COLLECTIBLE CHARACTER WATCHES - DISNEY LORUS MODELS

Many of the more modern Disney collectible character watches available today were manufactured by Lorus, a division of Seiko, from 1986 to the late 1990's. Seiko was awarded the plum license for manufacturing Disney watches in 1986, after it was relinquished by Bradley and Helbros, and they are the major manufacturer for Disney watch models to this day. Most of these early collectible Disney models were manufactured under Seiko's subsidiary, Lorus, which was established in 1982. While at that time Lorus was a relative newcomer to the comic character watch field, they manufactured some classic models in their earlier years that are considered "must-haves'" by knowledgable character watch enthusiasts. These were manufactured under both the Lorus and the short-lived Jaz labels. This guide refers to a number of watch models manufactured from 1986 to approximately 1998, most of which can be found in collector's watch guides and reference books as key collectible Disney watch models that no serious watch collection should be without.

MODELS
One of the first character watches produced by Lorus is the metal Mickey and Donald watch, manufactured in 1986. Inital sales were sluggish and the model was discontinued after one year. This, along with the fact that it's one of the only watch models shown with Mickey and Donald on the dial, sent the value zooming and this is now a valuable collectors model sought after avidly by many enthusiasts. It's featured in several character watch collection guides.

Another one of the initial Disney watches manufactured was this Mickey Mouse watch. This was available in both large and small sizes, in both a white dial background and another with a golden yellow tint. A third model was created that was similar, but with a glow-in-the-dark dial. This light-up watch is hard to find and is considerably more valuable than its plainer counterparts. 
                   
       

Another huge hit for Lorus was the Goofy watch. This was a reverse mechanism timepiece that had the numbers placed backwards on the dial, with the movement turning the hands in a counter-clockwise direction. While difficult to follow at first, telling time with this unusual collector's piece became easier over time and customers thrilled over the uniqueness of this model. The watch was made in 1991 in both a silvertone and goldtone case/dial, with a slim supple leather band in black and brown, as well as another model that mimicked the Mickey Mouse watch with a glowing dial. All of these original Goofy watches are highly sought after collectors pieces. The demand grew so great that Disney is now offering a new model Goofy watch under it's "collector's series". This is very similar to the original Lorus model, but with the "Disney" logo printed on the dial rather than the Lorus logo found on the original.

Glowing Goofy  & Goldtoned Goofy

Lorus also created a number of watches in 1990  that were cheaper to produce than the standard stainless steel case watches. These watches feature larger dials, thin leather bands, and a black plastic case that opened in the back only to replace the battery. The insides of the watch were not accessible on this model. Characters included Mickey Mouse, Goofy, Donald Duck, Scrooge McDuck, Pluto and Mickey, and others.

Two other popular Mickey Mouse models with the "Hollywood Mickey" watch with Mickey shown in a running pose, with a filmstrip style black and white strap. Another model showed Mickey in a similar pose, with a glow in the dark outline on a black background with a black strap. 1988 was the 60th anniversary of the birth of Mickey Mouse. Lorus celebrated with a series of watches manufactured for the occasion.

In 1990 Lorus also began producing what many believe to be the "cream of the crop" of Lorus Mickey Mouse watches. These were a wide range of character watches that chiefly featuring Mickey Mouse, with many unique and highly desirable features such as musical melodies (some watches playing more than one tune); large gleaming goldtoned cases with small legends engraved next to functions buttons; animated dial functions such as the "dancing" star-tipped second hand that kept time to the musical tune and moving Mickey arms; glow-in-the-dark dial capability; and screw-down steel casebacks. Another distinctive features was the beautiful, unique leather bands featuring imprinted patterns and textures; small metal Mickey related icons attached to the straps; and ornate embossed buckles. Several of these were initially manufactured under the short-lived Jaz label and are the most desirable of all these models.

 

Other unique models that are highly collectible include two Melody Mickey Mouse watches with alarms, a pair of rare automatic movement men's Mickey Mouse models, and some very unusual dual time watches that are all high on watch collector's lists for "must have" models. 

