That '70s look and its appeal is just as strong today as it was more than 40 years ago. Mechanical watches and reissues are also part of our brand strategy today, and in addition to the extensive line of Q releases we have done to date. There is also the MK1 and the Marlin hand-wound and mechanicals that riff on this heritage. For now, though, we see the most strength in our Q collection reissues. Are each of the models fairly faithful to their inspiration, or have you upgraded or improved the designs to suit the modern wearer?
We have tried to replicate the aesthetic values of the original watches as closely as possible. The case designs and measurements are per the original watches and the movements have been selected to replicate the original functions or recreated in the case of the Q Timex Reissue Digital LCA. However, we have upgraded the case materials to stainless steel and in the case of some functions, such as the lighting system on the LCA, we have replicated the look of the single bulb to the side of the display as used decades ago, only this time using a single LED bulb.
The first Q reissue was an instant hit, selling out multiple times. Were you at all surprised by its incredible success, or did you anticipate its resonance with the Timex audience? At the start, we chose styles for Q reissues that we thought would resonate most with watch collectors and Timex enthusiasts, so we were not surprised at how excited they were about the first Q Timex Reissue.
We also choose reissue styles where the design aesthetic and functionality have a story to be told. As you know, the Q story is one of our favorites and we are glad to see it resonate so well with fans, too. The M79 was born out of consumer demand for great styling but with an automatic movement.
We just recently launched an all-black M79 , which in this same vain is sleek and has been popular. Tell me a bit about the new Marmont and its gold-colored case.
Were you inspired by Hollywood, given its name and opulence? The Marmont has a very unique case design with a reverse and concave curvature on its top profile. And yes, it is Hollywood-inspired. It makes you dream, and it gives you a glamorous and chic look to go along with it. Where does this new model fit into the collection — do you imagine customers owning both the Marmont and something in steel, more for everyday wear?
The Marmont is special in its uniqueness and allure — you can tell just by the design that it is different from all other Qs before it. Some people will put it on to add glamour to their everyday look and for others, it may not be a watch for everyday use, but for special occasions. True fans will love it, appreciate its story, design, and know how to wear it. Before you shop, arm yourself with information to help you determine whether the watch is real.
Only purchase from reputable auction houses, stores, dealers or estate sales. Online fraud is abundant. Before you begin, have a watch or brand in mind; find photographs and markings that will help you identify the watch.
There are some collectors who have created an online show and tell , which can be helpful. If possible, look inside the watch to make sure the parts match and that the caliber number is identical to the watch back. If the watch is scratched, rusty or has nicks, it will detract from the value and watch restoration fees can be costly.
Talk to a Character watch specialist , someone who repairs these watches. He or she is sure to know more than the person selling the watch, especially since most sale listings you see will be devoid of specific details.
If you purchase from eBay, be aware of a few things before you buy: Check out the seller: At the top of the listing beside the seller's handle or name, you will see a number and a star.
That number should be high in the thousands , which shows that the person has been selling for awhile. A red star next to his name is equal to top seller status, although there are excellent sellers with lower grades of stars. You should also be able to see comments from buyers. However, keep in mind that eBay protects the seller more than the buyer, and will handle a fraudulent or misrepresented transaction on your behalf and, if necessary, refund your purchase price.
Where to Buy Your Ticker Places to consider buying your vintage watch from include: Invaluable online auctions represent a handful auction houses, fewer than LiveAuctioneer. You can also opt for a "lot" or group of items that may have a couple Timex watches in the group.
However, practice due diligence and investigate the seller, or auction house. Yard sales, garage sales , flea markets and estate sales: Note that estate sales mark up the contents of the home for which they represent to supplement agents' commissions. Some of the greatest and most valuable merchandise can be found at yard and garage sales and flea markets. The steadily increasing number of Baby Boomers are downsizing their living space or are downsizing their parents' homes.
You can search eBay. Enter "Vintage Timex Watches" in the search field. In the left hand column, click on "completed items. If you click on the listing, you will find more information about the item, additional photos, and seller information.
Timex Watch or Watch Forums can offer advice and valuable information and links. Timex has maintained market superiority since that time by introducing innovative designs and technology. Timex Corporation has manufactured the largest-selling watch brand in the United States since the s.
