Benrus Sky Chief — Ø36 / L2L 42.5 / 11.9 mm COSC chrono for ~6.5″
SKY-SS-B-036-01 on grey leather. Official Shopify product photography — not a try-on. Source: benrus.com …/sky-chiefBenrus revived its 1940s pilot chronograph as a deliberately small automatic: Ø36 × L2L 42.5 × 11.9 mm, 18 mm lugs, screw-down crown and caseback, 100 m water resistance, double-domed box sapphire, and a COSC-certified ETA 2894 tri-compax movement (~42 h). References SKY-SS-B-036-01 (Stratus Grey) and SKY-SS-W-036-01 (Cirrus White) share the same case. For ~6.5″ wrists this is one of the few new automatic chronographs with both a sub-38 mm diameter and a published tip-to-tip under 43 mm.
Fit literacy filter
Lead on official L2L 42.5 mm, then note the double-domed crystal and pilot dial fill — the case height is modest but the face reads larger than a flat dress watch. Contrast with 40 mm+ chronographs and with the Speedy 38 thickness trap (14.75 mm stack). Bridges: lug-to-lug, sizing, by budget.
Official numbers (Benrus PDP)
Benrus lists on the product page: case diameter 36 mm, lug-to-lug 42.50 mm, case height 11.90 mm, lug width 18 mm, 316L steel, grey leather with polished pin buckle (secondary black strap optional), BG W9 lume, open sapphire caseback, Swiss Made. Retail US$3,950 each colour. Stock fluctuates on DTC — verify the live cart; do not treat forum “sold out” as permanent.
| Spec | Official | WristFit note (~6.5") |
|---|---|---|
| Ø / L2L / thick | 36 / 42.5 / 11.9 mm | Hero span for a chrono; height is not Speedy-class |
| Movement | ETA 2894 automatic, COSC | 30-min + 12-h counters; 4 Hz, 37 jewels |
| WR | 100 m | Unusual for a 36 mm dress-pilot chrono with pushers |
| Price | US$3,950 | Soft FX ~S$5.2k–~S$5.4k + import GST/duty if shipped to SG — not AD pricing |
Soft SGD / Singapore path
Benrus sells direct from the US site. There is no published Singapore RRP and no confirmed local AD listing for this revival in our dealer notes. Treat purchase as DTC import: factor parcel GST on value over S$400, shipping, and warranty return logistics. Soft class pointer: Band 3–4 from US$3,950 FX only — call it orientation, not a quote.
Comparison — compact chronos
| Model | Ø | Thick | L2L | Fit note |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Benrus Sky Chief | 36 | 11.9 | 42.5 official | Short span; domed glass adds presence |
| Seiko Speedtimer HBC003 | 39.5 | 12.0 | 44.5 official | Three-hand sport chrono alternative |
| Omega Speedmaster 38 | 38 | 14.75 | ~44.9 | L2L OK; cuff height trap |
Reality check
A 36 mm chrono is still a chrono — subdials and a tall crystal occupy more dial real estate than a time-only field watch. Try one on if you can (US stockists or a friend’s order) before you import on specs alone.
Sources
Full source list & photo credits
- Benrus — Sky Chief PDP
- Hodinkee — intro
- The Calibrated Wrist — on-wrist context (third-party wrist, not WristFit)
Photo credits
- Sky Chief Stratus Grey hero — © Benrus; self-hosted from official Shopify CDN (
images/products/benrus-sky-chief-36.jpg)