Lorus also manufactured a very popular oversized watch series, with the most notable the Mickey and Minnie mouse models which sell out very quickly on eBay and collector's sites. Another huge favorite during the holidays is the Santa Claus Mickey Mouse musical watch, which comes in a variety of colored leather bands including red, black, and green, with small Mickey faces embossed on either end.

Other models in the early Lorus series that are very hard to find include the Hollywood Mickey model (with Mickey in a top hat and rare long pants) and the 50th Anniversary Fantasia Disney watch that features Mickey shaking hands with the movie conductor Leopold Stokowski.

   

IDENTIFICATION
Early Lorus watch models have the Lorus Quartz logo on different areas on the dial. In the early Mickey Mouse model shown at top, the logo is printed on the dial at the bottom in small lettering between the six and seven and the five and six. In this model "The Walt Disney Company" is printed underneath the Mickey figure. In the plastic case models, the Lorus Quartz logo is on the dial with the Lorus insignia and includes a Disney copyright. Some include "The Walt Disney Company" logo while others do not. They all feature a tiny classification code at the bottom of the dial, usually starting with the letter V and composed of about eight individual letters and/or numbers which may or may end with a pair of numbers and letters in a box  (ex. V515-6060 [A1]).

Early Lorus stainless steel casebacks are printed simply with "Water resistant, Stainless Steel Back, Base Metal Bezel," and the aforementioned model number eight-symbol classification code.  The early plastic back models state "Water Resistant, Plastics" and the classification number from the the front of the dial along with "Shiojiri Ltd. Japan" and a small round area which can be removed for battery replacement.

 Later plastic models have the Lorus name on the back with the "Water Resistant, Plastics" and the classification number from the the front of the dial but simply "Movt. Japan".  The later stainless steel watch cases usually have the Lorus or Jaz logo in the center of the caseback, along with the same information as the early metal casebacks but listed in sequential order in the middle of the caseback rather than running around the perimeter. Many musical Lorus watches have a multi-tiered,  oversized caseback with openings to emit sound. These have the same information printed on the caseback as other stainless steel case models.

Almost all Lorus watch models initially had a blue rectangular sticker placed on the caseback with the model number. These, however, may be lost due to the age of the model and the fact that the adhesive has since dried out and have fallen off. Early sticker includes the letters Ref. with a model number such as R MF353. Later models may have "Mov't Japan" printed at the top followed by the model number.

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There are many other delightful collector's pieces from Lorus, of course, that will not all fit in this guide, including Mickey and Minnie talking and musical watches and other glowing dial timepieces. Many of the pieces we have listed here are included in other collectible comic watch reference and guide books, as well as models that are top sellers on eBay and other collectible watch sites. These models would make excellent additions to any character watch collection or a fabulous gift idea for your favorite Disney fan.

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BUYING A COLLECTIBLE BRADLEY DISNEY WATCH

There are many Bradley character watches for sale on eBay, many of them popular Disney character watch models. If you not aware of the history of Bradley watches, these ads can be confusing. The prices, year of manufacture, and other information in these ads are so varied that it's clear they cannot all be correct. How do you know how old a Bradley watch is? Is it really a Bradley watch? How common are these models? How much should you pay?

Unless you're a watch collector, chances are you wouldn't know much about these classic collectible watches. Here we will try to demystify these issues for you and give you some solid background information that will help you make your own choices when it comes to purchasing these items.

BEGINNING
Disney character watch history began in 1933, when Ingersoll manufactured the first Mickey Mouse watch that is commonly considered by most people to be the first comic character wristwatch. In 1957, Ingersoll became U.S. Time, and around 1968 the name was changed again to Timex. Ingersoll/U.S. Time/Timex, therefore, had the license to manufacture Disney watches from 1933 up until 1968. From 1968 to 1972, several companies were licensed to produce Mickey Mouse watches, many of which were sold exclusively in Disneyland. These included Helbros, Hamilton, the Vantage Watch company, and Elgin.

In 1972 Timex chose not to continue with the lucrative Disney contract, and it was acquired by Elgin National Industries, Inc, on January 1, 1972. Bradley Time Division of Elgin National Industries produced most of the Disney character watches for the next thirteen years. Therefore, Disney Bradley watches were produced between 1972 and 1985.

1933 - Ingersoll
1957 - Ingersoll/U.S. Time
1968 - U.S. Time/Timex
1972 - Bradley
1985 - Lorus/Seiko

This is very surprising to many people who believe strongly that Disney Bradley watches were around in the 1960's. There are countless ads for Bradley Mickey Mouse watches from the 1960's, and even some dated from the 1950's! Obviously, these are incorrectly documented. Bradley certainly made character watches for many years before obtaining the Disney contract, for characters such as Popeye, Yogi Bear, Quick Draw McGraw, and the Allstar Baseball watch. However, Bradley Disney watches were produced during or after 1972. Bradley manufactured about 1800 different watch varieties during their contract with Disney! That's a lot of watches. Hy Brown and his wife Nancy Thomas have written what many consider the "bible" on character watch collecting (Comic Character Timepieces), and have included a period from 1973 - 1985 called "The Bradley Years", as Bradley watches dominated the character watch marketplace with both Disney and non-Disney themed character watches.

MODELS
During their contract with Disney, Bradley produced hundreds of whimsical colorful timepieces that were good quality and fun to wear. While Mickey Mouse is the undoubted leader in the character watch parade, Bradley produced other character models that are also popular. Minnie Mouse, Donald Duck, Goofy, Cinderella, Snow White, Mary Poppins, and Alice in Wonderland are other popular Disney models manufactured in the early 1970's. The Cinderella Bradley watch, in particular, is often misrepresented with regard to age with many ads listing a Bradley Cinderella watch as being from the 1950's or 1960's. The earliest Cinderella Bradley watch that we could find documented was manufactured in 1973.

 Bradley manufactured Mickey watches in nearly limitless variations with regards to case shape and color, bands, crystals, and even had pendant watches made that are very hard to find now in mint condition and in their original packaging. The Mickey Mouse pocket watches were also a big hit and are very popular with collectors today.

 Some Disney Bradley watch items of note are:
~Mickey Mouse "jump hour" watches
~men's divers watch models
~Mickey and Goofy sports line of watches
~Disco Mickey watch and record set
~animated dial watches
~Mickey Mouse and Donald Duck Registered Edition Birthday watches
~the "nodding head" Mickey and Minnie watches.

Bradley and Elgin also manufactured a line of high quality Mickey Mouse timepieces for men and women, some with varying shapes of cases such as rectangular, boxed, circular, and hexagonal, and many with beautiful and unique stainless steel and goldtoned steel cases and unique metal bands or premium quality leather bands. These are worth considerably more than the children's sized versions, especially if they come mint in their original box and in running condition. Many of these "adult" Bradley watches are highly unique and beautiful, and can fetch quite a sum when put up for auction. The estimated value depends on the watch and packaging condition and the rarity of that particular piece. While most Bradley watches are wind-up wristwatches, beginning in the early 1980's they began producing models that were battery operated. Most Bradley watches are distinguished by the "Bradley" logo at the top of the dial above the number twelve, while many of the battery operated have the "Bradley Quartz" logo to distinguish them from the wind-up, manual models.

Bradley produced many other non-Disney character watches in this same period. Other characters include Bugs Bunny, Underdog, Cat in the Hat, Hot Wheels, Smoky the Bear, Barbie, Sesame Street, Star Wars, Raggedy Ann, Holly Hobbie, Popeye, Strawberry Shortcake, Superman, Mighty Mouse, Elvis Presley, and others. In 1987, Bradley released a line entitled "The Oldies", a series of character watches featuring never-to-be-forgotten stars in both plastic cases and higher quality, beautiful stainless steel cases in a deluxe watch box, all of which are popular collector's items. These characters included Elvis Presley, W.C. Fields, Emmett Kelly Jr., Abbott and Costello, Laurel and Hardy, the 3 Stooges, Marilyn Monroe, and Charlie Chaplin.

BUYING A WATCH

Be sure to read each ad carefully for information about any watch listed, and view all the photos provided. Email the seller with any questions you may have about the item that is not clear from the ad. Check the following features:

* Look for the small Bradley logo situated at the top of the dial (for older watches) or larger lettering in the middle of the dial (later models and Bradley Quartz models). The Walt Disney Productions logo is also found on the dial for Disney watches, usually at the bottom in small print.

