Wednesday, March 15, 2023

Look at the Size of That Thing: An Interview With the Collectors Behind Read Five Books

Ron writes:

 What do you reckon is the best book on Star Wars collecting ever published?

I think most will agree there are several legitimate contenders for that title. 

Undoubtedly, most will also agree that there's no correct answer to this question: Opinions will naturally differ as to which publication is superior. 

But what if I modify the question slightly? 

What if I ask not what is the best book on Star Wars collecting, but instead what is the most impressive?

The blue, gold, and silver colors correspond to different Kickstarter tiers, while the black cover (most limited) was reserved for special gifts.

Well, I'm just one guy with an opinion, but for me that's an easy one.

Upon seeing the new book put out by British collectors Gianni Venturini and Gregory Armstrong, there was little doubt in my mind that it's the most impressive publication ever devoted to the subject of Star Wars collecting.

Measuring 15 inches by 12 inches, and weighing 10 pounds, Star Wars Toy Guide, Volume One: Kenner Action Figures, has the heft and sumptuousness of a limited-edition product from a publisher like Taschen. Leafing through it is a sensual experience: The weight of the paper and beauty of the graphics contribute to an effect that is immersive; you want to dive into the thing. 

In fact, it's so sensually compelling that while leafing through it you may almost forget to scrutinize its information.

But don't worry: Its informational content is just as ace as its aesthetic appeal. 

Covering just about everything touching on Kenner's vintage action figure line, it's a treasure-trove for beginners and experts alike. Cogent and photo-rich elucidations of loose figures sit comfortably beside data-spreads treating tough-to-pin-down topics like two-packs and accessory variations. Even the large-size action figures are covered. 

Forgive my resort to cliche, but there's really something here for everyone.

Because I was so impressed by the volume, I invited Gianni and Greg to sit for an interview concerning their process and future plans. I hope it'll serve as a good introduction to them as well as an endorsement of their future efforts.

If you don't already have a copy, I wholeheartedly recommend signing on to the proposed second edition (see below for details). If you have any interest in Star Wars toys, you won't regret it.



Ron Salvatore: Tell me about your background. In particular, how did you get into Star Wars toys?

Gianni Venturini: I was born in Hammersmith (West London) in 1974. My mother took me and my older brother to the Gaumont Theatre just off Shepherd Bush Green during a school half-term break in February 1978. My mum always tells the story of me reacting to Darth Vader coming through the blockade runner’s doors and me asking her to turn it over to another channel (I was only four at the time). I persevered and Star Wars stuck with me ever since (I’m always grateful to my mum for that introduction at quite a young age). 


Professionally, I have been a Graphic Designer for over 28 years, initially studying General Art & Deigns at Richmond College and then Typography at the London College of Printing (now called UAL: London College of Communication). 


My main toys as a kid were Star Wars, but when I got a bit older my toy collection was given to the children’s ward at the hospital where my mum worked. It wasn’t until my college years that a fellow student introduced me to Steve Sansweet’s book Star Wars: From Concept to Screen to Collectible, and in there I saw the full lineup of figures. I remember remarking on figures I didn’t even know existed (namely, the last 17), and thinking I wanted them all back. And so began the resurrection of my Star Wars collection.

Gregory Armstrong: I’m a little younger, born in 1984; however, my mum’s job, while she was pregnant with me, was running the Star Wars toy floor in Elys department store in Wimbledon. I’ve always had Star Wars toys from my earliest memories. They were just there. Not a complete run, but I had a fair few, along with my TV recorded VHS copy of The Empire Strikes Back. When I watch that film now I remember all the cuts for the adverts still. 


Growing up my parents would often take us to car boot sales and that was a prime location to buy my Star Wars figures and vehicles to play with. I love my box of vintage figures, both Kenner and Palitoy, and all beaters, played with for years by me and now played with by my daughter who has my Millennium Falcon in her room. Gianni collects a lot on cards whereas I’m all about playing with your toys (by playing I mostly mean displaying and doing toy photography), so we have a good balance between us of toy collecting.


I got involved in this project through my experience in retail, digital marketing, photography and my love for Star Wars. Gianni and I have been going to Star Wars exhibitions and seeing the films in the cinema for years before we even started discussing the book.


RS: What would you say is the focus of this book? What did you want to accomplish with it?

GV: When I first had the idea I wanted a book that would cover all aspects of Star Wars figures from all over the world, but soon realized it wouldn’t be achievable in the level of detail I wanted to cover. From that point, you start at the beginning, Kenner. But even then, with the vision I had, I knew we couldn’t cover it all the way I wanted to. So we started with the figures. We wanted to make a book that cataloged all we could about the figures and anything that was pertaining to them. At the same time, we wanted to produce a high-quality book that was a collector’s item in itself. Ultimately it was a book I wanted to own, and that I hoped would appeal to other Star Wars collectors.

GA: We weren’t looking to take on the Kellerman. We obviously adore that book. But it’s hard to pick up for an affordable price. We wanted to make a book that wouldn’t cost £300-£500, but would still be held in high regard. We wanted to cover everything Kenner in one book, but given the level of detail we wanted to go into, it became very clear this was impossible. So we focused on the action figures and everything that goes with them, such as catalogs, variations, card backs, coins, etc.


RS: Guides have been published over the years, both in print and on the web. What are some of your favorites, and how did they influence the creation of your book?

GV: I have a large collection of Star Wars collecting books. After seeing my college friend’s Star Wars: From Concept to Screen to Collectible I immediately went and got myself a copy and would flick through that daily looking at all the items I would love to have in my collection. Steve Sansweet is a common author in my collection with The Star Wars Action Figure Archive being another favorite (amongst others). The John Kellerman book was one I signed up for when a possible second run was announced (missed the boat the first time around), but unfortunately that never happened, and I wasn’t able to get my hands on one until much later. These, along with Mark Bellomo’s Ultimate Guide to Vintage Star Wars Action Figures, were the books I would go to time and time again for reference.

GA: I have The Ultimate Guide to Vintage Star Wars Action Figures, by Mark Bellomo, which is a really nice guide. I also love the UK Echo guides, wonderful books to look through. The web databases are amazing, but I love the feel of a book. 


RS: You’re both credited as co-authors. How did you delegate duties? Who did what?

GV: I knew this book would be something I couldn’t complete on my own with other commitments I had (at the time). Also, before this project I wasn’t really present on any social media, so I didn’t know too much about that side of things. I had started out designing some Star Wars card-back posters, which I sold through Etsy, and I knew Greg (who is married to my cousin) worked in social media advertising. I approached him about setting me up on social media as well as other platforms and how best to advertise the posters I had. 

