Timex History

1850s-1870s : Waterbury Clock made timekeeping affordable for working class Americans. Its inexpensive yet reliable shelf and mantel clocks, with cases designed to imitate expensive imported models, contained simple, mass-produced stamped brass movements. Waterbury Clock's products grew out of a long tradition of innovative clockmaking that developed in Connecticut's Naugatuck Valley, known during the nineteenth century as the "Switzerland of America."

1880s : Waterbury Watch, a sister company, manufactured the first inexpensive mechanical pocket watch in 1880 and quickly sold more than any other firm in the world. The "Waterbury," known for its extraordinarily long, nine-foot mainspring, was assembled by a predominantly female workforce whose dexterous fingers were prized for the close and exacting work. Waterbury pocket watches sold throughout North America and Europe, and could be found in Africa, where they were presented as gifts to native chieftains, and as far away as Japan.

1900s : By the turn of the twentieth century, the watch industry's first and most successful mass marketer, Robert H. Ingersoll, worked with Waterbury Clock to distribute the company's "Yankee" pocket watch, the first to cost just one dollar. Twenty years later, with nearly forty million sold, the "Yankee" became the world's largest seller and "the watch that made the dollar famous." Everyone carried the Yankee: from Mark Twain to miners, from farmers to factory workers, from office clerks to sales clerks.

1917 : During World War I, the U.S. Army required Waterbury Clock to re-tool the Yankee pocket watch into a convenient new "wristwatch" for soldiers; after the war, returning veterans continued to wear the handy timepiece, and civilians took them up in huge numbers during the 1920s.

1930s : The popularity of a brand new cartoon character led Waterbury Clock to produce the very first Mickey Mouse clocks and watches in 1933, under an exclusive license from Walt Disney. Despite the deep shadow cast by the Great Depression, within just a few years, parents bought two million Mickey Mouse watches for their children. Originally priced at $1.50, these same watches are collector's items that today command higher and higher prices.

1940s : During World War II, the newly renamed U.S. Time Company completely converted its factories to wartime manufacturing. Over the course of the war, it turned an eighty-four year tradition of reliable mechanical timekeeping to the record-breaking production of more high-quality mechanically-timed artillery and anti-aircraft fuses than any other Allied source.

1950s : U.S. Time's wartime expertise in research and development and advanced mass production techniques led to the creation of the world's first inexpensive yet utterly reliable mechanical watch movement. The new wristwatch, called the Timex, debuted in 1950. Print advertisements featured the new watch strapped to Mickey Mantle's bat, frozen in an ice cube tray, spun for seven days in a vacuum cleaner, taped to a giant lobster's claw, or wrapped around a turtle in a tank. Despite these and other extensive live torture tests, the Timex kept ticking. When John Cameron Swayze, the most authoritative newsman of his time, began extolling the Timex watch in live "torture test" commercials of the late 1950s, sales took off. Taped to the propeller of an outboard motor, tumbling over the Grand Coulee Dam, or held fist first by a diver leaping eighty-seven feet from the Acapulco cliffs, the plucky watch that "takes a licking and keeps on ticking®" quickly caught the American imagination. Viewers by the thousands wrote in with their suggestions for future torture tests, like the Air Force sergeant who offered to crash a plane while wearing a Timex. By the end of the 1950s, one out of every three watches bought in the U.S. was a Timex.

1960s : The Timex brand name became a household word during the 1960s. Having completely conquered the low-priced market, the company upgraded and diversified its product line. It introduced the "Cavatina," its first women's brand in 1959 and with it, a revolutionary merchandising concept: the watch as an impulse item. For the price of one expensive watch, women could buy several Timex watches to match different occasions or ensembles. Technological advances allowed the company to offer a wide range of products, including the first low-priced electric watches for men and women, as well as several other, inexpensive jeweled models. Still another improved watch movement, introduced in 1961, served as the cornerstone for an extraordinary array of men's wristwatches.

1970s : By the mid-1970s, the renamed Timex Corporation had sold more than 500 million of these mechanical movements.

At this time, every other watch bought in the U.S. was a Timex, and the brand retailed in two hundred and fifty thousand different outlets. None of these manufacturing, sales, and distribution records has ever been duplicated by another watch manufacturer.

1980s : Alone among all domestic watchmakers, only Timex survived the brutal 1970s watch industry shakeout caused by new digital watch technology and fierce price competition from the Far East. Having gradually phased out mechanical watch production in favor of digital watches, in 1986 Timex introduced its "Ironman Triathlon®," jointly devised by serious athletes and industrial designers. Within a year, the "Ironman Triathlon®" became America's best-selling watch and, diversifying into a full line for men and women, became the world's largest selling sports watch, a distinction it has held throughout the 1990s.

1990s and Beyond : In the 1990s, a nearly 150 year-old Timex vigorously pursues its long tradition of technological innovation and market leadership. The company introduced the industry's first electroluminescent watch face in 1992, when the blue-green Indiglo® night light appeared on some of its digital and analog watches. Today, more than 75 percent of all Timex watches are equipped with the Indiglo night light®. The All-Day Indiglo® display, using a hologram-like material, provides greater contrast between digital numbers and the display background. In 1994, Timex introduced the Data Link® watch, a sophisticated wrist instrument that carries scheduling, phone numbers, and other personal information, having collaborated with Microsoft to create the necessary software to communicate the data from computer to watch. In 1998, Timex pioneered its i-Control™ turn n pull analog alarm watch and, in a joint venture with Motorola, a new wrist pager called Beepwear®.

Timex embraces the new millenium with high brand confidence and a strong global workforce.Annual surveys consistently rank Timex as number one out of fifty fashion brands in jewelry and accessories

and the third most popular of all women's accessory brands.Seventy-five hundred employees are located on four continents: in Middlebury (next door to Waterbury), Connecticut; Little Rock, Arkansas; Manaus, Brazil; Besancon, France; Pforzheim, Germany; Cebu, the Philippines; People's Republic of China; Jerusalem, Israel; and Delhi, India.

MONTBLANC - TimeWriter 1-Metamorphosis

The watch with two faces.






Press Release 

In founding the Minerva Institute two year ago, Montblanc was not merely concerned with ensuring the survival of the legendary manufacturer. The brand has also developed the Timewriter concept which supports projects by creative watchmakers with innovative ideas, of which the first concrete example is the TimeWriter 1-Metamorphosis.

TimeWriter 1-Metamorphosis

Designed by Johnny Girardin and Franck Orny, this watch changes face by means of an entirely original quick-change mechanism. Activating a slidepiece on the side of the teardrop-shape case entirely transforms the appearance of this timepiece displaying the hours, minutes, seconds and date into that of a complete chronograph. In the space of 15 seconds, four wings open on the lower part of the dial before disappearing beneath the central bar. Simultaneously, a similar sequence takes place with the two wings located on the regulator-type display at 12 o’clock.

The chronograph minute counter then appears, as if pulled up by a lift. This stunning visual effect will be savoured by just 28 devotees of fine watchmaking.


TimeWriter 1-Metamorphosis

Movement: mechanical hand-wound Calibre MB16.29, 55-hour power reserve
Case: white gold
Diameter: 47mm
Functions: in the classic version, hour counter, retrograde minutes, central seconds, date; in the chronograph version, centre seconds, 31-minute counter
Caseback: sapphire crystal
Strap: alligator strap
Water resistance: 30m
Limited edition: 28

MOVADO - Seeks New Avenues for Sustainability

In an effort to remain profitable, Movado has recently announced that they will be shutting down all but one of their boutique retail locations in the United States. Their flagship location in New York City’s Rockefeller Center will remain open, as will their outlet stores.



Press Release

Historically, recessions like the one we are currently in tend to be bad for high-end luxury brands like Movado. The strange thing about their recent announcement is that Movado hasn’t actually been hit as hard as many other brands.

The move to close down their boutique stores appears to be more of a well thought out plan for the future than a panicked worst-case scenario decision. Movado figures that if they concentrate on wholesale distribution to third party retailers, they can focus on what they do best, designing and producing quality wristwatches.

Some might question the logic of staying in the wristwatch industry at all in a world of cell phones and mp3 players and a million other ways to tell the time. In a recent interview with the New York Times, however, Movado’s president and chief executive Efraim Grinberg told the Times, “The market is never going to go away. In fact, the market for watches as fashion accessories is expanding.”

Omega Baselworld 2010

As usual Omega was at the Baselfair with a lot of nice waches.

 Constellation

 

And some DeVille

PloProf with the new white version

TAG Heuer - Suzann Pettersen as ambassador

A long-time friend of the Swiss brand, the Norwegian golf champion has recently joined the power pool of ambassadors proudly embodying TAG Heuer.





Press Release

Having started playing at 6 years old and having been a professional for seven years, Suzann Pettersen, now 29 and No. 3 women’s golf player in the world, represents TAG Heuer’s winning spirit. The thrill of winning majors is driving her and she thrives for the best; she wishes to earn the leading position on the official LPGA Money List, as she now is second.

A fan of the brand for many years, she enjoys wearing her Link model with diamonds as much as her Lady Aquaracer steel and gold, and recognizes herself in the sporty yet sophisticated message the brand wants to convey.TAG Heuer endorses women of particular talent whose appeal are based on their confident persona and excelling mindset.