*Check if the watch is in working condition, and if it keeps accurate time. Older, manual watches are not as accurate as battery operated models and may normally lose a few minutes a day. Ask if the watch was checked for accuracy, or if it is only marked "working" because it started to tick when wound.

*If a watch is listed as "new", ask if it had ever been worn, was a display model, or is really NOS (new old stock) and ask specifically what condition it is in. Older watches may have blemishes from age (spotting on the dial, cracked bands, stiff crowns) even though they may never have been worn. Display models may show blemishes from handling and from the display case, such as scratches on the case and caseback or marks on the crystal.

*If the watch is used, ask for specifics about the condition such as the crystal (may be replaced if severly scratched or cracked); dial (may have spotting or warping from age); watch band (can be replaced if severly damaged); and the crown (may be stiff and hard to turn or is sometimes missing from the watch). Ask if any parts have been replaced since the watch was manufactured.

*Check if the watch comes in original packaging and ask about the condition. Shelf or display wear for older watches may include some scuffing on the bottom and corners of boxes, faded coloring, and a grimy appearance. Also check if the original warranty or watch pamphlet is included, as this is also very important for collectors even though they may be outdated. The more complete the "set" is (watch, packaging, and paperwork), the higher the value.

It's a good idea to do some research into the subject if you are interested in taking up watch collecting. The more you know, the less likely it is that you will be taken advantage of in a sale or become the victim of less than truthful advertising. Familiarize yourself with basic watch terminology as well as common auction terms and become an educated consumer.

VALUE
Many sellers want to know exactly what their item is "worth" (specific dollar value) before putting it up for sale, just as sellers would like to know how much to pay for an item as though there is a specific dollar value for a collectible timepiece. As any dedicated and experienced watch collector knows, there is no "set" value for any given timepiece no matter how old or collectible it is. While one buyer may pay no more than $30 for a mint condition Bradley watch, some buyers are willing to pay up to $100 for the same model. Many buyers will pay top dollar for a mint condition Bradley watch in its original box, with all paperwork in a mint case with the original cardboard liner. You can get an idea of what the watches are selling for by doing an eBay search on completed listings for Bradley watches. Determine the price you would like to pay and try not to get tempted to engage in a bidding war and pay  more than you intended unless the item is truly very rare. If, however, you are continually overbid on your auctions, your set price may be too low and you might want to reconsider it. While Mickey Mouse is very popular, other characters are not as common and therefore may command much more in an auction. For example, the Mary Poppins Bradley watch is quite rare and would fetch considerably more for a comparable Mickey Mouse watch of the same age and in the same condition.

While some reference books give a dollar value to collectible watches, by the time these have been published, the values have usually already changed. Discrepancies noted within these references show clearly that value is in the eye of the beholder, as the values can differ by more than a hundred dollars for some models. These should be used only as guides when trying to determine a fair value for a timepiece.

OTHER POINTS OF INTEREST:

- Bradley made many Mickey Mouse watch models with Mickey wearing red gloves, as opposed to the white or yellow gloves found on other Mickey watch models. These red-gloved Bradley watches are not "rare" as described in many watch ads, but are a common feature.

- Many Bradley watches were made for children, with very small sized bands. If you are going to purchase a watch to wear, you may need to buy and install a new band in order to do so.

- The word "vintage" is used to describe many Disney Bradley watches. This term is used very loosely by sellers on eBay to describe almost any watch that shows the slightest wear or signs of age. While the definition varies greatly, eBay defines a vintage watch as one that is manufactured before 1968. Therefore Bradley Disney watches do not fit this criteria, as they were manufactured from the 1970's into the 1980's

- Bradley watches were generally sold in several distinctive types of packaging, outside of the children's watches sold in cardboard style "peg" packaging. The packaging styles included a red barrel-shaped plastic long case with a solid or clear lid; a long black plastic watch holder with "Bradley" printed on top in a circle; a clamshell standard watch holder with the Bradley logo; and a clear covered rectangular shaped case with a beige base with the Bradley logo on the front .