I soon sold out of my first poster batch and explained my idea for the book and how I saw its potential as a Kickstarter campaign. Greg threw himself into helping me set up the campaign, create a social presence, and also threw a bit of photography in there. Fundamentally I designed the book with Greg doing all the photography (unless already sourced or supplied).

GA: Our duties changed over time, as we helped each other share the load. Gianni is a fantastic graphic designer, I would only give my opinions on layout which would be discussed, but I had complete confidence in Gianni’s vision. We would both be doing research, getting in touch with collectors, doing long road trips to meet collectors and photograph key pieces in their collections. My primary task was photography. All the figure shots, the chapter breaks, and pretty much any physical we had in hand. 


RS: The photography is first-rate throughout. How did you ensure that level of quality? And how hard was it to hunt down the photos you needed?

GV: With regards to the quality of the shots we had that was down to Greg. I fully trusted in his abilities, which is one of the reasons I was happy to have him on board to begin with. I think he should be particularly proud of the chapter-break images he produced -- so much so that we produced a poster of them all that was sold with some tiers of the Kickstarter. 

The card backs and many fronts were already sourced from some private collectors I knew (access to these collections was very much an inspiration for the book). We thought we had the book pretty much planned out prior to the Kickstarter, albeit with some images still being required. The success of the Kickstarter (as we hoped) opened doors to other collectors and their collections. We were able to source many of the items we required to finish the book, but we didn’t stop there. With all this new content and information we had access to we couldn’t help but add to the book (the initial number of pages was 300 -- which soon grew to 400, and we ended up at 536). If we learned of something new we had to include it -- we wanted the book to be as in-depth as possible, printed "real estate: permitting!" The community was so generous, and we even got invited to people’s houses (after lockdown) to photograph extremely rare items. 

We contacted people through Facebook who showed off amazing pieces via posts, but we were not always successful. We badgered the likes of Frank Mews a few times before we convinced him of the project. Some collectors were a flat "no," whereas others greeted us with open arms. We always made sure we showed people layouts and designs in order to convince them it was a worthwhile project, and many times that was the deciding factor in getting them on board. Some collectors even took and retook photos for us because we were particular about how we wanted the item to appear in the book. 

We were particularly lucky with certain items, like the catalogs. We wanted this show the printed spreads the catalog mailer packs were advertised on, as we knew that would spark nostalgia in the reader. We found a lady in the U.S. who collected them and had a majority of the ones we wanted. The lady was able to supply us with the necessary scans. At the same time, this also raised concern as we could not find the Spiegel catalogues anywhere. Searching through we found a relevant article by a certain Ron Salvatore. Problem solved! We asked a lot and got a lot back. We're so grateful to so many. 


GA: Thank youI appreciate that. I’ve always been a keen photographer. I've had images published in magazines like Photography Monthly before, worked in digital marketing, and I'm a big fan of Toy Photography, so was no stranger to taking photos. They were all taken during the lockdowns -- in my kitchen, actually. I had some incredible figures at my house, including Gianni’s complete beautiful loose 96-figure run, all of them featured in the book, which both excited and terrified me. We of course had many variants to hunt down and photograph, as well as the Droids and Ewoks on card and loose. 

There were some things I was very nervous handling, such as the Hoth Luke still in the original mail-away baggie, double telescopic Luke, Vader and Obi-Wan on cards (albeit in acrylics), double telescopic lightsabers, and some figures on the card with slightly loose bubbles. These may not have been ours, but rather lent just for the photography. But it was amazing to have all these wonderful figures in hand and on my kitchen table being shot for the book. 


RS: What is your favorite aspect of the book? What about it are you most proud of?

GV: For me, it’s the look and feel of the book. We wanted great information but we also wanted a traditional feeling book with a sense of quality and presence. We wanted it to be a collector’s piece in its own right as well as a great resource! When people see it in person it always gets the reaction I was hoping for.

GA: Of course, the photography, particularly the full-page chapter break images, which were added a lot later. But, in all honesty, I would say the chapters on variations and weapons. We weren’t planning to have them in the book, not at the level of detail they are anyway. We added them during the Kickstarter as stretch goals, but once we actually sat down the do the chapters we realized how big a job it was going to be, and once we started pulling that thread we couldn’t stop till the whole jumper was gone.

It was a lot of work, stress, and at points very frustrating, but I love looking at those chapters now. They really elevate the book even higher, and it wouldn’t be the same without them.


RS: Tell me about the graphic design. Gianni, you mentioned you worked in that field. How did you approach the look of the thing? 

GV: Being a graphic designer I wanted to make sure the book wasn’t "over-designed." When you love the content, you want that to be the star. I knew if we got the photography right (which Greg did) I could allow the content to dictate the look of the book. No bells and whistles, let the images do the talking. The efforts in design were more about communication, which is what graphic design is. You want to present something in a way that not only looks good but communicates its message clearly. Breaking down the card backs into "masters" and "subsidiaries" was a bit of a eureka moment for us as we felt this simplified the various combinations in a much clearer way and allowed us to show the full range of existing card backs as well as other predicted possibilities.

The book actually started off having a landscape orientation, but with some pages having throw-outs (fold-out pages), it limited the size of press we could print on, and so narrowed down our options regarding printers. We were always conscious of costs and wanted both quality and value for the reader.

GA: That was all Gianni. His design of this book blew me away, even in the earliest drafts. 


RS: What do you think the book has contributed to the knowledge base of Star Wars collecting? 

GV: As we mention in the book, collecting these figures is multi-faceted. You can go down multiple rabbit holes with many aspects of the collection. Given limited pages (only 536) we were both conscious and careful that we gave the right amount of information to the right areas. We do hope, however, that we have given enough information to start people down those rabbit holes, should they so wish to go there, by giving outline information. I feel like we do this in the section on COOs on page 263, in which we explain how they can be scrutinized down to the finest detail without showing every possible option -- which was impractical in this instance and a book unto itself.

I hope one day this book could inspire another generation and make them realize why these toys are loved so much by so many. 


RS: I notice that you occasionally feature a photograph of a prototype alongside its production counterpart. What was your thinking there? What do you think prototypes contribute to our understanding of these toys?

GV: These were images we had access to from the Lehmkuhl brothers [Sean and Ryan], who run toyhoarders.com. They were kind enough to supply some images, so we thought it would be cool to show these off and give a little insight as to how these figures were put together and even explain some of the terminology used in preproduction collecting.

GA: It’s just nice to have those extras in there. If we knew about it, could get hold of it or get our hands on a useable image from someone who had it, it was going in the book. 


RS: I was happy to see the large-size figure line included in the book, as that line doesn’t get a lot of love from collectors. Why did you decide to include those alongside the action figures? What do you enjoy about the large-size line?


