Watch advertising & give-a-way?s

[wynter]

Kind of quiet in here so off on another topic.

Along with collecting tools I collect watch advertising. I?ve always liked the small promotional items given to watchmakers by companies or items given by watchmakers to customers. Here is a scan of what must be 2 of the most common items seen.
http://home.inreach.com/wynter/com.jpg

One area I?ve always thought there was a great shortage of are watch fobs. It seems to me that watch companies missed the boat and didn?t flood the market with them. After all their product is hidden in a pocket so what better way to advertise than have your name on a fob. I?ve seen pictures of a few from the South Bend watch company but unfortunately I?ve never had a chance to buy one. Have you seen any others? Any ideas on where to look (besides eBay)?

Here?s the only one I?ve ever picked up. I never would have guessed they even made them.
http://home.inreach.com/wynter/fob.jpg

I?ll be back with me more when time permits.
Wynter

[wynter]

Kind of quiet in here so off on another topic.

Along with collecting tools I collect watch advertising. I?ve always liked the small promotional items given to watchmakers by companies or items given by watchmakers to customers. Here is a scan of what must be 2 of the most common items seen.
http://home.inreach.com/wynter/com.jpg

One area I?ve always thought there was a great shortage of are watch fobs. It seems to me that watch companies missed the boat and didn?t flood the market with them. After all their product is hidden in a pocket so what better way to advertise than have your name on a fob. I?ve seen pictures of a few from the South Bend watch company but unfortunately I?ve never had a chance to buy one. Have you seen any others? Any ideas on where to look (besides eBay)?

Here?s the only one I?ve ever picked up. I never would have guessed they even made them.
http://home.inreach.com/wynter/fob.jpg

I?ll be back with me more when time permits.
Wynter

[ron schneider]

wynter you might check with hanson on the 149 chapter board as he has tons of this stuff in his massive collection

doc ron

[Steve Maddox]

Wynter,

I've seen brass enamel color-filled watch fobs for Bunn Special, Hamilton 940, and maybe a few others, in addition to the South Bend ones you mentioned. I'll see if I can come up with a couple of these to post in a day or two. I also have a couple of interesting Gruen items -- one fairly common, but the other relatively obscure, and I'll post those as well when I can.

As for your items above, curiously enough, I have an Ingersoll Columbian Exposition pocket watch, as well as a Sterling silver Bulova Accutron pocket watch. Of course, I've seen scores of the Columbian Expo. case opener fobs, but I can't recall ever seeing an Accutron fob before. Now that I know they exist, I'll have to see if I can find one (or borrow yours, and have one cast in Sterling)!


------------------
Steve Maddox
VP, NAWCC Chapter #62
North Little Rock, Arkansas

[Steve Maddox]

Here are some things that I mentioned previously.
http://members.aol.com/oddwatches/GiveAways.JPG

A. Bunn Special advertising watch fob
B. Hamilton 940 advertising watch fob
C. Sterling cased Bulova Accutron (1974)
D. Gruen Curvex and Veri-Thin case opener
E. Gruen standard case opener
F. Gruen cannon pinion remover

Tool "D" is marked "Gruen -- 'The Precision Watch' -- Veri-Thin -- Curvex." Tool "E" is marked "Compliments of the Gruen Watch Co." Tool "F" is marked "Gruen Patent" on the metal end, with the word "Switzerland" stamped into the wooden handle. This is the only one of these I've ever seen.

SM

[wynter]

Here are a couple of little oddities, I think.

The J. Boss piece is one of my favorites. I don?t know why but it just caught my eye. It?s pocket watch size and has the pendant portion cut away. The bow reads JAS. BOSS on one side and the reads NON-PULL-OUT.

The Movado is a full size penknife. I?m curious about the date on this piece. I?m guessing 1930?s from the style of watches. For all I know they still use that logo.
http://home.inreach.com/wynter/boss.jpg

Wynter

[Larry Jones 98326]

Wynter,

Could you link to a larger view of the bow and pendant?

Another advertising item I seem to run into is the dial protector, usually a thin plastic piece with a notch that slides under the hand to protect painted dials from the hand remover. I've seen many Gruens, but assume others were made.

Larry

[wynter]

Larry Here?s a larger scan of the Boss piece (dirty scanner bed and all). It?s about 85kb. Hope that shows the detail you?re looking for.
http://home.inreach.com/wynter/bigpull.jpg

Here?s little Elgin tool that may have been a give away. The base is smaller than a dime. I?m not sure what it is, but if I had to make a guess I?d say click release?
http://home.inreach.com/wynter/elgintack.jpg

Wynter

[Larry Jones 98326]

Wynter,

Thanks for the close up. The bow arrangement seems to be a fairly unusual version of the "non-pull-out bow", I think it was called. Several years back (probably about 5), several versions of this bow were described in the RR's corner by Kent Singer and Ed Ueberall. I'll direct them to this thread.

If I'm seeing this correctly, an inner sleeve slides in from above and catches grooves cut into the bow, effectively keeping the bow ends from ever pulling out of the pendant, or at least until worn clear out.

Yours appears to be a cut-away salesman's display. I would be very interested if you ever want to sell it, or trade.

thanks again for the posting,

Larry Jones

larjones@earthlink.net

[This message has been edited by Larry Jones 98326 (edited 08-27-2001).]

[Larry Jones 98326]

Just to follow up, Kent Singer has kindly informed me that page 201 of the April 1999 Bulletin is the location of the discussion of the non-pull out bows.

Larry