Benrus
Unbranded | Ford Mustang Dial
A 1970s Benrus mechanical jumping hour produced as a Ford Mustang promotional or presentation watch.
- Movement
- Swiss manual-wind mechanical
- Current Market Value
- $600–900
- Year
- c. 1970s
- Case
- Base metal
- Size
- c. 40 mm
- Condition
- Good
- Gender
- Men / Unisex
- Acquired
- 2026
Condition
Good vintage condition. The brushed case shows scratches and signs of use. The black dial, Mustang graphics and mechanical digital display remain well preserved. Fitted with a later fabric strap.
Why I bought it
Automotive promotional watches are an interesting little corner of watch collecting, and finding one that is also a 1970s mechanical jumping hour made this particularly appealing to me. The connection with the Mustang gives it a story beyond the watch itself and makes it a different addition to the collection.
This is a 1970s Ford Mustang jumping hour attributed to Benrus. Interestingly, there is no Benrus name on the dial itself. The dial is effectively unbranded, carrying only "SWISS" at the bottom, while the Mustang graphics dominate the design.
The galloping horse is the familiar Ford Mustang pony, placed over what appears to be a large Roman numeral II.
The Benrus attribution is supported by a virtually identical example sold by Hess Fine Auctions in 2023. That watch was catalogued as a Benrus Ford Mustang Jump Hour and came with box, papers and a Tiffany award medal. According to the auction provenance, it had belonged to a Ford engineer. This provides useful evidence connecting these watches both to Benrus and to Ford presentation pieces.
I have also seen the claim that watches like this were given to buyers of Mustang cars, but so far I have not found reliable documentation confirming that part of the story. Until stronger evidence appears, I prefer to describe it as a Ford Mustang promotional or presentation watch rather than specifically as a buyer's gift.
The watch itself uses the familiar mechanical digital arrangement of the period, with the jumping hour in a square aperture and the minutes displayed on a rotating disc beside it.
The Mustang graphics are what set this watch apart from the many other Swiss mechanical digital watches produced during the 1970s. It is an interesting crossover between mechanical digital watchmaking and automotive memorabilia, with the documented Benrus example adding an important piece to its history.
From Instagram
I love the Ford Mustang, so when I found this one on eBay, I was very happy to add it to the collection. 🐎
It's a Benrus Swiss jumping hour from the 1970s, although interestingly the dial itself is unbranded, with the Mustang pony taking over most of the dial. Not exactly subtle, but that's part of the fun.
These watches seem to have been connected to Ford as promotional or presentation pieces, including examples associated with Ford employees. I've also seen claims that they were given to Mustang buyers, but I haven't been able to confirm that part yet.
A Mustang I can actually fit in my watch box!