GV: Originally, that was a stretch goal, but we always knew we wanted them to appear. This book was to cover all things figure-wise from Kenner, so to omit them wasn’t really a choice. They not only add new collections to the book, but they also add new color pallets. The content dictated the design. We even flipped the design of the pages (Droids & Ewoks) to reflect the card backs, putting the figures on the opposite side when compared to the movie-line figures. This is not necessarily something that people would pick up on, but we knew it was there.

GA: Much like the variants and Droids and Ewoks, the large-size figures were floating around as a stretch goal during the Kickstarter, but before even hitting our target we had already discussed it and decided they were going in. We just couldn’t leave anything out. But I’m glad they are in there. If you love them or not, they are still part of the Star Wars Kenner history, and so fully deserve their own chapter in the book. 


RS:
Earlier you mentioned accessory variations. I was impressed by the level of detail there. How hard was it assembling all that information, and do you reckon what you’ve put together is close to comprehensive? 

GV: This was always a tricky section, and one we decided to add late in the process. I think it’s one of those sections that could be expanded upon or be a book on its own. With space as an issue, we treated it as one of those sections through which we can inform people enough to allow them to further investigate. We know this book won’t compete with the level of information that is on the internet, but we wanted to cover as much as possible to give people a good starting point.

GA: It was a very time-consuming and daunting task, with a lot of opinions woven into fact, so it was very difficult to catalog, but I’m very happy and proud of the final chapter and how far we went with it in the end. 


RS: "Opinions woven into fact." That's a great way of putting it! This book includes more information on the ROTJ two-packs than I’ve seen in any other source. What are your thoughts on those products? 

GV: These are items not necessarily on my radar but I appreciate them all the same. We too had never seen a lot about these in other books, and it was tricky, as we knew we could never display all of the almost 3,000 options possibly available. Again, we had help from a guy (mentioned in the book) who focused on these, and who had a lot of knowledge that he was willing to pass on. I feel we did the two-packs justice. 

GA: I didn’t know much about these going in so the whole chapter was an education for me. I love the combinations. 


RS: Speaking of hard-to-catalog areas: Does the book feature photos of nearly every catalog figure mailer known to exist? It almost seems that way. How hard was it finding all of those photos?

GV: Simple answer is yes. Probably the hardest section to source images for. Not only the packs (which, again, we had great help with from experts in this field), but the catalogues too (as you well know, Ron). We ended up missing a couple of packs which we have now sourced and will include in any future print runs. We searched online for stuff we could maybe ask permission for and even looked at purchasing some, but these too are becoming sought after and so command a price! As I mentioned, we managed to find a lady in the U.S. who collected all sorts of catalogues and was selling USB sticks containing digital versions. We sent a list of what we needed, and the lady was able to help out with pretty much all of them from that period. The only ones we struggled with were Spiegel (which a certain Mr. Salvatore helped us with at the 11th hour).

GA: It seemed borderline impossible at points until you find that person who has them. I tell you, during the lockdown, I become very good friends with my postman. 


RS: Yeah, the Spiegel catalogs are tough. I'm thrilled I was able to help in some small way. You seem to place a lot of emphasis on the internet collecting community, even devoting a section to it. How do you think this book fits into that community?

GV: With myself not being on social media prior to this project I was very detached from the online community side of things, which is how Greg and I got started in talking about this project together. As it turns out the online community played a massive part in getting this book to a point where we were able to produce it. Without the likes of certain YouTube channels that we mention in the book, Facebook groups also, which include many people we have become very good friends with (both online and in-person), we could not have spread the word as much as we did, as there was no budget for advertising, and we relied heavily on word of mouth. Nobody knew who Read Five Designs was when we started (I even started doing posters under the name Blue Milk until we spotted someone else using that name), and it’s fair to say that people took a risk on us, which we will forever be grateful for. Whenever we see comments from videos, live streams, or online posts, we are always given the impression that they have been a part of this journey in getting the book out, and sometimes they got us over difficult periods. So a big thank you to that community.

GA: Such a great bunch of humans. We weren’t exactly greeted with open arms when we announced the Kickstarter. Understandably so, we came out of nowhere, no one knew us, and here we were claiming we were going to make the most in-depth Star Wars Kenner toy guide. So we would go on with anyone who was kind enough to invite us onto their YouTube channel, including Bossk's Bounty, Paliboys, and Holochronicles, who welcomed us with open arms and believed in the project from the start. We made some very good friends within that community. We’ve also had people tell us throughout the process of making this book that it brought other communities together in their excitement for the book. Meeting people in person at conventions like Echo Live and toy fairs has been a really amazing and rewarding experience. 


RS: The collecting community is certainly incredibly diverse and responsive to requests. How did you go about leveraging the knowledge of that community in helping you assemble all of this information?

GV: Once the project got funded, it opened a lot of doors, and some people approached us notifying us of rare items they had in their collections. If I’m honest, it was always a part of the gamble -- get the project funded, so people know it will actually be happening, and then bring people on board with their collections. When you start communicating with people online about specific focuses you get to hear and read the same names crop up as to who to speak to or contact. Some collectors gave us a flat "no" and others were very keen to have their collections added. We managed to convince others by sending them sections of the book that were relevant to them, and once they could see what we were trying to do they wanted to help.  

GA: It was so important, knowing whom in the collecting community to reach out to, depending on their focus, to help us. Chapters like the ones on coins and two-packs just wouldn’t be what they are without the valuable knowledge of the collecting community. 


RS: What do you wish you could have included in the book but couldn’t for reasons of space, time, lack of adequate photography, etc.? 

GV: I will always look at the book and see ways to improve it. That said, I think that, given that it’s over 500 pages and the size it is, it would be easy to say most of it’s there. But no. I do think some sections could have been expanded upon, but adding to the number of pages with what I had in mind would have made the book a danger to itself. What do I mean by this? Well, I think it would have been too thick and heavy for it to handle its own physicality, and would maybe not last too long with constant handling. We had a couple of prototypes made before going to final print, and that was pretty expensive to produce. This included the dust jacket options and all the finishes we were looking for. We got it, and it was too big really. The page weight was too heavy, which meant the spine was too wide, and it was tricky to handle. As a result, one of the prototypes got damaged, so we made some refinements with the final product, bringing paper weight down and modifying some other details, and we think the final product is solid, and with quality finishes to boot! I know this goes away from the original question but it’s all about balance. Did we get the right amount of stuff in a book that size? I think so, yes, and without too much compromise.


RS: Did you have an experience while writing the book that you particularly value and that you wouldn’t have had otherwise?

GV: I think this goes back to the community and the people we have met along the way. They encourage you to push on and get the job done. In my mind, I knew I never wanted to let these people down, and I knew I could deliver a quality product. As time went on, we ourselves go frustrated with how long everything was taking, but we knew we had to get stuff right. We constantly kept our backers updated, and we were always accessible to any questions or concerns people had. The community helped us get to the end. 

