Ingersoll

Ingersoll was founded in 1892 by brothers Robert and Charles Ingersoll in New York. The company revolutionized the watch industry with the 'Dollar Watch' in 1896, making timepieces affordable to the masses for the first time. The Dollar Watch sold over 70 million units worldwide and became known as 'the watch that made the dollar famous.' Ingersoll introduced numerous innovations including the Radiolite glow-in-the-dark watch in 1916 and partnered with Disney to create the first Mickey Mouse watch in 1933, selling 2.5 million units during the Great Depression. Mahatma Gandhi praised his Ingersoll pocket watch as one of his most valued possessions. The original American company filed for bankruptcy in 1922 due to post-WWI economic downturn but was acquired by Waterbury Clock Company. The British subsidiary survived and became independent. In 1980, the British rights were acquired by Zeon Ltd, a subsidiary of the Herald Group. Today, Ingersoll continues under Zeon ownership, producing modern timepieces honoring its pioneering heritage.