10 Year Service Watches

[Toonces50]

Greetings. This is my first post. I am an avid Watch collector and admirer of anything of historically significant craftsmanship. I am aware that Packard awarded gold pocket watches to employees after 10 years of loyal service. These were always high quality (if not the highest quality available at the time) American made watches. They were always inscribed to the recipient and some have custom dials bearing company logos. These watches were expensive in their day and an amazing tribute.

I have 2 questions. Were these watches given to every level of employee from line assembler all the way up to sales and management (this would have been a large expense)? In what year did this tradition begin?

I have 2 of these PW’s. One from c1918 and one from 1937. They are gorgeous. If anyone is interested I can post some pics.

Toonces50

[Stuart R. Blond]

The watches were presented from 1918 every year through 1951. In 1918, Packard's board of directors approved $10,000 for the awards.
The complete story on these awards was published in The Packard Cormorant magazine (#171, Second Quarter 2018).

[Toonces50]

Thank you. That is very helpful. $10,000 in 1918 would equate to $184,637 in 2022. A significant outlay to reward service! Based on your answer I will post pics of my Waltham whose serial number dates it to 1918. Unfortunately the year was not inscribed directly on the watch but it is likely amongst the earliest given out!!

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[RogerDetroit]

Hello "Tounces,

Yes, the watches, pocket and wrist models, were given to every level of employee. Early on Packard presented these watches only to employees at teh plant in Detroit. Later it was expanded to include employees at Packard dealerships. In the early 1950s Packard had a deal with Hamilton Watch to supply them to the PMCC at $100 each. In turn, Packard would allow the dealers a $55 subsidy to offer watches to their employees.

I own two of these watches - one a wristwatch, the other a pocket watch. I know of three that are coming to auction in the next month. They routinely sell between $650 to $950 depending on condition, attached pocket watchchain or wrist band. Can go for much more is the engraved name is a well-known Packard executive.

Jim Balfour has been keeping a "roster list" of known watch owners. He has more than 400 on file. He likes to tie these names to members of Packard's Senior League and employee newsletters.

Hope this helps --Roger--

[RogerDetroit]

Looked back in my files to make sure what I posted yesterday was as I remembered. Let's just say I need a memory enhancer.

It was earlier than the 1950s that PMCC started supporting 10 year watches for dealership employees - actually it was 1946. Please see the attachment.

Also, the engraving on the reverse is very deep. More like a router than an engraving.