GA: Meeting everyone and seeing their reactions to the book we poured so much work, time, and love into. Collectors we met on our photography road trips, collectors in the community, YouTubers, and just meeting those who have supported us, has been a really incredible experience. You walk into a toy shop, and someone stops you to say they backed the book and what a great job we’ve done. It can be a little overwhelming in the best possible way. Just seeing the reactions, the posts on social media, and the emails people send sharing what these toys mean to them and how important the book is to them, it’s pretty amazing. 


RS: What should people thinking of producing their own book keep in mind? What are the pitfalls of writing a collectables book? What are the benefits?

GV: Although I have worked on many projects of this type, I have never worked on one as big as this, of which I had complete control over (albeit with Greg). You have to learn from your mistakes, not just in the contents of the book but with the production and fulfillment. There are certain things we could have done better, but we were learning things along the way. The fulfillment part was particularly hard as we probably both underestimated that task. As I’m answering this question I have just finished attaching the final labels to the last batch that will leave my house in two days’ time, and what a relief that will be. We know how we can use those experiences to give our supporters a better experience going forward. 

GA: You've got to keep a level head. You’ll be told very conflicting pieces of information you’ll need to sort through. And consistency: we had to show all chapters the same respect, the same level of detail, not just brushing over say "coins." We didn’t want weak chapters. We wanted something to please all vintage Star Wars collectors, no matter their focus. 


RS: What are your personal favorite Star Wars toys?

GV: Even as a child I was always about the characters. I didn’t ask for too many vehicles or playsets as a child, and they are not something I need to add to my collection now. I am all about figures, and they were what I wanted as a child. I would receive them double-wrapped at Christmas, and knew exactly what they were before opening them -- it was just a question of which particular figure was in the gift. My favorite figure is probably Han Bespin, I always gravitated to that one as a child.

GA: I love all my beaters, but as a kid I played with R5 and R2 a lot, and took them places with me, bearing in mind as a kid I was playing with these figures before even seeing the films, so I had no idea R5 had so little screen time. And of course, the vintage Millennium Falcon, one of the greatest toys ever made. Can’t wait to get to that in Volume Two.


RS: How can collectors get their hands on a copy of this?

GV: We have pretty much sold out of the first batch, but we may have a small number after fufillment. That said, we have generated a waitlist which is now over the required amount to produce a second batch. If people are interested in being added to the list, they can click this link https://www.readfive.co.uk/reprint.

GA: After a well-deserved nap, we hope to do another run this year. Collectors can let us know if they want to be notified and jump on the waitlist. 


RS: Earlier you mentioned a second volume. What do you have planned for future volumes?

GV: We have started to flesh out Volume Two, which will include vehicle, creatures and playsets. We will give treat these similarly to how we have treated the figures in Volume One, and there is even a preview of that at the end of Volume One.

GA: I can’t wait to get into the photography side of Volume Two. So excited to meet and work with new and old faces, play with the amazing playsets, etc. Bring it on!


RS: Well, guys, congratulations on completing such a monumental project, and on doing it in such spectacular fashion! I can't wait to see Volume Two. Let me know if I can be of any help with it.

Sunday, March 12, 2023

Vintage Star Wars Watches: Texas Instruments, Bradley & Beyond



Yehuda writes:

 Character watches have been ubiquitous with playground fashion since the 1930s. Often dominated by the Disney cast, watch faces typically feature popular characters of the moment. I sported a manual wind Mickey Mouse watch in Second grade. I remember flashing it to a friend who in turn showed me his new Darth Vader watch. It was clear I had been bested.

Once Star Wars was released, R2-D2 and C-3PO et al. quickly replaced Mickey Mouse on the wrists of many children.

I don’t know if letters to Santa are still a thing. Do kids even write letters anymore? Maybe St. Nick is on Instagram. And frankly it’s getting harder just to find a physical copy of the Sunday Times anymore. Anyway, when printed media was still the main resource for news, many papers would print selected letters to Santa written by children that year for the entertainment of adults who were in on the farce. When read today these letters offer a window into popular trends of the time. Sadly the end of printed media has minor unexpected losses.

Below are several interesting examples of these printed letters from the holiday season of 1977 and 1978 which reflect the popularity of the newly available Star Wars watches.

New Braunfels Herald, Texas
December 22, 1977

Hutchinson News, Kansas
December 12, 1978

Grand Saline Sun, Texas
December 21, 1978

Pennsylvania Towanda Daily Review
September 30, 1982


Throughout the run of the Original Trilogy, dozens of different manual and electronic watches were produced with many charming variations.

Most interestingly, the history and evolution of the Star Wars character watches effectively narrates a nearly catastrophic chapter in the horologic industry. But we will get back to that.

Typically Lucasfilm licensing for a specific area of merchandising was granted exclusively to one vendor at a time. When it came to wristwatches, two companies were granted licenses simultaneously to create two very different kinds of timepieces, both marketing their wares as the “official” Star Wars watch.

The first company granted a license to produce Star Wars themed watches was an unconventional choice. In fact, it wasn’t a watch company at all. By 1976 Texas Instruments (TI), a scientific company known for making semiconductors and calculators,  had just entered the electronic watch industry. TI saw the upcoming film as a great opportunity to feature their new products to a larger audience.

Coinciding with the premiere of Star Wars, TI released a series of electronic digital watches featuring scenes and characters from the film.

Employing the new quartz technology along with a Light Emitting Diode (LED) display, the watches contained no mechanical parts and seemed appropriately paired with the film as something from a different galaxy.

The first commercially available quartz watch was released only 5 years earlier in 1972. Produced by the Hamilton Watch Company, the revolutionary “Pulsar” which also brandished an L.E.D display retailed at the time for $2,100. Texas Instruments was successfully able to reduce the price point for their watches to under twenty dollars by creating a new inexpensive internal watch chip. This dramatic decrease in retail cost marked the first time that quartz watches were able to compete with mechanical watches in the marketplace. Costing around twenty bucks made these electronic watches competitive, but if you can sense the foreshadowing, further decreases in manufacturing costs were on the horizon causing great concern amongst the mechanical watchmakers of the world.

The Texas Instruments line consisted of 4 different watches handsomely packaged in Star Wars themed cases.

Black and silver graphics featuring Darth Vader; 
black case and band adult size.

Blue background featuring R2-D2 and C-3PO in color;
grey case and band adult size.

Black and silver background featuring Darth Vader 
along with R2-D2 and C-3PO in color;
black case and band adult size.

Black and silver background child size
features R2-D2 and Darth Vader on band.


Clamshell case


Hard plastic case    

Texas Instruments reproduced the Hildebrandt poster art for the cardboard sleeve of their watch cases, making for a striking presentation.