TAG Heuer Aquaracer 500M Automatic Chronograph (44MM)

Water - Tag Heuer's deepest design source.






Press Release

The "AQUARACER 500M AUTOMATIC CHRONOGRAPH (44MM)"

The Swiss brand’s constant search for better performance in and on the water has led to some of its greatest luxury design achievements, including this year’s new AQUARACER 500M Chronograph and AQUARACER 500M Full Black.

TAG Heuer’s passion for the dreamworld of open seas and the demanding challenges of professional diving and sailing is as legendary as its love for the open road and the world of motor sports. The Swiss brand patented its first water-resistant case in 1895 and launched its first water-resistant wrist chronograph in 1939. In 1942, it presented its first regatta stopwatch, the YACHTING timer. The Heuer SOLUNAR (1949) was the world’s first watch with tide indicator, and the MAREOGRAPH-SEAFARER (1950) was the first chronograph with a tide level indicator and regatta dial counter on a sub-counter.

In 1968, it began outfitting boats with the NAVIA, a water-resistant instrument for boat dashboards. It also brought out the SKIPPER, a mechanical chronograph with regatta countdown, which was re-edited in 1972 as an automatic chronograph version.

In 1982, the 2000 SERIES was launched. Designed by Jack Heuer, the 2000 was the first line of professional sports watches equipped with the now-famous

“TAG HEUER 6 FEATURES”:

1) Scratch-resistant domed sapphire crystal with anti-reflection treated interior
2) Screw-in crown with double safety gaskets to prevent dust or water penetration
3) Water resistance guaranteed to 300 meters
4) Luminescent hands, hour markers and bezel scale for easy reading underwater
5) Unidirectional turning bezel to ensure error-free elapsed dive-time measurement
6) Double-safety, quick-action bracelet clasp to prevent accidental opening.

These technical specifications have since become the industry standard for authentic and highest quality dive and sports watches.

Hamilton Khaki Team Earth AUTO

Khaki Team Earth Collection

Harrison Ford and Hamilton create new watches in support of Team

Earth’s timely call to action on pressing environmental issues

Biel, May 2010 – The new Hamilton Khaki Team Earth Collection, designed in collaboration with Harrison Ford, is geared toward supporting a Conservation International (CI) convened coalition called Team Earth. Created as a platform to address some of the most pressing environmental issues of our day, Team Earth is committed to catalyzing personal and collective action to protect the environment via the connective power of the worldwide web. Under the motto, “It’s time to DO”, a significant portion of the proceeds generated by the new watch will go toward Team Earth’s global call to address five key issues, beginning with climate change and moving on to water, food, health and waste.

To do MORE

The Team Earth initiative aims to inspire individuals everywhere to do more to protect the future of the planet and less to threaten it. Harrison Ford has been on the board of directors of CI for 18 years. The Hamilton Khaki Team Earth Collection is the second series of watches created in collaboration with the American actor to benefit the work of the organization. Launched in 2008, the Hamilton Khaki Conservation Collection was extremely popular and the funds raised were able to contribute to some major conservation breakthroughs driven by CI. These have included the protection of 36,000 hectares of critical coastal land in South Africa and 2.6 million hectares in Namibia’s Sperrgebiet National Park, as well as the creation of important protected marine areas in Brazil and Equator. Harrison Ford explains, "I am proud to serve Conservation International as a campaigner. The first collection we created together with Hamilton proved a success. And Hamilton, by supporting CI's mission, is helping to achieve major conservation outcomes." Hamilton is looking forward to making a difference by supporting Team Earth’s efforts to encourage people everywhere to take care of their environment.

Perfect Watch

The Basics of Time

One of the most often asked questions in our store is, "does a watch that costs thousands of dollars tell time better than a cheap, drug store, throw away watch?" The answer is of course no. A $10 quartz movement will keep near perfect time...at least for a few months. Accuracy alone has little effect on the value or desirability of a watch. The truth is, those of us who love fine timepieces don't share this passion because we like watching the minutes tick by. We love fine watches because we know the time, effort, skill and artistry that goes into the design and production of each masterpiece. Fine watches are so special precisely because they are usually built around older mechanical technology, the basics of which has been around literally for centuries. It’s time tested engineering, modernized and improved, that simply works...usually for decades, without the need of a battery. To this day, the basic mechanical wrist watch is still acknowledged as one of mankind's greatest inventions. In fact, the more mechanical the movement, the more hand built parts it contains, the more it is actually worth. Value is a function of materials, labor, mechanical complication and rarity. Now lets get into the basic differences between timepieces.

