Speidel

Last updated

Speidel
Type Private
Industry Watch straps
Founded
(as The Speidel Chain Company)
Headquarters
East Providence, Rhode Island, United States.
,
United States
Area served
  • Worldwide
Parent Textron (Former), Hirsch Armbänder (Former).
Website speidel.com

Speidel is a manufacturer of watchbands and related items based in East Providence, Rhode Island, United States. It was originally founded in Germany by Friedrich Speidel in 1867 as a manufacturer of gold and silver chains. The Speidel Chain Company was formed in its modern state in the United States in 1904. It was known for its "Ratchet-buckle" watchbands (introduced in 1920), the "Scissors Action Expansion Band" (introduced in 1936), the ladies' "Mignon" watchbands (introduced in 1939), plus costume jewelry. In the 1930s, Speidel was the first company in the world to introduce ID bracelets. During World War II, the company briefly produced cathode-ray tubes. Speidel experienced a boom in popularity, notably with their invention of the hugely popular expanding strap in the mid-1930s, and in addition to watchbands Speidel produced wristwatches, lighters, writing instruments, small jewelry, and other accessories, before beginning to decline by the end of the century with the struggle to compete with cheaper overseas production, and the boom in quartz watches.

Contents

History

Friedrich Speidel founded the Speidel Company in 1867. [1] With an initial investment equivalent to US$10, Speidel started making gold and silver chains with his wife, in the basement of his home in Pforzheim, Germany. He has been credited with developing the gold-over-metal method of manufacturing called "bi-metal" (also incorrectly known as gold "plating") which proved successful. [2] In 1896 he built the company's first factory, installing state-of-the-art machines for the production of gold chain, previously manufactured entirely by hand. [3]

Friedrich Speidel sent his three sons, Albert, Edwin and Eugene to America to establish a branch of the family's jewelry chain manufacturing business. [4] The Speidel Chain Company was officially founded in the United States in 1904. [5] [6]

By 1912 the Speidel brothers hired the architectural firm Monks & Johnson to design the company's first headquarters. The five-story building, with its European-style front, was originally called the Doran-Speidel Building. [7]

In 1937, Albert Speidel died young from pneumonia. His brother Edwin, founder of the Automatic Chain Company, became president of Speidel Corporation. Paul Levinger was made vice-president. [8] At that time, the majority control of the business was held by the German family. However, in 1939, all of the shares held by the German stockholders were purchased by Edwin Speidel and Paul Levinger.

Early-mid 1900s and Growth

At first, only jewelry chain was made in the new facilities. During the 1920s, costume jewelry and watchbands were added to the line. [9] [10] Men's watchbands surged in popularity due to their use in the military during World War I. [11] In the early 1920s, Albert Speidel formed Speidel Brothers, and produced watch bracelets manufactured and sold primarily to wholesalers. [12]

Both the Speidel family in Germany and the brothers who lived in the United States merged into the Speidel Corporation in 1928. [13] [14] The first president of Speidel Corporation was Albert Speidel, [15] one of the Speidel brothers living in Providence, Rhode Island. [16] [17] [18] In 1934 Paul Levinger was hired by Speidel Corporation as a plant foreman. [19] [20]

WWII and Electronic Components

Watchband production was cut back during World War II when Speidel converted most of its facilities and started manufacturing cathode ray tubes for radar and other electronic applications. [21] However Speidel returned to watchbands as soon as peace returned. In 1947 Speidel brought out its first modernized version of the scissor-type expansion band called the Golden Knight. [22] It proved to be a tremendous success in the men's watch bracelet field. The company also introduced elaborate packaging for its line of watch bracelets. [23] [24]

Expansion and National Prominence

The company instituted a planned reduction of costume jewelry, leading to its discontinuation from the Speidel product line in the early 1950s. [25] After the end of World War II, Speidel began to advertise nationally, first in magazines and then in radio with a program called “Stop the Music.” The successful campaign made Speidel well known in the US. Speidel discontinued its radio ads in 1949, opting to spend its ad dollars on TV campaigns. [26] The company fully sponsored different TV programs, making Speidel one of the earliest television advertisers in the United States. [27] [28] [29]

Korean War and Military Manufacturing

As the Korean War got underway in 1951, Speidel began manufacturing identification bracelets. [30] [31] The first product in this category was the Photo Ident, [32] [33] a combination identification bracelet with photo and an expandable wristband. Speidel advertised it on television, and it proved an immediate success. [34] [35]

In 1956, Speidel introduced men's jewelry. [36] The move was designed to diversify its inventory, and fend off increasingly heavy competition from Japan. Speidel also changed its method to sole distributors, in strategic geographic locations, and built a sales force to cover the United States. [37]

The 'Twist-O-Flex' Bracelet

In 1946, E.F.M. Speidel was awarded U.S. patent 145467, entitled "Design For An Expansible Link Chain For Watch Bracelet Or The Like". [38] In the 1950s, Speidel invested heavily in the development of automatic equipment to produce a bracelet similar to the German Fixo-Flex watchband. [39] A German manufacturer had sent the first version of the Fixo-Flex to Paul Levinger who had worked out a license contract with the inventor who held the German patent, Karl E. Stiegle [ citation needed ]. In 1956, the first automatically produced bracelet under Stiegel's patent was introduced as a test under the Kingsway brand. By 1959, the company officially introduced the new watchband as the “Twist-O-Flex”. [40] [41]

Speidel introduced the Euro-Flex in 1988, an updated version of the Twist-O-Flex watchband. [42] The new watchband used heavier materials and contemporary European styling. [43] Speidel continued to expand its line of products with the introduction of the “Signet” watch line in 1994; [44] a patented plastic top shell watchband in 1995; and the first watchband with rubberized coating in 1996. [45]

Change of Ownership & International Expansion

By 1964 the company, now owned by Paul Levinger, had grown significantly both in size and importance to the jewelry industry. [46] Levinger sold the company to Textron, Inc. in May 1964. [47] [48] [49] [50] By 1966 Speidel had expanded its distribution capacity and entered the men's toiletries market, with the introduction of the men's fragrance British Sterling. [51] The company aggressively marketed the product with such enduring phrases as, “Make him a legend in his own time,” which helped to create a market success without parallel. Speidel became one of Textron's top local divisions in sales volume and performance. [52] [53]

The company began to expand its marketing reach internationally in the 1970s, beginning with Canada in 1971. The company furthered its sales market by branching out to Australia and New Zealand in 1972. Great Britain and Ireland in 1973; and Germany, Switzerland, Norway, Sweden, Denmark and Finland in 1974.

1972-Present

In the midst of their international sales expansion, Speidel started OEM (Original Equipment Manufacturing) Business Supplies in 1972. [54] OEM manufactured outsourced metal watchbands for watch companies such as Seiko, which at the time had just introduced the “quartz” watch, the first totally machine-assembled timepiece, which dramatically reduced watch prices. That same year, Speidel began its watchband replacement program for mass merchandisers, making it much easier for consumers to find the appropriately sized watchband replacement at their local store. [55]

In 1997, Textron sold Speidel to the Austrian-based Hirsch Armbänder AG, a leading manufacturer of leather watchbands in Europe. [56] The new company was Hirsch Speidel Inc. [57] Two years later, as part of a global manufacturing consolidation strategy, Hirsh closed Speidel's original Ship Street property and relocated its headquarters to East Providence. [58] In coordination with the move, Speidel closed down its manufacturing operations and outsourced its workload. A portion of the production continued in Rhode Island with local manufacturing companies, and the balance moved overseas.

