American Watch Advertising

[Rodney Leon]

Two post cards

 

[mldenison]

Here's the Lancaster Watch Company's trade card again. What's interesting is the advertising on the rear for his shop in Westerly, RI. He was a silversmith and patented a souvenir spoon commemorating the shipwreck of the Metis in 1872 at Watch Hill near Westerly.

I found the sterling silver spoon recently on eBay.

It turns out he's an ancestor of mine. I'd seen his name in our family tree but had no idea who he was until I got the trade card.

A few years back my wife saw the card and really liked the Lancaster logo. So much so that we had polo shirts with the embroidered logo put on them.

I wish she liked my pocket watches as much.

 

[4thdimension]

Two of my favorites, that Lancaster trade card and the Westerly-Watch Hill area. Here are two Howard trade cards featuring real photos of actress Sarah Bernhardt.-Cort[/QUOTE]

 

[PatH]

Two of my favorites, that Lancaster trade card and the Westerly-Watch Hill area. Here are two Howard trade cards featuring real photos of actress Sarah Bernhardt.-Cort

[/QUOTE]

WOW!! What a find. I have never seen anything to even remotely match this!

 

[Rick Hufnagel]

Here is a business card with illustrated logo from National Watch Co, (or Elgin National)

Francis Talcott
Born 1922, moved to St. Cloud in 1856 and opened his first store in late 1856 or 1857, where he spent ten years before moving to Washington Ave. He retired in 1887.

Judging by the Patriotic eagle... I'd date this in the few years leading up to the centennial.

 

[musicguy]

Now you need one of their PL watches


Rob

 

[Rick Hufnagel]

That would be great to pair a watch to this card!

 

[James J Nicholson]

Here is an advertisement for Rockford Watch Company.

 

[Rhett Lucke]

Lady Hamilton Tip Tray

 

[4thdimension]

This nicely printed 1882 ad promotes the Dueber Case factory in Newport Kentucky measures 4 1/2”x6 1/2”.. I didn’t know there was a factory there until I got this.

 

[Rick Hufnagel]

Nice piece, Cort!

Dueber even named a case grade after it's earlier location. The Newport grade is coin silver with an albata cap and silver joints.

 

[musicguy]

Lady Hamilton Tip Tray

RE: "Lady Hamilton The most perfect lady's watch made"

I agree





Rob

 

[PatH]

This nicely printed 1882 ad promotes the Dueber Case factory in Newport Kentucky measures 4 1/2”x6 1/2”.. I didn’t know there was a factory there until I got this.

Very cool, Cort! Is this a trade card, or an ad printed on two sides of paper?

Seems like most of the factory pictures are from later locations, but this early Dueber trade card also mentions Newport KY, and in smaller print to the left, Cincinnati. Newport KY and Cincinnati OH are just across the Ohio River from each other, so it's definitely feasible to have locations in both cities. Dueber tended to locate factories in the cities that offered the highest incentive.

 

[Bruce Barnes]

Here is one that I have restored and the thermometer works very well and I would love to have one of their watches to go along this thermometer.
Bruce

 

[musicguy]

Here is one that I have restored and the thermometer works very well and I would love to have one of their watches to go along this thermometer.
Bruce

View attachment 623962

Interesting. Check out the history of the company if you haven't already seen it.
Auburndale Watch Co. Watch Company History & Profile | Pocket Watch Database
"1881 Finding much success with the dial thermometers, the Aburndale Watch Co. devotes their entire operation to this market."




Rob

 

[4thdimension]

Very cool, Cort! Is this a trade card, or an ad printed on two sides of paper?

Pat, This is printed on paper.-Cort

 

[Bruce Barnes]

Hi Rob, I followed your advice and researched the patents for this thermometer and of the two listed my unit is not listed,it may have been an early model or experimental.However all three are rack and pinion and are very similar to the Bourdon thermometer unit.
Always fun to have ancillary artifacts and data that supports your hobby and collection.
Bruce

 

[4thdimension]

A couple of wall hangers from the great Germanow-Simon crystal company. These were a gift from a customer who found them at the flea market and they now hang above my G-S crystal press.-Cort

 

[PatH]

Great signs and a very nice customer!

