Today is a simple cute kids watch. The watch features bright plastic parts, and a little gold sea-saw on the bottom with a boy and a girl on the sea-saw (or teeter totter in some parts of the world). The sea-saw rocks with the time (and makes quite a lot of noise).
The watch, including most of the mechanism, is made of plastic, and has a 2-hand dial. It was made by Merry Toys (which the back states is "A Division of Leisure Dynamics Inc.") who worked out of Cincinnati, Ohio. It seems to have been from the 1970s. Value-wise, one in good condition sold recently (late 2011) for just over $50.
The watch, including most of the mechanism, is made of plastic, and has a 2-hand dial. It was made by Merry Toys (which the back states is "A Division of Leisure Dynamics Inc.") who worked out of Cincinnati, Ohio. It seems to have been from the 1970s. Value-wise, one in good condition sold recently (late 2011) for just over $50.
I was an engineer at Lakeside Toys & Games, a division of Leisure Dynamics. Lakeside had purchased Merry Toys, and produced the Merry Cosmetics and Merry Watch products in it's Bloomington, MN factory (suburb of Minneapolis).
ReplyDeleteThere was an original, larger, more or less round version of the Merry Watch with an opaque case that had it's roots in Cinncinati. The tooling for that watch was all but worn out when Lakeside purchased the line.
The watch shown above replaced it, was smaller, more kid-size, had the clear case to allow the kids to see the mechanism work, and was manufactured by Lakeside Toys & Games in Bloomington, MN. I know, I designed it, and nurse-maided it throughout it's production life. We'd make 7000-8000 watches per 8 hour shift, and sold every one we could make.
The original Merry Watch, and the first clear one both made a loose attempt to run at correct time, and would run for about 3 1/2 to 4 hours on a full wind. Later, I convinced management that kids in this age group didn't have the attention span to watch time drag by for that long. Kids would be better able see the hands move, and grasp the motion relationship between the two hands, if it were speeded up so that a full wind (same total movement of the hands) lasted about 45 minutes to an hour. The faster watch was also clear, similarly styled, slightly larger, and replaced the first clear one. -- Tim
I had one that I absolutly loved when I was in 1st grade or so. I remember sitting it the back yard watching my watch. It didn't last long. Don't know if it broke, I broke it, or I didn't know that I had to wind it. In any case I remember the watch not lasting as long as my interest in it.
DeleteGoing through dad's things I found the exact watch! It's red with red armband! Love reading about it!!
DeleteI still have mine and found it yesterday when packing to move. Still with its original band though it won’t fit me anymore. Haha. It does still wind and run. My brother used to hate when I wore it because the tottering motion was so loud it would keep him awake at night. Lol
DeleteDo you you know where to purchase one?
ReplyDeleteI have one for sale at my store in clovis new mexico call 5757634800 in excellent condition
DeleteI have one it has a blue strap -for boys- its in excellent shape i wore this as a kid but didnt wear it to long thats why it in excellent shapestill works an keeps dam good time.for sale..
ReplyDeleteWhat are you asking for the watch.
Deletehave a red band white stars it could be for a boy or girl works wonderful I email Vickie at vickiemsn@aol.com
ReplyDeleteI had one of the later ones, and it does not keep "real" time, not that it mattered, on one winding it would run perhaps an hour.
ReplyDeleteI later got a TI LED watch with the Red display.
I still have both of them, but the TI really works!
What may I ask how much you are wanting for the watch
DeleteI still have mine with a red, white, and blue band. I got it as a gift from my Godparents as a kid.
ReplyDeleteI have a yellow band Merry "teeter totter" watch with Merry Manufacturing Co, Cincinnati Ohio.. Merry Pat Pending...Made in USA on back. Was this before Merry Toys Division of Leisure Dynamics, Inc? Any info.(year, value) would be greatly appreciated.
ReplyDeleteI have the red white and blue band. For sale good condition. I'm coakley501@gmail.com or 2197126234
ReplyDeleteFor sale
ReplyDeleteRed white and blue stripes 50$ or best offer
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