KELTON 1940s Driver's Watch
Maybe 1930s? Also, the "lugs part" of the watch is missing.
Hi. This is Alan. Thanks for reading. My contact information is at the bottom.
Here is a kind of unusual watch, appx 1930s-1940s, named KELTON, made by Ingersoll. At first look, it appears to be like a pocket watch, with a crown in a funny position. But it's actually an incomplete "driver's watch," a specialized form of wristwatch for people whose job it was to drive a car, I guess like a chauffeur, or maybe more generically anyone who drove, milk truck, other delivery, etc.
Some driver's watches, like this one, were designed such that the dial is rotated a little bit clockwise, so that as the driver has hands on the steering wheel in typical oblique position, the dial then becomes "normal" in orientation. This is that style, and I'll show pictures below of someone else's complete watch of this model, though in very poor condition.
(There were other driver's watch designs where the watch was supposed to sit more on the side of the wrist, rather than the back fo the wrist, so that the watch dial is more facing the driver. This watch is not one of those types.)
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Most pics will be with the crystal removed. The crystal is pre-acrylic, probably "celluloid" or "acetate" or some other material, that is prone to yellowing and haziness, so I took it off so you can see the dial better.
Dial has a prominent dark inner chapter holding the hour numerals, sixty hashes at the edge of that circle, bold every five minutes. Also every five minutes a longer thin line extends to the dial periphery. The circle looks dark brown in some light, but also a sort of "honey bronze" in other lighting. Hands are black steel.
The lettering for the hours is particularly pleasing (better photos below).
First, let me show an example of the watch with lugs attached. Not my watch or pic. You can see the dial is rotated clockwise about 60 degrees or so. Dial on this watch is in poor condition, and the watch seems to be missing the crown. (Pic is from ebay auction number 163667637282.)
Back to my watch, angled view. You can see the side of the case is not like any ordinary "pocket watch," and seems to be designed to fit into the lugs apparatus, in the pictured watch above.
Also, note here how the dark ring isn't really dark brown, but a more lighter, bronze color...
Dial is in very good condition, aside from some green oxidation around 5 o'clock.
Inexpensive, zero-jewel movement stamped MADE IN USA INGERSOLL WATCH CO. It has patent dates July 2, 1918, and November 14, 1922. I presume the earlier date is when patent was applied for, and the later date is when it was granted, but I'm not sure. I do not think this watch is that old, though, I am estimating 1940s, but maybe 1930s, I don't know.
Close up of dial. I really like the contrast, and the choice of lettering. Look how the zero in 10 had to be reduced in size to fit within the curve of the dark ring. LIttle bit of character to the tops of the 1, and incompletely closed 9 and 6.
Notice also how the 2 for 2 o'clock and the 2 for 12 o'clock are different!
To get a sense of the size. A US penny is 19.1 mm in diameter.
Another look at the movement.
I also really like the 4.
The lug assembly must have clamped around the "channel" in the side of the case. i wonder if it was therefore adjustable. The driver could rotate the watch head within the wrist assembly, to suit the position of the individual driver for optimal time viewing.
I wonder if by the 1950s most cars had their own dashboard clocks, as these types of watches seem to be all pre-1950s.
You wonder if the driver of this milk truck wore a type of driver watch, to ensure timely milk delivery.