REFERENCES

 Collecting watches is an enjoyable hobby and like any other, should entail some research before beginning. Some notable references that were used for this article and that can be extremely helpful for anyone starting to collect Bradley (and other) Disney collectible watches include:

1. Bradley Character Watches: Identification & Price Guide. The Ehrhardts, Heart of America Press, 1995. ISBN 0-913902-89-6

2. Comic Character Timepieces: Seven Decades of Memories. Hy Brown, Nancy Thomas. Schiffer Publishing, 1992.

3. The Mickey Mouse Watch: From the Beginning of Time. Robert Heide, John Gilman. Hyperion, 1997.

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COLLECTIBLE TIMEX SNOOPY CHARACTER WATCHES GUIDE

Charles M. Shulz created and began drawing "Peanuts" in 1950, and the comic strip went on become the most famous and enduring in history. The adventures of Charlie Brown, his dog Snoopy, and their friends is one of the most popular comic strips of all time, appearing in more than 2,000 newspapers and being translated into more than two dozen languages. The characters from this enduring series are well known to us all and have spawned a multitude of collectible merchandise. One of the most popular characters watch collectibles around is Snoopy. This beloved beagle is displayed on timepieces from many different manufacturers, but the most popular and most sought after by watch enthusiasts is the Timex Snoopy watch collection.

The single most contentious feature of these timepieces would have to be the date of manufacture. We've all seen ads for Timex Snoopy watches that claim the watches were made in 1958. This is due to the copyright printed on the dial, which states "Copr 1958 United Features Syndicate, Inc.". This refers to the Peanuts copyright granted to United Features in 1958, NOT to the date of manufacture. (The original copyright was granted in 1950, and was periodically updated. Some Timex Peanuts watches have different years as the copyright, such as the Flying Ace Snoopy.) Not only is it highly improbable that Timex manufactured all of these watches in a single year, in 1958 Timex was not even known by that name. The company name at that time was Ingersoll. This mistake is so common that we've even spotted a Snoopy "tennis racket" watch incorrectly documented in a recent issue of a popular and respected price guide for watches, as well as in other watch collector guidebooks.

The first Timex Snoopy watch was manufactured in 1969, and features a happy dancing Snoopy with his arms rotating to point to the time. This was such a hit that Timex created the same watch in many different color combinations, from basic black and white to red, yellow, and white combinations.

(Both photos courtesy of Brown and Thomas' "Comic Character Timepieces")

One of the most popular Snoopy Timex watches ever sold features an animated dial, with Snoopy in a tennis visor holding a tennis racket in one paw and a tennis ball circling the dial as a second hand. There are several different models with this same theme. One is known as the "denim Snoopy", and features a dial background that resembles blue denim and a denim band with black backing. The United Features Syndicate 1958 copyright is printed on the dial, along with the signature "Schulz". The numbers on the dial are orange with yellow trim, and Snoopy's hands turn to point to the time. The stainless steel case is goldtoned. This is a manual, or wind-up, timepiece and was manufactured by Timex in 1976. This model was available in two sizes, large and small.

(Left: from Brown and Thomas' "Comic Character Timepieces"; Right: from Braun's "Comic Character Wristwatches".)

Another very popular model features the same theme on a different background, yellow rather than denim. On this timepiece the numbers are positioned at the quarter-hour marks with black bar slashes indicating the alternate hours, and the case is silvertoned. The UFS copyright and Schulz signature are on the dial. Since the background is yellow the tennis ball is bright green and the band is bright yellow. This wind-up collectible was manufactured in 1977.

(From Braun's "Comic Character Wristwatches")

Other models with the same tennis theme include a red dial and red band watch. There may be additional color combinations for the Snoopy Timex tennis racket watch. 

Other Snoopy Timex watches have stood the test of time and are also popular collector's items. One features a Snoopy figure on the dial with his arms revolving and pointing to the time. This was manufactured as a children's watch and sports a light blue band with a light blue dial background. The case is silvertoned with the Arabic numbers in bold black, while a red second hand circles the dial. The United Features Syndicate 1958 copyright and signature Schulz are also found on the dial. This is also a wind-up watch, manufactured in 1976, and the band was sized to fit a child's wrist. This watch, along with the Snoopy tennis watches described above, were all available in the Snoopy "dog house" Timex watch packaging. This particular packaging is almost as popular as the watch itself.

(From Braun's "Comic Character Wristwatches")