylon B10 strap (they call it green, but it’s more of an olive drab), the weight is cut down as much as it can be. That strap pairing also means that this is strictly a more casual watch. For myself, I did wear it to the office, but the dress code there easily accommodated it. Swapping in a two-piece strap might help it to blend in a bit more easily; at an asking price of $255, though, a second strap may not be in the cards right away. As with the Infantry, the pricing feels just a touch high, so we’ll see how things do. Pricing aside, the Benrus Infantry and H6 are decent three-handers, offering more style (and of course brand history) than you might otherwise expect from a lifestyle brand. Those are my thoughts – be sure to let us know in the comments what you think about these new Benrus watches. benrus.com

Review Summary

Brand & Model: Benrus Infantry and H6
Price: $195 (Infantry), $255 (H6)

Who’s it for?: For either of the watches, this is someone who is looking for three-handers that pull some inspiration from military (be it land or sea) watches with a healthy dose of style
Would I wear it?: The Infantry, perhaps, it would be a good weekend or “banging around” watch. The H6, for whatever reason, just did not click with me as well.
What I’d change: On the Infantry, perhaps some curved spring bars would be of help; on the H6, I feel the hands need to be wider