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The Encyclopedia of Horology

New York, New York, United States

Helbros Watch Co.

Partially verified

Maker of catalogued chronograph, manual-wind sub-second wristwatch, tank watch

History

The company was founded in 1913 by the Helbein brothers, and William Helbein served as a long-time president.

Helbros operated primarily as a watch assembly firm, sourcing movements and components from Switzerland for the American market. Throughout its history, the company utilized various sales channels, including print, radio, and television advertising, as well as catalog houses and door-to-door canvassers. In 1963, the Elgin National Watch Company acquired the firm, which continued to operate as a division under the leadership of Larry Prigozen.

The extended history summarises the open references listed under Sources; each statement was checked against the cited passage. Confirm key dates in period documents before relying on them.

Current watchmaking & later fate

  • As of 2005, the Helbros trademark was registered by Jules Jurgensen, which holds the only 'live' registration for the brand in the system.

As stated in the references listed under Sources, retrieved 2026-11-03. Ownership and collections change; check the maker's own announcements for the latest position.

Known markings

  • Common trade names and markings for the company included Helbros, Helbros Watch Co., and various registered trademarks such as Fontain and Beaux-Arts.
  • Imported movements were often stamped with the three-letter US import code 'HXW' to identify the firm.

Serial numbers

No serial-number system for this maker is recorded in the cited references.

Collecting significance

The catalogued pieces listed on this page show the kinds of objects auction houses, dealers and museums attribute to this maker; each attribution is the source's own.

In the object catalogue

4 catalogued objects are recorded under Helbros Watch Co. Attributions are as given by each source and are not independent authentication.

  • Front view of the Helbros chronograph watch showing dial, pushers, and brown leather strap
  • Front view of the Helbros wristwatch showing the patinated dial with faceted indices and sub-seconds register
  • Front view of the Helbros Invincible chronograph featuring a silver-toned dial, dual sub-dials, and a tachymeter scale.
  • Front view of the Helbros tank wristwatch showing the dial, hands, gold-tone case, and blue crown

Sources & references

  1. forgotten watch brands, forgottenwatchbrands.wordpress.com, retrieved 2026-11-03 (paraphrased; text © the publisher)
  2. Helbros - Chronopedia, chronopedia.club, retrieved 2026-11-03 (paraphrased; text © the publisher)
  3. Helbros Watch Company, Inc., 59 F.T.C. 1377, consumerlawlibrary.org, retrieved 2026-11-03 (paraphrased; text © the publisher)
  4. Helbros – SECOND HAND HOROLOGY, secondhandhorology.com, retrieved 2026-11-03 (paraphrased; text © the publisher)
  5. German Military DH Watches, helvetiahistory.co.uk, retrieved 2026-11-03 (paraphrased; text © the publisher)

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