Soft plastic sleeve case

Each watch style can be found in any of the package variations on the secondary market and may have initially sold this way.

Also available in Germany, the packaging can be found with German language graphics.

The face of each watch displayed a blank ruby red crystal surrounded by an array of familiar Star Wars themed art. The display lit up briefly flashing bright red numbers, giving the accurate time when a side button was pressed. A quick second press of the button would display the date. Holding the button down would display seconds.

A nifty sticker sheet was included with the 3 larger watches designed to customize the watch face and change out the art. The sticker sheet was printed with a black or white border.

Sticker sheet variations

Switzerland emerged from the Second World War as the major hub of international watchmaking. During the war, the United States along with other involved nations shuttered all non essential industries, including watchmaking, for the sake of the war effort. Taking advantage of the lack of competition, Switzerland greatly increased their watch workforce and production to fill the void left by their rivals who had ceased production.

Much as their watches, Switzerland became a well-oiled machine for watch production. After the war, companies from around the world would often produce their mechanical watches in Switzerland, taking advantage of the highly skilled workforce and available resources.

This held true for the first LED and LCD digital watches as well, including the Texas Instruments Star Wars watches. Each watch is clearly marked Swiss made.

The collectible appeal of these watches is best appreciated while in their illustrated case. If you are considering buying one of these for use, beware. A nonworking watch is unlikely to require a simple battery change to get it running. Very often these watches will have significant battery corrosion and will be irreparable. Also be aware that the case of these watches is made from a plastic that has become quite brittle throughout the years. The cases are often cracked, and may break by simply removing the back cover.

That being said, I do have a functioning spare, and it is one of my favorite things to occasionally wear. It is remarkable how well it blends in with modern Apple watches. Most people don’t even give it a second glance.

The watch was designed to light up only briefly when the button is pressed. The power hungry LED mechanism required two large watch batteries that would quickly drain if the display remained lit.

The TI watches were heavily advertised in newspapers and catalogs. Below are some nice examples.


Newspaper advertisement for Hills Department Stores in Pennsylvania

Watch and receipt from Hills Department Stores

Montgomery Ward catalog, 1979

Plano Daily Star Courier, Texas
December 21, 1977

A large promotional program was created to advertise the Texas Instruments watches. Lucasfilm arranged for a fully costumed Darth Vader actor to be present at stores. The actor would give away autographed photographs. With the purchase of a watch a customer would also get a poster and a snazzy iron-on transfer to put on a t-shirt.

Benton Courier Walmart ad
October 12, 1978

Autographed Darth Vader picture, 1977
Courtesy of Anthony Damata

Texas Instruments Iron-on, 1977
Courtesy of Anthony Damata

Comic book ad
Courtesy of Anthony Damata

The Texas Instruments watches were also promoted in retail product mail-away offers and contests.

Pine-Sol mail-away offer, 1979
Courtesy of Anthony Damata

Fab mail-away offer, 1978
Courtesy of Anthony Damata

Star Wars Weekly contest (U.K.)
Courtesy of Anthony Damata

As revolutionary as the light emitting diode was, it was quickly replaced by a better, even cheaper technology which required far less battery power. The liquid crystal display ( LCD) soon supplanted the LED with its more familiar black digits on an indescribable tan/green colored background.

The LCD with its lower power demand allowed for a continuous display of the time and typically required only one smaller battery.

Texas Instruments never produced any further Star Wars themed watches beyond the original four models. Although Texas Instruments did transition to LCD technology, their foray into watchmaking was at a close by the early 1980s.

The second company granted a license to produce Star Wars themed watches was a more conventional choice. Throughout the 1970s, the Bradley watch company, a division of Elgin, was the industry leader in producing character watches. Having acquired the license to produce Disney watches in 1972, Bradley successfully embraced the opportunity and greatly expanded the usual Disney offerings well beyond the archetypal Mickey watch. Many never before featured characters were introduced to the line and were offered in varying styles. By 1977, the Bradley watchmaking machine was primed and ready to take on Star Wars.

And boy did they.

Depending on how you account for minor variations there are between 50 and 60 unique Bradley Star Wars watches produced during the late 70s through mid 80s.


Rudolph Valentino was Director of Operations at the Bradley watch company during the 1970s and 1980s. He controlled all aspects of the Star Wars watch production including oversight of the art department. Known for his strong work ethic and boundless energy, Rudolph began working at Bradley watches in the 1960s at an entry level position and worked his way to the top within a few years. During his tenure Rudolph approached Lucasfilm with endless imaginative design concepts for watches and clocks. Although Lucasfilm ultimately approved many watch designs, they rejected far more designs than were ever produced.

Having a penchant for preserving and archiving, Rudolph kept the artwork and designs for many of the produced and unproduced timepieces. I had the pleasure of meeting Rudolph’s daughter Jamie Valentino. Having shared a very close relationship with her father, Jamie was able to share many of the details included in this article about Bradley watch production history.

Despite the fact that Bradley produced a diverse variety of Star Wars themed watches, six models remain pervasive in the secondhand marketplace and were clearly produced in a much larger quantity as compared to the other models. When collecting these watches, it’s hard not to stumble over dozens of a common model for every scarce one that is found. As we go through the individual models, "the inescapable six" will be pointed out.

Bradley produced two different official Star Wars watches in 1977. Both are manual wind and contain reliable jeweled mechanisms, and much like Texas Instruments, were available in different kinds of packaging.

Marketed as Swiss made and initially manufactured in Switzerland, these watches are frequently found in working condition just awaiting to be wound up and worn. Later in their run, Bradley relocated much of its watch manufacturing to Hong Kong. As both manual and electronic watch manufacturing were becoming cheaper to produce in Asia. Jamie recalled that choosing or changing manufacturing locations were financial decisions. After a watch design was completed and ready for manufacture, the design was presented to different international watch manufacturers for the best production bid. Even for the same watch, movements, cases and bands were often made by different manufacturers and were then assembled together by Bradley. This likely accounts for the many slight variations of the same watch appreciated by collectors. The Hong Kong made mechanisms are more hit or miss but are often functional.


Swiss with second hand, child size

Swiss with second hand, child size;
country of origin highlighted in white;
Image modified.

Swiss without second hand, child size

Hong Kong mechanism, U.S. dial, child size

Inspection report for watch hands

Swiss chrome case adult size;
Country of origin highlighted in white;
Image modified.

Swiss made gold case, adult size

Swiss made gold case, adult size; 
Large tapered lugs.

Watch ad featuring both child and adult watches
S-F film classic products, Chicago
Courtesy of Anthony Damata

Starlog Magazine, 1978

Bradley artwork with child and adult models 
Courtesy of Anthony Damata

Comic book ad
Courtesy of Anthony Damata

Hagerstown Daily Mail, Maryland
November 30, 1977

Bradley store display header, 1977
Courtesy of Todd Chamberlain 

Swiss made adult size
TM next to "STAR"

Hong Kong, adult size

Swiss made, adult size
TM next to "WARS"
courtesy of Anthony Damata

Original concept art
Courtesy of Ross Cuddie


The Swiss made models are proudly marked Swiss made on the face and on the backplate. The Hong Kong made mechanisms may lack the country of origin markings on the face but they are usually found on the backplate.

Available in both adult and children’s sizes, both models proved to be very popular and were manufactured for several years with little change. They were the only two watches available from Bradley during the years 1977-1980. Both are members of the inescapable six.

Both watches can be found cased or in a plastic satchel.


Early packaging variation with outer cardboard sleeve

Hard plastic case;
Star Wars header.

Hard plastic case;
Darth Vader header.

Satchel 

Reverse of satchel 

 The adult sized watches were sold in hinged boxes.

Store display header featuring Darth Vader

Store display header featuring C-3PO
Courtesy of Will Grief 

Lucasfilm would review catalogs and advertising. They would offer harsh critiques if their watches were not prominently featured or copyright details were incorrect, as per Jamie.

Courtesy of Matthew Mulinaro

Sears catalog, 1979

Four unique designs were created for the German market which include German graphics.


Courtesy of Anthony Damata

Courtesy of Anthony Damata

Courtesy of Michael Gohlke

By 1980, Bradley was granted the sole licensing rights to produce both mechanical and electronic watches.

For the release of The Empire Strikes Back, Bradley premiered its first two electronic LCD Star Wars watches. Following their earlier release protocols, one watch featured the familiar droids R2-D2 and C-3PO, and the second, marketed for the more sinister children, featured Darth Vader. Both watches were available in adult and child sizes and have noted variations. Both watches are also members of the inescapable six and were produced for several years. Unlike their LED predecessors, the Bradley LCD watches rarely suffer from battery corrosion and usually will work after a battery change.


      Adult LCD five function watch including light
1980

Child LCD white framed display, grey shading, chrome case
1980

Child LCD frameless display, chrome case
1980

Child LCD gold case
1980

Child LCD plastic case
1980

Original concept art

Blister pack

Dr. Who magazine (U.K.)
1980


Adult LCD five function watch including light
1980

Child LCD black framed display, white shading
1980

Child LCD frameless display
1980

Child LCD large framed window, thin lugs, 1980
Courtesy of Anthony Damata

Child LCD, Star Wars in black lettering
1980

Original concept art

Bradley catalog watch store display, 1980
Courtesy of Anthony Damata

Updated watch satchel
Empire Strikes Back logo
1980

The 1980 line also included watches featuring Yoda, a new character from The Empire Strikes Back.

Child LCD
1980

Boxed blister pack

Child manual wind
1980

Catalog, 1980
Courtesy of Anthony Damata

Large painted metal sign store display 
1980
Courtesy of Will Grief

Child/Adult C-3PO and R2-D2 manual wind, red second hand
1980

Child/Adult C-3PO and R2-D2 manual wind, white second hand
1980

Child/Adult C-3PO and R2-D2 manual wind, perforated hands
1980

JC Penney catalog, 1980

Bradley catalog artwork, 1980 
Courtesy of Ross Cuddie

As the new decade emerged, the 80s began to demonstrate a more geometric, streamlined shift in taste. Bradley responded to these changes by re-working existing designs and creating new designs with an updated aesthetic, as per Jamie.

Child/Adult Darth Vader manual wind, Swiss 
1980

The best-selling manual wind Darth Vader watch previously released in 1977 was re-released in 1980. The newer version features a slender orange triangular shaped second hand and a bulky black plastic pseudo-link band, easily propelling the design forward for a new era. The enlarged black plastic case also features a bezel with planets and stars to mark the indices. The cases are fashioned from cycolac, a strong durable ABS resin also used to manufacture LEGO bricks.

Bradley catalog, 1980 
Courtesy of Anthony Damata

 
Child/Adult Yoda, manual wind
1981

Original concept art
Courtesy of Ross Cuddie

JC Penney catalog, 1981

Adult C-3PO and R2-D2 LCD
1981

Original concept art 
Courtesy of Ross Cuddie

JC Penney catalog, 1982

Further advances in technology allowed for added complications to the mechanisms. By 1982 musical alarms were included in some of the new releases.

Child C-3PO and R2-D2 LCD
Musical alarm (Star Wars theme)
1982

Star Wars theme alarm

Child C-3PO and R2-D2 LCD
Musical alarm (Star Wars theme)
1982

Original concept art
Courtesy of Ross Cuddie


Adult C-3PO and R2-D2 LCD
animated digital TIE Fighter 
Musical alarm (Star Wars theme)
1982

Adult C-3PO and R2-D2 LCD
Animated digital TIE Fighter
Musical alarm (Star Wars theme)
Prototype or early release, 1982
Courtesy of Anthony Damata

Aldens catalog, 1982

Original concept art with Lucasfilm approval letter 
Courtesy of Ross Cuddie

 Bradley watch catalog, 1983
Courtesy of Jarrod Clark

JC Penney catalog, 1983



Child C-3PO and R2D2 LCD, metal case
1982

Bubble pack

Hard plastic case
Return of the Jedi header

Child C-3PO and R2-D2 LCD, plastic case
1982

Child Yoda LCD, plastic case
1982

Child Darth Vader LCD, plastic case
1982

Child Darth Vader LCD, metal case
1982

Original concept art
Courtesy of Anthony Damata



Child Star Wars/Darth Vader LCD prismatic watch 
1982

Child Star Wars/Darth Vader LCD prismatic watch
Larger Vader bust, lacking copyright info
1982

Bradley layout board featuring the prismatic watch
(Also note the rare Indiana Jones watch)
Courtesy of Ross Cuddie

Child C-3PO and R2-D2 manual wind, red second hand
1982

Child C-3PO and R2-D2 manual wind, white second hand
1982

Soft plastic case

Original concept art
Courtesy of Ross Cuddie

Child Darth Vader manual wind
1982

Pre-production transparency 

Bradley introduced radio watches in 1982 complete with headphones.

Adult C-3PO and R2-D2 LCD radio-watch
1982

Bradley catalog artwork 
1982/1983
Courtesy of Ross Cuddie

Return of the Jedi magazine #32 
January 25, 1984
Bradley watch offer (U.K.)
Courtesy of Anthony Damata

New characters from the release of Return of the Jedi were featured in the 1983 line.

