Here are the links to the new Timex models I personally like: Timex Marlin, Hand Wound amzn.to/2Nhw410 Timex Marlin, Automatic amzn.to/2JwWtH3 Timex Weekender Chronograph amzn.to/2Pyg7GF Timex Expedition Scout 43 (Military Field Watch) amzn.to/2Pu7Fb5 Timex Weekender, 38mm black dial amzn.to/32VR7Ni As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchase _______ Credits: Jumpin Boogie Woogie by Audionautix is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution license (creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/) Artist: audionautix.com/ 1959 Commercial for Timex watches ad 1 and ad 4, Public Domain, retrieved from archive.org/

@ThePaPappy

4 жыл бұрын

But I grew up in the 60's and 70's with John Cameron Swayze promising me they could survive a Russian attack ! OMG He Lied even when they rolled it into asphalt ! 😁🕙

@richardbrobeck2384

4 жыл бұрын

I have half a dozen timex watches

@mt7591

4 жыл бұрын

Wonders of Watchdom 85

@helenmcdonnell2585

4 жыл бұрын

Wonders of Watchdom, really enjoyed this, thank you so much, hope you have a great day.

@allegedkurd

4 жыл бұрын

I was about to ask you what you think of modern timex watches. I own a couple, in addition to others, and I like them as everyday beaters or gifts.

I am an old guy. IMO- the main reason for Timex watch popularity was that it really could stand up to an incredible amount of abuse. Men who did physical labor in construction, auto repair, farming, ranch work, industry etc. needed a watch that could be worn to work, keep time well enough to be useful and stand up to rigorous abuse all at an affordable price. Often they would be exposed to chemicals, extremes in temperature, humidity, sweat, shock and anything else you could imagine. For example, a workman would remove his watch to wash his greasy hands and accidentally drop it on a tile or concrete floor. A worker might use a jackhammer or other industrial tools that shook the hell out of the watch. Sometimes they would forget they were wearing it and dunk their hands in liquids. Back then it was unusual to see a workman wearing any watch other than a Timex and it would always have a crack in the crystal (which wasn't easy to do) yet it was on the job every day. These men wore Timex watches to war! They just kept on ticking. There is a reason many people found no longer functioning Timex watches in their fathers' and grandfathers' personal effects after they died. The watch was like an old friend. They couldn't just throw it in the trash after all they went through together. These men didn't need a delicate timepiece accurate to a minute per year. They needed a watch to tell them when it was lunchtime or when quitting time was approaching. You would see these watches spattered with paint, with heavy scars or electrical tape wrapped around the worn out watchband. They didn't take them to watchmakers for service. How many expensive, complicated highly accurate watches could stand up to such daily abuse without servicing? Workers were better served by Timex watches, that is why the used them. They were available for purchase everywhere, not in some high-class jewelry store. Men had Timex watches for daily wear. Often they had a fancy looking watch to wear to weddings and funerals but those were Timex watches, too.

@flick22601

4 жыл бұрын

Thank you Lord Edward for more eloquently saying what I was going to write. I wore a Timex from the time I had my first newspaper route (1957), through my years as a mechanic, through the years in the Army, through college and to the present day. I also remember the original live demonstration on the outboard motor when the watch came off the propeller - they were able to get a shot of it running on the bottom of the tank. I believe that was the impetus for me getting my first Timex for Christmas.

@dperry19661

4 жыл бұрын

@@flick22601 Or the prying one out of the asphalt that a paver dude lost.

@johnhenry8600

4 жыл бұрын

Takes a licking and keeps on ticking.

@pookatim

4 жыл бұрын

@Gus Goose Yes, for some a watch is a piece of jewelry for others it is an important part of the tool kit.

@tombroadhead4276

4 жыл бұрын

classiccarz "

When I was six years old my grandparents bought me a mini mouse Timex watch at Disneyland. I will be 60 years old next year and that watch has been on my wrist every day of my life since my grandfather bought it for me. I have been offered other watches but have never wanted anything other than the one that I had. I always said the same thing when this one stops you can buy me a new one. I have only ever had this one watch my whole life.

@stig5763

4 жыл бұрын

Margaret McCullough that’s so cool. Thanks for sharing that with us Margaret.

@peiandaustin

4 жыл бұрын

That is legendary!

@stevek8829

4 жыл бұрын

A watch lasted a six year old 54 years? Wow! The watches I give six year olds are destroyed in 48 hours.

@josephtabar492

4 жыл бұрын

So you're an old geezer still gets into cartoons. AMAZING!

@BetterBlue

4 жыл бұрын

well you are right. doesn't matter of world brand, it's yours. shame on advertising stuff. glad to hear you kept it with you.

I would argue the biggest reason vintage Timex watches are not collectible is because they sold so many of them they are still abundant today. Go to any estate sale and you'll find several of them. Regardless of the inferior engineering, if Timex watches were scarce, prices /collectability would likely increase.

@jakekaywell5972

2 жыл бұрын

In the mechanical watch world, both the Soviet Pobedas/ZiMs as well as India's HMTs are heads and tails better than Timexes while still able to fullfill the "watches of and for the people" ethos they were created for. The fact that we in the U.S. apparently decided that pin-lever Timexes were good enough in light of this is a tragedy, especially since Timex didn't even bother to make those pin lever movements servicable OR adjustable for better time-keeping (regularly off by more than 2 minuites and literally impossible to get better than 40 sec/day), unlike the Ruhla Caliber 24.

@Di3mondDud3

2 жыл бұрын

@@jakekaywell5972 we need to know what time lunch is bro, not when to launch the nuke defence.

@jakekaywell5972

2 жыл бұрын

@@Di3mondDud3 Regardless of the task at hand, a more accurate watch that can actually be serviced is better.

@rcschmidt668

2 жыл бұрын

well said... Classic supply and demand.

@momentary_

2 жыл бұрын

@@jakekaywell5972 Depends on how much abuse the watch goes through. A working man needs a watch that will keep working, not an extremely accurate watch that needs servicing.

In the early 1970s, I worked for a watch parts distributor. He and his partner (a watchmaker) were excited to be selected by Timex to be one of the company’s watch parts and battery distributors. The arrangement that Timex had with all its retailers was that the retailer would be furnished with a selection of Timex watches, including replacement watch movements and the rights to buy additional replacement movements at a discounted cost. My employers would be the designated Timex repair parts distributor. They agreed to keep in stock enough replacement parts to furnish all retailers with same day shipment of replacement parts and movements. That opened up the business to a huge number of instant customers. We stocked hundreds of replacement movements and parts, and did a huge daily business shipping (usually by mail or UPS) to all the retailers. Keep in mind, the average retailer would be, not necessarily a jewelry store, but in many small towns, just the local drug store or hardware store, each of which had promotional signage declaring that they were Authorized Times sellers. We sold hundreds of movements a month to the Timex network of stores. Timexes were simply designed and manufactured to lower costs and capture the low cost market. You would find them in K-marts and Ace Hardware stores, for example. Timex was not interested in selling displays to jewelry stores, where they would be “Loss Leaders,” a pejorative term making the brand the goat. A retailer would take the watch in for replacement or repair (some Timexes did indeed have repairable movements), ship it to us, and we would ship out the replacement same day if we got it in time to make the UPS or Post Office hours. It was of course understood by the original customers that a Times was not a top name brand, but their easy repair kept them top sellers for decades. A customer could take his broken TImex to the local dealer, who was probably the store he bought it from, the dealer would find the replacement movement in stock, and the customer could return later for a running movement for even less that he paid for the watch. Our Timex Exchange Program gave us the additional marketing position needed to acquire or retain major watch movement distributors, such as Bulova, Longines-Wittnauer, Le Coultre, Benrus, and so on. Bulova was a major coup, in fact, as we were the “Authorized Bulova Parts distributor” for all their lines (but not the fancy clocks). All that was, of course, forty years ago, and I am sure things have changed. But Timex, through its Ironman line, its acquisition of distribution of other movements worldwide, have kept it strong. A friend who worked in the jewelry department of a major K-mart store in California said that Timex was, day in and day out, the best seller in their store, and they also sold popular competitive brands. Hope this helps. Timex made many a payday possible for all of us at The Cobron Company, New Orleans, LA. (I think they are long out of business, by the way, after both partners died.)

@vhawk1951kl

2 жыл бұрын

Batteries? I want a watch that ticks, one that you have to wind- proper watches.

@Xanduur

Жыл бұрын

@@vhawk1951kl a spring drives doesn’t tick but it sure as heck a @proper watch”

@vhawk1951kl

Жыл бұрын

@@Xanduur A *proper* watch has to be wound, and ticks

He's gone now, but when I asked my dad why he always bought the lowest cost watch he could find ("How could I NOT buy it, it was $8.00."), he would tell me that he didn't want a watch that lasts forever because he liked changing his watch after some time. I thought he was rationalizing, but he was a child in the Depression and never lost his want of a bargain. I love ya , dad.

@RK-gz3mr

4 жыл бұрын

Cool story, my grandfather had a similar philosophy about electronics.

@dhirajkumargupta4151

3 жыл бұрын

I am glad that I too share the same outlook...👍

@locustvalleystring

3 жыл бұрын

@@dhirajkumargupta4151 he always looked for bargains having grown up during the depression.

@dhirajkumargupta4151

3 жыл бұрын

@@locustvalleystring I understand what your dad must have felt like. I had seen my Father slog multiple jobs daily and sleep for merely 4 hrs per day, hence that emotion has stuck to me till date and from inside I didn't feel like asking anything more from him after that.

@ramayanaroxas5457

3 жыл бұрын

Love your dad

Just an FYI...I serviced Timex watches for 25 years starting in 1974. Timex sold stem and crowns, crystals, and replacement movements at wholesale.The average movement cost me $3-4 and I charged $ 7.95 retail. It wasn’t a big money maker but customers flocked to my store for repairs and it grew my jewelry business. What you may not realize is many many Timex watches were sentimental gifts that people didn’t want to part with. They didn’t want a new watch, they wanted their watch fixed!

I am a watchmaker from Nova Scotia and I thought this video was awesome. I had to laugh because you described exactly how I service a vintage Timex. Most of my customers who have inherited grandpa's watch try to get it fixed, but are turned away because of everything you mentioned in your video. They are told that the watch cannot be serviced and that they were meant to be thrown away. Nothing makes me happier than returning a restored Timex to my customer. Although the movement is ugly the fit and finish of those old Timex's still hold up today. I swear the plating is 20microns thick. Anyways awesome video, I really enjoyed that.

@lamtatyan

2 жыл бұрын

So you fix the Timex that the other repair shops don't? If so, I must give you a great salute.

@steadyjumps

2 жыл бұрын

@@lamtatyan thank you 🙏

@andrewr9761

2 жыл бұрын

Well said! I'm a watchmaker from the Washington DC area and I'm addicted to restoring vintage Timexes :)

@jakekaywell5972

Жыл бұрын

Honestly, I don’t see how your work is possible. Timex’s pin-lever movements were never designed to be serviced. Period. End of story. The only way I could imagine is if you somehow managed to get one of Timex’s proprietary jigs, which would obviously be difficult.

@carolinatimemachine6338

Жыл бұрын

@@jakekaywell5972 that’s not correct. Timex watches are completely serviceable and I restore them every day for vintage Timex enthusiasts

The TImex watches were NEVER very expensive, and they were made by the gazillions. So there's no collector value because so many were made, and they were relatively inexpensive.

@jakekaywell5972

2 жыл бұрын

Nah. Collectors justifiably hate Timex (including myself) because they were and are entirely disposable junk. In the mechanical watch world, both the Soviet Pobedas/ZiMs as well as India's HMTs are heads and tails better than Timexes while still able to fullfill the "watches of and for the people" ethos they were created for. The fact that we in the U.S. apparently decided that pin-lever Timexes were good enough in light of this is a tragedy, especially since Timex didn't even bother to make those pin lever movements servicable OR adjustable for better time-keeping (regularly off by more than 2 minuites and literally impossible to get better than 40 sec/day), unlike the GDR's Ruhla Caliber 24.

@Azathoth43

2 жыл бұрын

@@jakekaywell5972 Collectors (including yourself) hate these things because you hold the working class in contempt.

@jakekaywell5972

2 жыл бұрын

@@Azathoth43 A completely ridiculous claim, given I listed two other watches that were A: actually decent. B: also genuine people's watches that served as the bottom rung in their respective societies. Try again with a better argument.

@peterbrown6224

2 жыл бұрын

@@jakekaywell5972 Nail, meet head. There's something to be said for a watch that you can treat with contempt and not care. Quite why such a thing would be collectable is a mystery.

@andrewblunts-ringwalks4508

Жыл бұрын

Not true.. because there are obviously rare watches within Timex. I have 2 rare watches that you won’t be able to find! They are collectible because almost all vintage watches are collectible period, Timex are collectible.

Reference note, $10.95 USD in the 1960 is equal to $95.15 USD in 2019.

@edmund8954

4 жыл бұрын

Wow,how much would a rolex cost???

@objective7042

4 жыл бұрын

@@edmund8954 there's a KZread clip with an elderly man did an appraisal for a Rolex GMT Master. Bought it while serving in the army in the 1960s, certified chronometer for USD $120.35. A OVER MONTH salary for an US Army soldier. kzread.info/dash/bejne/np1kz7SFk6rIhZs.html Those got to be the best times, just need to save a months worth of money and easily obtainable.

@markcynic808

4 жыл бұрын

@@objective7042 Yeah, great times. As long as you were on duty in Europe and not Vietnam.

@objective7042

4 жыл бұрын

@@markcynic808 it just means that an average person fresh out of high school starting his first job can purchase a Rolex without much effort. (unless he gets drafted)

@markcynic808

4 жыл бұрын

@@objective7042 Being drafted or otherwise employed by the military would have made it easier - no rent or bills to pay. I remember watching the clip you linked a few years ago. If I recall it correctly, the vet didn't really know what a Rolex was and bought it after being advised to do so. Perhaps that's why so few were purchased by Americans. My original comment was made with regard to you stating that the 60s were "the best of times," based solely on the price of a Rolex. Hmm.

I still have my Timex in the draw, engraved with my name on the back . A present from my parents at around 10 years old.

@stablestables1866

3 жыл бұрын

My parents are going to buy me one! Very special present! Any good ideas? Only around $450 Cad

@FZ2HELL

3 жыл бұрын

I got one in 1971. Worked like a bomb. Pity I lost it. Lost a minute within three days... It was always slow. But I loved it.

@drapensmusic

3 жыл бұрын

I still using my expedition timex watch for over 10 years now still kicking...

@jibrail85

3 жыл бұрын

Same, my father gave me my 1st TimeX on 1995, TimeX Ironman

@nenabunena

3 жыл бұрын

@@stablestables1866 get the mk1 macgyver watch or mk1 chronograph

I used to fix Timex watches back in the 1960's. I developed a way to clean them in minutes. It involved pullling the movement DOWN, hanging by the winding stem creating a wedge shaped opening between the movement and the crystal part of the case. then I would mount them in a jig I made that held them about 1.5 inches from the tip of a vacuum cleaner snorkel type tip. As the air flowed through the movement. I used an atomizer on the up wind side and squirted lighter fluid through ...giving the movement a "shower" through it and taking dirt and worn metal with it. I was about 11 years old when I invented that technique and it worked. The lighter fluid also left behind a very thin coating of lubricant that also helped them run nicely. I fixed many timex watches that way. (by the way Caravel watches were no where near as good as Timex)

In my working-class neighborhood culture, Timex was the first "adult" you would get. At about 8 or 9 years old, you'd get a cheap watch in your Christmas stocking, or for your birthday, expecting that it would get lost or broken. If you took care of those cheap watches, and proved yourself responsible in other ways, at about 15 or 16, you'd get a Timex - an adult watch. As a result, amongst my family and friends, Timex watches have a certain status, they mean you've matured and earned a certain amount of respect. To this day, despite the fact that we've all grown up and bought "better" watches, the gift of a Timex is always well received.

@HolyLegendz

2 жыл бұрын

Wonderfully said

@judithbradford9130

2 жыл бұрын

Hah, my son got a Timex Indiglo at 12! He gave it to his best friend (who really liked it) when he got to choose his first Serious Watch at 16, a new Laco automatic (chosen to fit the WW2 re-enacting hobby he became active in) For his 18-year-old watch he asked if I could find him a Zodiac Seawolf, and after dying a little at the prices I was able to wrangle a well-patina'd one with USMC engraving which he LOVED; his 21-year-old watch awaits him in the safe, a pristine '46 waffle dial bumper automatic Omega :) I remain a bit sad no Hamilton has of yet floated his adolescent boat (Hamiltons are my obsession, a collection founded on the Hamiltons of my grandmother and my mother's grandmother) but he is still young.... the taste may develop.... He's managed not to lose, break, or otherwise violate any of them, which makes a mom proud :)

@Commandovah

Жыл бұрын

That's a very good tradition actually!

My father gifted me my first watch when I was 9 yrs old. It was a Timex, so the company is somewhat nostalgic for me. I have also been fascinated with their history. Having begun in 1854 as the Waterbury Clock Company, then collaborating with Ingersoll, later becoming the U.S. Time Corporation (1943), and eventually Timex (1950). They have continued to remain, even through World Wars, The Great Depression, and several change of hands. Their legacy is part of the fabric of our American culture. I still see vintage Timex's out there going on 50+ years being worn today-which says a lot. For any collector to not have at least one Timex in their collection seems pretentious. Watch collecting isn’t all about money. Some of us who love watches find pleasure in their unique history and wearability.

@clarencedavismba5042

2 жыл бұрын

Bravo!

@MichaelPoage666

2 жыл бұрын

I think I was also 9. An uncle got all the men at a family gathering matching Timex watches for Christmas or something. I wore mine for a few years and still have it now. It's pretty unpleasant to wind (always was) and you can tell it's low quality, but it's over forty years old and still works.

@robertthomas4234

2 жыл бұрын

@@MichaelPoage666 ..sounds like you might want to bin that thing, or maybe love it more!

@Trevski2001

2 жыл бұрын

If I recall correctly, my father gifted me my first watch, a Timex, at age 11 when I started senior school. During the two or three years I had it, I can honestly say I don't remember having to correct the time on it once. I'd like to think it is still ticking away somewhere, but during games at school we had to take our watches off, they weren't put in secure storage and one day, surprise surprise, it was stolen. I'm from the UK and while the adverts shown in this clip don't bring back any memories, at Christmas time during the 1960's two companies could be relied upon to produce elaborate advertisements - Timex (Tick a Tick a Timex) and Woolworths (that's the wonder of Woolies).

@davidinfante8529

Жыл бұрын

I was 10 and that began my journey into adulthood. It impressed me with years of service and good looks. I love the higher end stuff but still have a couple of mint mid 60s Timex in my collection.

Timex were everywhere! I bought one at counter of a country dinner in 1988. It was a gold coloured automatic with date. It was $35 dollars, about 5 time the price of my cheeseburger deluxe, with chocolate shake. I was 18 and just got paid making $7 per hour. I wore it for years and never had to wind it or get a battery, reset it once in a while when I heard the time signal on the radio. It was never off. I must have 15 or so now, one for every conceivable occasion. They all have been put through hell and work perfectly. They just work!

@EfftupSmith

3 жыл бұрын

@Victor Murat I'm guessing because it is not THAT accurate so needs resetting to correct time occasionally.

@oscarosullivan4513

2 жыл бұрын

Time signal? And mechanical thought they had stop making mechanical watches

My Father bought me a timex watch when I was 7 years old. It was the sole possession I had from childhood until adulthood. In the course of conversation with a 'mate', whom I was putting up in my flat a few days, I showed him this watch, remarking on it's sentimental value, etc. This friend relieved me of this childhood souvenir one day, the horrible bastard. Had to share this! Peace and good health to all here in the land of time! 🦉

@2degucitas

2 жыл бұрын

Not a friend

@robertthomas4234

2 жыл бұрын

@@2degucitas Yeah man, found that out the hard way! What is wrong with people?

@2degucitas

2 жыл бұрын

@@robertthomas4234 Seriously!

@davidashton2361

2 жыл бұрын

You know the well known saying - no good deed goes unpunished. Dave Ashton

@davidashton2361

2 жыл бұрын

Me again. There are a lot of people in this world (I call them 'The me first brigade') who trample over everybody else to get what they want. Among these types are those who leave supermarket trolleys all over the place instead of taking them back to the trolley park. Those who don't put unwanted items back where they got them from, especially frozen items and leave them to defrost on any shelf in the supermarket. Those that park on the road in the supermarket car park or on the taxi drop off points instead of a parking bay so that they don't have to walk very far. There are people who will steal anything if it's not nailed down and even then they'll try. I bought some chrome tyre valve caps once (50p each) for my 4x4 and some scum bag stole 2 from one side of my car, obviously unwilling to expose themselves stealing in the car park so didn't take all four. I could go on and on. Dave Ashton

My dad bought a timex in around 70s, its stainless simple watch but he adored it. Its his first "expensive" watch he could afford, and the last because he loved it so much he never needs to buy another. Its a great piece even until today, I even wore it today as a daily. Its surprisingly rugged for a disposable watch.

WHY??? because it tells the time NOT YOUR SOCIAL ECONOMIC STATUS , that,s why

@tedyeo4778

4 жыл бұрын

Peter Mcintosh well said

@permonjackson9696

4 жыл бұрын

@@tedyeo4778 yep. 100% right

@patrickwoehrer

4 жыл бұрын

so damn true

@sailordolly

4 жыл бұрын

Timex was the Volkswagen of watches--cheap and practical for the Everyman, and durable as hell. I am somewhat disappointed that I can not find mechanical watches at all besides the high-end luxury type--I like the moving parts and the ticking, even if it is less accurate than quartz.

@Berkst1

4 жыл бұрын

And if u wear earprotection a timex is wearable.

I am 71 years old. Growing up in the 50's and 60's like I did, the Timex watch was a highly visible product. My first watches were Timex. As a college student, I wasn't able to afford an expensive watch and Timex fit the bill. I definitely have a soft spot for those old mechanical models. I wish there was something like them today. My real preference is mechanical watches. Although I own more than 50 watches, many of them either solar powered or battery driven. My closest substitute is the Seiko Sport 5 series which I own five of. Timex gave the combination of an affordable price, great styling and modest reliability. It was an unbeatable deal. In this world, the cheapest Patek Philippe is more than the appraised value of my house and the new version of the Timex Marlin is more expensive than the first three cars I bought. I will always remember them. The fact that they have little or no collectibility doesn't matter to me at all.

@oscarosullivan4513

2 жыл бұрын

Russians and Japanese mechanicals probably killed American watchmaking

@marcusborderlands6177

2 жыл бұрын

You forgot to account for inflation and the fact that people make more money these days... Your cars back then we're cheaper than today, yes, but not less than a new timex that converted into 1980's dollars (not even that long ago) was 30 bucks...

@rearview2709

2 жыл бұрын

I agree with you, collectibility doesn't matter to me at all either!.

@nycbearff

2 жыл бұрын

@@marcusborderlands6177 No, a 1960s Timex was cheap by 1960s standards. Modern Timex watches are relatively more expensive.

@marcusborderlands6177

2 жыл бұрын

@@nycbearff I'm saying his first 3 cars probably cost more than the Timex he mentioned

As a young kid in the 70's, I remember hanging out with my Grandpa and studying his large-faced Timex watch he always wore. It sure looked like it went through a couple of wars, it was all scratched and beat up but underneath all that I could see that the watch was working just fine. I am pretty sure Timex was one of the first words I learned how to read and spell by myself because of his watch. Timex reminds me of that bonding and I now wear my Ladies Essex Timex watch in honor of him, keeping the family tradition alive, sort of speak.

Thank you for this fascinating and informative film. My paternal grandfather, who drove dragline excavators for a living, used to service and repair clocks and watches as a hobby. He died over 20 years ago but one thing I remember is that he absolutely would not touch Timex watches and now I know why.

I remember my very first watch. I'd be about 7, & my dad bought me a Timex for my birthday. It was wonderful. I'd show it off to all the other kids. I'd even wear it in bed. The only thing I couldn't understand was why all the clocks in school were wrong.

@notsoancientpelican

4 жыл бұрын

Commoner I had the same experience in the 50’s, loved my Timex and wore it everywhere. Having a wristwatch would make a young fellow feel like he was in the Big Time.

@abhyjith.k.a

4 жыл бұрын

Commoner I love how the joke at the last line was missed. Anyways, good one 👍🏼 A.A

@markleng67

4 жыл бұрын

@@abhyjith.k.a Oh I didn't miss the joke! Gave me a smile...

@costrio

3 жыл бұрын

I laughed out loud! (really!)

@BirdyMcKee

3 жыл бұрын

Good story, I still have the watch that my dad gave me, a Timex, in 1968, it no longer had the band but the movement is usually right...

I've had a Timex since 1970 ....my parents bought it for me. I wouldn't part with it for all the money in the world.

@Bump688

4 жыл бұрын

@@taunteratwill1787 My parents brought me up the right way too.

@ExtremeComments9

4 жыл бұрын

@@taunteratwill1787 get out of here with that bs

@m.s.g1890

4 жыл бұрын

*me putting all the money in the world back in my bank account. I’ll try somewhere else

@xonce4296

4 жыл бұрын

How about 10 bucks?

@jesusyeshuaelelyonelshadai6295

4 жыл бұрын

@@xonce4296 lol

I've worked on & collected watches since 2002. I've noticed there is a growing sector of collectors that are now picking up the Timex watches. Not all Timex were as pedestrian as the ones pictured here. There are even 21 jewel, divers, and automatics.

@Strideo1

Жыл бұрын

There are even some people out there servicing old Timex no jewel movements now.

Timex was THE watch to have. In typical American fashion, they got lazy and dropped the ball. FYI, I bought a Timex a few years back, I returned it because IT MADE A TICKING NOISE THAT WAS UNBELIEVABLY LOUD! And this is an acknowledged problem, noted by many watch afficionados.

@kevinschaefer3945

2 жыл бұрын

A few years back they began to make them in the Philippines, that's the problem.

@commonaffection1703

2 жыл бұрын

@@kevinschaefer3945 don’t think where it was made is a problem. iPhones are made in China. Amd CPU’s are made in Malaysia.

@JohnVKaravitis

2 жыл бұрын

@@commonaffection1703 You've proven Kevin's point.

@nycbearff

2 жыл бұрын

@@commonaffection1703 You've come up against American jingoism here - yes, foreign manufacturers can do as well or better than the best American manufacturers could - but the formerly American companies that moved their operations abroad to increase their profits also cut back on quality to increase their profits even more. Foreign workers get the blame for the cost-cutting and planned obsolescence that American companies designed into their foreign factories.

@ColoradoStreaming

Жыл бұрын

I have a Timex Expedition I use for camping etc and confirm it is an unnecessarily loud watch.

I dug up a 1960's timex watch that I found metal detecting. I wound it up and it still worked!

@NeikoGarcia

4 жыл бұрын

Alan Morgan takes a diggin kept on tickin

My Timex is beautiful. I got it for $1 from a thrift store. It makes my homelessness seem a little farther away when I'm in public.

@patanderson9419

4 жыл бұрын

Christopher Leamons homeless with a computer? Hmm

@smnwbb

4 жыл бұрын

@@patanderson9419 Never heard of a library?

@DM-qm5sc

3 жыл бұрын

Bill Boad he has a profile pic and everything. Come on dude.

@BeckVMH

3 жыл бұрын

I think Christopher is just being condescending toward anyone that wears or wore a Timex. Of course, he could be kidding around for another reason and no harm intended.

@Tendomcgoobin

3 жыл бұрын

@@DM-qm5sc You're an idiot.

My Dad was a machinist and worked very hard to support his family. He owned the same Timex watch for over 25 years. the watch was beaten up and the crystal was cracked but it ran for years and years

I had an Omega seamaster 007 version, between ripping the hairs out of my wrist to the crown digging into the back of my hand it was a torturous watch to wear even for a few hours, sold it on ebay and been wearing the most comfortable watch at a fraction of the cost, The Timex Allied collection.

I had an Timex Indiglo model that followed me through several years in the army. Cheap (so I didnt have to worry about it getting broken or worse stolen), sturdy, and it had the really good indiglo feature of lighting up the entire watchface, not neccetating using a light to see what time it was. Working in an enviroment where you cannot always use a flashlight in the dark was perfect.

@AsbestosMuffins

2 жыл бұрын

I have the same watch, its pretty reliable and the glow feature is great

@MASSIVEsock

2 жыл бұрын

Same, I use my in the Aus army and it's great, not to mention how much better it looks than some shit house G-Shock

Sounds like Timex made a watch for the masses by streamlining the process and using alternative, less-expensive materials and then marketing them aggressively. The Wal-Mart of watches, ahead of their time.

@thomasneal9291

4 жыл бұрын

americans have always been suckers for good marketing over quality. every time. including presidents.

@richardbrobeck2384

4 жыл бұрын

I agree

@Greg042869

4 жыл бұрын

A Bic lighter.

@speedmastermarkiii

4 жыл бұрын

What part of "Eisenhower put tariffs on imported watches to give Timex an advantage" didn't you understand?

@wlonsdale1

4 жыл бұрын

Thomas Neal yep. People fell for obama because of that

I’m a leader of a test engineering and metrology lab and my guess is that when they say accurate to .001 seconds it means to within .001 seconds per second. When you convert his to sec per day it is 86 sec per day. 😂. This makes sense to me as you can totally market something with horrible specs and hide behind not giving units to make it look as awesome as you can while not opening yourself to a lawsuit.

When I was a child I went through my entire teenage years wearing a Timex heritage moondial, sadly I lost it. My Dad brought it for me. Sadly it didn’t make it. 35 years on, I’m on eBay and I found the watch! But they’re in bad shape and don’t work. So recently I purchased another Timex to rekindle and reunite my love for it, and it’s very much like my old watch. I adore it, it’s personal to me, and I do not intend to have it as a collectors piece but it’s my beautiful personal watch. P.s that watch I saw on eBay was £20 more expensive than what my Dad paid for it in ‘92.

My mom worked in a Timex factory. I think it was in Watertown, Ct. I spent about a month at Timex in another location as a temp worker. Maybe Torrington. Long time ago. If you look up the Timex history, it started as the Waterbury Clock Co. In James Joyce's 'Ulysses' the author mentions the protagonist's Waterbury watch. Waterbury was at one time called 'Brass City' because it was one of the world's leading producers of brass. There were all kinds of factories there. Many of them supplying the auto industry and military. The same company that made Timex at one time supplied parts for missiles. Now Waterbury has very little to offer but a high crime rate.

@joshz9976

2 жыл бұрын

To be fair, all those businesses bailed on Waterbury. No new businesses replaced them, and the city fell apart. Still going downhill, unfortunately, glad I moved out recently

@luther_beckett

2 жыл бұрын

@@joshz9976 It's a little more sinister than that. Businesses bailed on America and moved manufacturing abroad. There was a push for that from the globalists.

The .001 seconds is how off each second can be. ie a Timex second can be 1.001 seconds or 0.999 seconds. That translates to about +/- 84-85 seconds a day

@robertbrowne7880

4 жыл бұрын

People who owned Timex reset the time every day when winding.

@costrio

3 жыл бұрын

@@robertbrowne7880 Exactly! Also, be 5 mins early for important appointments. Splits the difference and being too early sometimes impresses people.

@oscarosullivan4513

2 жыл бұрын

@@costrio I agree

I beg to differ, my old man makes good money reselling used Timex watches on EBay he has collected over the years when nobody wanted them. There are more and more people out there collecting them. Especially since they are an affordable entry into the hobby.

i bought my first watch, a '64 marlin, a couple weeks back. having a watch manufactured the year jfk was shot (and the year the beatles rose to fame in its country of manufacture) is real neat. i can't imagine all the places it's been and people who've owned it, winding and setting it makes me feel like the latest in a long chain of owners. i understand the internals are nothing fancy, but for the ~$75 i paid i'm more than happy (i've seen models in similar condition go for around $250, which i would now be more than happy to pay after being acquainted with this watch). regardless, vintage timex's represent accessible pieces of horological history for those who want to get into the hobby, they definitely have their place.

@MrTruckerf

7 ай бұрын

JFK was assassinated in Nov. '63, so you are off by a few weeks, Vladimir.

I got beaten senseless wearing a Timex & I used my watch arm to deflect blows. The glass broke but it still kept ticking. I loved that watch! She lit up when I squeezed her.

@MrOstefar

3 жыл бұрын

Nice story, but of course I hope that you are ok. Sounds like an Indiglo model. I hope you kept it and put a new glass. I would imagine that this watch, or at least the memory of a Timex, is dear to you :)

In the 1980s I worked on a rough framing crew. I "borrowed" a Timex watch from my dad. I was the only person on the crew with a watch and became the official time keeper. it was my call as to when breaks, lunch and quitting time occurred all thanks to my marginally accurate Timex. For 4 years I tortured that watch hand-nailing and running equipment in the worst of conditions. As long as I remembered to wind it, it always worked. I've always wondered how long a "good" watch would have lasted...never made enough money to find out.

Growing up with mostly with my grandparents, the old man always had on him a Timex watch, Farm work was hard and difficult. Timex took the beating and keep up on working! I have multiple Timex myself.

It was what it was.. the Model T of watches.. Cheap and tough. I had one when I was a kid and it lasted for years. Still, a quality jeweled movement can be completely broken down, cleaned, reassembled and adjusted and last another 100 years.

I have a collection of watches that includes Omegas, Longines, JLCs, Perragaux, Seikos. Hamiltons, Bulovas, Enicars, Edox, Eternas etc. And one old automatic Timex dress watch, that looks great and I wear it quite often.

@WondersofWatchdom

4 жыл бұрын

Sounds like a nice variety. The Eternas are a nice touch.

@amitd5134

4 жыл бұрын

Which is your favourite of them.all ?

The first time they did the boat motor test, they did it in a lake. And when they pulled the motor up the watch was gone. Timex showed they could laugh at them self. Great going John Camron Swazy.

I've repaired hundreds of Timex.. it's only the balance staff that is "V-Conic". The rest of the pivots are normal but still can break. Great watches for folks just starting out in watch repair to work on.. help you gain confidence in removing dials, hands, movements from cases, etc...

This video has a lot of significance to me. I found it back in January when I was first starting to get into watches. At the time, I had just bought a Timex Southview - my first ever timepiece. I knew almost nothing about horology and wanted to learn about the Timex brand, but I got interrupted halfway through the video and never went back to it. But in the time since, my collection has expanded to 9 watches from a variety of brands including Timex, Casio, Citizen, Orient and Seiko. Matter of fact, I finally managed to get my hands on a Seiko SARB035. And now the algorithm has shown me this video once again, and this time I actually got to watch it all the way through! So thank you for this video. Without the intrigue posed by the title and your description on movements, I likely wouldn't have gotten as interested in the inner working of wristwatches as I currently am.

@jakekaywell5972

3 жыл бұрын

Solid stuff you got there! However, I strongly recommend you look into vintage pieces for the $50-$100 USD price point. You might not think it, but there's choices here for solid mechanical movements with lovely cases, dials, and history attached. There's Poljot, Raketa, Luch, and others from the USSR. There's the forgotten Swiss marques such as Omikron and Cyma. Then there's the German Bifora and Junghans. You get the point. However, if you want to buy American, there's 1940s-50s Elgin and Bulova pieces out there for criminally low sums.

Wearing my Timex Expedition Scout watch right now!

My granddad always said "even a stopped watch, is right twice a day"

@Bill23799

4 жыл бұрын

Not a broke Digital watch...hehe.

@dontrend5956

4 жыл бұрын

Ooooh! Deep wisdom.

@cnault3244

4 жыл бұрын

A stopped watch is right twice a day, a watch that is 2 minutes fast ( or slow) is never right.

@SuperSuperswan

4 жыл бұрын

Once a day actually, as one would be pm and the other am.

@jennypalmersmythe2233

4 жыл бұрын

@@SuperSuperswan A day is 24 hours , Twice a day a is right.

I am new to collecting watches and know more about diagramming sentences than the differences between "in-house" and outhouse movements. However, this was absolutely mesmerizing. I watched this video all the way through, feeling every second that ticked by being an investment. I literally had no idea about what made a Timex a Timex, nor the purpose of jeweled movements - but now I do. I'm being totally serious when I say "thank you" for this very-well produced and informative lesson in watch history and mechanics. I honestly feel smarter this morning :-)

As I was tuned in to this interesting history about the Timex watch brand, I remembered my graduation quartz watch with LCD. With a brushed gold case It was a bulky watch case as it would get caught frequently on both my left shirt & jacket sleave. The watch bands often lasted longer than the bezel. I took an interest in Casio's because they kept introducing recording devices and calculator functions but were prone to wear faster. And the crystal was plastic. Every other year I replaced it. Suprised myself after viewing this show that I am wearing an Expedition watch with indeglo created by Timex which has outlasted 3 watch bands.

I had a Timex watch many years ago which was my first manual wind watch which was given to me by my grandfather here in the UK, I no longer have it but I do have a couple of Timex quartz watches one of which is an Expedition watch. I think the reason that Seiko started to dominate the market was the introduction of the Seiko 5 automatic watches which were affordable to everyone and had a lot more features on them, they are still probably one of the best selling watches today on the low end of mechanical watches. Casio are now one of the biggest selling brands with such a wide variety of digital and analogue watches which like the early Timex you can replace easily with a new one. The Casio G-Shock being one of the best watches on the market for being a very robust watch with having solar powered watches and radio control for accuracy and good water resistance all at a very affordable price.

Almost 20 minutes of pointing out how inferior Timex watches are and then show us your grandfather's ancient Timex which is still running....I IKE THAT KIND OF INFERIOR!!!!!

@touchofgrey5372

4 жыл бұрын

You beat me to it!

@ocudagledam

4 жыл бұрын

Yeah, but it's off by up to 2 minutes per day. That can add up to a full hour in a month, so you need to adjust it every other day if you don't want it to be off by more than 5 minutes. So, 10/10 on robustness, but the actual time keeping is shambolic, literally bottom of the barrel.

@zedorda1337

4 жыл бұрын

I think you misunderstand running and working. It was running but not working correctly enough to be considered a timepiece.

@noobfl

4 жыл бұрын

@@ocudagledam due to the fact, that they are manual wind watches, witch needs to wound up every day, its not a big buisness, to set the time every day ;)

@briandarlage9815

3 жыл бұрын

@@ocudagledam lol.. you watch people are loons.

Thanks for the great video on the history and technicalities, really explained some questions I've had from reading discussions on Timex!

When I went through explosives school while on active duty, we were instructed to have a simple wind up timex with a leather band. No digital or anything fancy. Awesome video

@Slouworker

2 жыл бұрын

Corruption ran that deep huh

@tonylittle8634

2 жыл бұрын

@@Slouworker 😂😂indeed

@nycbearff

2 жыл бұрын

@@Slouworker Lack of things that can spark is important around explosives. As is having a cheap watch that is very robust.

Although I am a novice watch collector, I can tell that you spent a great deal of time making this video. Much appreciated.

@WondersofWatchdom

4 жыл бұрын

Thanks I appreciate that

The indiglo was Timex best. Most practical watch ever, until Casio G-shock. Btw, you can split the plates on an old mechanical timex but you have to grind down riveted post. To re-assemble use tiny drop of super glue with oil dipper. You can remove pin palette/anchor wind up to spin movement with the Zippo lighter fluid trick. The fast spinning does better job than swish. That and set spinning in fluid with ultrasonic. Another trick is to tighten balance caps causing balance to freeze/stop then force turn the balance back and forth with finger. This burnishes pivot tips and conical caps into each other, smoothing surfaces. Then loosen cap to restore movement.

@theme7363

2 жыл бұрын

madman

Excellent video. Brought back many happy memories. I can remember how excited I was to get my first timex watch as a young boy. I'd take it off at night and lay it on my nightstand. The damn thing would keep me awake ticking like a timebomb. :)

I'm glad that I took the time to watch this. I learned something that I always wondered about. Thanks for posting.

I have been collecting affordable vintage watches years ago. I actually remember having a watch like your grandfather, and several other Timex's from the 70's. I think you have said a lot of correct things about the movements. Most of the ones I were manuals, and most didnt run. I had more luck with the automatics, they were a bit better looking and running better in general. Maybe the more expensive watch was taken better care of? I noted about the vintage Timex's in general: No solid steel cases, and the gold plating is very thin. Sometimes dial is stuck to the movement, and servicing is a drag, as you noted. Dials were generally beautiful and in better condition than their Swiss counterparts. The Timex dials were very glossy, maybe the extra coat of varnis protected the dials, and made them easy to clean. I have a Timex 100 (Swiss) and this watch seems similar parts-wise to Swiss watches from the time. I had several "Marlins" in different colors, wish I kept them - they were practically worthless then. Now they are re issued, albeit with better movements. Timex went all in on the Electromechanical watch market too. I respect the company and its place in history, eventhough Timex werent my favorite brand at all then.

"Timex: It takes a lick'n and keeps on tick'n!" Sort of "Where's the beef?" for watches.

@michaelholmes5324

4 жыл бұрын

I like you as a person.

@bladeguru6358

2 жыл бұрын

I hear you. But the Timex slogan is way more iconic.

I like Timex and I also like the Westclox "Dollar Watches". I learned about the lighter fluid service from looking for service tips to get a Westclox Engineer running that my dad gave me and have since performed the same service on several Timex watches.

I concur. I remember how the Timex watches were widely despised among click connoisseurs of the time. A friend of mine, who - fifty years ago - had a watch repair shop, says that he accepted to repair Timex watches with no warranty of success, and mostly for free. He used the "whole wash" trick, but he didn't use lighter fluid (naphta) for cleaning, but an industrial solvent, thrichloroethane IIRC. If the wash didn't fix the watch, the problem was usually in the escapement section: either the balance spring had became magnetised (he had a bench demagnetiser), or the escape pins were bent or the balance wheel was off-axis: the two last problems required the replacement of both parts, which when genuine were priced half the cost of a new Timex timepiece. Usually there were replicas available at 50¢, so the repair cost was kept under check. The reason I never donned a Timex was because of that one minute per day time error. The jewel free, metal on metal movement caused the timekeeping error to vary drastically with temperature, humidity, physical orientation and cleanliness of the air. Watches have been a passion for me and many friends; we used precise and affordable watches like Omega and Bulova. It was fun until the Quartz Disaster, when almost all small Swiss, Italian, German, British and French clock manufacturers went under in less than two years. But it was fun until it lasted: a clock keeping half-second or less per day, 17J, paid no more that today's £250, was the aim for everyone. I never had digital watches on my wrist. Today I wear a Japanese automatic W/date&day, less than 1 sec/day, as they are temperature compensated and use an Incabloc design for £200 - same aim of 50 years ago. Thank you for the video. I never thought possible that the Timex saga was still raging...

I stumbled on this video randomly on my recommend feed. I don't wear ever watches, or any jewelry for that matter. But for some reason I suddenly want a Timex Marlin.

@WondersofWatchdom

4 жыл бұрын

Love it!

The reason they were so great was you could count on getting a bran new watch every year. How cool was that? You got one for Christmas, Birthday, piano recital, Easter, Football game, home coming, graduation, marriage, new baby. the list goes on and on. That is why every grandpa had an old beat up one he wore out and never threw away and kept in a jewelry box and one day the grand-kids got it and played with it and looked at the wear and damage and thought lovingly about the grandpa, or father that wore it. Nobody could care less if it still worked or how much it originally cost, it was a part of your family. No other item could fill that spot except maybe grandma's dishes

I don't wear a watch, but I found this video to be interesting - thanks. I had a Timex when I was maybe 10 years old, and used it on my paper route (early 1970s). It had the elastic metal band that would tear the hairs from your arm. I've now inherited my great-grandfather's Elgin pocket watch from 1904 and will have it cleaned/serviced as a display.

I mean if you had the option of buying an $11 watch every 5 years or buying a $500 watch and servicing it for $30 every 5 years I'd go with the former thank you very much.

@WondersofWatchdom

4 жыл бұрын

It's actually about $200-300 to service a watch. That's why it only makes sense to service an expensive watch, unless you can do it yourself.

I've had a Timex for years & years. I'm old... With a memory problem.. I need the day & date... Please add the Year !!! for my memory.

Thanks for the video, really liked it. Been a watch collector since 10 years old. Timex has never been my focus, but I always have a two to four modern timex watches in my collection. They are great value for the money, and if something happens to them, it's no big deal (unless the watch has sentimental value). I'll keep my eye out for your next videos :)

Being new to collecting watches and having come across a few Timex watches, I am glad I saw your take on this brand. I am enjoying your channel content. You have a great voice for video narration. Thanks for sharing your knowledge with us.

Very informative and interesting. I actually remember both of those commercials when I was a youngster. I have learned to appreciate a good watch and have an Omega, a Tissot, and a Hamilton. Love them all.

I remember as a young lad (over 60 years ago), watching a watch repair/service fella servicing watches. It was just a small shop in Moss Side, Manchester (u.k.). He let me have a go at some of the work which involved taking the movement out of a watch then putting it into a fine metal basket. This was lowered into a liquid (solvent?) and switched on to spin. I forget what happened after that but I presume it was dried then lubricated.

I've had my quartz crystal Timex Expedition since 1998. It was my first watch; I've switched a few times in the past, but I always come back to it.

My old Timex wasn't keeping time very well even after replacing the battery, so I popped open the back of the case and gave it a squirt of WD40 into the movement. It's been a few years since then and it's working great!

This is a really good mini-documentary style video. Well done sir! I actually prefer my Timex watches to be honest. (Especially my Expedition). In my personal collection, I have five different Timex watches. As a side point, my 83 year old father who passed away a year ago, was an avid watch collector. I inherited his collection. Among the myriad of watches, including two Omega and three Rolex, (with original boxes and papers) were a handful of Timex from the 60’s. I think they are pretty cool actually. Ironically, I wear my Timex or Canadian Momentum watches daily as opposed to wearing one of dads Rolex or Omega, which I will wear on special occasions.

Seems like if you're truly into technology, and old time pieces... Timex would be a fun and inexpensive entry into the hobby. Screw the naysayers.

@everettgreenwood4338

4 жыл бұрын

Yup, I have a few antique watches and 2 of them are my grandfather's Timex's and they look great and still run fine

@Retired_Gentleman

4 жыл бұрын

Exactly. Visit anyplace that sells used or old watches and the Timex examples will always be affordable and still work.

@72Yonatan

3 жыл бұрын

They are ugly and have no art. The newly made Timex watches are based upon the original works, and they have elegant jeweled movements that are far more precise. Rugged is for the depression era, when people had little or no money.

@ethorii

3 жыл бұрын

Buy a Helbros or Benrus for $40 bucks on Ebay. You'll get a 17 jewel watch that might actually still work in a year, and can be serviced

@jakekaywell5972

3 жыл бұрын

@@ethorii Another brand to look at is Omikron. The post war ones were only ever sold in Yugoslavia, and consequently no one knows about them. You can get a beautiful 17 or 21 jewel mechanical movement from an actual Swiss marque for as low as $50. Ditto the USSR pieces, of which I have a couple, from the likes of Raketa and Poljot.

You're correct. I had a Timex in the 1960's and the watch repair guy flat out told me he doesn't work on Timex.

@BeckVMH

3 жыл бұрын

Haha and that’s still the response someone will receive from a traditional watchmaker.

That Timex movement looks almost exactly like the suspiciously cheap desk clock I have. The fact that they shrunk it down that much and kept it that reliable is impressive.

I have that exact gold Marlin you used in the video! I bought it in a garage sale decades ago & yes it still works!

I used to be snooty when it came to Timex. I guess because I associated them with like Wal-Mart Jewelry departments. But when I got my 1965 Timex Marlin back in 2016. Man, I have nothing but love for Timex. And they do actually have a pretty interesting history.

I wear a Timex Expedition every day. As a carpenter and a lefty, it gets the heck beat out of it. Been working like a charm since day one, Only a fool would spend hundreds or thousands for a watch.

@relosapulso

2 жыл бұрын

For how many years?

This is the absolute best video on the subject. Please make more videos as all the ones I have seen are absolutely amazing. Outstanding information, photography and narration. Thank you again for your wonderful work 👍🙏👏

Timex got me into watch collecting and to this day, Timex Southview was my very first watch, still is one of my favourite go to watch and got it for only CAD$75. passed it to my brother and he loves it as well. I got more expensive watches now and I still bought another Timex Southview in a different colour and this time around it was only CAD$60

Outstanding video, you answered a lot of questions I had. Peace

I must say, I don't think I owned a watch other than a Timex until I was out of college. Even know I have a Timex Quartz that's probably 15 years old and I've replaced the battery maybe twice (once I'm definitely sure of). It was an inexpensive watch but keeps great time, and if I'm doing any physical activity, I'll wear it before I'd ever wear my Tissot, Bulova, or Orient watches (I damaged one expensive Seiko chronograph at work when I accidentally bumped it into a brick wall; after that I started wearing the Timex again). I do have a Massey-Tissot that I bought early this year that was not drastically more than a mid-range Timex but it has a sapphire crystal, seems to be of excellent quality, and keeps great time.

i love the irony of highlighting the short lifespan/disposable nature of timex watches using your grandpa's still-functioning timex watch. thanks for the informative history lesson :)

@WondersofWatchdom

Жыл бұрын

First time it was wound in about 40 years, and it’s too inaccurate to be wearable even after oiling, so not particularly ironic. Anyway glad you liked the history lesson: though low-quality, old Timex are interesting and unique watches.

