Watches in the Abyss

By Bruce Shawkey

Ran across this interesting photo essay on dive watches in the May 1964 issue of Europa Star magazine. The watches are pictured against stylized backdrops of undersea scenes, reminiscent of Jules Verne. Scuba diving had become very popular by then, with the invention of the Aqualung. Prior to this, divers could only dive a limited depth, unless they were encumbered by clumsy dive gear with air pumped via the surface. New technology allowed divers to go deeper than ever before. Watches helped solve various challenges associated with deeper depths, notably reserve oxygen time in their tanks, and decompression when rising to the surface. Have a look at these images. There are no models mentioned specifically, only stories of how diving watches came to be:

 

Watch Straps

 By Bruce Shawkey

Some Early Watch Straps

Found this ad for a watch strap offered by the Hirsch Co., which would go on to become one of the nations largest manufacturers of watch bands and bracelets. This is from the December 1918 edition of The Keystone magazine when wrist watches were a new phenomenon. In fact, many who wanted a wristwatch simply converted their existing pocket watch to the wrist by means of a strap.

Next, we jump ahead to an article about the introduction of Corfam, which would become the bane of straps:

Corfam, invented by DuPont, is an excellent example of a synthetic product that simply did not live up to its expectations over time. 

Early in the twentieth century, DuPont began seeking a synthetic replacement for leather.  To get them into the business, they purchased the Fabrikoid Company in 1910.  Fabrikoid was nitrocellulose-coated cotton fabric which could be made into many objects, but its two biggest uses at the time were in binding books and in the automotive industry.

By the late 1950s,  DuPont scientists had created a material that looked like leather, with a high shiny gloss surface, which resembled “patent leather”.  Later called Corfam, it consisted of a poromeric material which was made by bonding a plastic like coating to a fiber substrate.  Early on, due to its extraordinarily high cost to create and produce, DuPont decided to market this new material primarily in footwear – more specifically for dress shoes, due to its shiny appearance.

By 1962, DuPont had wear-tested around 15,000 shoes with Corfam, made at its pilot plant in Newburgh, New York.  Wear-testing was a typically done by DuPont employees who agreed to wear the item for a certain amount of time and then answer questions and write up a review.  Even though Corfam was pointed towards its use in shoes, other items were made of the material and wear-tested as seen below.

Corfam was introduced to the shoe industry during the 1963 Chicago Shoe Show.  The public first learned about Corfam on January 27, 1964 and it was also featured at the 1964 New York World’s Fair in the DuPont Pavilion.  That year also saw the manufacturing of Corfam moved to a facility in Old Hickory, Tennessee.  From 1964 to 1969, around 7.5 million pairs of Corfam shoes were sold, but after then, the market severely declined for several reasons, including the popularity of vinyl shoes.  Corfam also had the issue that it did not breathe like real leather, so wearers complained about hot feet.  Another problem was fit, because if the wearer did not get an exact fit, Corfam did not stretch like leather does. 

It didn't take long for Corfam to catch on in watch bands:

DuPont ended making Corfam in 1971, leaving it with only seven years of production.  That year, the process for making Corfam was sold to a company in Warsaw, Poland.  Also, that year on April 11, 1971, an article in the New York Times referred to Corfam as “DuPont’s $100 Million Edsel."  

Corfam watch straps are still circulating today.

Here's a photo of workers sewing sewing watch straps:

Bulova

 By Bruce Shawkey

As a 23-year-old immigrant from Bohemia (Czech Republic), Joseph Bulova opened a watch shop in the Maiden Lane in New York City. First he produced pocket watches and table clocks, and during the First World War the new, rapidly spreading type of wristwatches was added. The company expanded rapidly and became one of the best-known American watch manufacturers.

In 1926 the United States were accorded on the mark with the first commercial, nationally televised radio time announcement “At the tone, it's 8 P.M., B-U-L-O-V-A Bulova watch time.” Two years later, Bulova introduced the first radio clock. 1941 there was already the first television advertising with Bulova.

At the beginning of the 1960s, the company aroused interest with the first electronic wristwatch the Accutron. It was equipped with a tuning fork oscillator developed by Max Hetzel and achieved a hitherto unknown accuracy of several seconds per year. At the present time, Bulova is considered a luxury watch brand.

Some of my favorite Bulova watches and ads over the decades:

Bulova continued to find success through the quartz crisis, acquired by Loews Corporation. In 2008, Citizen Holdings bought Bulova for $250 million. Currently, Bulova is considered an upscale watch brand.

