The vintage Seiko Mickey Mouse Mechanical watch: Potential collector!
Joshua GrilletThe meeting of two powerful universes
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Walt Disney and watchmaking, a long love story
The first Disney watch was born in 1933 in Connecticut during the Great Depression in the Waterbury Clock Company watchmaking workshop under license from Ingersoll. And guess what? Mickey sells!
This inexpensive watch saves the watch company from bankruptcy. It was sold for $3.25 or around €55 today.
Well until 1944 when the company became insolvent but was transformed into... Timex Corporation!
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Over time, collaborations followed with brands like Bradley, Swatch, Nixon, Gerald Genta, Citizen, Bulova, Invicta, Pulsar, Lorus, Seiko to name a few. Some are successful but others are exceptional!
Special mention for the Gerald Genta Retro Fantasy Mickey Mouse in its Golf version with its superb mother-of-pearl dial, its retrograde jumping hour system and its 36mm steel case. Released in the 90s, you have to count at least €6,000 for such a copy!
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We often find Rolex, Omega or Oris watches with a “Mickey dial”. Please note that these houses have never collaborated with Walt Disney. These are repainted or added dials having crossed the brushes of Filipino or Indian artists. Hats off all the same!
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The Seiko Disney Time collection from the 70s
In the Seiko factories in Suwa, we subcontract low-cost watches with common characteristics: a chrome or gold-plated case (3 dimensions ) and a common movement, the Seiko 50 mechanical with manual winding 7 jewels. Among the not very amusing clients we find the Japanese holding company Tomony as well as a brand called School Time. Not exciting. However, one collaboration stands out, Disney.
The history of this range is extremely vague. Created in the 1970s, it is said that these watches were sold in souvenir shops at Tokyo Disneyland. Knowing that the park opened its doors in 1983, the theory seems vague. I think the objective of this collection was to promote the future opening of the park on Japanese lands. If you have more information, please do not hesitate to contact me.
These watches were sold exclusively in Japan (Japan Domestic Market) at a price of 2000¥ or around €55 today, like the American Ingersoll version. These surprising pieces were only really discovered in the rest of the world in the 2000s thanks to the internet and e-commerce.
These watches are rather difficult to find. Indeed, few have left their native land and even fewer in a satisfactory condition.
Mickey: the most common, but probably the easiest to wear.
Minnie: Quite common, it's a nugget in its gold-plated version
Mickey & Minnie: We are entering the circle of very rare Seiko Disney, too bad for the lack of originality of the hands of this one.
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Bongo, king of the circus
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Bongo & Lulubelle
This watch is available in the LumeVille shop
Winnie the Pooh
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Donald Duke
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King Louie from The Jungle Book
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The Cheshire Cat from Alice in Wonderland: my holy grail, extremely rare!
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The Seiko MGM collection
There remains another collaboration with an American cartoon giant, MGM (The Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer) and its Tom and Jerry license.
LumeVille.com
LumeVille.com
yahoo.aleado.com
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Conclusion
In the watches presented, some exist in other color variants and I am convinced that not all the characters are referenced. I don't know about you, but I can very well imagine versions of Daisy Duke, Pluto or even Goofy in nature. These pieces are particularly confidential and remain mysterious, which makes collecting them more attractive!
And you, what is your favorite Seiko Disney?
*All period price conversions take inflation into account.
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You can also find a selection of vintage watches and accessories here: Vintage Watches & Accessories
Joshua Grillet
Founder of LumeVille, watchmaker and vintage watch lover