Quartz Technology

Basic quartz technology is, believe it or not, an American invention. In the early 1970's, the Hamilton Watch Company in Lancaster, PA developed both LCD and Quartz time keeping technology. Quartz technology is remarkably simple. By passing a constant electric current through a quartz crystal, it vibrates at a constant frequency. The oscillating quartz crystal then drives the step motor to move the watch's hands at a constant rate. The battery, quartz crystal and step motor replaced the mainspring and gears of the venerable mechanical movement. Ironically, Hamilton chose to produce LCD watches and sold basic analog quartz technology to a little company called Seiko in Japan. Ten years later, Seiko was the largest watch company in the world. Today, however, the finest watches, mechanical and quartz, are built back where almost all early watch technology was born and perfected...in Switzerland.

Swiss Quartz

We believe the finest quartz movements are produced in Switzerland. They are the best of old and new. By using traditional mechanical based chassis and real jewels, the Swiss Quartz movements are the most rugged, accurate and reliable movements made. Quartz’s greatest advantage is cost and most watches under $1000 today use quartz movements. When choosing a watch, Swiss quartz is an excellent choice if you want to set it and forget it.

Automatic For the People

The most interesting and desirable watches are called Automatic watches. Automatic watches are mechanical watches that are driven “automatically” by harnessing the kinetic energy produced by simple human movement. Often called “self winding”, automatic watches save energy when a simple oscillating rotor at the base of the movement spins as the arm moves. That rotor winds a simple mainspring, storing up that energy, which is then released at a constant rate, moving the hands of the watch. The classic automatic movement is really quite a remarkable feat of engineering, requiring almost 200 precisely crafted parts, working in perfect harmony to keep proper time. Today's best automatics are so well built that, with proper maintenance, they will last for generations.

Life’s Great Complications

Complications are mechanical watches, usually automatic, that perform multiple timekeeping tasks. The more tasks and their degree of engineering difficulty are what give complications their collectable value. These are the true marvels of horology, some commanding tens of thousands of dollars on the market. Vintage handmade complications routinely sell for more than most automobiles. The most common of all complications is the chronograph. Chronographs are wrist born stop watches that can break down time into hours, minutes, seconds...often to 1/100th of a second. The chronograph's popularity is a function of it’s myriad of applications, from sports, including track, swimming, and racing, to aviation and navigation. Other complications include functions like moon phase, tides, power reserve indicators, and calendars showing day, date, even year. One famous, hand built complication, will actually track the time, day, date and year...accounting for leap years...for over one century! If you'd like to view some our watches online, visit our Fine Timepieces page. Visit our store to view our wide selection of favorite watches and get Free Shipping on Orders Over $100.

TAG Heuer Grand Carrera Calibre 6RS

WAV511A.FC6224

WAV511B.FC6224

WAV511C.FC6230

WAV511B.FC6230

Movement: TAG Heuer Calibre 6 RS C.O.S.C – Automatic – Rotating System at 6 o’clock indicating the small second - Date

Water resistance: 100 m

Crystal: Double anti-reflective curved sapphire crystal

Case: Ø 40.2 mm in fine-brushed steel with curved faceted polished horns - Double sapphire caseback sealed by 6 screws

Bezel: Fine-brushed and polished bezel

Dial:

• Rotating Small Second System at 6 o’clock decorated with Côtes de Genève and diamond polished facets
• Opalin central area and external spiral effect area
• Hand-applied curved faceted index with double finishings
• Hand-applied TAG Heuer logo
• hands with polished facets
• Luminescent markers on hands
• “Grand CARRERA – CALIBRE 6 - AUTOMATIC – CHRONOMETER OFFICIALLY CERTIFIED” written on the dial
• Date window at 3 o’clock

Crown: Oversize screw-in crown

Bracelet:

• 3 rows multi faceted steel bracelet. Finishing: alternated polished and fine-brushed central row and fine-brushed lateral rows with polished edges

OR

• Black alligator strap

OR

• Brown alligator strap

Clasp: Solid steel folding clasp with safety push buttons and applied TAG Heuer logo

Specifications may depend on the model.

**More Information About TAG Heuer Grand Carrera Calibre 6RS

BREGUET Type XXII 3880 ST

For the 50th anniversary of the Type XX, Breguet is introducing a contemporary, technically updated reinterpretation of that legendary chronograph.





For the 50th anniversary of the first deliveries of its famed Type XX watches designed for the French naval air arm, Breguet is introducing a contemporary, technically updated reinterpretation of that legendary chronograph, the Type XXII design. Its stainless steel case, 44 mm across, houses a Breguet chronograph movement with silicon escapement and flat balance spring whose frequency has been raised to 10 Hertz (i.e. 72,000 vibrations per hour), endowing the movement with exceptional regulating power, its chronograph seconds hand effecting a complete rotation in 30 seconds. The timepiece’s start function and readout are thus twice as precise.