Ingersoll Watches Review – Affordable Quality
If you’re a longtime fan of wristwatches, then you’ll be familiar with Ingersoll watches. If you’re fairly new to collecting timepieces, you may not know the name, and might even think they’re new on the seen. On the contrary; Ingersoll watches have been on the market for more than a century. Founded in 1892, the company got their start by offering a working timepiece for $1. Yes, they made a one dollar watch at one time. It wasn’t particularly well-built, and it wasn’t likely to last very long, but in times of economic turmoil, a watch at that price point was a huge seller.
Today, the brand offers substantially better quality, a great variety of features, and yet remain surprisingly affordable. The company has changed hands a few times over the years, and they’re currently owned by a company in Hong Kong. Don’t be fooled, however – you’re not going to get rock-bottom-priced quartz junk from this company. They produce well-crafted, attractive timepieces with automatic movements and great styling and features.
Read on for the full Ingersoll watches review.
Build Quality
Movements
Innovation
Styling and Features
Care and Maintenance
Warranty
Prices
Where to Buy
Summary
Ingersoll Watches Build Quality
The build quality is good; the company uses stainless steel cases for most of their models, but a few of their high end models have gold cases. The watch faces are protected by either rock hard sapphire crystal or mineral crystal, depending on the model. Bands are stainless steel, rubber or leather, depending on the model.
Water resistance is fairly modest; most of the watches in the current lineup offer water resistance in the 30 meter range. All of the company’s timepieces are designed in Germany, though as far as we know, they’re all manufactured in Asia.
These days, when you hear that a watch company is owned by a company from Hong Kong, you just automatically assume that their movements are all quartz models sourced from China. While there are a few quartz models in the company’s lineup, most of their timepieces are mechanical.
Movements are either quartz, manual or automatic, and the product line offers a surprising variety of features and complications. Of course, the pricing range will determine the sort of movement you’re likely to receive, as the quartz models are common among the company’s lower-end models, while the top of the line models are manually wound mechanical movements. Most of what is found in between will have automatic mechanical movements.
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While Ingersoll watches have a history of innovation, being the first company to offer a $1 watch as well as the first company to offer a Mickey Mouse watch, the company today offers stylish, functional timepieces at an attractive price point. They leave the cutting edge features to other companies, but take what works and put it into a nice form factor.
Styling varies from fun and festive to sporty to elegant. If you need a timepiece for any occasion at all, you’ll find something in the product line that suits you. They have affordable quartz models in bright colors and others featuring Mickey Mouse and other Disney characters at surprisingly affordable price points.
At the other end of the spectrum, you’ll find chronographs, models with a tourbillon and automatic models with reserve power indicators. You’ll also find models with date and day/date displays, and more. Ingersoll watches cover a surprisingly wide variety of features in their product line.
Care and maintenance will vary, of course, depending on the model you choose. If you buy one of their affordable quartz models, you’ll likely need to replace the battery every two years or so. If you have one of their high end mechanical models, you’ll likely want to have it serviced every 3-5 years by an authorized technician to make sure it continues to work properly. Your watch should be stored in a cool, dry place, and kept away from extremes of temperature and strong magnetic fields.
The warranty offered with the purchase of Ingersoll watches is the industry standard of two years from the date of purchase against defects in materials and craftsmanship. We estimate that 90% of all watch manufacturers offer a similar warranty.
These watches are surprisingly varied, though they company’s products are generally affordable. We’ve seen quartz models priced at as little as $50, though a few limited edition models, such as those that have a tourbillon, are priced in the upper four figure range. Of course, most companies that sell tourbillon models want a lot more for them; we’ve seen such models priced well into six figures. That makes the brand quite a bargain if you like features but aren’t all that interested in spending the big bucks for them.
You can find these watches for sale at a variety of retailers, both online and off. Many major department stores carry them, as do a number of fine jewelry stores. You’ll also find them at many online retailers, and that’s where you’re likely to find the best opportunity to save on price.
Keep in mind that many models are limited in production and the company’s product line is fairly large, so don’t be surprised if every retailer doesn’t have all of the company’s products in stock. Most retailers should have a good representative sample.
Ingersoll Watches Summary
Ingersoll watches have a long history of innovation, quality and styling. They offer something for just about anyone who is interested in owning a quality timepiece at an affordable price. There are features and complications galore for those who are interested in them, as well as stylish and affordable quartz models for those who are cost-conscious. The warranty is good, the availability is good, and models are available in a wide variety of colors and styles. And yes, they still offer a Mickey Mouse watch for sale.
If you’re looking for a high quality timepiece at an affordable price point, you’ll love Ingersoll watches.