Vintage Jump Hour Character Watches

It's always time for character watches...Watches with Character.

 

  Vintage Cat in the hat, Ford Mustang II, Funny Face, Johnny Horizon, Mickey Mouse, Moppet, Mr. Peanut, Punchy, Skippy, Winnie the Pooh character watches.

 

Jump hour watches, sometimes known as "direct read" or "digital time display" have been around for years. Josef Pallweber filed the first patent for a jump hour movement on a pocket watch in 1883.  The first wristwatches appeared after world war I during the art deco period (1920s & 1930s) where the tank style was very popular and continues to be even today. 

In the 1970's a revival began when electronic watches started selling. Electronics started out far more expensive than mechanical so why not make a mechanical that had the same look as the new digital. Thankfully for us some character watches got caught up in this revival and are still considered treasured additions to any collection. 

 

In alphabetical order:

Cat in the Hat jump hour by the LaFayette Watch Co. has the Cat wearing his stripped red and white hat, red bow tie and a big grin on a beautiful blue background pointing his white gloved hand to the time display. Marked 1974 Dr. Seuss, Swiss made.

They came in these amazing colorful boxes with plastic tops like the super rare mint one.

 

  This cool Ford Mustang jump hour has a Bradley case, one jewel unadjusted movement by Trice Watch Inc. has the Ford Logo for the second generation Mustang on a beautiful blue background with the direct read numbers on the left and in white on blue all in a polished chrome case.

 

1970's Funny Face watch sold at Sears department stores has this wonderful yellow face look on this amazing jump hour watch with eye balls that move around as the watch moves, a big orange nose and the direct read time within the red mouth. This one includes its original 1970's mod band for this hard to find beauty.

 1976 Lafayette produced this Johnny Horizon jump hour watch for the U.S. land management bureau to fight littering and clean up our national parks. Here is smiling Johnny's head wearing his hat in blue with "digital" hours and minute numbers to the left of him all on a light gold background. Marked Johnny Horizon '76 in red and  Lafayette Watch Co. Swiss made 1976 U.S. Dept. of the interior. This amazing jump hour watch is hard to find today. 

Mickey Mouse by Bradley Time produced this great smiling Mickey with his hand pointing towards the digital time display all on a white background. Marked Mickey Mouse, Bradley, Digital, Swiss, Walt Disney Productions.

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1978 Mickey Mouse by Bradley Time produced this great smiling Mickey with the same exact Mickey pose as the previous jump hour with his hand pointing towards the digital time display all on a white background. Marked Mickey Mouse, Bradley, Digital, Swiss, Walt Disney Productions. These beautiful gems came in both gold and silver tone.

These came in these nicely made felt lined boxes.

 In the 1970's, Custom Time Corp. produced this Mr. Peanut "jump hour” watch with a one jewel movement, Swiss made and rarer today then the regular watch.  Very nicely painted face with a deep soothing blue background and always smartly dressed Mr. Peanut posing next to the time display. Who wouldn't want one of these!

In the 1970s, Macky Watch Co and Sonlenn Trading company produced this Punchy Hawaiian  "jump hour" watch with a Swiss movement & typical large 70's MOD band. Punchy has a big grin wearing his blue and white stripped shirt and holding his Hawaiian punch drink on a white background. Very hard to find today especially working, you'll need to have your expert watch repair person to attend to these.

Here is Moppet "jump hour" watch by E. Gluck Trading Company. Moppet goes with Skippy below similar to Raggedy Ann and Andy. Red headed smiling Moppet looks like she's dancing in her usual blue and white summer dress with white pantaloons, red socks and black shoes all while she's holding a huge flower on a white background with the time display to the far left, the hours are white numbers on red background while the minutes are white numbers with black background. Marked Swiss made.

 

Here is Skippy "jump hour" watch by E. Gluck Trading Company. Skippy goes with Moppet above similar to Raggedy Ann and Andy. Skippy sits happily next to the time display in his blue and red sailor suit with a black tie, white and blue hat, striped socks and black shoes on a white background with a sailing boat drawn behind him and the time display to the far left, the hours are white numbers on red background while the minutes are white numbers with black background. Marked Swiss made.

 In the 70's, Bradley produced this Winnie the Pooh digital "jump hour" watch with smiling Winnie the Pooh in his standard red shirt and a honey pot on a white background with black numbers to tell the time. Marked Bradley, Winnie the Pooh, digital, Swiss made Walt Disney Productions. Super rare today.

For more Information on Watches see:
The National Watch and Clock Museum:  https://nawcc.org/index.php/museum

The West Coast Clock & watch museum https://www.agsem.com/West-Coast-Clock-and-Watch-Museum.php which is located at the Antique Gas & Steam Engine Museum http://www.agsem.com/
 

Any thoughts can be emailed to characterwatchtime@gmail.com

How much is your character watch worth???

For Legal info: https://characterwatchtime.blogspot.com/2019/03/legal-info.html
  

It's always time for character watches...Watches with Character.

