American Watch Manufacturers
Watch Manufacturing Companies Operating in the United States
19th & 20th Century
The list of companies that manufactured watches in the United States in the 1800-1900's is far longer than most people realize. Watch manufacturing was truly one of the "high-tech" industries of its day, and there were many "start-up" watch companies, only some of which achieved commercial success. Some of the industrial giants of the day made their names in the watch manufacturing industry.
The companies listed below were known to have operated and produced watches in the United States in the 1800s and 1900s. A few of these companies survived well into the 20th century and some underwent multiple name changes and reorganizations. Dates may overlap when tracing the family-tree of a particular company.
In most cases, companies listed herein actually manufactured watches in the USA and were not just importers of European movements, but there may be exceptions. Dates are approximate as company records are inconsistent in many cases.
| Company | Years of Operation |
|---|---|
| Adams & Perry Watch Mfg. Co. | 1874 - 1877 |
| J. H. Allison | 1853 - 1890 |
| American Horologe Co. | 1851 - 1851 |
| American Repeating Watch Co. | 1885 - 1892 |
| American Waltham Watch Co. | 1885 - 1921 |
| American Watch Co. | 1859 - 1885 |
| American Repeating Watch Co. | 1885 - 1892 |
| Ansonia Clock Co. | 1896 - 1929 |
| Appleton, Tracy & Co. | 1857 - 1859 |
| Appleton Watch Co. | 1901 - 1903 |
| Auburndale Watch Co. | 1876 - 1883 |
| Aurora Watch Co. | 1883 - 1892 |
| Ball Watch Co. | 1879 - 1969 |
| Bannatyne Watch Co. | 1905 - 1911 |
| Benedict & Burnham Co. | 1855 - 1870 |
| Benedict & Burnham Mfg. Co. | 1870 - 1880 |
| Boston Watch Co. | 1853 - 1857 |
| E. F. Bowman | 1879 - 1882 |
| Brown, Robert & Sons | 1883 - 1856 |
| J. R. Brown & Sharpe | 1856 - ? |
| California Watch Co. | 1876 - 1877 |
| Cheshire Watch Co. | 1883 - 1890 |
| Chicago Watch Co. | 1895 - 1903 |
| Columbia Watch Co. | 1896 - 1899 |
| Columbus Watch Co. | 1874 - 1903 |
| Cornell Watch Co. | 1870 - 1876 |
| Corona Watch Co. | ca. 1900 |
| Crescent Watch Co. | ? |
| Company | Years of Operation |
|---|---|
| Jacob D. Custer | 1840 - 1845 |
| Dudley Watch Co. | 1920 - 1925 |
| Dueber - Hampden Watch Co. | 1888 - 1930 |
| Edgemere Watch Co. | ? |
| Elgin National Watch Co. | 1864 - 1964 |
| Excelsior Watch Co. | ? |
| Charles Fasoldt | 1849 - 1878 |
| Fitchburg Watch Co. | 1875 - 1878 |
| E.H. Flint | 1877 - 1879 |
| Fredonia Watch Co. | 1881 - 1885 |
| Freeport Watch Mfg. Co. | 1874 - 1875 |
| Smith D. French | 1866 - 1878 |
| Luther Goddard | 1809 - 1825 |
| L. Goddard & Co. | 1817 - 1825 |
| P & D Goddard | 1825 - 1842 |
| D Goddard & Son | 1842 - 1850 |
| Luther D. Goddard | 1850 - 1857 |
| Goddard & Co. | 1857 - 1860 |
| D. Goddard & Co. | 1860 - 1872 |
| Jonas G. Hall | 1850 - 1890 |
| Hamilton Watch Co. | 1892 - 1964 |
| Hampden Watch Co. | 1877 - 1930 |
| Herman von der Heydt | 1883 - 1895 |
