Robert Hawley Ingersoll was an American businessman known for founding the

Ingersoll Watch Company The Ingersoll Watch Company is currently owned by Zeon Watches, a British subsidiary of the Hong Kong–based company Herald Group. The brand originated in the United States of America in 1892 . Origins Ingersoll Watch Company grew out of a ...

with his brother

Charles Charles is a masculine given name predominantly found in English language, English and French language, French speaking countries. It is from the French form ''Charles'' of the Proto-Germanic, Proto-Germanic name (in runic alphabet) or ''* ...

and producing the "

Dollar Watch A dollar watch was a pocket watch or later, a wristwatch, that sold for about one US dollar. History of development Attempts to make a watch that could be sold for as little as a dollar began in the 1870s. By 1880, the Waterbury Watch Company, ...

," the first inexpensive,

mass-produced Mass production, also known as mass production, series production, series manufacture, or continuous production, is the production of substantial amounts of standardized products in a constant flow, including and especially on assembly lines. ...

pocket watch A pocket watch is a watch that is made to be carried in a pocket, as opposed to a wristwatch, which is strapped to the wrist. They were the most common type of watch from their development in the 16th century until wristwatches became popula ...

.Cutmore, M. "Watches 1850 - 1980". David & Charles, Devon, UK. 2002.

Biography

Robert H. Ingersoll was born on December 26, 1859, in

Delta, Michigan Delta Charter Township, officially known as the Charter Township of Delta and commonly known as simply Delta Township, is a charter township of Eaton County in the U.S. state of Michigan. As of the 2020 census, it had a population of 33,119 maki ...

, to Orville Boudinot Ingersoll and Mary Elizabeth Beers. Robert moved to

New York City New York, often called New York City (NYC), is the most populous city in the United States, located at the southern tip of New York State on one of the world's largest natural harbors. The city comprises five boroughs, each coextensive w ...

in 1879 and entered the employment of his brother Howard, making and selling rubber stamps. In 1880 Robert opened his own wholesale business, also selling rubber stamps. In 1881 he was joined by his brother

Charles Henry Ingersoll Charles Henry Ingersoll was an American businessman known for co-founding the Ingersoll Watch Company. Biography Ingersoll was born on October 29, 1865, in Delta, Michigan, to Orville Boudinot Ingersoll and Mary Elizabeth Beers. His brother w ...

(1865–1948).Robert F. Tschudy, "Ingersoll, the watch that made the dollar famous", Bulletin of National Association of Watch and Clock Collectors, Vol. V, No. 3, April 1952. The first Ingersoll watches, called "Universal" were introduced in 1892, supplied by the

Waterbury Clock Company Timex Group USA, Inc. (formerly known as Timex Corporation) is an American global watch manufacturing company founded in 1854 as the Waterbury Clock Company in Waterbury, Connecticut. In 1944, the company became insolvent but was reformed into ...

. In 1896 Ingersoll introduced a watch called the ''Yankee'', setting its price at $1. This made it the cheapest watch available at the time, and the first watch to be priced at one dollar: the "

dollar watch A dollar watch was a pocket watch or later, a wristwatch, that sold for about one US dollar. History of development Attempts to make a watch that could be sold for as little as a dollar began in the 1870s. By 1880, the Waterbury Watch Company, ...

William H. Ingersoll William is a masculine given name of Germanic origin. It became popular in England after the Norman conquest in 1066,All Things William"Meaning & Origin of the Name"/ref> and remained so throughout the Middle Ages and into the modern era. It is ...

was later a partner in the business. On June 22, 1904, in

Muskegon, Michigan Muskegon ( ) is a city in and the county seat of Muskegon County, Michigan, United States. Situated around a harbor of Lake Michigan, Muskegon is known for fishing, sailing regattas, and boating. It is the most populous city along Lake Michigan' ...

, he married Roberta Maria Bannister. Ingersoll bought the bankrupt New England Watch Company in 1914 and renamed it the

. The company went bankrupt in 1921 after over-expansion during

World War I World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...

. Its assets were sold to the Waterbury Clock Company, the predecessor of the modern day

Timex Group USA Timex Group USA, Inc. (formerly known as Timex Corporation) is an American global watch manufacturing company founded in 1854 as the Waterbury Clock Company in Waterbury, Connecticut. In 1944, the company became insolvent but was reformed into ...

. His wife was involved in an attempted murder-suicide in 1926 when she shot her lover and then took her own life with a gunshot to her breast. Robert H. Ingersoll died on September 4, 1928, in

Denver, Colorado Denver ( ) is a List of municipalities in Colorado#Consolidated city and county, consolidated city and county, the List of capitals in the United States, capital and List of municipalities in Colorado, most populous city of the U.S. state of ...

Biography

References

Further reading