Ingersoll watches have been around since the early 1900s when Charles Ingersoll, a man passionate about precision timekeeping, decided to make his own watch brand. What began as one man’s ambitious project soon grew into one of the most well-known names in American watch-making.
Almost a century and a half later, the name Ingersoll is still synonymous with quality, reliability, and ultimate precision. When it comes to timekeeping, the Ingersoll watch brand has proven itself worthy of being at the top of its class.
While many people are familiar with American-made jewelry from Tiffany & Co., few realize that Ingersoll watches developed a name for themselves at the same time. In 1892, Charles Ingersoll was producing watch cases of high quality with Swiss movements in his Grand Rapids, Michigan factory.
He decided to buy elegant lever movement watches from Europe and fit them into his beautifully crafted sterling silver and 14K gold cases in order to sell them as a finished product. Eventually, he moved on to making the movements himself in order to cut costs. The result was an affordable watch that could be sold for as little as $20 and could last up to two decades before wearing out.
In the early 20th century, Ingersoll watches became popular among railroad workers. Charles Ingersoll had made a point of visiting railroads and talking to their employees about his timepieces so that they could pass word about them along to other railroaders. Soon, workers throughout the United States were carrying an Ingersoll watch.
By the time World War II was underway, manufacturing for civilian use ceased and the entire company was turned over to war production. It wasn’t until after the war that Ingersoll watches once again became available to civilians.
Although they had been some of the most affordable watches in existence at the turn of the century, rising production costs made them a little more expensive when they came back from war. This, coupled with their popularity among railroad workers, lead to a decline in popularity.
Their former glory was revived in the 1980s, thanks to a group of watch collectors who saw Ingersoll watches as quality timepieces worthy of praise. Today, vintage Ingersoll watches are highly prized by collectors and are known for their precision and beauty.
Many people may be unaware of the fact that the same people who own Ingersoll watches also own the world famous luxury watch brand Tiffany & Co. As a matter of fact, Tiffany & Co. owns Ingersoll, having bought it in 1984. They have done nothing to change anything about this great American watch manufacturer, except to provide them with the resources they need to continue making amazing timepieces.
By the year 2000, Ingersoll was producing almost 30 different models of watches and had been awarded the title “Watchmaker Of The Year”. They are still owned by Tiffany & Co., who operate their production in much the same way as they did back in 1892. Ingersoll watches are still made by hand, in the same building as they were when Charles Ingersoll first began his watch company…
Ingersoll Watch Company
The company is based out of Springfield, Illinois. They are a major supplier to the U.S government and military services. They have been a part of Tiffany & Co since 1984 and continue to provide them with luxury watches that only those who can afford the best will be able to own. Their
timepieces are still used by railroad employees and have proven their rugged reliability through countless years of service.
In the 1980s, Ingersoll introduced a line of watches for women that would be sold at a lower price than its traditional men’s watches. The 1883 line was an instant success and is still being produced today. By the beginning of the new millennium, the American watch maker had almost 30 different models to choose from.
Ingersoll watches are no longer made available to civilians and are exclusively marketed to individuals who wear uniforms or government agencies that provide workers with uniformed attire. They feature durable cases made out of steel, ABS, titanium or solid gold depending on model, as well as sapphire crystals (the hardest scratch resistant material on earth), Swiss or Japanese automatic movement, and a wide range of styles in both the men’s and women’s lines.
One well-known Ingersoll watch model is the Civil War collection, which features timepieces whose cases are made out of solid gold. They also have their version of the famous “tank watch”, called the T-Series, which was first designed for use by pilots during World War II. The most popular line is known as the Railway series and includes watches based on the military designs.
Ingersoll watches have been part of American history almost since their inception. Over 100 years ago they were some of the best affordable watches available to anyone who could afford them and today they continue to be associated with the very best in luxury timepieces.
The first true wristwatch was created by Panerai around 1912 which was around the same time as the Ingersoll watch company started making wristwatches. Both brands were especially famous for their work with luminous hands and dials that allowed for easy reading in low light situations. They are both also alike in that they are not particularly well known outside of their niche market, although they have maintained a dedicated following among people who appreciate quality watches.
Ingersoll is one of those brands that I think suffers from having been bought by Tiffany’s, which has kept it exclusively for military contracts and other government agencies and won’t sell them to civilians any longer. With the exception of Timex, but you can’t really compare Timex to a true luxury brand like Patek Philippe or even Omega…The story of Ingersoll is also an interesting one. They began in the late 19th century making pocket watches for police officers and other first responders, targeted toward people who could afford high quality but had to wear a uniform.