Vintage Walt Disney Pre 1970s Character Watches

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

  Vintage Alice in Wonderland, Bambi, Bongo Bear, Cinderella, Daisy Duck, Danny the Black Lamb, Donald Duck, Dopey, Fiddler Pig, Jiminy Cricket, Joe Carioca, Louie Duck, Mickey Mouse, Pinocchio, Pluto, Snow White character watches.

For post 1970's Walt Disney Character Watches, click here.

In 1933, Walt Disney, along with his merchandising man Herman 'Kay' Kamen started the
"Character Watch" concept with Mickey Mouse when they began selling merchandise based on Disney characters. Disney contracted with Ingersoll-Waterbury to produce a complete line of Mickey Mouse wristwatches, pocket and lapel watches & clocks. You can check out my blog dedicated just to the vintage Mickey Mouse watch here:

A star since 1934, Donald got his first wristwatch in 1936 and this pocket watch in 1939 produced by Ingersoll. Both are hard to find today as they didn't sell as well as the Mickey Mouse watches so the Mickey Mouse decal was placed on the back (as shown below) to help sell them. Smiling Donald Duck is in his blue sailor suit, blue hat, and red tie straddling the second-hand dial on a white background with black numbers, black minute marks and black hands to tell the time. Marked 1939 Walt Disney Prod. & Made in the USA at the bottom… scarce today.

 As mentioned above, many of the Donald pocket watches have the same decal that is on the back of the Mickey Mouse lapel watch of the same time, here is one example.

 After the war, in 1947 Disney had US time (formerly Ingersoll) mass produce the latest Mickey Mouse watch along with some of these other stars.

Daisy Duck got her first watch in about 1947 when US Time (formerly Ingersoll) produced this large watch showing the always smartly dressed sweet Daisy in a blue bow with matching shoes and yellow blouse trimmed in green on a pink background with large red numbers, red minute marks and her wings to tell the time. Marked WDP.

Again in 1947, Danny the Black Lamb got his first and last watch. From the 1947 movie "So Dear To My Heart" (which mixed animation with live action & was known to be Walt Disney's personal favorite).  Danny the Black Lamb was rejected by his mother and raised by young Jeremiah Kincaid despite his grandmothers objections Danny the Black wool lamb is cheerfully standing with a big smile on his gold face with matching gold stomach standing out against a bright orange background with black minute marks, large black numbers and his black lamb arms to tell the time. Marked Ingersoll and WDP (Walt Disney Productions), this great watch is probably the hardest to find of this time series and is treasured among collectors.

In 1947, Donald Duck got his second wristwatch (Ingersoll had a round 1936 one) when Ingersoll (US Time) produced this large size watch marked Ingersoll, WDP (Walt Disney Productions). Smiling Donald is in his blue sailor suit and blue hat on a light blue background with large dark blue numbers, blue minute marks and his wings to tell the time. These came in silver & gold tone with the gold tone costing a dollar more, just like Mickeys.

 

From Disney's 1933 "The Three Little Pigs" short cartoon, here is the 1947 Little Fiddler Pig by US Time marked WDP  (Walt Disney Productions). The smiling and waving Fiddler pig has his fiddle in one gloved hand while dressed in a dark blue hat and blue top on a white background with large red numbers, blue minute marks and red hands to tell the time.

Ingersoll US Time also produced this 1947 large Louie Duck watch. Marked WDP. Donald Duck's nephew Louie from "Huey, Dewey, and Louie" is dressed in green with a checkered green/white hat and a big smile on a white background with large red numbers, blue minute marks and red hands to tell the time.

And finally the last of the 1947 series, US Time, Ingersoll produced this large Snow White watch marked WDP. It shows gracious Snow White dressed in a blue top and yellow skirt bowing sweetly on a white background with large red numbers, blue minute marks and red hands to tell the time. 

In 1948/49, US Time changed the design to round faces. 

Here is Mickey Mouse's 1948 round design (for other vintage Mickey Mouse watches, see my specific Mickey Mouse blog.  Mickey is dressed in his usual red with yellow shoes on a white background with red numbers, red minute marks and his hands to tell the time

Here is the 1948 Snow White bowing politely as she waits for the dwarfs by US Time with this round design. Snow White is dressed in a yellow dress, blue top and a red bow in her hair on a white background with red numbers, blue minute marks and black hands to tell the time. Marked WDP.

 THE BIRTHDAY SERIES

In 1948, US Time produced a series of 10 different watches to celebrate Mickey's 20 birthday. Each has the character in the middle with a circle around them and numbers outside the circle. Bambi, Bongo, Daisy Duck, Donald Duck, Dopey, Jiminy Cricket, Joe Carioca, Mickey Mouse, Pinocchio, & Pluto.
 

Here is Bambi's birthday series watch by US Time. Innocent Bambi stands on his own with his first watch within a green background on a larger white background with green numbers, green minute marks and his ears to tell the time slightly awkwardly in the middle of his eye.

Little bear Bongo's birthday series watch by US Time, his first watch has Bongo in his red outfit and red hat ready to do some stunts within a white circle background on a larger grey background with black numbers, black minute marks and his hands to tell the time.

Daisy Duck's birthday series by US time, same picture as her 1947 watch, but smaller figure now. Sweet Daisy is dressed in a yellow top with big blue bow on her head within a pink circle background on a larger white background, black numbers, black minute marks and her hands to tell the time.

