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