Watch

[Jeff Mayhew]

This looks like a Smiths Co. (UK) watch. Many thematic variations on the dial were offered (superheroes, etc.).

The novel variation is that the little woodcock disk is attached to the escapement (partly visibly through the kidney-shaped hole in upper left). The escapement works in concert with the balance wheel (at top, behind the lever to change the speed) to regulate the movement.

Very cool!

[Pheasant Slayer]

Originally Posted by Jeff Mayhew

This looks like a Smiths Co. (UK) watch. Many thematic variations on the dial were offered (superheroes, etc.).

The novel variation is that the little woodcock disk is attached to the escapement (partly visibly through the kidney-shaped hole in upper left). The escapement works in concert with the balance wheel (at top, behind the lever to change the speed) to regulate the movement.

Very cool!

I guess you know a little about watches. Anyway.. What is your estimate year of production?

[Jeff Mayhew]

I am no expert on this type of watch. Ingersoll and Smiths made some 30 million of these novelty watches up through the 1980s, and I suspect some are still being made in China. The original Ingersoll went bankrupt in the early 1920s, but the watch business was sold and some manufacturing ended up in the U.S.

As has been pointed out elsewhere, the face of the watch is pretty easy to change. What's unique about your watch is the animation. I believe there was a "Dan Dare" watch with the same pivot point at his elbow, aiming his gun back and forth.

The key here is "market segmentation." By putting a particular theme on the watch, you appeal to very specific collectors or enthusiasts. This watch was obviously meant to appeal to an audience in the U.S., but that doesn't mean the movement wasn't made in the U.K., or even "re-faced" from an older stock of watches for a particular market.

A neat watch! Enjoy a time-piece that isn't electronic.

[Jeff Mayhew]

Here are some other examples of animations, exploiting the escapement pivot down between 4 and 5 o'clock: