Timex
- Founded
- 1854
- Based in
- Middlebury, Connecticut, USA
- In our catalog
- 8 watches from $45 to $800
For generations of Americans, a Timex was the first watch they owned. It was cheap, it was tough, and the TV ads proved it by strapping watches to outboard motors and dropping them off cliffs. Lately Timex has also become a favorite among collectors, thanks to sharp reissues of its own archive and a few surprisingly ambitious designs.
History
Timex traces its history to the Waterbury Clock Company, founded in Connecticut in 1854. It made affordable clocks and pocket watches, including the famous Mickey Mouse watch of the 1930s, made by its sister company Ingersoll. During the Second World War it made fuses and timers for the military.
The Timex brand appeared in 1950. Its ads with newsman John Cameron Swayze, ending with "It takes a licking and keeps on ticking", made it a household name. In 1986 it launched the Ironman sports watch, and in 1992 the Indiglo backlight. Since 2017 Timex has reissued classics like the Marlin and the Q Timex, and has hired respected designers for special projects.
Signature models
- Weekender: A simple, readable watch with easy-to-change straps.
- Expedition Scout: An outdoor field watch with Indiglo.
- Easy Reader: A classic dress watch with large numerals, made since the 1970s.
- Waterbury Traditional Chronograph: A dressier chronograph.
- Q Timex Reissue: A faithful reissue of a 1979 quartz watch, with the battery hatch on the back.
- Marlin Hand-Wound and Marlin Automatic: Reissues of the 1960s Marlin dress watch.
- Giorgio Galli S2Ti: A titanium automatic designed by Timex's design director, a serious watch at an accessible price.
What it's known for
Timex watches are cheap, reliable and easy to wear, and the Indiglo backlight is still one of the best ways to read a watch in the dark. The reissues are faithful and fun, and the Giorgio Galli designs show the brand can do much more than budget basics.
Price and positioning
Timex watches cost from about $45 to $750. Casio is the main rival at the low end, and Seiko and Orient for affordable mechanicals.
Timex watches in our library
- Timex Weekender ($45 to $65)
- Timex Expedition Scout ($50 to $70)
- Timex Easy Reader ($50 to $70)
- Timex Waterbury Traditional Chronograph ($160 to $190)
- Timex Q Timex Reissue ($180 to $200)
- Timex Marlin Hand-Wound ($200 to $230)
- Timex Marlin Automatic ($250 to $280)
- Timex Giorgio Galli S2Ti ($750 to $800)
Vintage Timex watches
- Timex Marlin (original) (pre-owned, $40 to $150)