My first horological crushes were glamorous European supermodels with names like Cartier, Audemars Piguet, and Patek Philippe. As my tastes matured, the Far East captured my fancy when I discovered the restrained elegance of Naoya Hida, Grand Seiko, and Hajime Asaoka. But every rambling heart eventually finds its way home. Now, a seasoned chronophile, I’m head over heels for all-American beauties.
I sat down with American horology hero Cameron Weiss to learn about the history of Yankee watchmaking. After cutting his teeth at Audemars Piguet and Vacheron Constantin, Cameron founded Weiss Watch Company, a trailblazer in the revival of American mechanical watchmaking. Cameron also hosts two of the internet’s most entertaining watch podcasts: Watch & Listen and The Watchmaker’s Workshop.
Cameron explained how the railroads fostered America’s early watch industry while driving improvements in precision timekeeping. “In the 19th and early 20th centuries, accurate watches were crucial in preventing wrecks,” he told me. “Railroads had armies of employees, and everyone from conductors and engineers to porters carried a pocket watch.” The design language of railroad pocket watches lived on in early American wristwatches. Look closely at the dial of a Waltham, Elgin, or Hamilton—the bold Arabic numerals, high-contrast dials, and railroad minute tracks are traces of pocket-watch DNA.
Early American watches were tools rather than ornaments. “Swiss watchmakers already had a long tradition of painstaking embellishment—anglage on the movements, guilloché on the dials, black polishing—while American watchmakers prioritized economies of scale, repeatability, and accuracy.” Though handsome in their own right, American watches were built to get the job done—leave the peacocking to the Europeans.
The Quartz Crisis of the 1970s decimated America’s watch industry far more severely than Switzerland’s. “If your chief criteria are price and accuracy, quartz blows mechanical out of the water,” Cameron said. Cheaper, more accurate, and less fussy, quartz watches quickly swallowed the mid-market. “Affluent collectors continued to seek out luxury mechanical watches, but workhorse mechanical watches—the backbone of the American watch industry—went the way of Blockbuster after Netflix.”
In the 21st century, the American watch industry has enjoyed something of a renaissance. “It’s a bit like the resurgence of vinyl records in the digital age,” Cameron said. “Mechanical watches are more expensive and less efficient, but the craftsmanship and romance hold an undeniable charm.” Alongside heritage names, boutique American watchmakers have sprung up from the mountains to the prairies to the oceans white with foam. As I watch the fireworks, pour bourbon, and blast Springsteen this historic Fourth of July, you can bet I’ll be wearing one of these American-made treasures.
Fourth of July Wrist Candy
Weiss Watch Company – American Issue Field Watch
Weiss Watch Company marries Swiss engineering with timeless American design. Weiss and his team hand-assemble every watch in their Nashville atelier. The American Issue Field Watch is Weiss’ flagship timepiece. Inspired by the no-nonsense military field watches of the mid-20th century, it features well-defined Arabic numerals, cathedral hands, and a date window. You can customize the dial and strap from a range of classic colors, and the 38mm case flatters slimmer wrists. Like a vintage Land Rover, it’s rugged enough for the countryside yet refined enough for the city. Wear it with a well-worn Barbour Beaufort or a navy blazer.
BENRUS – 250th Anniversary Limited Edition
Founded in New York City in 1921, BENRUS built its name supplying timepieces for soldiers and aviators. American icons like Steve McQueen, John F. Kennedy, Charles Lindbergh, and Babe Ruth were loyal fans of the brand. The 250th Anniversary Limited Edition celebrates America’s semiquincentennial with just 250 individually numbered examples priced at an appropriately patriotic $1,776. Beneath a domed sapphire crystal, the dial features an excerpt from the Declaration of Independence in subtle font. The exhibition caseback showcases a gleaming, Swiss-made movement.
Bulova – Accutron Spaceview
Bulova changed horological history with the release of the Accutron, the world’s first fully electronic watch powered by a tuning fork. Delivering unprecedented accuracy, the technology even found its way into NASA instrumentation during the Space Age. An icon since the 1960s, the Accutron Spaceview still exudes retro-futuristic panache. Its open-worked dial showcases a movement that looks like an artfully embellished circuit board. Few watches in the annals of American horology are as instantly recognizable, and none better captures the technological optimism of the Space Age.
Praesidus – Victory Watch
Praesidus, from the Latin word for “protector,” specializes in faithful recreations of military watches, notably the A-11 worn by Allied servicemen during World War II. In addition to preserving U.S. military horological history, Praesidus donates a portion of every sale to veteran charities. The design of the Victory Watch harkens back to post-war dress watches. With a 38mm gold-plated PVD case, sword-cut hands, and a lacquered dial, it makes for an elegant black-tie accessory.
Luminox – Pacific Diver 3120 Transformative Teal
Luminox builds watches tough enough for the U.S. Navy SEALs. As the name suggests, Luminox specializes in low-light legibility. In the dark, the proprietary tritium illumination system looks like a Fourth of July fireworks show on your wrist. Even as a guy who generally shies away from dive watches, I have to admire the Pacific Diver 3120 Transformative Teal. That signature Luminox lume against the jet-black dial looks like liquid starlight in tiny neon tubes. While the dial is all business, the teal rubber strap, an homage to the ocean, serves as a playful counterbalance.
Shinola – Runwell
Shinola played an outsized role in reviving both American watchmaking and the economy of Detroit. During my senior year of college, while applying to my first real jobs, I saved up for a Shinola Runwell, the brand’s flagship watch. My watch collection has grown considerably since then, but that Runwell will always hold a special place in my heart. The Runwell looks as timeless and masculine as your grandfather’s wedding photo. The dial comes in a wide range of handsome colors, but I’m partial to dark green paired with a brown leather strap. It’s a watch that punches well above its price point.
Hamilton – Khaki Field Mechanical
Today, Hamilton calls Biel, Switzerland home, but the company was founded in Lancaster, Pennsylvania in 1892. It supplied pocket watches to American railroads before outfitting U.S. troops during two world wars. The design DNA remains unmistakably American. With a cotton khaki NATO strap, matte case, and acrylic box glass, The Khaki Field Mechanical is a modern interpretation of the FAPD 5101 navigator’s watch issued to U.S. Air Force crews in the 1970s. Hand-wound, eminently legible, and complete with a 24-hour military-time scale, it channels the rugged utilitarianism of early American horology.
Fossil – Big Tic
As a ’90s kid, I have a soft spot for grunge, The Simpsons, Mario Kart, and ana-digi watches. The Fossil Big Tic pairs traditional analog hours and minutes with an oversized digital seconds display at the center of the dial. Jaunty motifs like flames and stars lend a playful irreverence. I scooped up a Big Tic with a Stars and Stripes-themed dial and a royal blue rubber strap. It’s always a smashing success at Fourth of July cookouts, and lately it’s become my go-to watch for World Cup viewing parties. After the tournament, I’ll retire it to the watch box until next Independence Day—or the off chance I find myself at a Kid Rock concert or the Sturgis Motorcycle Rally.
Wrist Outfitters 1776 Collection
A watch is only as good as the band that holds it to your wrist. If you are not ready to swap out your favorite watch for Independence Day, simply put a band on it that reminds everyone at the festivities what the important things are. Personally, I am a fan of the Patriot Edition.
“In 1776, 250 years ago, fifty-six Signers risked it all to seal a nation’s birth with ink and conviction. Other Patriots put their lives on the line for liberty. The 1776 Signature™ Series honors the Signers and Patriots who had the courage to risk everything so we could enjoy enduring Freedom.
