Vintage Superheroes, Crime Fighters, and Secret Agent Character Watches

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

Vintage Batman, Bionic Woman, Captain Marvel, Dick Tracy, Hardy Boys, Hong Kong Phooey, Incredible Hulk, Inspector Gadget, James Bond, Johnny Horizon, Man from Uncle, Marvel Junior, Mary Marvel, Master of Universe, Mighty Mouse, Robin, Robin Hood, Shadow, Six Million Dollar Man, Smokey Bear, Spiderman, Superman, Underdog, Wonder Woman character watches.

In 1938, at about the same time as the launch of the Mickey Mouse watch, the first Dick Tracy watch was produced by New Haven with a large 1930s tank style case & sold for $2.25. Tracy is shown neatly dressed in a suit, hat and tie standing with a gun in one hand and the other in his pocket on a white background with black numbers, black minute marks and red hands to tell the time. The face is marked Dick Tracy, signed by his creator Chester Gould and marked Made in the USA.

Superman, one of the oldest and most popular super heroes started out with his first watch representation right after Mickey Mouse.

In 1939, New Haven produced this large size pre-war tank style watch with intricate design on the case for $2.95.  The man of steel is standing with his hands on his hips and marked Superman across the bottom and marked Made in the USA at the very bottom on a white background with black hands, black minute marks and black and red watch hands to tell the time. Box and watch are hard to find and treasured today. This was also reproduced in 1993.

In 1948, Fawcett Publications produced the Captain Marvel, Mary Marvel and Marvel Junior watches.  Each had luminescent hands & a Swiss movement. 

Here is the Captain standing with his cape flowing behind him, holding a plane in one hand on a white background with gold numbers and a yellow outer circle for the minute marks and luminous hands to tell the time. Marked shocked protected.

Mary Marvel shown as if she is taking flight and with her cape flowing behind her on same white background with gold numbers and an outer circle for the minutes and luminous hands to tell the time.

Ultra-rare Captain Marvel Junior is also shown taking flight wearing a blue suit, red cape on a white background grey numbers with a gold outer circle for the minutes and black luminous hands (these lost their luminous-ness) to tell the time.

The Marvel set had a regular larger size and a slightly smaller DELUXE size which sold for a dollar more with a one jewel movement & shock protected and is rarer today. They all came in regular boxes or the harder to find today bright yellow plastic cases as shown below.

 10 years after his first watch, New Haven produced the 1948 Dick Tracy square face style with Tracy again standing with a gun in one hand, always neatly dressed in a blue suit, hat and tie on a white background with black numbers, black minute marks and black hands to tell the time. Marked Dick Tracy at the bottom.

These came in these nice colorful presentation boxes with matching insert.

 

  Late 1940's or 1950's Viking produced this Robin Hood. A well-made watch marked Robin Hood and Swiss made with 12 green numbers to match his tights and each minute is marked off with every five of those marked with numbers. Robin Hood is decked out in his full leather outfit with tights and boots including a feather in his hood. He has his quiver on his back, a knife on his belt and carries his bow in one hand and sword in the other.  It has green hands and a red second hand to tell the time. 

 

 In 1951, New Haven produced the Dick Tracy with moving gun watch that ticked off the seconds just like the watch they produced for Gene Autry (see my Western blog) at the same time with same movement, same luminescent hands, and same round 50's style case. Again, well dressed in a blue suit and tie, Tracy is shown standing with his gun and wearing his yellow hat on a white background (some yellow), green luminous numbers and black minute marks. Top is marked (c) CHIC. TRIB. USF 1951 SWISS COPYR 1951, bottom is marked Hew Haven Clock and Watch Co.

NOTE: This is the smaller gun and below boxed pictures shows the larger gun version.

 

These came in these smaller boxes (compared to 1948 version)

In 1951, New Haven produced Superman with simple, less intricate case and again with the man of steals hands on his hips on a white background with black numbers, black minute marks and black hands to tell the time. Marked Superman at the bottom with original yellow vinyl band.

In 1956, Ingersoll produced the Robin Hood watch in a tank style case with Robin shooting his bow standing sideways on a floor with yellow background. The white numbers are on a black background and black minute marks on a yellow background.

