S/Sgt Maynard Reese - Accro Watch History
How I identified Maynard's Watch
MaryJo engraved Maynard's unique 8-digit Army Serial Number (ASN) as the last line of her inscription -"12078267". This ASN can be found on the National Archives' website by Googling "US Army Serial Number Lookup". Entering that ASN on their data entry screen displayed all the information I needed to identify who "M.M.R" was - "Maynard M. Reese" - and to begin my research:
Click Watch Gallery (below) to display photos full-screen:
The Accro Bond Watch Company was a New York City based wholesaler of imported Swiss watches; they were active during the 1940s and 1950s. They imported lower-quality watches, ranging in price from $9.75 - $50.00. During WW2, Accro heavily advertised its watches to military men; Mary Jo probably spent at least $25 for Maynard's watch (about $450 in 2024). This was an enormous sum of money for a 19 year-old bride; at an average hourly wage of $0.50, this was more than a week's salary in 1943.
Maynard's 1943 Accro Watch
A 1948 ad displayed an Accro Model 1070-1975 which closely matches Maynard's:
