Are you in the market for a clean, classic-looking, affordable rectangular wristwatch that harks back to the 1940s? If so, this may be the one for you. Elgin produced watches in Elgin, Illinois (a Chicago suburb) for over 100 years, and they were the largest and most prolific of the American manufacturers.
This particular Elgin is a 17 jewel beauty that is a very cool watch in more ways than one. First, the movement is a thing of mechanical beauty. Second, the classic angular case gives it a great vintage look. It is also fitted with an unbreakable "Durapower" mainspring... quite a feat back in the day. In short, this is one killer wristwatch from the 1940s. The case is yellow gold-filled with a stainless steel back for wearing comfort and longevity. It measures 23 mm wide (not including the crown), by 37 mm lug to lug, by 11 mm thick (including the crystal) and is running like the proverbial top. The dial sports raised Arabic numerals and a seconds bit at the 6 o'clock position whose shape mimics the overall case configuration. It takes a 16 mm band and we have fitted it with a genuine leather band with contrasting stitching that gives it a very sporty look. This handsome timepiece is in fantastic, original condition and just waiting for a wrist to adorn. Remember all of our timepieces come with our famous one-year warranty for parts and labor so that you may buy with confidence.
Hamilton was at their peak when they pioneered the first electric watch in America. It was the Hamilton "Ventura," designed by Richard Arbib. The "Ventura" was made in 14K solid gold and, because it was expensive, they also produced a two-tone yellow and white gold-filled version called the Hamilton "Pacer." This watch is a "Pacer" with a fantastic original black dial, in great condition. The unusual shape of the case gives it that out-of-this-world look that is a real eye catcher. The triangular portion of the case is executed in yellow gold-fill, while the lugs are white gold-filled--a stunning combination! The hand configuration and the red tip at the end of the sweep second hand complete the look. The gold hands are a great contrast with the sleek black dial. The case measures 35 mm in width by 45 mm lug to lug, by 12 mm thick.
This watch has the original "500" movement, circa 1958, that required a cutting edge battery which was developed in conjunction with the National Carbon Company (later Union Carbide). Hamilton had developed a movement that allowed the use of intermittent pulses from the battery to power the motion of the balance wheel, thereby eliminating the need for a mainspring. We have restored this piece of horological history and our watch makers have it running like the proverbial top. Our one-year warranty will allow you to buy with confidence. This ain't no hound dog!
Omega is a legendary watch manufacturer. Not only did they make wristwatches, but pocket watches as well. With today's larger standards for case size, this Pocket Watch-to-Wristwatch Conversion stands out as an exemplary piece. It is a 15 jewel, 19 lignes, gilded movement in its original stainless steel case from 1935. At some point afterwards, the lugs were applied and the watch was re-dialed with the military-style dial and hands you see here. You get the best of both worlds: a watch that was made nearly 100 years ago, but with a style and size that suits today's tastes.
The flat black dial, with red and white accents, is so handsome that you can't wait to put it on your wrist. It displays the minutes in a large format as the first concentric chapter. This makes it very easy to see your timed mission vitals. The inner dial carries the conventional Arabic Numerals for times when you are not engaged in a life and death struggle. The seconds bit is located at the 9 o'clock position (instead of the 6 o'clock position) for an unusual look. At 12 o'clock there is the ubiquitous military red triangle with red dots at either side. The hands are luminous, with a sustained glow-in-the-dark contrast after dark. The large original "onion" crown completes the look.
The case measures 48 mm in diameter (not including the crown), by 59mm from lug to lug, by 11 mm thick (including the crystal). Yes, it is a big puppy! On the reverse you can see a plain polish back, and the slender case is easy to wear on the wrist. Inside you will see a three-quarter plate movement that is as clean as a whistle and running like the proverbial top with the high-quality Omega performance you would expect! It is a joy to behold. Our one year warranty for parts and labor will allow you to buy with confidence. Don't miss, we have only one!
Here is an interesting Military "Flieger" watch that is fairly modern, but which has been modded to look like an older timepiece. It is housed in a stainless steel case that measures 42 mm in diameter (not including the crown), by 50 mm lug to lug, by 14 mm in thickness (including the crystal) with a screw-down back. This is a large size for a vintage watch (unless it is a pocket watch conversion) so it's nice that it has all the advantages of a modern movement as well as the size advantage.
The Miyota movement is a 21 jewel, automatic that is in great condition. Our head watchmaker has it winding, setting and keeping time like new.
The real artistry in this watch is how the dial has been treated. It has been modded by a dial artist to a very dark green, with perfectly aged lume for the numerals as well as the hands. The look mimics a watch that has had a 50 life. Our one year warranty for parts and labor will allow you to buy with confidence. Don't miss it we have only one.
Very mod and cutting edge for its day! This is the gentleman's Bulova Day/Date "Accutron", with a date feature at 3 o'clock and a day-of-the-week feature just next to it. Made circa 1970, it is a very unusual "Accutron" that is a functional piece of art. The contrast of the white background for the day with the black background for the date, plus the sleek 14k gold filled case cushion-style case all combine to make this watch a real winner.
The story is told that in the 1960s, the American government wanted to keep this timing technology out of the hands of the Russians. So, they asked Bulova to keep it a secret a little longer since we were using this very accurate timekeeper in our space program. When you take a look at the informational pamphlet that Bulova put out to introduce this new idea to jewelers and watchmakers, it has a very space age, cutting edge look (for the day). In the pamphlet, it is explained that the seconds are parsed into very discrete segments by the vibrations of the "tuning fork" mechanism at the heart of the movement. Bulova advertised it as the "Watch that Hums!" The general public was very much into innovative and stylish watches and Bulova made this very interesting day/date, electro-mechanical watch for discerning men to strap on their wrists.
It is in great condition, and our watchmakers have it humming along just like it did when it came from the Bulova factory over 50 years ago. Like all Accutrons that are Cal. 218, it is set by the crown at the 4 o'clock position. The case measures 34 mm wide, by 40 mm from lug to lug, by 11 mm thick (including the crystal). Just think -- it could be humming on your wrist! We warranty all of our watches for one year for parts and labor so that you may buy with confidence.
Caravelle is Bulova's other line of watches that were made in Switzerland and are a bit more unusual. This Diver's Watch is in great condition and is very handsome on the wrist. It is a 17 jewel, manual wind watch with a central sweep seconds hand that is contrasted against a beautiful gloss black dial. The stainless steel case measures 36 mm in diameter (not including the crown), by 45 mm lug to lug, by 12 mm thick (including the crystal). This watch is better than all its parts because the overall effect is wonderful. There is a tactile quality that makes you want to put it on your wrist. It is "Anti-Magnetic", "Shock Resistant", and "Water Resistant". Our head watchmaker assures me that the 17 jewel, Swiss movement is winding, setting, and keeping time just as it did over 50 years ago. It can be yours along with our one-year warranty for parts and labor. Don't miss it!
Omega is a legendary watch manufacturer. Not only did they make wristwatches, but pocket watches as well. With today's larger standards for case size, this Pocket Watch-to-Wristwatch Conversion stands out as an exemplary piece. It is a 15 jewel, 19 lignes, gilded movement, in a modern, stainless steel case with a display back. Here you have the best of both worlds....a watch that was made after the first World War but was later adapted for the wrist. The flat black dial is so handsome that you can't wait to put it on your wrist. It displays the minutes in a large format as the first concentric chapter. This makes it very easy to see your timed mission vitals. The inner dial carries the conventional Arabic Numerals for times when you are not engaged in a life and death struggle. The seconds bit is located at the nine o'clock position for an unusual look. At the 12 o'clock position there is the ubiquitous military triangle with a dot at either side. The hands and numerals are all luminous, with a sustained glow-in-the-dark contrast after dark. There is a large brass crown that completes the look.
The case measures 48 mm in diameter (not including the crown), by 56 mm from lug to lug, by 16 mm thick (including the crystal). Yes, it is a big puppy! On the reverse you can see the gilded movement through the display back. You will see a three-quarter plate engine that is as clean as a whistle and running like the proverbial top. It is a joy to behold.
Our one year warranty for parts and labor will allow you to buy with confidence. Don't miss, we have only one!
Hamilton was the best maker in America and one look at this watch will give you a clue to how superior they were in the market. This is a Hamilton "Keith" 19 jewel, nickel, caliber 982, high-grade movement that is winding, setting, and keeping time just as it did when new circa 1949. It also boasts an impressive 45 hour power reserve. Make sure you look at the photos of the movement to see how Hamilton earned their reputation for excellence.
The subtle silver two-tone finish of the square dial gives it an elegant finish. Not only is the silver dial skillfully rendered, it displays an interesting seconds bit at the six o'clock position that is tucked between the inner square outline and the outer railroad minute track. Gold "dagger" hands are the perfect contrasting elements so that the time is easily read. The Arabic numerals 3, 9, and 12 stand out in black and the hour markers in between are applied gold circles that catch the light.
To add to the appeal of the piece, the case is executed in solid 14k gold. It measures 23 mm wide (not including the crown) by 35 mm lug-to-lug, by 8 mm thick (including the crystal). It takes a 16 mm band and we currently have it fitted with a brown genuine crocodile strap. It was a men's watch originally, but could easily be worn by anybody today!
Not only is this an extremely well-made watch but it is a very unusual artifact that can now be displayed on the wrist and be right on trend. Our one year warranty for parts and labor will allow you to buy with confidence. We only have one!
Are you in the market for a real clean classic-looking, 14K solid gold dress watch that harks back to the 1950s? If so, this may be the one for you. Elgin produced watches in Elgin, Illinois (a Chicago suburb) for over 100 years. They were the largest and most prolific of the American manufacturers and the "Lord Elgin" was their premier product. This particular Elgin is a 15 jewel beauty that is a very cool watch in more ways than one. First, the movement is a thing of mechanical beauty. Second, the classic round case gives it a great vintage look. It is also fitted with an unbreakable "Durapower" mainspring...quite a feat back in the day. In short, this is one killer wristwatch from the 1950s. The case is 14K solid gold measuring 31.5 mm wide (not including the crown), by 37 mm lug to lug, by 11 mm thick (including the crystal) and is running like the proverbial top. The dial sports raised/applied Arabic numerals and a seconds bit located at the 6 o'clock position. It takes a 16 mm band and we have fitted it with a genuine, crocodile band that gives it a very luxe look. This handsome timepiece is in fantastic, original condition and just waiting for a wrist to adorn. Remember all of our timepieces come with our famous one-year warranty for parts and labor so that you may buy with confidence.
The Ingersoll Watch Company grew out of a mail order business (R H Ingersoll & Bro) started in New York City in 1882 by 21-year-old Robert Hawley Ingersoll and his brother Charles Henry Ingersoll. The company initially sold low-cost items such as rubber stamps.
The first Ingersoll watches, called "Universal" were introduced in 1892, supplied by the Waterbury Clock Company. They were in reality small spring-driven clocks, about three inches diameter and over one inch thick. These were put into watchcases with pendants that carried bows and crowns like contemporary watches. The crown was not functional, the watch was wound by a captive key that hinged out, and a central wheel was used to set the hands, both accessible when the back was opened just as in a clock. At first they were sold wholesale to dealers, but later in 1892 a mail order catalogue was produced and watches were sold directly to the public.
The Waterbury watch company also initially sold the watches, but the Ingersolls soon negotiated a sole agency deal. In 1893 a smaller version of the Universal watch called the "Columbus" was made.
In 1896 Ingersoll introduced a watch called the Yankee, setting its price at $1. This made it the cheapest watch available at the time, and the first watch to be priced at one dollar; the "Dollar Watch" was born. It was cheaply mass-produced from stamped parts and without jewels so that it would be affordable to everyone.
By 1899 the Waterbury Clock Company were producing 8,000 of these watches per day for Ingersoll, who started advertising that 10,000 dealers carried their dollar watch. By 1910, Waterbury was producing 3,500,000 dollar watches per year for Ingersoll.
Over twenty years nearly forty million dollar watches were sold, and Ingersoll coined the phrase "The watch that made the dollar famous!" Theodore Roosevelt mentioned that during his hunting trip in Africa he was described as "the man from the country where Ingersoll was produced."
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In 1904 Ingersoll opened a store in London, England. In 1905 Robert sailed to England and introduced the Crown pocket watch for 5 shillings, which was the same value as $1 at the time. These were made by a British subsidiary, Ingersoll Ltd, initially assembled from imported parts, and later made entirely in their London factory. These watches were made until the late 1920s, after the American parent company had collapsed.
Ingersoll bought the Trenton Watch Company in 1908, and the bankrupt New England Watch Company in Waterbury, Connecticut for $76,000 on November 25, 1914. By 1916, the company was producing 16,000 watches per day in 10 models. In 1917 they produced another popular watch with 7 jewels called the Reliance. In 1919 Ingersoll developed a watch with the so-called "night design", the Radiolite with luminous dial.
n the 1930s, the company, now called Ingersoll-Waterbury manufactured the first Mickey Mouse watches. Over five million of these watches would be sold in the first 15 years of production.
The watch on offer here is from their later, upscale production, circa 1940 when their watches were real competitors for the US pocket watch market. This watch is a 7 jewel, 3/4 plate, nickel movement that is winding, setting, and keeping time just as it did over 80 years ago. The white gold filled case measures 50 mm in diameter, by 63 mm from the case bottom to the top of the bow, by 13 mm thick (including the crystal). The porcelain dial has bold Arabic Numerals and blued steel hands for ease of viewing. It is a great looking watch that will give you years of service without breaking the bank. Our one year warranty, for parts and labor, will allow you to buy with confidence.
Caravelle is Bulova's other line of watches that were made in Switzerland and are a bit more unusual. This one is in like-new condition and is very handsome on the wrist. It is a 7 jewel, manual wind watch with a central sweep seconds hand that is contrasted against a beautiful gloss black dial. The yellow gold-filled case top with a stainless steel case back measures 32 mm wide (not including the crown), by 38 mm lug to lug, by 10 mm thick (including the crystal). This watch is better than all its parts because the overall effect is wonderful. There is a tactile quality that makes you want to put it on your wrist. It is "Anti-Magnetic", "Shock Resistant", and "Water Resistant". The watch is in pristine condition and it still has its original hang-tag on the lug. It also has its original "Caravelle" branded strap that is black embossed crocodile grain leather. Our head watchmaker assures me that the seven jewel, Japanese movement is winding, setting, and keeping time just as it did over 50 years ago. It can be yours along with our one-year warranty for parts and labor. Don't miss it!
Waltham was a wonderful and prolific watch manufacturer located in Waltham, Ma. and they were in business from 1851 to 1957, in various iterations. Their earlier efforts, circa 1850, in Roxbury, Massachusetts resulted in the Howard, Dennison & Davis moniker. Later the name changed to Boston Watch Company, then Appleton, Tracey, & Co., then The American Watch Co., and finally the Waltham Watch Company. They were one of the giants of the industry and second largest only to Elgin. This particular Waltham is in a "Tip Out", sterling silver case and is the only one we have ever had in sterling after being in the business for over 42 years. Not only is it in a very desirable case, but it is also an "Up/Dn Winding Indicator."
The "Winding Indicator" is one of the most desirable watches for railroad engineers because they can see at a glance how much reserve is left on their mainspring. There is a subsidiary dial (at the 12 o'clock position) which indicates how many hours are left in reserve for the use of the timekeeping ability of the movement. This is a 23 jewel (the top grade), 3/4 quarter plate, nickel movement that is in fantastic condition. It is housed in a sterling silver case that measures 53 mm in diameter, by 76 mm (from the case bottom to the top of the bow), by 14 mm thick (including the crystal). The porcelain dial is in fantastic condition showing not only the Up/Dn indicator sub dial at the 12 o'clock position, but also the seconds bit at the six o'clock position. This very interesting railroad pocket watch can be yours. We have only one in this configuration....don't miss it!