| Howard Davis & Dennison | 1850 - 1851 |
| E. Howard & Co. | 1857 - 1861 |
| Howard Clock & Watch Co. | 1861 - 1863 |
| E. Howard Watch Co. (Keystone) | 1902 - 1930 |
| Howard Watch & Clock Co. | 1863 - 1881 |
| E. Howard Watch & Clock Co. | 1881 - 1903 |
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| Company | Years of Operation |
|---|---|
| Ingersoll Watch Co. | 1892 - 1922 |
| Illinois Springfield Watch Co. | 1869 - 1879 |
| Illinois Watch Co. | 1885 - 1927 |
| Independent Watch Co. | 1875 - 1881 |
| Robt H. Ingersoll & Bros. | 1892 - 1922 |
| E. Ingraham Co. | 1912 - 1968 |
| Keyless Watch Co. | ? |
| Keystone Standard Watch Co. | 1886 - 1891 |
| Keystone Watch Case Co. | 1885 - 1927 |
| Knickerbocker Watch Co. | 1890 - 1930 |
| Lancaster Watch Co. | 1879 - 1886 |
| Lancaster Penn Watch Co. Ltd. | 1877 - 1879 |
| Manhattan Watch Co. | 1883 - 1891 |
| Manistee Watch Co. | 1908 - 1912 |
| Marion Watch Co. | 1872 - 1874 |
| McIntyre Watch Co. | 1908 - 1911 |
| Melrose Watch Co. | 1866 - 1868 |
| Mozart Watch Co. | 1864 - 1870 |
| Nashua Watch Co. | 1859 - 1862 |
| National Watch Co. | 1864 - 1874 |
| Newark Watch Co. | 1864 - 1870 |
| New England Watch Co. | 1898 - 1914 |
| New Haven Watch Co. | 1883 - 1887 |
| New Haven Clock & Watch Co.> | 1853 - 1956 |
| New Jersey Watch Co. | ca. 1888 |
| New York Chronograph Watch Co. | 1880 - 1885 |
| New York City Watch Co. | 1890 - 1897 |
| New York Watch Co. | 1866 - 1875 |
| New York Standard Watch Co. | 1885 - 1929 |
| New York Watch Mfg. Co. | 1875 - 1876 |
| Non-Magnetic Watch Co. | 1887 - 1905 |
| Otay Watch Co. | 1889 - 1894 |
| Company | Years of Operation |
|---|---|
| D. D. Palmer Watch Co. | 1864 - 1875 |
| Peerless Watch Co. | ca. 1892 |
| Peoria Watch Co. | 1885 - 1895 |
| James & Henry Pitkin | 1838 - 1852 |
| Potter Watch Co. | 1855 - 1875 |
| George P. Reed | 1865 - 1885 |
| Quick Train Rockford Watch Co. | ? |
| Railroad Watch Co. | ca. 1896 |
| Rockford Watch Co. | 1873 - 1915 |
| Rock Island Watch Co. | 1871 - 1872 |
| Royal Gold American Watch Co. | ? |
| San Jose Watch Co. | 1891 - ? |
| Seth Thomas Watch Co. | 1883 - 1915 |
| South Bend Watch Co. | 1903 - 1929 |
| Springfield Illinois Watch Co. | 1879 - 1885 |
| Standard Watch Co. of Minn. | ? |
| Standard Watch Co. of Syracuse | ca. 1888 |
| J. P. Stevens Watch Co. | 1882 - 1887 |
| Suffolk Watch Co. | 1899 - 1901 |
| Tracy Baker & Co. | 1857 - 1857 |
| Trenton Watch Co. | 1885 - 1908 |
| Tremont Watch Co. | 1864 - 1866 |
| U. S. Watch Co. of Marion, N. J. | 1865 - 1877 |
| U. S. Watch Co of Waltham, Mass. | 1885 - 1906 |
| Union Watch Co. | ? |
| Wallingford Watch Co. | ? |
| Waltham Watch Co. | 1851 - 1957 |
| Warren Mfg. Co. | 1851 - 1853 |
| Washington Watch Co. | 1872 - 1874 |
| Washington Street Watch Co. | ? |
| Waterbury Watch Co. | 1879 - 1898 |
| E. N. Welch Mfg. Co. | 1834 - 1897 |
| Westclox | 1899 - ? |
| Western Watch Co. | ca. 1880 |
| Wichita Watch Co. | 1887 - 1888 |
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