In 2002, the company's ownership once again returned to the United States, when JRM Holdings bought Speidel from Hirsch Armbänder. [59] Five years later Fred Levinger (Son of Paul Levinger) acquired Speidel. [60] In 2009, Cerce Capital LLC purchased Speidel's assets for US$1.65 million. The purchase was part of a bankruptcy settlement. [61] Speidel has now been revived as a brand, and sells old and new watch strap lines. [62]

The Speidel Family

In 1937 Albert Speidel died at an early age from pneumonia. His brother Edwin, the founder of the Automatic Chain Company —who had not been active in the Speidel Corporation up to that time— became president of Speidel Corporation, and Paul Levinger was made vice-president. [63] The majority ownership of the business was held by the German family, but in 1939, all of the shares held by the German stockholders were purchased by Edwin Speidel and Paul Levinger.

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Textron</span> American industrial conglomerate

Textron Inc. is an American industrial conglomerate based in Providence, Rhode Island. Textron's subsidiaries include Arctic Cat, Bell Textron, Textron Aviation, and Lycoming Engines. It was founded by Royal Little in 1923 as the Special Yarns Company. In 2020, Textron employed over 33,000 people in 25 different countries. The company ranked 265th on the 2021 Fortune 500 of the largest United States corporations by revenue.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Citizen Watch</span> Core company of a Japanese global corporate group based in Tokyo, Japan

Citizen Watch Co., Ltd. is an electronics company primarily known for its watches and is the core company of a Japanese global corporate group based in Nishitokyo, Tokyo, Japan. In addition to Citizen brand watches, it is the parent of American watch company Bulova, and is also known for manufacturing small electronic devices such as calculators.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chopard</span> Swiss manufacturer and retailer of luxury watches, jewellery and accessories

Le Petit-Fils de L.-U. Chopard & Cie S.A., commonly known as Chopard, is a Swiss manufacturer and retailer of luxury watches, jewellery and accessories. Founded in 1860 by Louis-Ulysse Chopard in Sonvilier, Switzerland, Chopard has been owned by the Scheufele family of Germany since 1963.

Fred Meyer Jewelers is a national chain of jewelers. It is a wholly owned subsidiary of Fred Meyer and Kroger. The company also operates under the name Littman Jewelers.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Iran Aviation Industries Organization</span> Iranian defence company

The Iran Aviation Industries Organization (IAIO), also known as the Aerospace Industries Organization, is an Iranian state-owned corporation established in 1966 for the purpose of planning, controlling, and managing the civil & military aviation industry of Iran. The Aerospace Industries Organization acts as both an OEM, directly manufacturing aircraft and aerospace products, and as a conglomerate, holding other Iranian state-owned aviation corporations.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">E. Howard & Co.</span> American clock and watch company

E. Howard & Co. was a clock and watch company formed by Edward Howard and Charles Rice in 1858, after the demise of the Boston Watch Company. The pair acquired some of the material and watches in progress, based upon a lien against the defunct company held by Rice, but they were unable to buy the existing factory or machinery, so they moved to Roxbury. Soon afterwards, Howard bought out Rice's interest and thereafter sought to make high quality watches based on his own unique designs and eccentric production methods. E. Howard & Co. also produced regulators, and marine clocks.

Chilton Company is a former publishing company, most famous for its trade magazines, and automotive manuals. It also provided conference and market research services to a wide variety of industries. Chilton grew from a small publisher of a single magazine to a leading publisher of business-to-business magazines, consumer and professional automotive manuals, craft and hobby books, and a large, well-known marketing research company.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">World Series of Poker bracelet</span> Coveted prize in poker

The World Series of Poker (WSOP) bracelet is considered the most coveted non-monetary prize a poker player can win. Since 1976, a bracelet has been awarded to the winner of every event at the annual WSOP. Even if the victory occurred before 1976, WSOP championships are now counted as "bracelets". During the first years of the WSOP, only a handful of bracelets were awarded each year. In 1990, there were only 14 bracelet events. By 2000, that number increased to 24. As the popularity of poker has increased during the 2000s, the number of events has likewise increased. In 2011, 58 bracelets were awarded at the WSOP, seven at the World Series of Poker Europe (WSOPE), and one to the WSOP National Circuit Champion. This brought the total number of bracelets awarded up to 959. Five additional bracelets were awarded for the first time in April 2013 at the inaugural World Series of Poker Asia-Pacific in Melbourne, Australia. In 2017, 74 bracelets were awarded at the WSOP and an additional 11 will be awarded at the WSOPE in Czech Republic.