 

[4thdimension]

This appears to be a South Bend promotion for the Chesterfield 12s thin line from, I’m guessing, the early 30’s. The three pieces came to me together although the watch descriptions vary from the poster to the brochure. Either way they were a darn good price at 18.88 less 6% to a dealer! -Cort t

 

[4thdimension]

This appeared in “Hearth & Home magazine about 1865” according to a note on the back. The serial number of the watch in the lower right is 210,335 which would be 1866. My copy is glued down to cardboard but was nice find at the flea market. It was among the papers of a Mr. Jasitis who was once the NAWCC librarian. The ad is something I can look at over and over again and still find new things.-Cort

 

[James Wrobel]

I realize this is an old thread, but here is my Rockford post card.



This is one of a set of 13 monthly cards produced by the company between 1909 and 1910. I wish I could find the full story, but the Rockford historical site which produced it is down now. Mine is an original card from 1909, and is one of the first examples of color offset printing in America. About a million of these cards were produced.

 

[PatH]

What a nice holiday reminder, James.

The February 1995 Bulletin has a very informative article about Rockford advertising, including background on R. F. Outcault, the artist behind the cards, who is perhaps better known for his Buster Brown artwork. NAWCC members can access the article when logged in to the NAWCC.org website. Log In

 

[179]

To expand a little on the Rockford calendar cards, as James posted there were 13 of them from November 1909 to November 1910. The artwork on the November cards is the same, only the calendar is changed. The hardest card of the series to find is the October one. It is an attractive one with a vintage auto on it, and might attract attention of other than watch collectors.

 

[yellow_sub]

I don't know if this counts really, but this came with some of the Hamilton Model 22's that were unused and sold after the war.

 

[4thdimension]

I have two copies of Waltham’s “Mental Nuts” booklets which are each filled with 100 brain teaser puzzles. The red covered one is from 1904 and has few ads but the second from 1916 has 14 pages of their latest offerings. They measure a bit under 3”x5”.-Cort

 

[PatH]

I have two copies of Waltham’s “Mental Nuts” booklets which are each filled with 100 brain teaser puzzles. The red covered one is from 1904 and has few ads but the second from 1916 has 14 pages of their latest offerings. They measure a bit under 3”x5”.-Cort View attachment 629501 View attachment 629502 View attachment 629503 View attachment 629504 View attachment 629505

These are fun books! The 1910 edition has only 2 pages of generic Waltham advertising, along with a line of text across the top of facing pages extolling the virtue of Waltham watches, as seen on the 3rd and 4th images below.

I think I have an older edition, but don't seem to have scanned it yet. I wonder how often they reissued these booklets? Looks like they were copyrighted in 1897, Cort has 1904 and 1916, and I have 1910, so wonder if it was more often than every 6 years. Maybe a "Mental Nut" to crack?

 

[4thdimension]

Here are four more shots from the 1916 Mental Nuts . The Premier Maximus with wind indicator is offered at $300, and $100 more for the “Casquet de Luxe”. You could buy that box or, for the same price, up to 20 Equity model watches!-Cort

 

[4thdimension]

Some company envelopes. Back in post #146 Greg F. posted one from the N.Y. Chronograph Watch Co. to the same recipient as the first three here. -Cort

 

[Bryan Eyring]

Some company envelopes. Back in post #146 Greg F. posted one from the N.Y. Chronograph Watch Co. to the same recipient as the first three here. -Cort View attachment 629864 View attachment 629869 View attachment 629870 View attachment 629871 View attachment 629872

Thank you for posting, these helped aid me in dating some of my signs.

 

[Nathan Moore]

Illinois Watch Company Metal Sign, c.1900, 19 ⅜” x 9 ¼”

“The Standard For Railroad Service - Illinois Watches - Springfield - Sold By W. Arnold - Ann Arbor, Mich.”

 

[Nathan Moore]

“The Waterbury - Correct Time For Little Money” Trade Card, c.1890, by J. Ottmann.

 

[PatH]

One of the interesting things about this beautiful little Waterbury trade card is that it is just that - little, not much bigger than a business card. The vibrant colors and detail that have survived on these cards may speak to Ottman's printing techniques, or perhaps to whoever the artist might have been. Regardless, they are little pieces of art.

And, in honor of the season, here's a Waterbury Watch ad from Youth's Companion.

 

[4thdimension]

I just got my first new card in years. A nice touch is the $1 California gold coin fob! -Cort

 

[Ralph]

Here are a few I have squirreled away..

 

[PatH]

I just got my first new card in years. A nice touch is the $1 California gold coin fob! -Cort View attachment 632015 View attachment 632016

Very cool, Cort! I had never noticed the fob, thanks for pointing it out!

Ingersoll also had a hand shaped booklet, as well as this ad.

 

[Rhett Lucke]

Ralph,

Can you share the dimensions on that Waltham Gold Medal piece? Love it!

 

[Ralph]

Rhett,

I've lost track of the Gold Medal award example. I have it here somewhere and will measure it, when I come across it. Guessing from memory, it's about 15" x 10"

Here are a few more examples..

I think the Omega item might be an oil lamp. I don't know. If anyone knows, please share.

Ralph

 

[viclip]

Rhett,

I've lost track of the Gold Medal award example. I have it here somewhere and will measure it, when I come across it. Guessing from memory, it's about 15" x 10"

Here are a few more examples..

I think the Omega item might be an oil lamp. I don't know. If anyone knows, please share.

Ralph

View attachment 632038 View attachment 632039 View attachment 632040 View attachment 632041 View attachment 632079 View attachment 632080 View attachment 632081 View attachment 632082 View attachment 632083

Omega lamp may have been an alcohol lamp being a promotional item provided for use by watchmakers & jewellers. Alcohol lamps were commonly used to melt shellac etc. back in the day.

 

[Rhett Lucke]

Wonderful items Ralph. Really like that Keystone sign and the Waltham putting iron? Is a first for me.

 

[Chris Radek]

There is nothing for scale in the Omega item's photos, so this might be wrong: I wonder if it could have been a tabletop cigarette lighter (which is a lot like an oil lamp). Porcelain lighters seem to have been an early 20th C. thing.

The main reason I think that is the slightly odd wording with "matchless" and how that would be a clever slogan printed on a lighter, but not an oil lamp.

 

[Ralph]

Chris,

The Omega item’s base is about 4” in diameter. I miswrote, calling it an oil lamp. I’ve always thought it might be an alcohol lamp.

Ralph

 

[Jon Hanson]

Hi Rhett,

Do you think the members would like to see my all original very large Dueber Hampden Watch Co. factory sign? (I don't think I have ever posted it on ch 149 when I posted many of my American watch signs).

Thanks and Happy New Year to you and the members here.

Jon

 

[Rhett Lucke]

Hi Jon,

Happy New year to you as well. I as well as others would definitely be interested in seeing the large Hamden Sign.

Rhett

 

[Rhett Lucke]

There is nothing for scale in the Omega item's photos, so this might be wrong: I wonder if it could have been a tabletop cigarette lighter (which is a lot like an oil lamp). Porcelain lighters seem to have been an early 20th C. thing.

The main reason I think that is the slightly odd wording with "matchless" and how that would be a clever slogan printed on a lighter, but not an oil lamp.

Chris, Omega used the slogan “The Watch of Matchless Merit” in much of it’s advertising. I wonder if Ralph’s piece might be part of an ink well?

 

[Ralph]

Here are a few more slides. I think only one of them is a duplicate of one of Rhett's.

 

[Ralph]

Chris, Omega used the slogan “The Watch of Matchless Merit” in much of it’s advertising. I wonder if Ralph’s piece might be part of an ink well?

It seems a little large for an inkwell, but who knows. I'm still leaning toward an alcohol lamp. I'd like to find a parts lamo, with parts that would fit this one.

....and now that you asked about the Gold Medal award certificate, I'm getting frustrated trying to find it. LOL

Ralph

 

[LarryW]

Hey! I have one of those too It goes nicely with the watch it advertises.

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They must have made a lot of advertisement pieces for this watch. I got the painting (Print) that is an advertisement for this watch. I think its all original too. I just had to have it when i seen it for sale. I like stuff i can hang on the wall. An old picture of Abe on the wall gets attention when guest are over

 

[Lee Passarella]

Rhett,

I've lost track of the Gold Medal award example. I have it here somewhere and will measure it, when I come across it. Guessing from memory, it's about 15" x 10"

Here are a few more examples..

I think the Omega item might be an oil lamp. I don't know. If anyone knows, please share.

Ralph

View attachment 632038 View attachment 632039 View attachment 632040 View attachment 632041 View attachment 632079 View attachment 632080 View attachment 632081 View attachment 632082 View attachment 632083

I can't really tell from the angle at which it's photographed, but the Omega item looks like a shade for a small lamp, possibly kerosene. The chimney would stick through the top of the shade. Or is that what you were implying, Ralph?

 

[Ralph]

It would be a reservoir for a lamp, if is a lamp. It’s not a shade. There is a bottom on item.

Ralph