Harry Henshel

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Harry B. Henshel (February 5, 1919 – June 29, 2007) was an American businessman and the last member of the Bulova family to head the

chairman and chief executive officer
.

Personal life

Henshel was born in

Harvard School of Business.[1] Henshel often participated in college track and field competitions in New York City during his college years, often serving as the timekeeper.[1]

Henshel married Joy Altman on November 4, 1948, in New York City.[1] The couple had four daughters. The Henshel family moved to Scarsdale, New York, in 1951.[1]

Politically, Henshel supported both Republican and Democratic candidates. Henshel was once active in the local Scarsdale, New York Republican Party, served as chairman of Scarsdale's local chapter of the party.[1] Henshel was a supporter of Republican presidential candidate, Wendell Willkie, during Willkie's failed campaign in the 1940s.[1] Despite his Republican affiliation, Henshel attended the 1960 Democratic National Convention at which his father served as a Democratic delegate from New York.

Henshel was an avid

thoroughbreds, including famous horses such as Shockproof.[2] Henshel kept many of his horses at a stable in Ocala, Florida.[2]

Bulova

The

watches.[2] Henshel began work at Bulova following World War II after serving with the U.S. military. Henshel took over as president of the company in 1959,[2] after the death of his uncle, Arde Bulova, in 1958.[1] Henshel became the chairman of the watch company in 1974.[1]

Bulova is credited with a number of innovations in watch making and time keeping. According to the Bulova website, the company introduced the world's first

clock radio in 1928, and in 1931 began manufacturing the first electric clocks. In 1948 Bulova began developing the Phototimer, a unique combination of photo-finish camera and precision electronic timing instrument. The Phototimer was the first automatic timing device to be used in competitive sports.[3]

Though Bulova was known as a luxury watchmaker, Henshel attempted to target the budget market soon after becoming president of Bulova. Henshel signed an agreement with

Citizen Watch Co. of Japan in 1960 to create a line of inexpensive watches which were marketed under the Caravelle brand name.[2] The move was a direct attempt to compete with the Timex Corporation.[2]

Henshel's most successful product line was the introduction of the

Sea of Tranquility.[2]

Bulova did make a number of financial mistakes under Henshel in the 1970s, which cost the company some of its market share. The company saw

quartz crystal instead of an internal tuning fork, like the Accutron.[2] This gave the quartz watches greater timing accuracy.[2]

The Bulova Watch Company began to lose money in the 1970s. The company reported a loss in 1975.

Tisch Family-controlled Loews Corporation bought the company in 1979 turning Bulova into a private subsidiary.[2]
Under Loews, the Bulova began turning a profit again in the 1980s.

Additionally, as a director of its Board of Trustees, Henshel helped run a

nonprofit school called the Joseph Bulova School of Watchmaking.[2] The school was set up by the Bulova Company in 1945 to teach World War II veterans watch repair, and was supported by the Bulova Foundation.[2]
It not only taught the craft of watchmaking but also had a walk-in service to take in repairs and thus exposed the students to the business side of watchmaking. Interest in watch crafting declined and the school closed around 2000.[2]

Death

Henshel died of complications from kidney and heart disease at his home in Scarsdale, NY, on June 29, 2007.[1] Funeral services were held at Westchester Reform Temple, of which Henshel was a member.[4] He was survived by his wife, Joy, four daughters, and four grandchildren.

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l Golding, Bruce (2007-07-06). "Former Bulova chairman dead at 88". The Journal News. Retrieved 2007-07-27.
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v Miller, Stephen (2007-07-07). "He Consolidated Bulova's Lead, Until Watch Technology Outran Firm". The Wall Street Journal. Retrieved 2007-07-27.
  3. The Associated Press. 2007-07-05. Retrieved 2007-07-27.[dead link
    ]
  4. ^ "Paid Notice: Deaths HENSHEL, HARRY BULOVA,". query.nytimes.com. Retrieved 2021-03-15.

External links

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