Child Jabba the Hutt LCD, round case
1983

Original concept art, 1983
Courtesy of Matthieu Barthélemy

Child Jabba the Hutt LCD
Light green Jabba, square case
1983

Child Jabba the Hutt LCD, dark green Jabba
1983
Courtesy of Anthony Damata

Original concept art, 1983
Courtesy of Matthieu Barthélemy

Child Jabba the Hutt manual wind, silver case
1983

Child Jabba the Hutt manual wind, gold case
1983
Courtesy of Anthony Damata 


Child Jabba the Hutt manual wind
Prototype mock-up
1983

Original concept art, 1983
Courtesy of Matthieu Barthélemy

Adult Ewoks radio-watch
1983

Original concept art, 1983
Courtesy of Jarrod Clark

Child/Adult Wicket the Ewok manual wind
1983

Original concept art, 1983
Courtesy of Jarrod Clark 

JC Penney catalog, 1984

Child Ewoks manual wind
1983
Produced in large quantities, this model is classified as one of the "inescapable six." 

Original concept art
Courtesy of Ross Cuddie

Original concept art, 1983
Courtesy of Jeffery Hunter

Child Ewoks LCD, square case
1983

Original concept art


Child Ewoks LCD, round case
round case 
Produced in large quantities, this model is classified as one of the "inescapable six." 

Original concept art


Prototype mock-up on Strawberry Shortcake watch
1983

Boxed blister pack

Montgomery Ward catalog, 1983

Bradley catalog, 1983
Courtesy of Anthony Damata

One final watch was released for the Droids animated series in 1985.

Child Droids LCD
1985

Prototype mock-up
Courtesy of Anthony Damata

Bradley catalog, 1985
Courtesy Anthony Damata



UNPRODUCED CONCEPTS 

Unproduced Jabba the Hutt watch concept art
Courtesy of Matthieu Barthélemy

Unproduced Child Ewoks LCD
Prototype mock-up on Strawberry Shortcake watch
Courtesy of Anthony Damata

Unproduced Ewoks watch concept art
Courtesy of Jarrod Clark 

Unproduced Ewoks watch prototype mock-up
Courtesy of Jarrod Clark 

Unproduced Princess Leia watch concept art
Courtesy of David Brolin

Unproduced Ewoks watch concept art
Courtesy of Anthony Damata and Ross Cuddie

Unproduced Boba Fett watch concept art
Courtesy of Paul Chu

Unproduced Luke and Leia watch concept art
Courtesy of Paul Chu

Darth Vader German and French logo concept board 
Courtesy of Anthony Damata

Unproduced Empire Strikes Back logo Vader watch
Courtesy of Anthony Damata

Unproduced original “rocking space fighter” concept art 
Courtesy of Ross Cuddie

Unproduced metal R2-D2 case original concept art
Courtesy of Ross Cuddie

Unproduced original concept art
Courtesy of Ross Cuddie

Unproduced original concept art
Courtesy of Ross Cuddie

Unproduced X-Wing watch with animated graphics 
Original concept art 
Courtesy of Ross Cuddie

Bradley watch catalog, 1983
The four watches on the left are prototypes 
Courtesy of  Anthony Damata

Zeon, a watch company out of the U.K., produced one vintage watch in the early 80s. Complete with calendar, musical alarm and stopwatch, it also boasts one of the most striking designs of the vintage lines.

Adult Zeon water resistant LCD watch
Musical alarm (Star Wars theme)

Sparked by the popularity of the licensed timepieces, bootlegged watches began to appear on the market in the early 1980s. Unencumbered by Lucasfilm restraints, these watches offer a unique charm that is easy to appreciate.

While several of the watches are a clear attempt to closely mimic their licensed counterparts, many of the watches offer unique imagery that would have never met approval.

These watches can be found with multiple slight variations in lithography and band color. They also feature key characters which were omitted in the licensed lines.

“STAR TIME” 
A close copy of a 1980 Bradley LCD release

A close copy of a 1980 Bradley LCD release 
Complete with copyright information

A close copy of a 1980 Bradley LCD release 
Complete with copyright information
Courtesy of Anthony Damata

Close copies of a 1982 Bradley LCD release in multiple color variations 
Courtesy of Anthony Damata

Unlicensed C-3PO and R2-D2 LCD watches
similar to Bradley releases
Courtesy of Anthony Damata

Unlicensed C-3PO and R2-D2 LCD watch
similar to Bradley releases
Courtesy of Anthony Damata

Unlicensed Darth Vader LCD
Original design and art

Unlicensed Darth Vader LCD
Original design and art featuring the Death Star and Imperial Destroyer 

Unlicensed C-3PO and R2-D2 LCD
Original design and art
Absent logo variation courtesy of Anthony Damata

Unlicensed Han Solo, Princess Leia and Yoda LCD
Original design and art
(Leia and Han were not featured in the licensed lines)
Color variation absent logo courtesy of Anthony Damata

Unlicensed Endor scene LCD
Original design and art
Featuring Luke, Leia, Han, R2-D2, C-3PO and Chewbacca
(Luke, Leia, Han and Chewbacca were not featured in the licensed lines)

Unlicensed Luke Skywalker and Biker Scout LCD
Original design and art
(Luke was not featured in the licensed lines) 
Red highlights variation courtesy of Anthony Damata

Star Wars logo
Courtesy of Anthony Damata

Return of the Jedi logo unlicensed C-3PO, R2-D2 and googly eyed Chewbacca LCD
Original design and art
(Chewbacca was not featured in the licensed lines)
Courtesy of Anthony Damata 

Unlicensed C-3PO and R2-D2 LCD with hazy blue starry background 
Original design and art
Courtesy of Anthony Damata

Darth Vader manual wind watch with animated lightsaber
Courtesy of Anthony Damata

R2-D2 manual wind watch with animated X-Wing
Courtesy of Anthony Damata

Han Solo manual watch with animated blaster 
Courtesy of Anthony Damata

Animated watches in action 
Courtesy of Anthony Damata

Analog watch featuring R2-D2
Courtesy of Anthony Damata

Analog watch featuring Darth Vader
Courtesy of Anthony Damata

Analog watch featuring Princess Leia and R2-D2
Courtesy of Anthony Damata

Analog watch featuring C-3PO and R2-D2
Courtesy of Anthony Damata

Analog Darth Vader watch, gold line art
Courtesy of Anthony Damata




EPILOGUE

The emergence of electronic watches and their ever cheaper cost of production had a devastating effect on Swiss watch manufacturing. This coupled with less expensive mechanical watches coming out of Asia led to the shuttering of the majority of watch companies in Switzerland. By the early 80s, two thirds of the Swiss watch workforce was unemployed.

Termed the "quartz crisis," this turn of events seemed to be the death knell for traditional mechanical watches.

