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The Encyclopedia of Horology

Serial-number guide

Ingersoll Serial Numbers

Needs research

What a Ingersoll serial number can establish, what it cannot, and how to record a date estimate another researcher could check.

Diagram

maker or gradeserialcase hallmarksimport and assay marks
Schematic: where markings are found. An outline schematic drawn to show the arrangement of the parts discussed here. It is not a dimensioned working drawing and does not depict a particular maker's calibre.

Method

Reading the number, step by step

  1. 1. Find the movement number

    Case, dial and movement markings together indicate the supplier and market; the Ingersoll name alone does not identify the factory.

  2. 2. Understand what it encodes

    Numbers on low-cost Ingersoll watches, where present, are generally not reliable dating keys, and production was spread across different suppliers and later national companies.

  3. 3. Judge how precise the date can be

    Needs research: expect only a broad period from style, patent markings and the supplying factory.

  4. 4. Check the records behind the tables

    Ingersoll was primarily a marketing firm that sold inexpensive watches made by other factories; there is no single serial archive. Research depends on case markings, movement makers and catalogue comparison.

Quick facts

Manufacturer
Ingersoll
Dating confidence
Estimate only — see notes
Editorial status
Needs research

Sources & references

  1. Collector literature on dollar watches (secondary)
  2. NAWCC research on American low-cost watch production

Where sources disagree, the disagreement is stated rather than resolved silently.

Limits

What the number does not prove

Questions

Frequently asked

Where is the serial number on a Ingersoll watch?
Case, dial and movement markings together indicate the supplier and market; the Ingersoll name alone does not identify the factory.
What do Ingersoll serial numbers mean?
Numbers on low-cost Ingersoll watches, where present, are generally not reliable dating keys, and production was spread across different suppliers and later national companies.
How accurate is dating a Ingersoll watch by serial number?
Needs research: expect only a broad period from style, patent markings and the supplying factory.
Where are Ingersoll production records held?
Ingersoll was primarily a marketing firm that sold inexpensive watches made by other factories; there is no single serial archive. Research depends on case markings, movement makers and catalogue comparison.

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