WWI Museum partners to showcase WWI-inspired timepieces

KANSAS CITY, Mo. – The National World War I Museum at Liberty Memorial, TIVOL and Bell & Ross announced a partnership to display World War I-inspired timepieces in conjunction with the commemoration of the centennial of the Great War with proceeds to benefit the Museum.

Bell & Ross, one of the world’s preeminent timepiece manufacturers, is exhibiting its Vintage watch collection at the Museum. The watches, inspired by designs from the Great War, are available for purchase at TIVOL, Kansas City’s premier jeweler. A percentage of the proceeds from sales of Bell & Ross watches at TIVOL will be donated to the Museum.

“As a non-profit organization, partnerships with internationally recognized organizations such as Bell & Ross and TIVOL are invaluable in advancing our mission,” National World War I Museum President and CEO Dr. Matthew Naylor said. “Because of this collaboration, we will introduce the Museum to thousands of people across the globe as we continue to educate the public about World War I and its enduring impact on the world.”

Bell & Ross watches in the Vintage collection are on display at the Museum and available for purchase at TIVOL, which has locations in Country Club Plaza in Kansas City and Hawthorne Plaza in Overland Park, Kan.

"It made perfect sense for TIVOL to connect the National World War I Museum with Bell & Ross, which has created a beautiful collection of historically inspired timepieces,” TIVOL CEO Cathy Tivol said. “We are so pleased that our company – which itself was founded only a few years before the outbreak of World War I – could play a role in creating this partnership."

The Museum, which houses the most diverse collection of World War I artifacts in the world, installed the display in its store. Bell & Ross developed its WW1 collection based on the wristwatches tested by pilots in the late teens and early twenties and remained historically true in every attention to detail, including fitting the watches with grooved crowns similar to those pilots of the era could easily turn while wearing gloves as well as by adding domed crystals for an overall vintage effect.

“Bell & Ross is honored to be partnering with TIVOL to commemorate the centennial anniversary of the Great War at the National World War I Museum,” Bell & Ross President of the Americas Stacie Orloff said. “We are privileged to have the opportunity to share our military inspired Vintage Collection inside the Museum’s historical walls.”

The Bell & Ross collection begins with the PW1, a nod to the pocket watch worn by French soldiers during the Great War and each watch carries Swiss movements fitted in large fob-watch type cases. The horns replicate wire handles originally soldered to the case, evoking the design of the first wristwatches. The watches come with a variety of complications from which to choose: Grande Date, Reserve de Marche to the ultimate efficient function for any aviator of the day, the Monopoussoir Chronograph. This display of historically inspired watches from the Great War is also enhanced with other Bell & Ross aviation watches, including the iconic Bell & Ross BR 01 models.

The Bell & Ross watches will remain on display at the Museum through January 2015 and will be available for purchase at TIVOL.

About the National World War I Museum at Liberty Memorial

The National World War I Museum at Liberty Memorial is the only American museum solely dedicated to preserving the objects, history and personal experiences of a war whose impact still echoes in the world today. The National World War I Museum holds the most diverse collection of World War I objects and documents in the world and is the second-oldest public museum dedicated to preserving the objects, history and personal experiences of the war. The Museum takes visitors on an epic journey through a transformative period and shares deeply personal stories of courage, honor, patriotism and sacrifice. Designated by Congress as America’s official World War I Museum and located in downtown Kansas City, Mo., the National World War I Museum inspires thought, dialogue and learning to make the experiences of the Great War era meaningful and relevant for present and future generations. To learn more, visit theworldwar.org.