 

Vintage Uncategorized 1980's (M - Z) Character Watches

It's always time for character watches...Watches with Character.

Vintage Marvin, Peter Rabbit, Shirt Tales - Bogey Orangutan, Shirt Tales Pammy Panda, Snow White & dwarfs, Strawberry Shortcake, Mr. T, Tarzan, Wuzzles LionBee character watches.

I chose to break down my listing of character watches by studio, character or group so of course we have some uncategorized watches that have to be presented, these are some of the more popular from the 1980s or so...in alpha order.

To see Vintage Uncategorized 1980's (A - L) click here:

Here is Marvin by Bradley Time. Precocious red-headed toddler Marvin is sucking his thumb sitting peacefully lost in his own thoughts dressed in a yellow & white stripped shirt with blue jeans and his yellow shoes on a white background with blue numbers, blue minute marks and blue hands including a blue second hand to tell the time. Marked Tom Armstrong (his creator) in the middle and Fields Enterprises Inc. 1983 at the bottom of this amazing and hard to find watch.

Here is Peter Rabbit by Bradley with Peter out in a carrot field smartly dressed in a blue jacket holding a carrot on a white background with blue numbers to match his jacket and blue hands to tell the time. Marked Bradley at the top and 1980 BTD (for Bradley Time Division) at the bottom. A hard to find watch.

  Shirt Tales Bogey orangutan by Timex for Hallmark Cards Inc. 1981. Shirt Tales was created by Hallmark Cards Inc. with animal characters wearing T-shirts upon which is a message. Here is smiling Bogey with a red shirt holding out his hand on a white background with black numbers and white hands trimmed in black along with a yellow second hand to tell the time. 

Shirt Tales Pammy Panda by Timex for Hallmark Cards Inc. 1981. Here is smiling Pammy jumping rope with a bright blue shirt and blue bow in hair on a white background with black numbers and white hands trimmed in black and a red second hand to tell the time. There may be other Shirt Tales watches, but I haven't seen them.

Snow White and dwarfs with moving witch hand with an apple (I think) Swiss made by an unknown maker. This non Disney Snow white is dressed in yellow with a few dwarfs around her as she leans down to get an apple with black numbers, black minute marks and black hands to tell the time.

Strawberry Shortcake by Bradley for American Greetings Corp. marked 1980. Originally created by American Greetings for cards which later became dolls, posters, products etc. Here is Strawberry Shortcake all dressed up in a huge pink strawberry hat, a white and red trimmed dress with a green bow, fancy green and white leggings and brown shoes happily greeting a fresh basket of strawberry's with her pink cat Custard all on a white background with black numbers and black minute marks and red hands to tell the time.

Here is Mr. T produced by Bradley. Mr. T, probably best known for his role in the A-Team television show (1983-1987). He is shown with hands on hips in a blue denim vest, his signature gold chains and earrings wearing green pants and detailed brown boots standing with his fierce looking dog Dozer beside him all on a white background with black numbers and black hands including a black second hand to tell the time. Marked Bradley, Ruby Spears Enterprises, Inc. and Mr. T Enterprises, Inc. and it creatively has his name Mr. T with his wrist and hand holding the T. 

In 1983, Bradley Time division created two different Tarzan watches perhaps because of the 1981 & 1984 movies. Here you have Tarzan riding on Ape while Tarzan twirls a lass with a circular jungle scene and the Tarzan logo behind them all on a white background with brown numbers, brown minute marks, black hands including a black second hand to tell the time. Marked 1983 Edgar Rice Burroughs Inc. All rights reserved on this hard to find watch.

Here is the other 1983 Bradley Tarzan watch with Tarzan more classical and prominent then above as he swings on a vine with a circular jungle scene behind him and the Tarzan logo below all on a white background with brown numbers, brown minute marks, black hands including a black second hand to tell the time. Marked 1983 Edgar Rice Burroughs Inc. All rights reserved on this hard to find watch.

 

Both of the above Tarzan watches came in these great rectangular plastic display boxes (that Bradley was known for) along with the Tarzan flier in the front and the warranty below each watch.

         What a great find.  

  Here is a 1985 Wuzzle LionBee by Bradley. LionBee is looking happy on a white background with black numbers and red hands, including a second hand to tell the time. Marked 1985 Hasbro Bradley Inc. Walt Disney Productions. A rare find today.

For more Information on Watches see:
The National Watch and Clock Museum:  https://nawcc.org/index.php/museum

The West Coast Clock & watch museum https://www.agsem.com/West-Coast-Clock-and-Watch-Museum.php which is located at the Antique Gas & Steam Engine Museum http://www.agsem.com/
 

Any thoughts can be emailed to characterwatchtime@gmail.com

How much is your character watch worth???

For Legal info: https://characterwatchtime.blogspot.com/2019/03/legal-info.html
  

It's always time for character watches...Watches with Character.