Vintage Character Watch Manufacturers

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

This is just a general overview of early character watch manufacturers. There were many manufacturers over the last 90 years, so I’ve tried to cover the more major contributors.

As the story begins….

Buster Brown and Tige in the early 1900's are considered by some to be the first character watch

but

are they really a character watch or an advertising watch for a company with characters as their trademark?

The eternal character watch question remains!

Unmistakably started primarily to market and promote a character and not to advertise their company, Mickey Mouse is largely considered the first character watch and is unarguably the first with working character hands as the watch hands.

Either way, Buster Brown or Mickey Mouse, Ingersoll lead the way with both and was clearly the largest maker with a contract with Disney for over 30 years. World war II directly impacted the market stopping all production by all makers and changed watches from larger to smaller in most cases.

Note: Dates may vary slightly for some watches

Ingersoll aka United States Time Corporation aka Timex Corporation:

    1892 started as mail order catalogue company.

    1921 sold to Waterbury Clock Company who made their first watches.

    1931 sold first Mickey Mouse watches with Disney contract and massive sales.

    1934 added Boy Scouts, Donald Duck, Three little pigs, Tom Mix watches.

    1944 renamed to United States Time Corporation.

    1947 Many more Disney characters produced for the next 10 years.

    1950 Dan Dare, Davey Crocket, Hopalong Cassidy, Jeff Arnold, The Lone Ranger, Space

            Patrol, Zorro.

    1958 Character watch production ceased due to lack of sales.

    1968 renamed to Timex Corporation (later Timex Group) renewed cautious

production of Mickey & Minnie watches.

    1969 Ended their Disney contract despite good sales the previous year.

    1974 Peanuts, Superhero’s.

 

New Haven Clock and Watch Company:

    1853 started.

    1935-1939 produced Dick Tracy, Little Orphan Annie, the Lone Ranger, Popeye, Smitty,

            Superman.

    1940/50s produced Dick Tracy, Gene Autry, Joe Palooka, Li’l Abner, Little Orphan Annie,

            Superman.

    1956 filed bankruptcy.

    1960 ceased operations.

 

E. Ingraham Company: 

    1831 started.

    1934 produced Betty Boop and Buck Rogers.

    1942 Uncle Sam.

    1951 Dale Evans, Howdy Doody, Lil Abner, Porky Pig, PunkinHead, Rocky Jones, Roy

            Rogers, Rudolph, Tom Corbett, Toppie, Woody Woodpecker.

    1956 Family run ended then eventually it ceased.

 

National Watch Company aka Elgin Nation Watch Company aka Helbros aka Bradley Time Division:

    1864 started.

    renamed Elgin Watch Company.

    renamed Elgin National Watch Company.

    1963 acquired Helbros.

        1913 started.

        1972 Disney contract for Goofy, Mickey Mouse, Minnie Mouse. 17 jewel expensive.

Bradley Time (also a division of Elgin).

   1956 All-star baseball, all pro-football, ballerina, junior league baseball, junior nurse,

            Roy Rogers, Superman,

   1960s Ballerina, Bozo, Dennis the Menace, Flipper, Huckleberry Hound, Lassi, Pinocchio,

Popeye, Quick Draw McGraw, Road Racer, Space Explorer, Yogi Bear watches

   1973 continues Disney contract with cheaper (then 1972) watches.

   1983 or so first quartz watches.

   1985 or 87 Disney contract ends. 

 

Some lesser-known companies with character watch contributions:

    Birmingham Watch Company Inc. - 1970s political watches.

    Dabbs Inc. - 1970s Superhero watches.

    Determined - 1960/70s Peanuts watches.

    Gilbert - UK based Batwing, Bronco Saddle, GI Joe, James Bond.

    Everbrite Watch Company - Dizzy Dean.

    Exacta Time Corporation - Babe Ruth.

    Lafayette Watch Company - Cat in the Hat, Dum Dum lollipops, General Mills, Harlem

             Globe Trotters, Nestles, Ronald McDonald, Underdog.

    R Gsell and Company - Bugs Bunny, Road Runner & Wile E. Coyote.

    Sheraton - Warner Bros characters among others.

    Sheffield - Warner Bros characters, Felix the Cat, Popeye.

    Time Setters - Warner Bros characters among others.

    Viking - Robin Hood watch.

    Wilane Watch Company - 1948 produced Gene Autry

and many other companies contributed to character watch history.

 

Disney trademark name:

    Walt Disney Productions

        includes WDP & Walt Disney Prod.
        1929 until 1986

    Walt Disney Company
        February 6, 1986, to the present.

 

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 Political Character Watches

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

Vintage Democrat, Jimmy Carter, Richard Nixon, Republican, Ronald Reagan, Uncle Sam Character Watches.

