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Ingersoll I12306 The Challenger Automatic Black PU Strap Watch - W4985
Ref. I12306
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Stepping up in Ingersoll's range
I14402 The Freestyle Automatic Tan Leather Strap Watch - W4991£241
I12308 The Challenger Automatic Blue PU Strap Watch - W4966£245
I13104 The Tennessee Automatic Bracelet Watch - W4971£249
I14403 The Freestyle Automatic Bracelet Watch - W4992£269
I15202 The Springfield Automatic Black PU Strap Watch - W4982£277
The Challenger is the line Ingersoll uses to make its mechanical workings the primary visual event rather than a backdrop. Here, the skeleton dial does not merely hint at the movement beneath — the hollowed hands are designed to pull your eye directly into the gear train, and an exhibition caseback means the watch is open for inspection from both sides simultaneously. Against that, the contrast between the blacked-out PVD case and the silver-toned bezel gives the dial surround enough visual structure to prevent it reading as a single undifferentiated mass. At 44.6mm the watch fills a wrist without apology, and 108 grams on the wrist is present without being oppressive. The two-sided PU and Alcantara construction of the strap is an unusual combination at this type: the Alcantara face sits directly against the skin and moves rather differently from plain rubber or standard leather, conforming quickly and staying comfortable through a long day. Ingersoll backs the movement with a lifetime warranty — uncommonly generous, and meaningful assurance given that the calibre is displayed rather than hidden.
- Reference
- I12306
- Brand
- Ingersoll
- Collection
- The Challenger
- Case size
- 44.6mm
- Case thickness
- 13.7mm
- Lug width
- 28mm
- Case material
- Black PVD
- Case shape
- Tonneau
- Dial
- Silver
- Crystal
- Mineral
- Bezel
- Fixed
- Movement
- Automatic
- Functions
- Skeleton dial
- Water resistance
- 50m
- Bracelet / strap
- Leather strap
- Strap colour
- Black
- Clasp
- Buckle
- Lume
- Luminous
- Retailer
- F.Hinds
Learn more about Ingersoll
Charles and Robert Ingersoll started selling watches by mail order from New York in 1892, and in 1896 introduced the Yankee at one dollar. It was the first watch a working American could simply buy, and it sold in enormous numbers — the company's slogan, that it was the watch that made the dollar famous, was barely an exaggeration.
Volume on that scale changed the industry. Ingersoll sold tens of millions of watches, produced the first Mickey Mouse watch in 1933 under licence from Disney, and for a time was among the largest watch companies in the world.
The American business did not survive the century intact, and the name passed through several hands. It is now owned by a British company, which relaunched it in 2016 around mechanical watches rather than the cheap quartz the name had drifted into.
The modern collection leans on automatics with open dials and prominent date and day complications, priced in the low hundreds. It has little manufacturing continuity with the original firm, but the name and the Yankee heritage are genuine.
- 1892
- The Ingersoll brothers begin selling watches by mail order.
- 1896
- The Yankee sells for one dollar.
- 1933
- Produces the first Mickey Mouse watch.
- 1968
- The original American company is broken up.
- 2016
- Relaunched under British ownership around mechanical watches.
Also in 6 collections
This watch appears in Back in Stock (4,300), Stainless Steel Watches (2,846), Automatic Watches (1,403), Leather Strap Watches (928), Watches 44mm and Over (837) and Silver Dial Watches (644).
Temporarily out of stock
F.Hinds is not currently taking orders for this reference. Last listed as available on 27 September 2026. Stock is checked nightly and this page updates when it returns.
What the specifications mean
A mechanical watch for everyday wear.
Strengths
- Luminous hands and markers for low light
- Sits in the lower half of Ingersoll's range as we list it
Worth knowing
- 50m suits rain and handwashing, not swimming
- 44.6mm sits at the larger end
Ingersoll I12306 The Challenger alternatives
Watches from other brands at a similar price, style and size, so you can see what else your budget can buy.
| Specification | I12306 | ME3110 | AX2456 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | £209 | £239 | £195 |
| Case size | 44.6mm | 44mm | 46mm |
| Water resistance | 50m | 50m | 50m |
| Movement | Automatic | Automatic | Automatic |
| Strap | Leather strap | Leather strap | Stainless steel bracelet |
| This watch |
| Closely matched |
Your new watch
Frequently asked questions, and things you should know about this watch
Can I swim with it?
Showering yes, swimming no. 50m covers splashes and brief immersion, but a swimming stroke generates well above the pressure that figure describes.
Water resistance explainedWill the glass scratch?
It can, over time. Mineral glass handles daily wear but will pick up fine scratches that sapphire would not.
Sapphire, mineral and acrylic comparedDoes it need a battery?
No. It is automatic — the motion of your wrist winds it, and there is no cell to replace.
Quartz, automatic and solar comparedWhat size strap does it take?
28mm. Any strap of that width will fit, and on most modern watches quick-release bars make the swap a two-minute job with no tools.
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