Time after Timex

MANILA, Philippines - When a brand has spanned over a century and a half, its products tell its story best. Legendary American watchmaker Timex marks its 160th anniversary this year, hand in hand with the unveiling of its archival designs. “The fact that Timex has been around for 160 years, we have so much to talk about,” says Timex’s vice president for Asian markets, Guglielmo Bertani. “It has been around even before the railroad, telephone or even before the light bulb was invented. It’s seen so much during its history. It’s something really original, authentic, iconic, 100 percent in tune with the period. That’s why it’s very successful all over the world.” Alongside Timex’s current fall/winter collections, the brand also revealed its pioneering watches. Among them is the Waterbury 1854. “The Waterbury 1854 Collection is very much tied to our history in terms of style and look,” Bertani says. “It’s a redefined classic vintage watch, which bears a direct link to the birthplace of the company.”

INCEPTION

Founded in 1854 by brass manufacturer Benedict & Burnham in Waterbury, Connecticut, the Waterbury Clock Company singlehandedly turned the American suburb just a short distance from New York into the “Switzerland of the United States,” churning out clocks that matched the precision and techniques of their European counterparts.

The revival of the Waterbury Collection takes us back to the beginnings of some of the world’s first wristwatches. During the height of the First World War, the Waterbury Clock Company modified the Ingersoll Midget ladies’ pocket watch, adding a canvas strap, a side-positioned crown, and a luminescent hand and number display. This made the first wristwatches standard military issue.

Released just in time for the holidays, the Waterbury 1854 Collection showcases the same pared-down elegance, classic color schemes, and early modernity of its antiquated originals. And to mark this time-telling milestone, 160 limited-edition pieces of the Waterbury 1854 will be given to global celebrities who, Timex believes, best personify the brand. 

“While I can’t tell you who they are yet, these will all be iconic American celebrities,” Bertani disclosed. Yet, after adorning the wrists of other popular American figures like crooners Frank Sinatra and Elvis Presley, actors Bob Hope and Denzel Washington, even President George W. Bush himself, this perennial Timex move isn’t new. 

Even pop-culture giant Mickey Mouse was a Timex endorser, saving the brand from the worst of the Great Depression in the 1930s. A license agreement with Walt Disney brought to life the famous Mickey Mouse watches and clocks, which were first issued at the Chicago World’s Fair of 1933, quickly making the company its first million.

PROGRESSION

“Today, there is a very strong trend for vintage or classic styles, not only in what’s old, but there’s a renewed interest in history,” notes Bertani. “When today’s people look at owning a watch, they are more interested in looking for original things, for things that re-express certain styles and certain periods.”

That’s why, in another remix of the Timex archives comes the ’80s collection.

During the punk and new wave decade, Timex introduced its first digital watches, to much success. With its steel strap and casing embodying an LCD digital typeface display, these products were considered “high-tech timepieces.”

Today, the ’80s collection still looks timely in the age of hip-hop and hipster. With more approachable designs and enhanced product quality, Timex dominated the mass-market segment throughout the ’80s with promises of longer battery life, more durable gold plating, greater accuracy and more water-resistant styles.

EXPLORATION

To mark the Ironman Triathlon of 1986, Timex came out with the Ironman line that became the bestselling watch in the United States, and the world’s largest-selling sport watch before the next millennium. So successful was the Timex Ironman, in fact, that President Bill Clinton sported his during his White House residency.

“Timex is really the quintessential American watch,” says Bertani. “It’s the first watch that most people wear in the US, and everyone in the US owns or is wearing one at some point in their lifetime. This has been true for over 50 years, and it’s been a big part of American life.”

Another notable watch was the 1994 Timex Datalink. This first line of smart watches introduced by the brand made data storage possible in a wristwatch, just like a computer. Because of this, the Datalink became one of four watches qualified by NASA for space travel and has since seen its fair share of outer space.

Matching the growing outdoor lifestyles of its consumers, Timex launched the Expedition series in 1997, which became a line designed for rugged sporting, made with more robust materials and structures that withstand shock, water, and air pressure.

For its new collection, Timex introduces the ISO-certified shock-resistant Shock Expedition series. Adding to Timex’s growing line of dynamic watches, the Shock Expedition comes in three models:  the Vibe Shock, with the largest case size and vibrating alarm function; the Globe Shock, which makes 30 time zones viewable on your wrist; and the Base Shock, with the most compact case and convenient size.   

INNOVATION

After the World Trade Center bombing of 1993, Timex made headlines with their recently patented Indiglo technology. An office worker caught in the debris guided a group of evacuees down a dark, treacherous flight of stairs with his Timex Indiglo wristwatch. This heroic act cemented the subsequent success of the watch.

Twenty years onward, and now in dressy analog watches, chronographs and tachymeters that all bear the same green-blue luminous display that the brand pioneered, the Indiglo still enjoys quite a following among Timex aficionados.

In the same spirit of innovation, last August Timex launched the first consumer stand-alone wireless connectivity watch. The Timex Ironman One GPS+ offers a precise satellite-powered positioning system, minus the need for a telephone connection. 

“When things have been there for so long, it tends to be a part of the culture of a country or a people, and not just an accessory or a brand anymore,” Bertani says. “Timex is one of the few brands that is in this position.”

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Timex is located on the second level of Glorietta 3; second level, SM Mall of Asia; second level, SM Megamall Bldg. A; lower basement, SM North Edsa; and the second level of TriNoma.