Vintage Superhero Character Watches

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

Vintage Superhero Character Watches

Vintage Batman, Captain Marvel, Incredible Hulk, Marvel Junior, Mary Marvel, Master of Universe, Mighty Mouse, Robin, Spiderman, Superman, Underdog, Wonder Woman character watches.

Sorted by age:

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.

 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.

  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.

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 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 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 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 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 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.

 

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/
 



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