Private Label Jeweler Watches
I was recently given a few family watches that had been unearthed from decades of slumber. One had an unfamiliar name on the dial that a little googling revealed to be a local jeweler. I have yet to crack the case and see what movement is underneath. But I assume this is just some manufacturer's standard watch with a specially branded dial.
I know that this sort of private label stuff used to exist in men's tailored clothing. I have old sport coats and ties where the label is for some local haberdasher that obviously wasn't making the stuff. Sometimes the label is in the form of "[manufacturer] (exclusively) for [Local shop name]"
I've never run across this in wrist watches. I'm not sure of the approximate date of this one, but the case back is marked with Incabloc and anti-magnetic and water resistant brags, so I'm guessing 1940's or 1950's.
Does anyone have any familiarity with the prevalence of this private labeling? My guess is that this was not illicit or unauthorized but done with manufacturer awareness and approval. Or were these parts purchased loose and assembled by the jeweler?
Any background on this practice would be appreciated.
Started as a quartzbro goofing on the mechanical snobs, wrote for thetruthaboutwatches.com, and lately started finding forgotten familial vintage watches in need of love.
The practice started with pocket watches and lasted until perhaps as late as the 1970's. Elgin and Waltham would supply the movements and a jeweler would encase them.
Baylor was a store brand for Zales. Heuer made some watches for them. The Austen Watch Company made watches for Gordon's jewelers. In order to avoid tariffs on Swiss watches in the 1940's and 1950's companies would incorporate in New York and import Swiss movements to encase in the US. This was the model for Welsbro, Helbros, Rensie and many more. The middle tier Swiss movements often found their way into jewelry store brands. I think that even Hamilton had relationships with jewelers early on.
Edit: I tried to buy one a while ago that I was convinced had an expensive Swiss movement. A lot of other people must have thought so too so it became too expensive. The only link that I could find to the brand was a matchbook ad for the jewelry store in South Bend, Indiana. The store had gone out of business in the 1960's.
TIL... Awesome info, thanks for sharing
The practice started with pocket watches and lasted until perhaps as late as the 1970's. Elgin and Waltham would supply the movements and a jeweler would encase them.
Baylor was a store brand for Zales. Heuer made some watches for them. The Austen Watch Company made watches for Gordon's jewelers. In order to avoid tariffs on Swiss watches in the 1940's and 1950's companies would incorporate in New York and import Swiss movements to encase in the US. This was the model for Welsbro, Helbros, Rensie and many more. The middle tier Swiss movements often found their way into jewelry store brands. I think that even Hamilton had relationships with jewelers early on.
Edit: I tried to buy one a while ago that I was convinced had an expensive Swiss movement. A lot of other people must have thought so too so it became too expensive. The only link that I could find to the brand was a matchbook ad for the jewelry store in South Bend, Indiana. The store had gone out of business in the 1960's.
Excellent and thank you.
The mid-tier aspect makes sense. The supplier has to be reputable enough for the jeweler to put their name on it but not so acclaimed that people would rather have the supplier name than the jeweler's.
I'm eager to see what's inside. I also have granny's ornate little watch from what appears to be the 1920's and it appears to be utterly unbranded inside and out. It was presumably purchased from the same midwestern locale and I imagine made in an arrangement similar to that of the private label.
Private label pieces for jewelry stores were a common practice since the 19th century. Tiffany had watches made for them by Patek, VC, Longines... Gübelin - Eterna, IWC. Bucherer usually resorted to less-known suppliers, presumably specializing in private label pieces. Abercrombie & Fitch had a number of suppliers, including Heuer. Birks watches in Canada were mostly Eternas.
I have one PLB piece, a Roamer made for the Zurich-based jeweller, Türler: