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Banner is a private label in Seth Thomas Model 6, Model 7, and Model 16.
There are three possible origin stories presently being explored.
Banner pocket watches were possibly manufactured for Banner Tobacco Company who sold them as premiums to their customers, using coupons obtained through purchasing Banner Tobacco Company products.
Banner pocket watches were possibly manufactured for Lapp & Flershem, wholesalers in Chicago, Illinois, who used "Banner" as a trade name for their house brand of watch parts.
Banner pocket watches were possibly manufactured for Stein & Ellbogen Company, wholesalers in Chicago, Illinois.
Evidence supporting each of these origin stories is presented below.
Banner
The above advertisement appeared in The Houston Post on Sunday December 13, 1908, on page 45.
Evidence supporting the idea that Banner pocket watches were possibly manufactured for Banner Tobacco Company of Detroit, Michigan who sold them as premiums to their customers, using coupons obtained through purchasing Banner Tobacco Company products includes specimens of the premium coupons that the Banner Tobacco Company included with their tobacco product line for the purpose of customers using them to purchase premium products including pocket watches.
1890 Banner Tobacco Company Beauties Trade Card
Banner Tobacco Company Original Premium Coupons
Originally, in order to purchase a watch, the customer had to save enough coupons to spell out “Banner Watch Company”. It has been said that the company did not print any coupons with the letter “P”, so they would never have to make good on the offer. The story goes that the U.S. government stepped in and made such coupons unlawful.
A replacement set of coupons was produced and distributed instead of the originals.
Banner Tobacco Company Replacement Premium Coupons
Evidence supporting the idea that Banner pocket watches were possibly manufactured for Lapp & Flershem, wholesalers in Chicago, Illinois, was Lapp & Flershem’s ongoing use of "Banner" as a trade name for their house brand of watch parts.
This advertisement appeared as a stylized re-print in Roy Ehrhardt’s Price Indicator. It looks to be in the format used by Lapp & Flershem.
Evidence supporting the idea that Banner pocket watches were possibly manufactured for Stein & Ellbogen Company, wholesalers in Chicago, Illinois is the listing of Trade Names found on the Pocket Watch Database showing that Hamilton Watch Company also produced similarly named private label movements for them.
Seth Thomas Private Label & Named Grade Pocket Watches
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