Neil Armstrong wore a Speedmaster on Apollo 11. Ed Mitchell wore a Speedmaster on Apollo 14.
White wore a Speedmaster during his Gemini 4 spacewalk. Cernan on a trip to the moon, commonly referred to as the "Moonwatch." Other similar Star models were worn on various space missions. Star Watch Case Company made cases for the Omega Speedmaster Professional, worn by Eugene A. It also made components for the top secret Norden bombsight, used for accurate airborne bombing. Additionally, the company manufactured elements of military navigational aids.
During the war, the company's reputation for making quality stainless steel military watch cases and cases for military compasses grew. Then the factory was converted to making brass compass cases, small weapons components, and submarine parts. Pocket watch cases were Star's major product until the United States entered the World War II. The company produced thousands of watches during World War I that could easily be seen without removing them from pockets. After the war, wristwatch cases were added to the product line. Styles included open face and hunting cases. They were available in solid gold, gold filled, sterling silver, rolled nickel-silver or brass. Until World War I the company manufactured pocket watch cases exclusively. Star's watchmaker clients included Manistee Watch Company, Hamilton, Longines, Elgin, Gruen, Omega and Pulsar. The movements (mechanisms), dials, hands, crystals (glass watch faces), and some of the crowns (buttons used to wind the watch) were made by other vendors and shipped to Star for final assembly. The Star Watch Case Company designed, manufactured and assembled watch cases for a plethora of watchmakers. A list of these long term employees was provided in the local newspaper that showed the years of service for these employees. There was a band that furnished music and community singing was conducted. Pins were given out designating the years of service. In 1946, around five hundred employees and their families participated in an award celebration of the top 214 employees that had been continuously employed with the company from 5 to 45 years. įritz Baumgartner, Star's key hand engraver In 1943, the building was further enlarged with the addition of new office space bringing the overall size of the plant to three stories and 70,000 sq. The addition was one hundred feet long by thirty feet in width and was three stories high. In 1927, the company added still another enlargement wing for tool, die equipment and machinery. North and south wings were added to the main building in 1920. The primary factory building was built on South Rath Avenue in 1905, and later expanded in 1910. The company's (sometimes referred to as Star Watchcase Company) employment reached its peak during World War II at 550 employees. By 1913 it had about 150 employees, which grew to 400 by 1925. Later in 1905 the company moved to Ludington, Michigan. In 1906 in Ludington, the company's key hand engrave was Fritz Baumgartner, assisted by hand engravers Emil Allemann and Otto Starke. Starke, president Fred Hermann, vice president Warren Antoine Cartier, secretary and Alfred W. Officers of the new Star Watch Case Company were Otto A. The company changed its name sometime between 19 to the Star Watch Case Company and incorporated on February 7, 1905. There were 27 employees in the business before the fire.
The company was well insured, and it was able to recover. In 1902 or 1903 a large fire destroyed the Illinois manufacturing facility. Starke had the specialty of being an engraver and steel hub cutter, while Hermann specialized in the mechanics of the tools and machines for making watch cases. Starke and Hermann were foremen at Illinois Watch before starting in business for themselves. The immediate predecessor of the Star Watch Case Company was the Illinois Watch Case Company in Elgin, Illinois, that was founded in 1898.
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