Time Telling through the Ages

The Peoria Watch Company of Peoria, Illinois, was organized and took over the business of The Independent Watch Company of Fredonia, New York, but did not long survive.

1887

The Wichita Watch Company of Wichita, Kansas, was organized, but continued in operation only a few years.

1888

The Western Clock Manufacturing Company was incorporated with factory at Peru, Illinois, and general offices at La Salle, Illinois; began manufacturing watches in 1895; in 1895 the name of the company was changed to Western Clock Company; manufacturers of "Big Ben" alarm clock and low-priced nickel watches.

1890

D. Gruen Sons & Co., of Cincinnati, originally incorporated under laws of West Virginia; in 1898 re-incorporated under laws of Ohio. Prior to original incorporation the business was operated as a partnership under the name of D. Gruen & Sons. Present company also operates under the trade name of Gruen Watch Case Co. The company manufactures its watch movements in Switzerland, assembling and casing them in the United States.

1892

The Hamilton Watch Company of Lancaster, Pennsylvania, was organized; made only movements until 1909, but since then, both cases and movements.

1893

Robt. H. Ingersoll & Bro., of New York City, first introduced the original Ingersoll watch to the public at the World's Columbian Exposition; in 1892 the Ingersolls had contracted with the Waterbury Clock Company of Waterbury, Connecticut for the manufacture of the low-priced watch, which was first sold for $1.50 and later for $1.00; in 1908 the Ingersolls purchased the factory and business of the Trenton Watch Company of Trenton, New Jersey, and began watch manufacturing on their own account; in 1914 they purchased the plant of The New England Watch Company, formerly The Waterbury Watch Company of Waterbury, Connecticut.

1894

The Webb C. Ball Company of Cleveland, Ohio, founded in 1879 and incorporated in 1891, began the manufacture of watches.

1899

The Keystone Watch Case Company of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, was organized. It controls The Howard Watch Company of Waltham, Massachusetts, The New York Standard Watch Company of Jersey City, New Jersey, The Crescent Watch Case Company, Inc., of Newark, New Jersey, and The Philadelphia Watch Case Company of Riverside, New Jersey.

1902

The South Bend Watch Company of South Bend, Indiana, was incorporated in New Jersey under the name of The American National Watch Company, but immediately thereafter changed to its present name; in 1903 it purchased the business of The Columbus Watch Company of Columbus, Ohio; in 1913 it was re-incorporated under Indiana laws.

1904

The Ansonia Clock Company of Brooklyn, New York, incorporated in 1873, began the manufacture of low-priced nickel watches; its principal business, however, is that of clock manufacture.

1911

The Leonard Watch Company of Boston, Massachusetts, was incorporated for the purpose of selling and distributing watches.

APPENDIX D

Well-Known Watch Collections

(From list compiled by Major Paul M. Chamberlain, of Chicago in 1915.)

Abbott – George E. H. Abbott, Groton, Massachusetts.

Addington – S. Addington, Esq., purchaser at Bernal sale.

Ashmolean – Ashmolean Museum, Oxford, England.

Augsburg – Maxmillian Museum, Augsburg, Germany.

Baker – Edwin P. Baker, referred to by Britten.

Baxter – James Phinney Baxter, Portland, Maine.

Blois – Musee de la ville, Blois, France.

Boston – Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, Massachusetts.

Bourne – T. W. Bourne, referred to by Britten.

British – British Museum, London, England.

Bulley – Edward H. Bulley, referred to by Britten.

Burkhardt – M. Albert Burkhardt, Basle, Switzerland.

Chamberlain – Paul M. Chamberlain, Chicago, Illinois.

Chesam – Lord Chesam, referred to by Britten.

Cluny – Musee de Cluny, Paris, France.

Clarke – A. E. Clarke, London, England.

Cockey – Edward C. Cockey, New York City.

Cointre – La Famille Cointre, of Poitiers, France.

Copenhagen – Horological Museum, Copenhagen, Denmark.

Cook – E. E. Cook, Walton-on-Thames, England.

Czar – Imperial collection, Hermitage Gallery, Petrograd, Russia (1915).

Cumberland – Duke of Cumberland, England.

Debruge – Debruge collection, catalogue published in 1849, referred to by M. E. Deville in Les Horlogers Blesois.

Dennison – Franklin Dennison collection, Birmingham, England.

Devotion – The Edward Devotion House, Brookline, Massachusetts.

Dickson – R. Eden Dickson, London, England.