 In 1942, Ingraham produced this Uncle Sam pocket watch. A DC comics superhero, Uncle Sam first appeared in National Comics #1 July 1940 (created by Will Eisner). Here he is depicted in his usual  red, white, and blue hat, tales and pants (covered by the sub second hand) on a silverish white background with blue stars around this small inner circle with blue numbers on a bold red outer circle and blue minute marks on an outer white background with gold hands and a detailed sub second hand lower circle which depicts a white two engine prop plane to tell the time. Marked Uncle Sam and Made in the USA in red in the sub second hand circle. This came as a wristwatch also, see below.

These came in these simple small cardboard boxes with simple graphics.

 

In 1942, Ingraham also produced this large pre-war Uncle Sam watch with him wearing his red, white, and blue hat, tales and pants on a white background. It has white numbers on a bold blue background and blue minute marks on an outer white background with black metal hands to tell the time. Marked Uncle Sam in red at the bottom. This came as a pocket watch also as shown above.

Political Character watches started in mass in the late 1960's, early 1970's. All American Time Company, Dirty Time Company, Fraxe, Goober Time Company, Honest Time Company, Peace Time LTD, Sheffield, & Timely Creations are some of the more frequently seen named makers.

Here is a 1970's Uncle Sam pocket watch by Westclox which depicts Uncle Sam pointing his finger at you and telling you he wants your vote as it states "I want you...To Vote". Uncle Sam is wearing his red, white and blue star'd hat, blue jacket, red tie and a white shirt on a white background with red stars for the 3,6,9, &12 indicators and red hands to tell the time. Marked Made by Westclox Lasalle Ill USA all encased in a beautiful red plastic case.

The Birmingham Watch Company Inc. (unmarked except for original paperwork noting the maker) made three different political watches which included this Uncle Sam watch (see below), a democrat donkey and a republican elephant, all three are the same watch movement which includes a date indicator and similar look and bands. These were advertised by Kodak. You'd send in a few film box tops and $4.95 and choose which one you wanted. Commonly found still today. Here is ripping open his white shirt encouraging you to VOTE. Uncle Sam is wearing a white and blue star'd hat, blue jacket, red bow tie and red & white striped pants held up with a black belt on an all white background with the 9 & 12 numbers in red and the rest in blue stars with the aforementioned date indicator at the 3 position with black hands and a red second hand to tell the time.

There were also separate generic democrat and republican watches by Dirty Time Company that you don't see too often. Such as...

Here is the smiling Republican GOP elephant mascot dressed in blue with a red/white/blue straw hat on a white background, red/blue 3,6,9,12 numbers and red stars for the others, a red second hand and his arms to tell the time. Marked Dirty Time Company MCMLXX (1970) GOP Original. 

Here is the smiling Democrat Donkey mascot dressed in blue with a red/white/blue straw hat on a white background, red/blue 3,6,9,12 numbers and red stars for the others, a red second hand and his arms to tell the time. Marked Dirty Time Company MCMLXX (1970) DEM Original.

Here are a few other political examples in date order:

Spiro Agnew had several different watch version, all very commonly seen today. The one marked "official" has him dressed like Uncle Sam with him giving the peace sign by EGTC.  Dirty Time Company had a similar look, him in red/white/blue giving the peace sign.

Richard Nixon also has several different. One marked "official" (see below) and two different "I'm not a crook" watches, one with moving eyes.

Here is Dickey Nixon's Official watch by Dirty Time Company with Nixon dressed in red and blue with stars on his shoes on a white background with red, white, blue 3,6,9, & 12 and stars for the other numbers and his peace sign hands to tell the time along with a red second hand.

Gerald Ford by Dirty Time Company watch has Ford in a suit and wearing his old football helmet driving a vintage old car to the white house where he is pointing all on a white background with blue 3,6,9 & 12 numbers and red stars for the others with gold hands and a red second hand to tell the time. Marked Original "...a better idea." Swiss made, internally marked One jewel Constructa Watch LTD.

Ted Kennedy by Fraxe with a baby likeness in a red/white diaper.

Jimmy Carter also has several different, all with large smiles. Here is the one with Carter wearing a top hat and holding a cane and with his body depicted as a peanut, to represent the peanut farmer on a white background with blue 3,6, & 9 and blue stars for the other numbers with a red star for the 12 along with gold hands including a gold second hand to tell the time. Marked Goober Time Company 1978, "Original Jimmy Carter From Peanuts to President" 17 jewels, Swiss movt, Hong Kong dial.

Here is big smiling Carter riding the democrat donkey mascot on a white background with a blue 3,6,9, & 12 and red stars for the other numbers with gold hands including a gold second hand to tell the time. Marked Timely Creations, Original 1980, 17 jewel, Swiss movt, Hong Kong Asym.  

Ronald Reagan also had several versions, sometimes depicted as a cowboy. Here is smiling & waving president Reagan riding the republican elephant mascot on a white background with a blue 3,6,9, & 12, red stars for the other numbers with gold hands including a gold second hand to tell the time. Marked Timely Creations, Original 1980, Swiss movt, Hong Kong Asym.

Reagan was the last of the manual wind president watches. 

Other lesser political figures also had character watches.

    ie Richard Daley, Howard Jarvis, Jesse Helms, Lester Maddox, George Wallace 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???

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

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