Wanted to share a really neat discovery

[rbuck82]

Because I'm a history buff, I do a lot of genealogy work. I knew my great-grandfather came to Ohio as a young boy from La-Chaux-de-Fonds, Switzerland in 1887. As a watch lover, I always had wanted to believe that even though he was young when he left a watchmaking mecca behind and crossed the pond, his roots had left some impression on him and that he had done something - anything - with horology. I wanted to believe that my passion was genetic because then I could tell my wife that I couldn't help my disorder.

So I was going through the 1910 US Census records and I noticed it listed his employer as "Watch Company". I thought, "What the hell? I've done all this research and I never once knew anything about that. Someone is just toying with me. There's no watch company in Canton, Ohio."

I knew he had been a machinist and his parents had come with him and clearly had done something in the old country. Was there any possibility? So out of curiosity, I did a quick Google search. Not only did I find out there was a watch company in Canton, Ohio, I also learned it was a mile from his house! I called my mom and she confirmed where he had lived all his life and it was in walking distance from the watch factory!

Turns out it was torn down in the 1930's and the company moved to Russia. It was called the Dueber-Hampden Watch Company. I'm sure some of the vintage watch folks are saying "Duh!" right now, but I seriously knew nothing of this. After all that stupid, reserved wishing about my origins, I found out he worked here:






This made my day and I thought I'd share. Now I need to get one of the watches made during the time he worked there!

[BrentYYC]

Wow... really interesting look into your family history. I'm astounded by the size of the factory (almost two football fields wide) and the photo of one of the work areas. You would think something that significant would have left a larger historical footprint.

[ljb187]

A quick bit of found on the web:

Hampden Watch Company was founded in 1866 by Donald Mozart and George Rice, Provident RI. In 1887 the company moved to Springfield Mass. The Company was later bought by John C. Dueber. John C. Dueber owned one of the largest companies manufacturing pocket watch cases in the last quarter of the nineteenth century. Many other watch case manufactures united together in a boycott against the Dueber Watch Case Company after an anti-trust law was passed in 1886. Dueber had a major business decision to make. Could he go up against this threat and keep his business going or would he have to give in to the competition? He decided to buy the Hampden Watch Company of Springfield, MA and form the Dueber-Hampden Watch Company producing both watch movements and cases. He moved the newly merged company to Canton, OH in 1889 and by the end of that first year, they were producing 600 watches a day! The first 16 size watch was produced the following year. The company continued until 1930, when the entire factory along with all tools and parts, was sold to Armen Hammer for $325,000 who moved it all to Russia, where it became known as the Amtorg Watch Co. Twenty-eight freight cars full of machinery and parts made their way to Moscow to establish the first Soviet watch factory. Twenty-one former Dueber-Hampden watchmakers, engravers and various other technicians helped to train the Russian workers in the art of watchmaking as part of the Soviet's first Five-Year Plan. Amtorg, continues in operation today.

[dbakiva]

Excellent learning about this. This is one of the great things about this forum.

[rbuck82]

I've done a few basic searches on the web, but does anyone have firsthand experience with the watches from this company and time period? My mother said this building must have been razed and the Interstate was built over part of the property. I searched eBay and found about 40 watches. Not as plentiful as Waltham, Elgin, etc.

Thanks to those of you who have shared in my delight with this discovery. I will post more info as I find it.

[Balidaan]

This is such a great discovery. Did you check out the bay for a watch made at this factory already?
I look forward to hearing your story as you trace down a watch from here.

[Smaug]

Great story. One of my great grandfathers was a trainman, and he had a Hampden pocket watch. My uncle, his grandson, has it now. That watch was probably used during the 10s, 20s and 30s. Every now and then, I scour ebay for one just like it, but the dials are always just a bit different.

[natron20]

That is impressive as hell. All I know of my ancestors was a great great grandfather who was arrested for punching another man's horse, in the face. IN THE FACE!

[crazyfingers]

Now that's something! Thanks for sharing it here. Posts like these are a great way start to my day :)

[Fomenko]

Thank you for sharing this interesting story...
Hope you are able to find a mint watch!!