It is interesting to note that ads for Bulova watches outside the United States in the 1950s included a pronunciation of the word:

The Teen Market

 By Bruce Shawkey

Found this interesting article in a 1960s issue of Europa Star magazine. It is an early example of market segmentation:

There is a wide open market for watches specifically designed for youngsters. It appears that in a country like America, 35 percent of present watch owners received their watch before they were 14. Even more important is the teen-age market. It is interesting to note to what extent jewelry manufacturers are paying attention to this market which is not only a substantial one but also a new one. Never before has there been a time when young people of the 14-20 age group had such a spending potential. Although the teenager element spends much of its money on cars and amusements, there is no doubt that jewelers get their fair share of the teenager trade. All young people love adornment. Most young girls are slim and lithesome and it will be seen that the slim line has been incorporated in the range of jewelry created for them: slender gold chains, Victorian lockets, pearl drops and a whole range of miniature charms. Because the young like simplicity, the bracelets and earrings for the young avoid elaborate designs but go in for such amusing novelties as interchangeable initials for the benefit of the fickle-hearted. 

Here another e some article on the teen market from Europa Star magazine:

The 1963 Basel Watch Fair

 By Bruce Shawkey

Here are some highlights from the 1963 Basel Watch Fair, as reported by Europa Star magazine:

Square and rectangular models are returning into fashion.

Extra-flat watches will remain popular.

Automatic watches still have nothing to fear from electric and electronic models.

There is great competition between several firms making jeweled watches. Important developments are to he expected shortly in this field.

Nugget style gold has made its appearance in various forms.

Sports watches. especially divers' models, are as much in demand as ever. A new development is a divers' witch for women.

The popularity of chronographs had been falling off these last years. They have now regained some of their  former prestige, although they have not quite reconquered the popularity they once enjoyed. 

Here are some of the watches that were displayed at the Fair. Get a load of the lady's nugget watch from Omega. I challenge you to find an uglier watch:

Below are some additional watches from the Fair.

The War Against Counterfeits

 By Bruce Shawkey

Counterfeits have been around almost since the invention of the wristwatch. But this article in a 1963 issue of Europa Star magazine is the first time I've seen this "industry" covered in detail, naming names, quoting number of fake watches made, etc.

The article estimates approximately 25,000 fakes are made each month. This is a drop in the bucket

compared with the number of fake watches made today. By some estimates, 40 million counterfeit watches are sold globally each year, the net profit of which is roughly $1 billion. Most of us have seen images of steam rollers smashing piles of counterfeit watches. The most common fakes are Rolex. The practice is so common, that Rolex won't even comment on the practice any more. However, there are dozens and perhaps hundreds of You Tube videos on how to spot a fake.

So without further ado, here is the article: 

HONG KONG -- A secret organization is making millions of dollars by copying expensive Swiss watches In Hong Kong. A reliable source said today. The source said the Hong Kong police refused to cooperate with him to crack down on the organization. He said he had collected considerable evidence of piracy. He was working to protect the interest of the Swiss watch industry. 

"The organization is so deep-rooted and powerful that it is extremely difficult to pin down," he said. He was convinced that the factory where the watches were made is in Hong Kong because this colony is famous for its watch case manufacturing. He said the copies were so good that in most cases a buyer would not discover he had been tricked until the watch was taken in for repair. He said the organization was turning out about 25,000 fake Swiss watches a month. 

A great calamity has befallen regular importers of Swiss watches in Hong Kong. The falsification of famous watch brands on the one hand and the fraudulent use of the words "Swiss Made" on the other. An investigation carried out on the markets of Hong Kong and of the countries to which watches cased in Hong Kong are exported in a more or less legal fashion, reveals that it is not just a question of a few pieces made by a handful of dishonest dealers. But of a real industry threatening the actual position of the Swiss watch on this all-important market. How many watches are sold under a faked trademark? It is difficult to give the exact number, but an authority on Hong Kong affairs has advanced the figure of 25,000 pieces monthly. For some years, imitation Omegas, Rolexes, Eternas, etc., have been found all over Asia. What are the reasons for this sudden rise of counterfeit production?

