Sunday, November 24, 2013

Daddy’s watch

(Pictures have no bearing on the post)

Growing up I remember when anyone asked dad the time, he reached for the chain and pulled out the old Gold Rail road watch he carried.  There was a time that not every one carried a watch so you got the time the best way you could.  Some small towns had chimes or bells attached to the town clock.  Every store had a clock prominently that was given to them by some supplier, i.e. Borden's milk or Merita bread.  With a little saying printed on the clock face, ‘Time for Borden's’.

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(Life is good, a double Rainbow sent by Bonnie)

Some business knowing not everyone had a watch would put it in the window facing out. My first watch, in the 4th grade was a ‘Dollar Watch’. It was a silver pocket watch with a leather fob, or string. I believe it was a Waterbury.

There was a slogan, “The watch that made the Dollar famous”. I don’t want to get it wrong, but Waterbury, Connecticut  was the home of most American watches. Ingersoll  first sold the dollar watch but it was made by Waterbury. That was a strange business situation. Waterbury bought out Ingersoll then when Ingersoll went bankrupt, Waterbury bought the company back.

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During the time Ingersoll was in charge they produced the wrist watch, it took it awhile to catch on but it soon replaced the pocket watch. But even in the late 40s early 50’s old men would ask, “son is that a Waterbury?”

The real big change in watches came with the advent of the Timex Corp. in 1969. We all know the watch, “That takes a licking and keeps on ticking.”  My nephew lost his watch in the snow one year and did not find it until the spring, and it still had the correct time. The Timex is a good watch.

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That Nephew grew up and started collecting watches. Before my dad died he gave the nephew his solid gold Railroad watch.

That came to a sad end a few years ago when the house was burglarized and all the watches were stolen. Crooks and burglars do not know the history they destroy in their chase for a quick dollar.

But still  the watch is just an object. It cannot be replaced, but it cannot give love nor a smile. The watch never breathed nor bathed a new born baby. Objects do not do that.

Speaking of the babies, I loved to hold Jack or Mark after Sherry had bathed them and covered the in Johnson’s Baby powder. No watch or any object can replace that feeling.

Nite Shipslog

PS:

Politicians are the same all over. They promise to build a bridge even where
there is no river.
~Nikita Khrushchev~

<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

Quoting Khrushchev here are a couple Russian cars:

Russian GAZ 11-40  6 produced

Ony 6 built in 1941

Moskvich 403 Russian

105,000+ built in early 1960s.

12 comments:

Rose said...

Love the story about the watch. Sad that it was stolen. It's an terrible feeling when someone takes your prize possession and memories.

Hugs to my favorite couple!

Chatty Crone said...

I love the story about your dad's watch - it is funny what we remember and don't remember. sandie

Paula said...

I love this entry. How do you think of so many different subjects to write about? Interesting that the lost watch was still working and sad about the stolen one.

I'm mostly known as 'MA' said...

You have so many good memories and that is another thing no one can ever take away from you. I love the smell of babies. Getting to hold my newest grandchild this weekend was such a blessing. There is nothing like cradling a baby in your arms. Another very cold day in Ohio. Busy weekend with family coming in for our Thanksgiving gathering.

~mel said...

Oh that smell of a freshly powdered baby ~ priceless! Too sad though about your Daddy's watch being stolen. The only consolation you can get about something like that is some day that crook will be judged by a Higher Power. He may think he got away with it on his earthly temporary home but his time will come. Oh yes it will ... he will be judged.

shirl72 said...

Had to change password will try
to comment if it will let me.
Test to see if it changed.

shirl72 said...

Now I forgot what I was going to say. I remember Dad's watch and
he always had the time. I have
had expensive watches and they are
in a case right now not running.
I get just as much service with the
cheap ones. I am wearing a Quartz
now and it was in-expensive.
Old saying "as time go by".

Back Porch Writer said...

Hey Jack. Hope you all are doing well! I remember selling semi- fine jewelry watches at Parks Belk in Columbia, TN. They sold real well and were expensive watches that came in for a special rate at our costume jewelry counter. I remember having a lot of returns and also having a lot of comments about "why don't we have Timex watches" b/c they last! I also wonder why some people like me can't wear certain watches. My system often throws time OFF! lol Apparently I stop clocks. But the cheaper the watch, the longer I seem to be able to keep it running. Today a lot of the youth no longer want watches - b/c they have the time on the phone and I cannot get used to looking at that -but since I work I do use my PC clock time a lot! Interesting entry! Again - hope you all are well and I love having time to visit your blog. Always a blessing! Happy THanksgiving to you both.

Anonymous said...

Yes, it was a big deal to get a wristwatch. "Of course I'm old enough to take care of a watch because [my older sister] got her watch when she was my age (fifth grade)."
Daddy wore a wristwatch that had the expandable metal band. I remember it once being face down on the water heater to dry out--funny the stuff you remember.
If I recall correctly, the watches used to have a confusing statement about the watch being accurate to so many feet under water. I think some of us took that to literally mean the watch was waterproof.
I received a wristwatch as an award when I was a senior in highschool. The watch never kept the right time. I still have it; all these years, I've been meaning to send it off and get it fixed, LOL.
Back Porch Writer is exactly right about the younger generation using the cell phone as a time piece. It makes me wonder if Rolex will have to start making cell phones to stay solvent!
Mrs. Meyers, the school music teacher always wore a "pin" watch on her dress.
For girls, a watch with changeable colored bands was a marvelous thing.
My grandfather never set his watch to Daylight Saving Time; he didn't believe in tinkering with the time. (It sometimes caused him a few moments of consideration to know whether to add or subtract.)
Fun post! It's fun to remember the things about watches.

bonnie k.

TARYTERRE said...

Interesting facts about the watches and the company's that made them. I LOVE my Timex.

betty said...

That was sad about your dad's watch, Jack. I wondered who was going to get it after his passing; glad it went to someone who collected watches, sorry it got stolen though. You are so right, nothing more precious than a newborn baby or a young baby and the way they smell after a bath.

We got our first watches when we were about 7 years old; we had to make sure we knew how to tell time before we got one. I remember the character watches we had over the years, Cinderella, Mickey Mouse, etc. Great memories :)

betty

Jackie said...

Another beautiful post from the heart and mind of my friend Jack.
Have I mentioned that I love to come here and read your thoughts.
I do.
Happy Thanksgiving to you and Sherry.
Love,
Jackie