Imperial Schrade Corp. was an American knife manufacturer of hunting knives, pocketknives, utility knives, and bayonets during the 20th and early 21st centuries. The consolidation of five forerunner companies, including its namesakes, the Imperial Knife Company, founded 1916, and the Schrade Cutlery Company, founded in 1904, Imperial Schrade manufactured its products in the United States and Ireland and sold through hardware stores, department stores, and on military bases. The original company's fortunes declined and in 2004 it entered into bankruptcy where all equipment and intellectual property was sold off to reimburse creditors. The name and intellectual property was bought by Taylor Brands and used for marketing purposes.

Jean A. Mayeur was a jewellery designer for Cartier in Paris, France; Cartier in London, England and then at Cartier in New York City, USA.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gallet & Company</span>

Gallet (ˈgæl.eɪ) is a historic Swiss manufacturer of high-end timepieces for professional, military, sports, racing, and aviation use. Gallet is the world's oldest watch and clock making house with history dating back to Humbertus Gallet, a clock maker who became a citizen of Geneva in 1466. The Gallet & Cie name was officially registered by Julien Gallet (1806–1849) in 1826, who moved the family business from Geneva to La Chaux-de-Fonds, Switzerland. Prior to this date, operations commenced under the name of each of the Gallet family patriarchs.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Reeds Jewelers</span>

Reeds Jewelers is a U.S. retail jewelry company founded in 1946 by Bill and Roberta Zimmer in Wilmington, North Carolina. Reeds Jewelers sells diamonds and precious gems, fine jewelry, brand-name watches, Pandora charms, Swarovski crystal, and jewelry accessories in its chain of retail stores primarily located in shopping malls and in its online store Reeds.com. In May 2008, "National Jeweler" magazine listed Reeds Jewelers as the ninth largest North American Retail Jewelry chain.

Charriol is a Swiss manufacturer of luxury watches and jewellery founded in 1983 by French entrepreneur, Philippe Charriol.

Gunther Mele Ltd. is a Canadian manufacturer and supplier of retail packaging. The company's headquarters are located in Brantford, Ontario. Gunther Mele is privately owned and has operations in the United States, China and Canada.

Harry Winston, Inc. is an American luxury jeweler and producer of Swiss timepieces. The company was founded in 1932 as Harry H. Winston Jewels, Inc. and changed its name to Harry Winston Inc. in January 1936. The company is named after its founder, Harry Winston, who was called by many as the "King of Diamonds".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">J. Ed Stokes</span> American politician

John Ed Stokes was an American politician in the state of Florida.

Gerald D. "Jerry" Sisk Jr. was an American gemologist who co-founded Jewelry Television (JTV) in 1993. Sisk also served as the executive vice president of Jewelry Television until his death in 2013.

Alex and Ani is an American retailer and producer of jewelry located in Cranston, Rhode Island.

Sidney F. Mobell was an American artist, jeweler, and philanthropist from San Francisco. He owned Mobell Jewelry and was known for his designs of everyday objects made of gold and jewels. He lived in Hillsborough, California.

Galt & Bro. is an American luxury jewelry and specialty goods retailer from Washington, District of Columbia. It is known for bespoke jewelry made mostly in 18 karat yellow, white and rose gold, precious and semi-precious gemstones, natural diamonds, sterling silver, watches, and high-end customizable personal accessories. Galt is one of the oldest jewelry companies in America, due to being one of the first officially established businesses in the nation's capital as of 1802.

