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This article is a follow-up to a previous post that focused on Rolex, Gruen, and Eterna. That original post can be read here. Below I’ll be covering Omega, Croton, Forstner, and Movado. Like the original post, I’ll be covering some history, and I’ll also showcase watch ads pulled from vintage Esquire magazines (dating from 1941 and 1942).
Omega: The Most Accurate Watch In The World
I’m not sure how to back up Omega’s “most accurate watch in the world claim”, so I guess I’ll just have to take their word for it. This ad dates back to before the US entered World War 2. Maybe that’s why its focus isn’t on the ruggedness or durability of the watch.
Omega did play a major part during the war, however. It supplied very rugged and durable watches to the Allied forces. Omega was a member of the “Dirty Dozen“, after all.
This ad was produced long before the iconic Speedmaster existed, or even the Seamaster. The Seamaster (not technically a purpose-built dive watch with roating bezel yet) wasn’t introduced until around 1948.
The above ad pre-dates the Omega we know today. Modern Omega is renowned for its sports watches. Omega didn’t introduced its Professional line of watches until 1957, however. This trilogy consisted of the now iconic sports watch lineup consisting of the Seamaster 300, Speedmaster, and Railmaster.
Croton: Tough As They Are Dependable
Unlike the Omega ad, this Croton advertisement from 1942 clearly wants to let you know how tough its watches are. Also unlike Omega, the company wasn’t started in Switzerland. Croton was established in Southern Italy. That’s according to the company’s website. It wouldn’t settle in New York until 1928, establishing itself with the name Croton Watch Company. It’s still in New York today.
Forstner: An Iconic Bracelet Maker
I was excited to see this ad when I was thumbing through the magazines, largely because of the company’s association to NASA and the space program. A Komfit bracelet was actually attached to the first Omega in space on October 3, 1962 (during the Mercury-Atlas 8 mission).
Forstner was originally founded in 1920 in New Jersey, and it primarily focused on watch accessories from day one. The company invented its signature “Komfit” band in 1939. The company’s revolutionary idea “was to make a watch strap whereby the buckle and clasp could move along the length of the strap, and then be secured once the proper fit was located”. Forstner was recently revived and sells excellent bracelets and accessories today.
During the 1940s, Forstner also introduced its version of the “Bonklip”, ladder-style bracelet. This bracelet was mostly used with military watches that had fixed spring bars. The idea was that with fixed spring bars, the watch wouldn’t be ripped off the wrist. Basically that left the NATO strap as your only option.
That was until ladder style bracelets were introduced, circumventing the issue. Forstner’s version of this bracelet stood out from the rest of the pack, because it used a push-button clasp that locked into the links.
Forstner’s post-war legacy is also iconic, with associations to the US space program in the 1960s. Many astronauts chose to wear Komfit bracelets on their Omega Speedmasters.
Movado: Ready For Action!
Movado was clearly targeting soldiers in its advertising with this one.
The ad also clearly focuses on durability and being waterproof. The in-flight airplanes really jibe with the company’s name – which means “always in motion” in Esperanto – but in the ad the planes are clearly related to the war. The airplanes in the advertisement are also fitting because Movado watches were issued to Royal Air Force navigators and pilots during World War II.
The company introduced its first water-resistant wristwatch in 1935. It utilized a screwed case back with a lead gasket, along with a cork seal for the winding crown. By the 1940s, the company was claiming to be one of the pioneers in waterproof watchmaking.
Wrapping Things Up
It’s made pretty apparent just by looking at some of these ads that there’s a war going on. It’s made even more apparent in the ads that came from the 1942 magazine. As I explained in part 1 of this series, the US was already aiding the Allies in 1941, but wouldn’t actually enter WW2 formally until December of the following year. The 1942 Esquire magazine that my friend found at a thrift store was a December issue, so many of these ads are a snapshot that capture public sentiment during a very hectic time for the US – and the entire world.
Know more about Omega, Croton, Forstner, and Movado and want to add to the discussion? Please post a comment below!