They can he defined as follows: Inflow of relatively qualified watch repairers having taken refuge from China. Inflow of investment capital also from China, engaged in various forms of manufacture, such as dial and watch-case making. Inflow of non-brand movements and watches which lend themselves on arrival at Hong Kong to being camouflaged as valuable pieces.  Our Hong Kong correspondent was able to see for himself the disappointing results obtained by importers who try to unmask culprits and get them condemned. In the rare cases where investigations produce tangible results, the punishment for the counterfeiter is in no proportion at all with the profits he has made and will go on making out of his industry. Our correspondent was informed of a case where the agents of two first class Swiss manufactories managed to get a specialist in counterfeiting condemned to pay a fine which did not represent probably more than a 1/100th of the profits he had made. Meanwhile, the watchmaking circles of the Colony joke about the watches made from four nations: A German movement, a Japanese dial, a Hong Kong case and a "Swiss-made" hallmark. But these jokes cannot conceal the gravity of the situation. Watches equipped with cheap Roskopf movements, but marked  "Swiss" are found in Hong Kong, Singapore, Thailand, Burma and all South East Asia, where A great calamity has befallen regular importers of Swiss watches in Hong Kong. The falsification of famous watch brands on the one hand and the fraudulent use of the words "Swiss Made" on the other. An investigation carried out on the markets of Hong Kong and of the countries to which watches cased in Hong Kong are exported in a more or less legal fashion reveals that it is not just a question of a few pieces made by a handful of dishonest dealers, but of a real industry threatening the actual position of the Swiss watch on this all-important market. How many watches are sold under a faked trademark? 

Investigations undertaken on the Hong Kong market reveal some disturbing facts. One may well wonder how far the circle extends of those taking part in this industry, this trade of counterfeits, of imitations. Isolated actions such as the one mentioned by our correspondent in his report, are quite insufficient to put an end to these frauds that are causing irreparable harm to the Swiss watch industry. For the steadily growing demand for watches sold below their real price is likely to give a further evidence of this racket. There is a danger of seeing tomorrow on the markets of Europe and of the United States, so-called Swiss watches that have been cased in Hong Kong. 

TRACKING DOWN COUNTERFEITERS 

We burst into a Chinese hairdressing salon on the second floor of a house situated on the Hong Kong quay in the center of the town. A whole watch and clock workshop has been installed on a glassed-in balcony. The search is carried out in due and proper form under the impassive gaze of the owner and his Chinese employee. The result is meager. A few dials and bracelets of doubtful origin. Our next move is to a nearby watch and clock workshop on the same quay. This time we make a haul: a batch of 25 watches consisting of Swiss movements that have been placed into the perfectly imitated cases of a famous brand. 

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This article was written 50 years ago, but would still stand up today. The only difference is that fakes are no longer made in small shops, but in large manufacturing facilities.

Langendorf/Laco/Lanco

 By Bruce Shawkey

Lanco and Lanco are abbreviations for watches by the the Langendorf Watch Co. (Langendorf Watch Company) founded in 1873 in the city of Langendorf, Switzerland by Johann Viktor Kottmann. No one really knows why Kottmann came up with the name Lanco. I can only surmise that he felt "Lanco" was more catchy. The company was in business for a century, until 1973 and remained an independent company.

At its founding, the company had been employing between 70 and 80 workers, but the number of workers was drastically reduced when the company almost suffered an economic collapse in 1880 – allegedly due to severe problems with alcoholism and absenteeism among employees. Perhaps for those reasons, the factory began organizing housing and training of their workers, and it gained a reputation for being socially responsible. It built schools, a hydrant system and financed the installation of electric lights in Langendorf. The Kottmann family also founded a society for community work that is still active.

Here are some images of Lanco watches over the decades:

The second shows images from various websites:

Lanco factory

Laco also produced Germany's first electric watch as seen in a 1958 issue of Europa Star magazine. It looks similar to a Timex electric, wihich would soon copy the design and sell millions of watches via their eloquent spokesman, John "Takes a licking," Cameron Swayze:

Horological circles and general public greeted with astonishment the "Laco Electric " displayed at the Hanover Fair this year, the first electric watch to be made in the German Federal Republic and which marks a definite step forward in the watchmaking evolution of this country. The German electric watch, which is reasonably priced, works on the principle of an electric motor device, the energy being supplied by a minute battery lasting over a year. Among the advantages of an electric watch is its greater running regularity. The "Laco" model has a centere second, the winding crown has been eliminated and time-setting is effected by means of a small knurled wheel at the back of the case which can also stop the watch.