Most Iconic American Watches?

Any railroad pocket watch, an Ingersoll Mickey Mouse watch, probably the Hamilton Futura and their Pulsar Time Computer.

Hamilton,Waltham,Elgin,Gruen,Bulova, Ingersoll,Timex, U.S. Time Corp. all have interesting histories. Interesting is the connection between Waterbury Clock, Ingersoll, US Time and Timex.

None, except for Timex ( with only a couple models in recent times) are American made anymore, although Timex Company remains based in the USA.

Hamilton was formed in Lancaster Pennsylvania over a century ago, and it moved to Switzerland when the quality dropped and the demand increased. An enigma, American or Swiss? As a marketing guru I would have suggested changing the brand name at the move to Swiss but that’s unAmerican. Good for Hamilton.

Hamilton is one of my favorites and first collectible

Timex is a Netherlands corporation owned by a Norwegian with its principal administrative offices in the United State and its manufacturing in the Philippines. Invicta is as "American". The Ironman is their most "iconic" watch.

I have ranked the brands before, but I don't know if I have considered particular "iconic" models. Off the top of my head:

Gruen: Pan American, Curvex, 50th Anniversary pocket watch

Bulova: Yankee Clipper, Lone Eagle, Devil Diver (Caravelle had one too), the earliest Accutrons and the Spaceview, and their military watches from WWII, Korea and Vietnam. (I have a soft spot for the Spinnaker as well.)

Wittnauer: Professional Chronograph, Max made a video about it.

Hamilton: I will adopt @PoorMansRolex 's list, but add the Thin-line automatics which were the first American watches with a micro-rotor, and their military watches (the beginning of the Khaki Field).

Benrus: Sealord, the 3061 (the Steve McQueen Bullitt watch).

Helbros: Invincible

I can't think of any Elgin watches that I would consider "iconic", or any from Waltham for that matter.

Edit: I am only considering wrist watches (except for the Gruen).

Merican watches!😆

I believe Bulova (although Citizen is the overlord) is still based out of New York.

American watch history is really interesting and also tragic. From nobodies to powerhouse of the industry back to nobodies in about a century. Elgin and Waltham once powerhouses succumbed to new markets after WWII. Just goes to show how protective the Swiss have been with the industry.

The few American legacy brands that due exist are all just as, if not more, foreign than American. Brands like Hamilton and Ball are basically Swiss that play with their American heritage (I suppose to a certain credit to the brand owners). Timex and Bulova are based here but with foreign manufacturing and financial oversight.

Which if I'm honest looking into American horological history is how I began to learn about modern day micro brands as they seem to be doing a much better job of being the current flag bearers for the American watch industry. Although obviously small, some of them are at least trying by doing final assembly, regulating and even minor manufacturing in the US and not just being "based" here. So they are at least attempting to regrow the industry which I give them much credit for doing. Besides the fact that some of these new American micro brands are just awesome. Maybe one day Nodus or Monta will be household names, like Seiko and Rolex from whom they draw inspiration from.

Benrus is trying to resurrect itself.

That is quite the vintage collection. 💪🏻🇺🇲

I agree in part and disagree in part. I think that the American heyday lasted from approximately the end of the Civil War (Waltham founded in 1850 and Elgin 1864) to the beginning of the Second World War. I also the think that the industry rebounded in the decade after WWII but systemic changes in the world economy ended the resurgence. I think that the sheer number of wrist watches that were sold by Elgin before their shuttering indicate that there was an American moment in wrist watches.

I also disagree that the American industry was slow to turn to wrist watches. I think that the American people were slow to turn to wrist watches. American pocket watches lasted forever. Why buy a new watch? I think there is some evidence that companies pushed the market towards wrist watches as a way around market saturation.

I agree that WWII was a great disrupter and that many companies never quite recovered (arguably Waltham never recovered from the Great Depression).

Another factor is that if you look really closely at the American industry they never produced movements in the United States on the scale that we imagine. Bulova, Benrus, Helbros, Welsbro, Clinton, and Gotham always imported movements. In the 1930's Gruen was one of the largest manufacturers of ebauches in Switzerland. Both Gruen and Bulova kept large factories in Switzerland. Only Elgin and Hamilton continued to make movements in the U.S. but Elgin quit in 1963 and Hamilton shortly thereafter. By the end of the 1960's only the electric movements were made here.

So, it is very like the industry today: movements from elsewhere, cased here.

My late grandfather's

While not really iconic, the most American watch is a Russian watch...

Vostok Operation Desert Shield.

Definitely the Tornek-Rayville

I know it's Swiss made - so not really what you're looking for - but Allen Tornek snuck it past the Buy American Act, so it at least deserves an Honourable mention.

And it's an absolute cracker! ☻

I think that we largely agree, although we may be having a discussion in the margins. If the original post wanted "iconic" American watch models rather than companies, two more come to mind:

Westclox: Pocket Ben and later Wrist Ben.

Also, here is an old post that discusses early wrist watch history. The paper cited therein has a heterodox theory that I have not seen entirely rebutted.

I would add the Benrus Ultra Deep, Type 1 & 2 dive watches & the Skychief. Maybe they aren't all iconic but certainly noteworthy.

I am embarrassed to have omitted the Sky Chief. I think it is iconic. It certainly is expensive. Good additions all.