Vintage UnCategorized 1960's Character Watches

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

Vintage Ballerina, Barbie, the Beatles, Bozo the Clown, Buzzy the Crow, Dennis the Menace, Felix the Cat, Flipper, Lassie, the Little King, Midge (Barbie's friend), Road Racer, Skipper, Terry Tell Time, & Time Teacher 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 1960s or so...in alpha order.

 

Ballerina by Bradley who made an earlier model in the 50's for girls, here is the slightly different 60's version with the Ballerina dressed in a red tutu and on her toes performing in the yellow spotlight against a blue background and white numbers. Swiss made, marked diamond tooled, electronically timed anti-magnetic case.

Barbie by Bradley for Mattel. Here you have Barbie's profile with blond hair and a pink bow on a white background within a larger blue background with gold numbers on it along with black hands to tell the time. Marked 1964 Mattel Inc. Swiss made. This came in a pink background also, sometimes you see a beige as well as right & left facing AND slightly different hair styles too. The hands come directly out of the ear for the left facing whereas for the right facing, there is an earring and slight ear showing.

Barbie by Bradley for Mattel. Here you have the left facing pink version of Barbie's profile with blond hair and a pink bow on a white background within a larger pink background with gold numbers on it along with black hands to tell the time. Marked '63 Mattel Inc. Swiss made.

 Barbie & Ken by Bradley for Mattel. Here you have a fully made up red headed Barbie and a blond Ken behind her. Below is a red heart with a light-colored round center that ticks away the seconds, known as the "heartbeat" Barbie watch. It has gold hands with gold numbers on a coral colored background with gold hands to tell the time. Marked 1964 Mattel Inc. Swiss made.

Barbie also had a pendant watch that came on a gold colored chain. Here is blond perfectly made up Barbie facing to the right with her hair in a pony tail and a pink bow at the bottom on a white dail with a sky blue outer circle with the gold numbers and black hands to tell the time. Marked 64 Mattel Inc. Swiss made.

 Here is the highly sought after Beatles watch by Bradley Time Company from the late 1960s. This is a drawing of each Beatle's head at the quarter hour. John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison, & Ringo Star on a white background with black hands and a black second hand with a red arrow at the tip. Marked Made in GT Britain at the bottom and shockproof in the middle.

 This great example also includes the original plastic Bradley Time pouch, the original box and the original warranty.

Here is a great Beatles watch by DirtyTime Company from the late 1960s. This is a drawing that matches their "Please Please Me" 1963 Album cover with John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison, & Ringo Star looking down over the stairwell inside EMI's London headquarters in Manchester Square with no numbers and black hands with a red second hand to tell the time. Marked Swiss made, one jewel unadjusted. What a great hard to find treasure, this one is actually harder to find then the Bradley Time version listed above.

 Bozo the Clown created by Alan W. Livingston in 1946, Bozo the Clown was used for children's storytelling records of the time, had his own television show & was a mascot for Capital Records. Here is Bozo the Clown by Bradley portrayed in his bright blue costume appearing to pop through a tan color banner with his white gloved hands raised up along with his big smile, his bright red nose and red wild hair on a white background with black numbers, an outer thin red circle and black hands to tell the time. This is the same Bradley watch movement they were using at the time for Huckleberry Hound, Yogi Bear, Dennis the Menace, Roy Rogers, Dale Evans, Space Explorer, Ballerina, the Time Teacher and others of the same time.... with Bozo being the hardest to find today. Marked Swiss made.

Buzzy the Crow by an unknown maker, possibly unlicensed. Buzzy the Crow was a Paramount cartoons character who first appeared 1947. Marked Swiss movt at the bottom, Hong Kong inside, smiling Buzzy is wearing his regular red trimmed straw hat on a light blue background with black numbers, a red second hand and his cool wings to tell the time.

Dennis the Menace by Bradley, possibly late 1950's. Dennis the Menace was a syndicated newspaper comic strip created by Hank Ketcham in 1951 that was adapted to television and films. Here you have the standard Bradley Swiss movement of the time with Dennis and his dog Ruff. Dennis is in his red overalls and blue stripped shirt. Pictured with his freckles and famous blond cowlick, he's holding a sling shot ready for trouble on a white circle background with black numbers on a larger blue background and regular black hands with white tips to tell the time.

Here is a 1969 Felix the Cat by Sheffield. Created in 1919, silent film star made the jump to talkies but really shined on television. Smiling wide eyed Felix is dressed in yellow with yellow shoes and gloves on a white background with black numbers, black minute marks and his gloved hands to tell the time AND with a glass back (as Sheffield was producing at the time just like Daffy Duck & Porky Pig etc). Marked Swiss Made, FTCP (Felix the Cat Productions). Super hard to find today. 

Flipper by Bradley. Flipper was an injured dolphin found by a young boy who became friends portrayed in books, three films and two television series. Here you have a luminous Flipper waiting for instructions on a black background with luminous numbers, luminous minute marks and silver luminous hands to tell the time.

 These came in the standard "coffin" style watch boxes that Bradley was making at the time. Marked precision movement, electronically timed, anti-magnetic.

Lassie by Bradley. Lassie was created by Eric Knight. Lassie, a female collie who helps the family she lives with is portrayed in a novel, television, and film. Here you have Lassie sitting smartly on a white background with black numbers, black minute marks and regular hands to tell the time. Swiss made, marked diamond tooled, electronically timed anti-magnetic case.

Here we have the Little King by an unknown maker for KFS (King Features Syndicate) by O. Soglow, his creator. Small of stature, but as wide as he was tall, childlike, cheerful and known to live to have fun. The Little King comic strip ran from 1930-1975 when Soglow passed on. Here the mustachioed and bearded Little King is shown in his usual gold crown clad in red velvet and ermine on a yellowish background with black numbers, black minute marks and black hands to tell the time. Swiss made, marked diamond tooled, electronically timed anti-magnetic case. What a great super rare find.

Margaret "Midge" Hadley Sherwood by Bradley for Mattel. Barbie's best friend Midge is looking sharp without a hair out of place depicted here in right profile with a slight smile and black hair with some green for highlights dressed in a red sweater on a white background with black numbers, black minute marks and open black hands to tell the time. Marked Swiss made, c 63 Mattel for this rare beauty.

Midge came in these simple cardboard boxes marked Bradley on the top and a velvet lined round insert to hold the watch.

Here is the Road Racer by Bradley. This seldom seen watch has a bright red race car on a white background with black numbers, black minute marks and includes five min numbers with red hands including a red second hand to tell the time. Marked Road Racer across the middle and Swiss made at the bottom.

Here is a hard to find 1964 Skipper watch for Mattel Inc. by Bradley. Barbies smart dressed friend blond Skipper is wearing a plain white skirt with her name on it along with a red top and black flats all on a white background with green numbers, black minute marks and black hands to tell the time. Marked TM 64 Swiss made Mattel Inc on this hard to find watch.

1960's, Terry Tell Time by Sovereign to teach children how to tell time. Smiling Terry Tell is dressed in short brown pants with suspenders and a red felt hat on a white and blue background for before & after the hour, red numbers along with small blue minute numbers and a red hour hand and blue minute hand to tell the time. You don't see this one too often and you'll need your expert watchmaker to repair it when you do find one.

 Also, in the 60's, Bradley produced this Time Teacher sold as the "Instant red white blue Time Teacher". It has every number around the dial along with the regular hour numbers to teach how to tell time with a white hour hand and a blue minute hand. It's marked "The Time is" and Bradley. Bradley did this with other character watches also like Mickey Mouse, Winnie the Pooh (see my Pooh blog) etc.

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.