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Maker: New Haven
Clock Co., New Haven, CT
Built: c. 1930
This is
an example of what were called "dollar watches" -- mass-produced
watches with non-jeweled, unadjusted movements made of stamped
parts. These were the people's timekeepers. As you can see from
the catalog
page, this model sold for $2.74 in 1929. I expect, however,
that this one might have been a little less expensive. But to
me, this watch is priceless: It was given to my father during
the Great Depression in 1931 on the occasion of his bar mitzvah.
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Maker: Ansonia Clock
Co., New York, NY
Built: c. 1925
Ansonia
entered the dollar watch game in an effort to overcome its sagging
revenue. The dial on this watch features characters that glowed
using actual radium -- this was before the effects of radiation
were known. Many dial painters died of radiation illnesses from
ingesting radium. The common practice was to bring their brushes
to a point using their lips! Can you imagine? Once they figured
it out, glow-in-the-dark dials were made using phosphorescent
paint instead of radioactive material.
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