I own only Timex watches, and I personally love their design. I have one for each occasion, my daily wear has gone through so much abuse, yet it runs so well and looks great after 9 years.

Great video. Treated with reverence, respect and facts. Like Marmite, you either love Timex, or you hate them, but they're still there. I had one as my first affordable timepiece. Bought it with my hard earned paper round money in 1972.

I still own my very 1st watch I purchased in the 60’s, a Timex and it still runs and was sent to Timex once under warranty.

My Grandfather gave me a Timex automatic for my 16th Birthday 43 years ago. I still wear it from time to time to this day.

Today Timex is a good product. The watches people really love and is bought exclusively are the Expedition, Waterbury, Easy Reader, New England and the Marlin that we’ve known since the 60s and 70s. These watches is up to date in this era and made very good in the Philippines as well. But the USA made ones are incredible.

I have the same Timex, was also one of my late grandfathers'. Have the same silicone mat on my workbench!

I freaking love Timex and have 7 of them.

@jeffreypetchharrison4363

4 жыл бұрын

same here i do like the auto watch i also have 5 electric real sparks fly when you wear them on yer wrist ..jeff

@robotube7361

4 жыл бұрын

You must be American then :)

@Chief_5

4 жыл бұрын

Tony Phillips you my friend are a collector

@hoihoi12250

4 жыл бұрын

I have two!

The Timex Expedition I am wearing at the moment I purchased for $12 in Houston Texas in 1993 and apart from changing the battery I have not had to adjust anything, It certainly keeps time sufficiently for me and has done for almost 30years. Brilliant piece of kit.

My Timex boys watch is now over 50 years old and is still going, it took hell of a beating and spent a lot of time in salt water when I was a kid but has been serviced by a friend who is a horologist and still gets worn occasionally.

great video, and thanks to you for showing us a bit of history and understanding the historical context of Timex. I prefer the old Timex, in fact I have a Marlin from the 60s

I remember many years ago that Timex had a repair / factory sales facility in North Little Rock Arkansas. My uncle lived nearby and took his and my relatives’ broken Timex watches into the repair office. The repair person would take the watch apart, take the movement out and toss it into a bin and replace it with a new one. I think there was a flat $10 charge.

@WondersofWatchdom

4 жыл бұрын

Very interesting. i guess the parts cost less than the labor would.

My first watch in the early 1950's here in UK was my "pride and joy" Hopalong Cassidy Boys watch, so thank you for your excellent video. I now wear my father's 1955 Smiths de Luxe which keeps very good time.

Very interesting, thanks👍 it's been a long time since I had a Timex. I recently bought a 36mm mechanical Mk1 field watch, I am very impressed with it, it is now my daily watch and it keeps great time.

You hit the nail on the head, the Timex marketing is what made it a success, the first Drugstore watch, commercials by John Cameron Swayze, Patrick Swayze's father. The watch industry focused on out performing the Timex disposable concept and got ambushed by the Japanese quartz! My first Timex sport watch, 1973, gained 6 minutes per day. Really the Carravelle was a much better watch but Bulova got out marketed. This is pretty strange considering marketing was Bulova's secret to success in the early part of the 1900's.

@WondersofWatchdom

4 жыл бұрын

Great story, thanks for sharing.

When the band of the Timex broke, you simply visited the local pharmacy where you could buy a Speidel Twist-O-Flex replacement band for roughly the same price as the watch.

@TheCondoInRedondo

4 жыл бұрын

@Cr6479 Fair question. There are two reasons: 1) Because a Twist-O-Flex was considered a far better band than you'd get with a Timex. Actually, it was perceived as an inexpensive luxury until you actually wore one and your arm hairs would get caught between the links and.... Ouch! 2) Even cheap watches had sentimental value depending upon how/when they were obtained. Your question is asked within the context of modern economy and ultra cheap products where nobody thinks to repair the product when it breaks. You just buy another copy. When your TV remote control breaks, you hop onto Amazon or wherever and order a new one. But "replacing broken stuff" was not the mentality either before WWII or in the post-war years. In fact, it was not the mentality at all until America's currency went off the gold standard in the 1970s. Before that, you had your shoes repaired, you sewed lost buttons onto a blouse, you tuned your own car and scraped/regapped your spark plugs instead of buying new ones. You had your old tube hifi unit repaired or you took your vacuum tubes into the local Lafayette or Radio Shack and tested each one on a machine in the store and self-repaired your own radio or television set. Life on the gold standard was very much different than it is today. Folks who couldn't afford stuff would use layaway plans. Banks would encourage savings with Christmas accounts. In fact, there weren't even credit cards back then. Yes, there were charge cards, which are different. They looked the same, but the entire balance had to be paid off each month. There was no expectation by the banks that you'd use a card to borrow money. There was no such thing as "revolving credit". If you didn't pay off your entire balance, your card stopped working until it was paid off... or, the card was cancelled and you still had to pay off the debt. Not to get lost in the minutia... The point is that purchasing culture was very different when Timex was the best-selling watch in America. It was because more expensive watches were difficult for working stiffs to obtain. If the watch itself wasn't broken... but the strap was... you got a new strap, not a new watch. Now, to clarify... If you wanted to simply replace the band/strap that broke, that would cost less than a new Timex watch, fersure. But treating yourself to a Speidel Twist-O-Flex... welllll, that was Speidel's marketing pitch. When your strap broke... your watch was still probably good. So improve it by getting a Twist-O-Flex band!

@HotCrossJuns

4 жыл бұрын

@@TheCondoInRedondo I agree that American spending habits have definitely changed over time, but I don't think it has much to do with the gold standard at all. I would argue that the mass outsourcing of manufacturing to countries like China played a more significant role than anything else, as now goods are cheaper for everyone to buy, but are also more cheaply produced (so they break more often). Additionally, with increases in technology, it's now almost impossible for us to make any significant repairs to our stuff. I have friends that are computer and electrical engineers, and even they bring their phones to Apple/Samsung when something goes wrong. Why? Because electronics are essentially designed to be as hard to repair as possible. Additionally, because phones are now $1000, no one can try to tinker and experiment to improve because the risk associated with messing up is too great. You see this happen with cars as well. Half the time that I bring my car into the shop, an employee just plugs it into a computer and does everything from there. The age of car owners being able to understand everything about their engines, and make repairs themselves is over, sad as it is to admit. Also, to address you point that "It was because more expensive watches were difficult for working stiffs to obtain." It's worth noting that adjusted for inflation, average wages have actually gone down since the 60's. To make matters, worse, "entry level" luxury watches (Rolex, Omega, JLC, Tudor, etc.) have become even more expensive than they were. So it's actually harder than ever for the average American to buy a nice watch for themselves.

@stevek8829

4 жыл бұрын

@@TheCondoInRedondo who told you all that missleading crap? It's obvious you never took an economics course in your life. Going off gold was overdue and didn't change life or habits. Lay away plans are stupid and people wised up. Revolving credit was well established by the seventies, just ask Wilma and Betty in the "Flintstones."

Ive had a marathon digital for a while about 4 years and i love it. I work construction and it's nice not having to worry about knocking it or it getting water damage. Its a part of me so many times ive forgotten to take it off while showering. Its still running strong