Robert and Charles Ingersoll started producing watches in 1892, and so became the first watch manufacturer in America. And, the company has been making history ever since.
With the Help of Henry Ford, better known for motor cars, the brothers created the first automated system for producing large quantities of high quality men’s watches – the first being their pocket watch. A system that was later developed for the mass production of wrist watches.
Their first popular watch was the so-called dollar watch, later called the Yankee. Over a million were produced and sold for a dollar, which was then a days wage. In 1919 the Ingersolls produced the first ‘night design’ watch, called the Radiolite, which had luminous numerals.
Another early and pioneering timepiece was the ‘military watch’, an extra robust mechanic wrist watch that also had a metal watch strap, designed specifically for the harsh conditions of conflict and military life.
Many famous men have worn these watches, including Theodore Roosevelt, James Dean and Mahatma Gandhi. And an Ingersoll watch has even been recovered from the wreck of the Titanic.
The names given to the Ingersoll watches are a testament to the history of America, the men’s watch illustrated in this post is the Apache 3900.
