Tap the image to enlarge
Ingersoll I14402 The Freestyle Automatic Tan Leather Strap Watch - W4991
Ref. I14402
The Freestyle sits squarely in Ingersoll's tradition of large, visually ambitious automatics — watches that wear their mechanics openly rather than hiding them behind a solid dial. At 45.5mm across and just over 15mm deep, it is a substantial piece: 110 grams on the wrist, a two-tone case with enough presence to fill a large wrist without apology. Anyone with a slender build should try it on first. The skeleton dial does the expected job of exposing the movement, and the combination of black and the two-tone case gives it a particular kind of dressed-down drama that suits casual wear over formal. The tan leather strap works with that register well — it softens what could otherwise read as a purely technical aesthetic. The movement itself is Chinese automatic, which means the mechanical display is more about theatre than horological pedigree, but it runs without a battery and the rotor keeps it wound through ordinary daily movement, which is the practical point of any automatic at this end of the market.
- Reference
- I14402
- Brand
- Ingersoll
- Collection
- The Freestyle
- Case size
- 45.5mm
- Case thickness
- 15mm
- Lug width
- 24mm
- Case material
- Two-tone
- Case shape
- Round
- Dial
- Black
- Crystal
- Mineral
- Movement
- Automatic
- Functions
- Skeleton dial
- Water resistance
- 50m
- Bracelet / strap
- Leather strap
- Strap colour
- Tan
- 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), Automatic Watches (1,403), Leather Strap Watches (928), Watches 44mm and Over (837), Automatic Watches Under £500 (344) and Skeleton Watches (278).
Manufacturer’s guarantee
What the specifications mean
A mechanical watch for everyday wear.
Strengths
- Luminous hands and markers for low light
Worth knowing
- 50m suits rain and handwashing, not swimming
- 45.5mm is a large watch with real presence
- 15mm thick, so it will not disappear under a cuff
Ingersoll I14402 The Freestyle alternatives
Watches from other brands at a similar price, style and size, so you can see what else your budget can buy.
| Specification | I14402 | ME3110 | AX2456 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | £241 | £239 | £195 |
| Case size | 45.5mm | 44mm | 46mm |
| Water resistance | 50m | 50m | 50m |
| Movement | Automatic | Automatic | Automatic |
| Strap | Leather strap | Leather strap | Stainless steel bracelet |
| This watch |
|
|
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?
24mm. 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.
Cheapest place to buy
F.Hinds is the only UK retailer we track stocking this reference, so there is nothing to compare it against today.
More Ingersoll watches like the I14402 The Freestyle
In stock, and close on style and price
