The increased capabilities of 1920’s aviation generated many opportunities for daring men and women to get more involved in aviation; breaking air speeds, recording great distances, or just to be revered while landing on a nearby lake or airport.
Aviation captured the imagination of all, including a New York City resident and WWI US Navy veteran named Samuel Klepper. Many residents of Saratoga Springs, NY would always be amazed to see Samuel and his wife Lillian flying their float plane over nearby Lake George just 200 miles north of New York City where they lived. Samuel and his bride Lillian loved to drive up to Lake George, don on their leather flying caps, their flying goggles and launch their Aeromarine 40 over Lake George with their silk scarves flapping in the wind. Life was simple and fun.
Born in 1892 and raised by his Romanian parents in New York City, Samuel Klepper had always been excited by aviation. While in the military, Samuel always found himself looking for anything aeronautical. One day he found his way to a 1917 Royal Aircraft S.E.5a biplane which was instrumental in providing air superiority on the Western Front. Samuel felt he was destined to be a part of aviation history.
Samuel listed his profession as a radio jobber during the 1930 census and owned the radio franchise the Hamilton Radio Corporation with his brother in law, Wolfe Kalmin. Four years later, in 1934, Samuel changed the business name to the Pilgrim Electric Corporation. They specialized in selling radio receptors and supplying people who needed vacuum tube testers, radio analyzers, communicating receivers, and OHM's Law and resistor color code wheel charts.
In 1937, based on Samuel’s passion for all things aviation and his experience in the radio industry, specifically designing radio wheel charts, Samuel started integrating his passions. Samuel began producing precision avigation instruments like flight calculators, navigation plotters, protractors and his signature aviation tool, the Bezelmeter Aviation Chronograph.
Samuel called his company the Jardur Import Company.
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“Jardur Import Company, New York, is the exclusive importer from Switzerland the well-known Jardur aviation waterproof Bezelmeter chronographs and the Jardur aviation waterproof wristwatches. The Swiss cases containing the fine quality 17 jewel movements were of the latest thin type. The Jardur precision timers were especially designed for the pilots, and incorporated outstanding features necessary and desirable in all flying procedures. The Jardur Company also is marketing their new Jardur-Warner air navigational plotter, a compact precision instrument with a tolerance within a fractional part of a degree. It was designed by L. A Warner, a former Navy officer and instructor in advanced navigation at the naval air training station in Pensacola, Florida. The plotter was made of Vinlylite for permanent wear and it met the exacting requirements of student, private and commercial pilots, because of its simplicity and ease of operation. It was used in all kinds of chart work, solution of wind problems, deviation graphs, radio navigation and celestial navigation.”