Pathfinder Pocket Watch

Description:

This is the Pathfinder, an inexpensive watch model made by E. Ingraham and Company, Bristol, Conn. These “dollar watches” made by Ingraham and other firms were easier to make than high-grade watches and very much in demand. They got their nickname in 1896 when such timekeepers began to sell for about $1. In contrast, the best pocket watches from other American watchmaking firms at the time could cost over $150. Because they were inexpensive, “dollar watches” were often giveaways during promotions for other products or marketed for children.

Date Made: 1920

Manufacturer: E. Ingraham Company

Location: Currently not on view

Place Made: United States: Connecticut, Bristol

See more items in: Work and Industry: Mechanisms, Measuring & Mapping

Exhibition:

Exhibition Location:

Credit Line: James Arthur Collection, New York University

Data Source: National Museum of American History

Id Number: 1984.0416.169Catalog Number: 1984.0416.169Accession Number: 1984.0416

Object Name: watch, dollar

Measurements: overall: 2 7/8 in x 2 1/8 in x 5/8 in; 7.3025 cm x 5.3975 cm x 1.5875 cmring: 3/4 in; 1.905 cm

Guid: http://n2t.net/ark:/65665/ng49ca746aa-740d-704b-e053-15f76fa0b4fa

Record Id: nmah_1203491

Our collection database is a work in progress. We may update this record based on further research and review. Learn more about our approach to sharing our collection online.

If you would like to know how you can use content on this page, see the Smithsonian's Terms of Use. If you need to request an image for publication or other use, please visit Rights and Reproductions.