References

  1. ↑ "Remembering The Speidel Twist-O-Flex Watch Bracelet". aBlogtoWatch. October 26, 2013. Retrieved May 1, 2020.
  2. ↑ NAWCC Bulletin. National Association of Watch and Clock Collectors, Inc. 1997.
  3. ↑ "SPEIDEL Diamond Plate Cufflinks Vintage Engravable Signet Industrial M". www.goantiques.com. Retrieved May 1, 2020.
  4. ↑ Rhode Island Jewish Historical Notes. Rhode Island Jewish Historical Association. 1971.
  5. ↑ "Speidel Twist-O-Flex Apple Watch band review – The Gadgeteer" . Retrieved May 1, 2020.
  6. ↑ "Speidel Royal English Leather Apple Watch Band review". Cult of Mac. February 27, 2020. Retrieved May 1, 2020.
  7. ↑ Kulik, Gary; Bonham, Julia C. (1978). Rhode Island: An Inventory of Historic Engineering and Industrial Sites. U.S. Department of the Interior, Heritage Conservation and Recreation Service, Office of Archeology and Historic Preservation, Historic American Engineering Record.
  8. ↑ The New York Times Biographical Service. New York Times & Arno Press. 1981.
  9. ↑ Creamer, Donald E.; Baar, James (2008). But Wait! There's More! (Maybe). Omegacom, Inc. ISBN   978-1-4363-3092-3.
  10. ↑ Index of Trade-marks Issued from the United States Patent Office. The Office. 1952.
  11. ↑ "How World War I Changed Watches Forever". Bloomberg.com. September 24, 2019. Retrieved May 1, 2020.
  12. ↑ "Speidel". Archived from the original on August 31, 2003.
  13. ↑ Office, United States Patent (1948). Index of Trademarks Issued from the United States Patent Office. The Office.
  14. ↑ The Jewelers' Circular. Jewelers' Circular Company. 1929.
  15. ↑ Sickinger, Raymond L.; Primeau, John K. (1985). The Germans in Rhode Island: Pride and Perseverance, 1850-1985. Published jointly by the Rhode Island Heritage Commission and the Rhode Island Publications Society. ISBN   978-0-917012-77-8.
  16. ↑ Report. U.S. Government Printing Office. 1922.
  17. ↑ United States Congressional Serial Set. U.S. Government Printing Office. 1922.
  18. ↑ Custodian, United States Alien Property (1922). Annual Report of the Alien Property Custodian. U.S. Government Printing Office.
  19. ↑ Jewelers' Circular/keystone. Chilton Company. 1971.
  20. ↑ Investor's Reader. Merrill Lynch Pierce Fenner & Beane. 1965.
  21. ↑ Instruments & Control Systems. Chilton Company. 1944.
  22. ↑ LIFE. Time Inc. June 7, 1948.
  23. ↑ Chilton's Jewelers' Circular/keystone 1970 Jewelers' Directory Issue. Chilton Co. March 1973.
  24. ↑ Brands and Their Companies. Gale Research. May 1, 2007. ISBN   978-0-7876-2287-9.
  25. ↑ Creamer, Donald E.; Baar, James (2008). But Wait! There's More! (Maybe). Omegacom, Inc. ISBN   978-1-4363-3092-3.
  26. ↑ Baughman, James L. (March 26, 2007). Same Time, Same Station: Creating American Television, 1948–1961 . JHU Press. p.  203. ISBN   978-0-8018-7933-3.
  27. ↑ Monopoly, United States Congress Senate Committee on the Judiciary Subcommittee on Antitrust and (1966). Possible Anticompetitive Effects of Sale of Network TV Advertising: Hearings Before the United States Senate Committee on the Judiciary, Subcommittee on Antitrust and Monopoly, Eighty-Ninth Congress, Second Session. U.S. Government Printing Office.
  28. ↑ Sponsor (1954). TV Results. Sponsor Services, Incorporated.
  29. ↑ The Jewelers' Circular-keystone. Jewelers'Publishing Corporation. 1957.
  30. ↑ Office, United States Patent (1962). Official Gazette of the United States Patent Office. The Office.