Late 1950s, New Haven produced this tank style FULL body Superman watch again with hands on his hips and special lightning bolt hands, a big deal back then and highly prized today this time with Superman written at the top on a light blue background with red even numbers and red dots for the odd numbers and black minute marks. Marked COPR N.C.P at the bottom for (National Comics Publication, Inc.).

  

  

 

 and these came with a special bluish leather band with the Superman emblem marked on both sides in red and beautiful red accent stitching along with a detailed buckle. What a prize!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

In 1958, Bradley produced the Superman pocket watch and stopwatch. The face depicts a confident Superman flying over the city with regular yellow numbers on a blue inner circle and a second outer yellow display for the stopwatch of 60-minute numbers marked off to the fifth of a second for the stop watch feature.  

Note on the upper left outside of the case, there is a button slide to use the stopwatch feature. 

Also note: This is the same watch Bradley produced for Roy Rogers at the same time that you can see on my Western blog. Superman is harder to find today.

 

 

  Early 1960s, DC comics had this different version of a Superman watch produced where he appears to be flying over the city on a sky-blue background with yellow numbers on a black background and black hands to tell the time.

 In 1965, UK based Gilbert produced this James Bond 007 watch with a Swiss movement in a plastic case. This large case, matching Bond's silver car dash style has two pull out magnifying glasses on the left top and bottom which they called "secret sighting lenses" and a unique "world time" dial. The minute hand moves regularly, and a round circle rotates to show the hour. The bezel, along the edges of the dial has different world city names to know what time it is around the world. A limited production and unique watch make this highly prized today with the box being rare.

Then in 1966, UK based Gilbert produced the Batman watch known as the "Bat Wing" watch. A Swiss movement in a large plastic case resembling Batman's cape with greenish florescent lines to match the numbers on the dial and bat wing hands to tell the time. Limited production and again a unique design makes this highly prized by collectors and hard to find especially with the box. 

Also in 1966, Bradley for MGM produced the Man from Uncle Secret Agent watch for the television series. This Swiss movement watch shows a drawing of the secret agent as portrayed by Robert Vauhn holding his "Open Channel D" satellite communicator on a light blue background with black numbers and gold hands to tell the time.

Also in 1966, Bradley produced a Superman watch, essentially the same watch as above with a different dial. Superman is flying at an angle with his name in bright red above him on a yellow background with black numbers, black minute marks along with black minute numbers every five minutes, black hands including a second hand to tell the time. Marked Swiss made.

 

In the 1960's, Hawhorne produced this Smokey Bear watch Swiss made with shovel hands, very nice watch reminding you to "prevent forest fires". I believe this superhero fire preventing Smokey watch was the first Smokey watch produced.

Bradley also produced a nicely made Smokey Bear in their standard "coffin" style box also with “shovel hands”.

In the 1970’s Rega produced this Johnny Horizon watch for the U.S. land management bureau, Johnny Horizon is the mascot to fight littering. Here is smiling Johnny’s head wearing his black hat on a bright yellow background with black numbers and white hands along with moving eyes to tick away the seconds. Marked Piet.

 

 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.
 

 In 1972, Universal City Studios produced the Hardy Boys watch based on their mystery television series. Swiss made, this watch portrayed Parker Stevenson and Shaun Cassidy as the Hardy Boys from the television series at the time and is hard to find today. Did Nancy Drew get a watch? Sadly, I've never seen one!

In 1973, Lafayette Watch Company produced the Underdog watch for the cartoon series. Smiling Underdog is shown in his blue flowing cape and red tights with red boots on a white background with black numbers and his wonderful arms to tell the time. Marked 1973 Leonardo TTV Swiss co26002 for this great watch.

In 1974-78, Timex for DC Comics Inc. produced Batman, Robin, Superman and Wonder Woman watches with Swiss movements and leather bands with matching yellow stitching. These nicely made watches all came in plastic cases as shown with superman below.

Here is the cape crusader pictured running with his cape flowing on a yellow background and bold black numbers a 3, 6, 9, & 12 and white hands to tell the time. 

Robin also running with cape flowing on a yellow background and bold black numbers a 3, 6, 9, & 12 and white hands to tell the time.

Here is Superman with his family emblem in the background in the box with blue numbers and white hands to tell the time.

and here is Wonder Woman running with WW for the background on white with white numbers for 3, 6, 9, & 12 on a blue background and black hands to tell the time. 