Reeling from the decimation of the digital quartz crisis, a new Swiss watch company emerged in 1983 with a novel approach at reinventing the analog watch. The Swatch company, a portmanteau of the "second watch," produced inexpensive, reliable timepieces with a focus on fashion. Available in many colors and styles and marketed as an extra or second watch, consumers worldwide embraced the concept and frequently owned several Swatches to be worn individually or all at once. In their first year, the Swatch company placed their sales goal at one million units. By the following year the company would be producing nearly three times that number.


The Swatch Group, as it is now known, singlehandedly resurrected Swiss watch manufacturing. Currently the largest watchmaker in Switzerland, Swatch has continued to expand over its four decade history acquiring luxury watch brands including Omega, Longines, Rado, Blancpain, Breguet, Harry Winston, Mido, Tissot, Certina, Glashutte, Mido, ETA and Hamilton.

Appreciative of the franchise and the phenomenon of the Star Wars watch, Swatch released the “Dark Vader” watch as part of their 1988 line.

Swatch "Dark Vader"
1988

Swatch magazine ad
1988



APPENDIX
Clocks, whistles, stopwatches, calculators and concepts

Bradley produced an array of clocks with Star Wars theming. The “quartz talking alarm clock” was released in 1980 featuring messages delivered by an English voice actor that was clearly not Anthony Daniels. After a few beeps from R2, C-3PO responds, “What R2-D2 is saying is that you have to get up right away!” If the first message didn’t prompt activity, R2 would resume beeping and C-3PO would continue with, “R2, you shouldn’t be so polite, this little Rebel is going to be late!” Complete with nicely sculpted figures of the droids, the clock is a real winner.

Quartz Talking Alarm Clock, 1980

Box front, 1980 release 

Side panel, 1980

The 1980 release included the Empire Strikes Back logo on the side panel to coincide with the release of the film.

Box front, 1983 release 
Courtesy of Anthony Damata

A Return of the Jedi sticker was added to the box to coincide with the release of the film in 1983.

Later released clocks have the Star Wars logo on the side panel.

Side panel, 1984

Two handsome wall clocks were released in 1981. Both were available with either a battery powered mechanism or a corded version.

C-3PO and R2-D2 wall clock
1981

Corded mechanism (left) and battery powered mechanism (right)

Carton packaging

Darth Vader and Stormtroopers wall clock
1981

Open box packaging (left) and carton packaging (right) 

Bradley catalog 
Courtesy of Anthony Damata

1982 saw the release of a new tabletop clock.

C-3PO and R2-D2 tabletop quartz clock 
1982

1982 box

The box was updated with a Return of the Jedi logo banner in 1983 to coincide with the release of the film.

1983 release 

Sears catalog, 1982

Bradley catalog 
Courtesy of Anthony Damata

Original concept art
Courtesy of Ross Cuddie

3-way “Anywhere” Clock
1983

Original concept art 
Courtesy of Matthew Mulinaro

LCD clock and calculator 
1983

Stopwatch featuring Biker Scout
1983

Prototype in green 
Courtesy of Anthony Damata

Wicket the Ewok “Whistle Time”
1983
Courtesy of Jarrod Clark 

Bradley catalog featuring red “Wicket the Ewok”
clock/whistle, likely produced 
Courtesy of Jarrod Clark 

Bradley catalog artwork 
Courtesy of Ross Cuddie

Clock/radio with handle
1984

Clock/radio (no handle)
1984

Original concept art 
Courtesy of Ross Cuddie

Droids Clock/Radio
1985

UNPRODUCED CONCEPTS

Unproduced R2-D2 and Wicket clock
Courtesy of Jarrod Clark 

Unproduced Ewoks stick-up clock
Courtesy of Jarrod Clark 

Unproduced Ewok wall clock 
Courtesy of Jarrod Clark 

Unproduced Jabba the Hutt and Max Rebo Band talking alarm clock
Courtesy of David Brolin 

Unproduced updated 1982 C-3PO and R2-D2 clock with Yoda
Courtesy of Ross Cuddie

Unproduced Ewok Village clock
Courtesy of Jarrod Clark 

Unproduced animated Ewoks clock with moving drumstick 
Courtesy of Jarrod Clark 

Unproduced Yoda clock
Courtesy of Ross Cuddie

Unproduced Darth Vader clock
Courtesy of Ross Cuddie

Unproduced Yoda stick-up clock
Courtesy of Ross Cuddie

Unproduced Max Rebo Band stick-up clock
Courtesy of Ross Cuddie

Unproduced Darth Vader stick-up clock
Courtesy of Ross Cuddie

Unproduced Darth Vader clock
Courtesy of Ross Cuddie

Unproduced Sail Barge with Max Rebo Band talking alarm clock
Courtesy of Ross Cuddie

Unproduced Jabba the Hutt stick-up clock 
Courtesy of Ross Cuddie

Unproduced Ewok clock
Courtesy of Ross Cuddie

Unproduced updated 1980 C-3PO and R2-D2 talking alarm clock with Wicket and Return of the Jedi logo
Courtesy of Ross Cuddie

Unproduced updated 1982 clock with Return of the Jedi logo

Kenner produced two table clocks in a very limited quantity. Partnered with Junior Achievements, these clocks were assembled by children and sold door to door to encourage entrepreneurship. To read more about the program, check out this previous post.

Action figure case art table clock 
1980

Yoda portrait table clock
1980

An unlicensed line of manual wind alarm clocks were produced in Mexico. Branded with a Spanish Star Wars logo, they do not appear to have been meant for export. They each feature distinctive hand drawn art.

C-3PO and R2-D2

Stormtrooper 
Courtesy of Anthony Damata

Yoda
Courtesy of Anthony Damata

Darth Vader light blue background 
Courtesy of Anthony Damata

Darth Vader dark blue background 
Courtesy of Anthony Damata

Boba Fett 
Courtesy of Anthony Damata

Lightsaber duel

Star Time Music Series was a line of wall clocks that upcycled overstock picture discs for the subject of their clocks. The Star Wars Story picture disc was included in their collection.

Star Time Music Series Star Wars Clock

Packaging 

The last timepiece featured in this article remains a mystery. Manufactured with era appropriate materials, this clock appears to be of a late 1970s vintage. Whether a one-of-a-kind homebrew or a survivor of an unlicensed line, it remains one of my favorite things and hangs in my kitchen.



ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

Thank-You to my dear friend Ron Salvatore for continuously inspiring and encouraging me. This article would not have happened without you. You are a true kindred spirit.

Thank-You to Jamie Valentino for freely sharing her Father’s legacy and history at Bradley.
 
Thank-You to Anthony Damata for sharing his collection and insights. Anthony has been cataloguing Star Wars themed watches for many years. You can check out his impressive collection at www.restrainingbolt.com.

A heartfelt Thank-You to all of the photo contributors.

Thank-You to Steve Danley for editing, publishing and helping me navigate the Archive.