  Donald Duck's birthday series 1948 by US Time same as 1947 watch but smaller figure now. Smiling Donald is dressed in his blue sailor suit and blue hat on a blue background, blue numbers, blue minute marks and his hands to tell the time.

Dopey gets his first watch with this US Time birthday series watch. Dressed in green with a black belt, purple hat, smiling Dopey has it covered on a yellow background with black numbers, black minute marks and his hands to tell the time.

Jiminy Cricket also gets his first watch with this US Time birthday series watch. Dressed smartly in his black tails, pink hat and pink cummerbund, Jiminy is the best dressed cricket around on a blue circle background within a larger white background, with blue numbers, blue minute marks and his hands to tell the time

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Fresh off his two appearances in 1942 & 1944, Joe Carioca gets his first watch with this 1948 US Time birthday series edition. Joe is dressed in white with his straw hat on a white circle background within a larger yellow background, red numbers, red marks for the minutes and his hands to tell the time.

Mickey Mouse had his own US Time watch to celebrate his 20th birthday for the birthday series edition. Mickey is all smiles in his red outfit and yellow shoes on a tan background, black numbers, black marks for the minutes and his yellow gloved hands to tell the time.

Pinocchio also gets his first watch in 1948 to celebrate Mickey's 20th birthday with this US Time watch. Dressed in his red shorts and yellow hat with a red feather and brown shoes on a tan circle within a larger white background, black numbers, black marks for the minutes and his yellow sleeved hands to tell the time.

and finally, Pluto also gets his first watch in 1948 to celebrate Mickey's 20th birthday. Just Pluto’s head and green collar on a black background with green numbers, green marks for the minutes and green hands to tell the time. Like Bambi, his face is slightly awkwardly blocked by the hands of his watch. .

In 1949, US Time redid the entire birthday series for each of the 10 original characters, this time the characters are slightly out of the circle otherwise they remain the same as the 1948 version. NOTE: Pluto and Bambi don't follow this rule as they remain within the circle. There are also several that were done with luminous hands and numbers known as the De Luxe models (see below).

Here is an example of just one... Pinocchio 1949 birthday series by US Time. Notice his feet are outside of the circle...that's a 1949 birthday series edition.

Here is an example of just one... Mickey Mouse 1949 birthday series by US Time luminous version.  Notice the light greenish hands and outer circle.

 

Here is an example of a rare Pluto 1949 birthday series by US Time luminous version.  Notice the greenish hands and outer circle as well.  

In 1951, the New Haven Clock & Watch Co. produced this Alice in Wonderland with the mad Hatter as an animated watch. The mad Hatter ticks back and forth to tick off the seconds as he looks up at Alice dressed in her blue and white dress on a white background with green luminous numbers and luminous hands to tell the time. Marked USA 1951 Swiss corporation Swiss made. This is essentially the same watch as Gene Autry's moving gun watch and Li'l Abner's moving flag or mule watch of the same period.

Here you have a 1950's Alice in Wonderland by Timex (US Time) marked WDP with Alice dressed in her usual blue and white dress ready for the rabbit hole on a light blue background with black numbers, black marks for the minutes and black hands to tell the time. These simple watches were sold in simple boxes and came with matching figurines.                      Cinderella by US Time, same watch mechanically as above watch but this time has Cinderella in a blue and white gown on a pink background with black numbers, black marks for the minutes and black hands to tell the time. Marked WDP with Cinderella all dressed up for the prince. Like Alice above, these came in simple boxes with a matching figurine.

1955 Donald Duck by US Time, same watch mechanically as above. Marked WDP with Donald smiling in his usual blue sailor outfit and blue hat. This '50s Donald is a little harder to find then Cinderella, Snow White, or Alice in Wonderland of the same period.

 Snow White by US Time, mechanically the same watch as above. Snow White, waiting for the dwarfs stands quietly in her red cape and big white collar with her usual yellow dress and red bow in her hair on a white background with black numbers, black marks for the minutes and black hands to tell the time. Marked WDP and came in the same simple boxes with a matching figurine.

 Alice in Wonderland by Timex (US Time) 1960s marked Walt Disney Productions now. This small child size watch has Alice dressed in blue and white hiding behind a large pink flower on a white background with black numbers and black hands to tell the time.

Pinocchio by Timex (formerly US Time) from the 1960's. This hard to find watch is a small child size and shows Pinocchio with his strings in his red shorts and white shirt happy as ever even though he isn't a real boy on a white background with black numbers and comes with his hands to tell the time, always a plus with character watches. Marked Walt Disney Productions.

1960's Cinderella by Timex. Cinderella is fully made up and dressed in a two tone blue ball gown to meet the prince with his castle showing behind her all on a white background with black numbers and black hands to tell the time. Marked Walt Disney Productions.

 

Still in the 1960's, here is Pluto's first full figure watch marked Walt Disney Productions on the back. This one jeweled marked WDP, Swiss made has a smiling Pluto on a white background with black numbers, black marks for the minutes, a second hand and his own hands to tell the time. These are hard to find today as they were only sold for Italian market.

By the late sixties, the character watch market had been in decline and in 1971 Ingersoll, US Time, now called Timex ended their Disney contract after over three decades. Disney moved onto Elgin with their Helbros & Bradley divisions....

For post 1970's Walt Disney Character Watches, click here.

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???

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