Among my souvenirs - 1935 employee engraved watch with story

[Studebaker Wheel]

[62champ]

Hard to believe the changes Mr. Kwilinski witnessed while he was at Studebaker. Sure hope the SNM is planning ahead to build a wing to the present building to house the Quinn collection when that time comes.

[Cowtown Commander]

Thank-you for sharing Richard. Always enjoy your posts. I would think that the presentation of a watch we be appropreiate for retirement or 50 years of service, but am a bit surprised that it would be presented for 49 years - just another mystery regarding this watch. Again thanks for sharing.

[studeclunker]

Ah... the days when a company valued the loyalty of such an employee are gone. The business community now looks derisively on such a person. What a beautiful watch. I love carrying a pocket-watch. This one doesn't look like Mr. Kwilinski ever carried it. Interesting though that Studebaker would give him an Elgin when the company made their own.

[Studebaker Wheel]

Ah... the days when a company valued the loyalty of such an employee are gone. The business community now looks derisively on such a person. What a beautiful watch. I love carrying a pocket-watch. This one doesn't look like Mr. Kwilinski ever carried it. Interesting though that Studebaker would give him an Elgin when the company made their own.

The Studebaker Watch Company had gone out of business in 1929.

[Mikado282]

Ah... the days when a company valued the loyalty of such an employee are gone. The business community now looks derisively on such a person. What a beautiful watch. I love carrying a pocket-watch. This one doesn't look like Mr. Kwilinski ever carried it. Interesting though that Studebaker would give him an Elgin when the company made their own.

Isn't that the truth. When I started working in the early 60's places I worked at had employees that had been there for 20-40 years and in a lot of cases multiple generations of the same family. Today they state that an 18 year old starting in the workforce can look forward to changing jobs 20 or more times in their lifetime. Since I started working at age 12 until I retired on disability at age 52 I held 9 jobs, five of them after age 38. The longest job being 14 years, I had planned on working there the rest of my life but the company had other plans, kind of a Studebaker moment they shut down the plant and moved to NC.

[DieselJim]

I also worked at Super Auto Salvage in 58-59 while in high school. When I retired from my trade as a diesel mechanic in 2006, they gave me a Studebaker watch.