In the '70s, The Six Million Dollar Man and Bionic Woman both got watches with Swiss movements for their television series at the time.

Here we have the Bionic Woman as portrayed by Lindsey Wagner on a bright red background with black numbers, black hands and a red second hand to tell the time.

Here is the Six Million Dollar Man as portrayed by Lee Majors in his flight suit on a yellow background with white numbers on a blue background except for the 3, 6, 9, & 12 which are red and black hands including a red second hand to tell the time.

In 1976, they produced this different version of the Six Million Dollar man this time wearing a red track suit jumping in a field with hills and trees and a blue sky behind him with black numbers and black hands to tell the time.

In 1977, Dabs (for DC Comics Inc.) produced an entire set of superhero watches with Swiss movements in nice colorful presentation boxes & matching decorative sleeves.

Each watch came in small and large sized faces (except the Incredible Hulk was only small face and the Joker was only large face (according to the print ad) plus I have seen a rare digital quartz Hulk, but no quartz watches of the others) and came with nice leather bands with accented stitching.  

Large face, Batman swinging on a rope on a red background with black numbers on a white background and white hands to tell the time.

Small face, The Incredible Hulk, running on a bright yellow background with black numbers, yellow hands and a red second hand to tell the time.

Large face, Amazing Spiderman, poised to jump on a yellow background with black numbers on a white background and white hands to tell the time.

Large face, Superman flying on a white background with black numbers on a yellow background and yellow hands to tell the time.

Large face, Wonder Woman running with twirling golden lasso on a light blue background with black numbers on a white background with yellow hands to tell the time.

In 1977, Timex produced this Hong Kong Phooey watch for Hanna-Barbera (see blog) based on their cartoon. This smaller size child's watch is hard to resist with Karate chopping Penrod "Penry" Pooch's hands to tell the time dressed in a red with white trim gi, masked Penrod is on a blue background with black numbers and a black second hand to tell the time. One Jewel, Swiss made and marked Hanna Barbera Prod Inc. at the bottom, a rare find today.

In 1977 and for quite a few years, Terrytoons had Bradley produce the Mighty Mouse watch with a Swiss movement showing the most common view of the flying mouse, very common today and they may have slight variations.

 

Here is a great unique Superman from the 1970's with a full figure Superman with hands on hips looking like the super hero with "Superman" written above him along with a very small trademark underneath it. Superman is in his usual blue tights with red cape and red boots on a silver background with black numbers, black minute marks, five minute numbers, black hands and an orange second hand to tell the time. Marked Copyright National Periodical Publications Inc. 1966 Swiss movt. Hong Kong dial. What a great find.  

 Here we have a 1978 Underdog this time by Q&Q for the Japanese market. Smiling Underdog is shown in his blue flowing cape and red tights with red boots on a white background with black numbers, black minute marks, black hands and an orange second hand to tell the time. Marked Japan 6-120857h Leonardo TTV 78 for this super hard to find gem.

 

  In 1983, Bradley produced the Inspector Gadget watch for DIC Audiovisual Inc. for the cartoon they were producing at the time.

 Here is the inspector with Brain, mint in the box wearing his grey trench coat blue pants and grey shoes on a white background with black numbers, black minute marks, black hands including a black second hand to tell the time. I've only seen one other wind up!

They also made the LED quartz version which is common today.

In 1984, Bradley (for Mattel) produced the He Man Master of the Universe watch for their cartoon, one of the most popular animated children's shows of the 1980s. He Man is standing strong in the middle with a red background with black numbers, black minute marks on a white background and blue hands including a blue second hand to tell the time. MINT original band, this small child's watch hard to find today.

Underdog was portrayed again in 1984 with this A&M Hollywood representation where Underdog is looking determined dressed in his usual long flowing blue cape, red tights with red boots on a white background with just the four black numbers 3,6,9, & 12. Marked 1984 P.A.T. Ward. This super rare watch is also shown under my Vintage Jay Ward Watches by Bradley, A&M Hollywood & Q&Q blog in even more detail.

 

In 1994, The Shadow was produced by Hope for the movie, here in a tin box with warranty, all original. This is a quartz watch.

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.