  31. ↑ Broadcasting. Broadcasting Publications. 1974.
  32. ↑ Shasho, Ray (March 21, 2011). Check the Gs: The True Story of an Eclectic American Family and Their Wacky Family Business. iUniverse. ISBN   978-1-4502-9859-9.
  33. ↑ Adweek's Marketing Week. A/S/M Communications. 1992.
  34. ↑ The Jewelers' Circular-keystone. Jewelers'Publishing Corporation. 1957.
  35. ↑ Jewelers' Circular/keystone '77 Directory. Chilton Co. April 1981.
  36. ↑ NAWCC Bulletin. National Association of Watch and Clock Collectors, Inc. 1997.
  37. ↑ Jewelers' Circular/keystone '77 Directory. Chilton Co. 1983.
  38. ↑ "Design For An Expansible Link Chain For Watch Bracelet Or The Like" (PDF). patentimages.storage.googleapis.com. United States Patent and Trademark Office. August 20, 1946. Archived (PDF) from the original on December 25, 2022. Retrieved July 7, 2023.
  39. ↑ Rieth, John K. (October 14, 2017). Imperial Germany's Iron Regiment of the First World War: War Memories of Service with Infantry Regiment 169 1914 - 1918 Second Edition. Badgley Publishing Company. ISBN   978-0-9988045-0-7.
  40. ↑ LIFE. Time Inc. March 31, 1972.
  41. ↑ Warshaw, James F. Engel, Hugh G. Wales, Martin R. (1967). Promotional Strategy.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  42. ↑ "Speidel". Archived from the original on February 3, 2003.
  43. ↑ Brands and Their Companies. Gale Research. May 1, 2007. ISBN   978-0-7876-2288-6.
  44. ↑ European jeweler (in German). Rühle-Diebener-Verlag. 1989.
  45. ↑ Brands and Their Companies. Gale Research. May 1, 2007. ISBN   978-0-7876-2288-6.
  46. ↑ Board, United States National Labor Relations (1958). Decisions and Orders of the National Labor Relations Board. The Board.
  47. ↑ Federal Register. Office of the Federal Register, National Archives and Records Service, General Services Administration. April 10, 1979.
  48. ↑ Catalog of Copyright Entries. Third Series: 1966: July-December. Copyright Office, Library of Congress. 1969.
  49. ↑ "SPEIDEL IS SOLD TO TEXTRON, INC.; Price for Watch Band Unit Estimated at $15 Million". The New York Times. May 7, 1964. ISSN   0362-4331 . Retrieved May 1, 2020.
  50. ↑ "Textron, Inc. v. Spi-Dell Watch Jewelry Co., 283 F. Supp. 920 | Casetext Search + Citator". casetext.com. Retrieved May 1, 2020.
  51. ↑ Catalog of Copyright Entries: Third series. 1965.
  52. ↑ Ebony. Johnson Publishing Company. December 1977.
  53. ↑ Product Marketing and Cosmetic & Fragrance Retailing. Charleson Publishing Company. 1981.
  54. ↑ Jewelers' Circular/keystone '77 Directory. Chilton Co. January 1985.
  55. ↑ Control Engineering. Technical Publishing Company. 1989.
  56. ↑ Hoover's Handbook of American Business. Reference Press, Incorporated. 1998. ISBN   978-1-57311-045-7.
  57. ↑ "Company Briefs". The New York Times. June 25, 1999. ISSN   0362-4331 . Retrieved May 1, 2020.
  58. ↑ Companies and Their Brands. Gale Research. 2005. ISBN   9780787689582.
  59. ↑ "Speidel Acquired in Management Buyout". JCK. Retrieved May 1, 2020.
  60. ↑ "Providence businessman Levinger buys Speidel". sip-trunking.tmcnet.com. Retrieved May 1, 2020.
  61. ↑ "Speidel Assets Sold for $1.65 Million," Michelle Graf, Idexonline.com, from National Jeweler Network, accessed 2 Feb 2018
  62. ↑ "Iconic Twist-O-Flex Band Now Available for the Fitbit". PRWeb. Retrieved May 1, 2020.
  63. ↑ The New York Times Biographical Service. New York Times & Arno Press. 1981.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.