Illinois Advertisement -Manhattan, Chieftain, Consul, & More

[Magpie]

FWIW, Kreisler made the same style of band too.

Interesting -- must have been a particularly popular style! (Wonder which company did it first. . .)

BTW, rumor has it that Fred's new book is going to have a chapter that includes not only detailed coverage of cases and casemakers but also a big section on manufacturers of watchbands -- with LOTS of advertisements for them!

[afire]

For the most part my pet brand Gruen is sorely lacking in records, but there is a comprehensive scrap book documenting nearly all of the bands/straps/bracelets that they used including stock numbers and suppliers.

[oliverthom707]

Great ad!! Should we assume that the markings next to the Manhattan listing were to point out a type-o?

[inshashare]

Should we assume that the markings next to the Manhattan listing were to point out a type-o? The ad shows to white gold-filled versions, when one may have been for yellow gold-filled version.

[mrcardigan]

I think it's so interesting looking at comparative prices then and now.

A Trophy cost the SAME as a Manhattan, 12% MORE than a Ritz and a whopping 27% more than a Chieftain, yet look at the relative values now!

[mrtoad]

It strikes me that perhaps the price of the Trophy might be related to its having the new 12/0 model 207 movement, while all the rest in the advertisement had 6/0 movements. Consumers then were looking for smaller watches, and Illinois was leading the way with the 207. As Fred Friedberg suggests, one of the reasons Hamilton bought Illinois may have been to get the 207 for their own watches (modified as the 401) because they had not yet developed their own 14/0 980 movement.

I can't guess why the relative pricing on the other models. It might have to do with which were newer. As for our modern valuation on those models, some of it may reflect changing tastes, and some of it relative rarity. Ritz and especially Chieftain are harder to find than models in the New Yorker family.