Mickey Mouse, the beloved Disney icon, first appeared on a wristwatch in 1933, five years after his debut in Steamboat Willie. The watch, created by Ingersoll-Waterbury, was such a hit that it saved the Connecticut clock company from bankruptcy—more than 11,000 were sold at Macy’s in New York the first day it was released. It retailed for just under $3.

The watch featured Mickey Mouse in the center, his outstretched, gloved hands rotating around as the hands of the clock. Below, a small circle depicting three mini-Mickeys ticked off the seconds.

Around the same time, Ingersoll also produced a Mickey Mouse pocket watch, which retailed for $1.50, and Mickey Mouse clocks. It has been said that a Mickey Mouse watch was buried in the time capsule during the New York World’s Fair in 1939—a tribute to its influence on culture and style...