Renowned for its sturdy but inexpensive timepieces, Timex distributes its watches through , outlets in the United States, as well as throughout the world. Timex evolved from three notable 19th-century clockmakers: the Waterbury Clock Company, a manufacturing firm established in ; the Waterbury Watch Company, founded in , maker and seller of pocket watches on an international scale; and Robert H.
Ingersoll and Brothers, also an international manufacturer and marketer of pocket watches since During World War I, a new timepiece--the wristwatch--became popular.
Easier to use than the pocket watch, wristwatches were in high demand with soldiers for their convenience in battle. Both the Waterbury Watch Company and Ingersoll and Brothers marketed wristwatches during the war and afterwards when demand for the novel timepiece remained strong. They purchased the nearly bankrupt Waterbury Clock Company, seeking to aid the allied war effort by producing bomb and artillery fuses that utilized clockwork mechanisms.
During this time, Lehmkuhl decided to convert the Timex plant to mass produce inexpensive timekeeping devices. Using the simplest and most standardized production methods available, Lehmkuhl's plant incorporated a high degree of mechanization in the manufacturing process. Furthermore, the wristwatches Timex manufactured used hard alloy bearings, producing a more rugged and less expensive alternative to watches that used jewels.
Timex's product and production methods eventually won Lehmkuhl a reputation as "the Henry Ford of the watch industry. The first Timex watches rolled off the assembly line in and soon became known for their dependability. At the time, most watches were sold by jewelers, who typically marked up prices by 50 percent.
To keep its prices low, Timex insisted on only a 30 percent markup, and, consequently, most jewelers refused to sell Timex watches. Robert Mohr, head of Timex's marketing operation, opted to bypass the jewelers, instead selling the watches directly to consumer outlets including drugstores, hardware stores, and even tobacco stands.
During the s and s Mohr built a distribution network that reached nearly , outlets. Advertising heavily both to build its name and to sell the dependability of its watches, Timex relied chiefly on the visual impact of television.
Commercials depicted Timex watches remaining functional and accurate after being attached to churning boat propellers and the hooves of galloping horses. The phrase "takes a licking and keeps on ticking" became widely known, and by the late s Timex watches accounted for about half of U.
During this time, the company deliberately underproduced, manufacturing only 85 percent of the watches it thought it could sell. This practice created a scarcity that kept prices up and dealers tractable. The company further secured its leadership position in the market by using new designs and technology in the years following the s. In addition to the manufacture of timepieces, Timex continued to produce the clockwork mechanisms for the military that it had begun during the war.
Timex facilities were also used to assemble cameras for Polaroid. Yet change lay just around the corner, as the firm was facing intense competition in a changing market. Although few companies producing watches in the same price range as Timex could challenge the company for quality or popularity, digital electronic watches were rapidly overtaking the conventional watch. Timex began producing digital watches in , but it had not moved as fast as its competition. By digital watch prices had fallen into the price range of the company's mechanical watches, and Timex began losing market share.
Also during this time, Timex management was in turmoil. Lehmkuhl had reportedly become increasingly eccentric and difficult to work with, and in Olsen's son Fred had the year-old founder and chairperson removed from office.
Furthermore, the company's three presidents were constantly at odds, and when electronics experts were brought in to help the company fight for digital watch market share, the infighting intensified and the company suffered.
Timex was soon restructured to reflect Fred Olsen's belief that making electronic watches required a radically different approach than that of mechanical watches.
The mechanical watch operation was thereafter isolated from the new electronic operations, a change that eventually created resentment among the employees.
The restructuring also led to numerous mistakes as the isolated electronic division was unable to take advantage of the mechanical division's experience. Consequently, Timex's electronic watches were awkwardly large and 50 percent more expensive than those offered by competing firms in the mids.
Believing that sales of mechanical watches were in an irreversible decline, management planned to keep production capacity below the level of likely sales in order to make as much money from the line as possible as the market shrunk. Advertising for mechanical watches virtually ceased, and, as spending decreased, the capital was shifted to the manufacture and sale of digital watches.
The entire watch industry had a good year in , and Timex decided to slow the downsizing of mechanical watch production. However, the company failed to reinstate its advertising budget, and, as a result, its only profitable product began to decline in popularity. Sister corporation TMX Ltd. During this time, chief executive Robert Weltzien began diversifying the company.
He bought a clock and timer operation from General Electric Co.
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