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TIMEX

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The Waterbury Clock company became "U.S. Time" during the 40s and made components for the U.S. War Dept. In the 50s they became TIMEX and for the next 3 decades made the best, most durable watches around. (Remember the old John Cameron Swayze ads?)

Today they make some of the best quartz watches available and compete with a dozen or so major brands, but in the mechanical age they were the most successful watchmakers going. It's these old school mechanical Timex watches that caught my brain, so here is what I've found.

1953 Timex "Monroe"

This watch is beautiful! It's been around way longer than I have and obviously held up better than I have too! It's such an old Timex that it still has the name "U.S. TIME" stamped on the case back.

It ticks louder than my old "Gumby" watch, but that's okay. A light bit of shatter in the crystal and a tendency to gain a few minutes is all I have to put up with. The new croco watchband makes it seem like a really classy "old school" watch... which it is!

19xx Timex 100

I love this watch! It's the "Model-A" of Timex watches! Very basic, very simple and ticks forever!

I know I don't take the best picture in the world but I hope you can get a good idea of how stylin' this watch is. Its case is made of aluminium and it weighs nuthin'! It has a monster tick to it, prolly amplified by the Aluminium case, so when it's on you hear it more than you feel it.

Someday soon I'll learn to take a better picture. If you see one of these pick it up. It's a great watch and a great piece of Timex history.

1960 Timex Viscount Automatic

This beauty is one of the classic Viscount models. Viscount models are automatics. They have an internal rotor that winds the watch as you wear it. This is a beautiful self winder that suits my "black tee-shirt" moods!

1965 Timex Self Wind

This is the watch my Dad gave me that got me started down this funky road. It's a pretty standard example of the Viscount line; inexpensive yet amazingly versatile timepieces Timex put out from the 40s through the 70s.

This one is from 1965. It runs true and keeps good time. After I replaced the crown this watch, true to form, ran like a Timex! I really like the simple lines of this watch

It's the first automatic I've ever owned and since it's from my Dad, it's probably my favorite.

1967 Timex Military Dial Sprite

Timex made a smaller model called a Sprite. these came in a variety of dial types. This one has a military dial giving the 24 hours of the day with luminescent hands. I like this one and wear it often on a blue and black speedstrap. It keeps great time and the size is great for me. I only wish they had made an auto version of this so I wouldn't have to wind it on a daily basis. (Although that's part of the fun of having a mechanical.)

An assortment of Timex Sprite models. These were slightly smaller watches that sold like waffles for years. You can find military dials, sport dials, kids dials and 24 hour dials in this model. All daily winders, some with date windows and all built to last.

PROJECT WATCH - 1967 "Skeletonized Viscount"

1969 Timex
"Skeletonized Viscount"

Not a true skeletonized watch, that would mean I went in and cut out bits of the cased movement, the bridges and whatnot to allow for more works to be seen, I didn't do that! I just left the dial off. But it's mine so I'll call it whatever I want to. :p

This watch was purchased in a watch lot off of Ebay and was an insurance write off! I took the dial off to see what I was left with beneath and what I saw was basically a quarter sized chunk of rust. Deciding to try my hand at cleaning a movement I let it soak in lighter fluid for a few hours then I put it in a dish of wd-40. After that I placed it in a soapy solution inside a sonic cleaner.

When I went to check on it, expecting it to have totally fallen apart, I saw motion. The balance wheel was spinning back and forth! I guess the rust was more grime than actual oxidization. The thing worked! The hairspring was fine, the rotor spins freely and the balance wheel is, well, balanced! The dial was done for, so I just left it off looking to replace it later. I carefully put the hands back on and decided it just looked too cool to mess with any further! The results are what you see!

These things are amazing! I wonder how it got in such bad condition? Glad I decided to play with it!

1973 Silver Viscount

This one needs a better picture!

I saw this watch on Ebay and instantly needed it. Something about the little red "h" looking markers and the grey face... Whatever it was it jumped out and strangled me. I just get a kick out of the whole watch!

This slick autowinder keeps rotten time but I love it anyway. It's rotor rattles and the crystal is scratched, this one needs some TLC. I'll have to devote a weekend to her.

I bet with a little Dremel work, some sonic cleaning and a bit of oil I can get it running a bit more accurately ...someday.

1975 Timex Silver Crosshatched Viscount

A very straightforward Viscount Date model with an amazing patterned face. The textured face sets off that sleek chrome case.

I added a black band and now it fits in a little better with my general mood.

I love this watch. Okay, you figured it out, I love 'em all!

1975 Timex Manual Winder

This one caught my eye late one night on the Ebay and I was lucky enough that no one else has the same odd taste as me! I won it pretty easily! (I love a cheap watch buzz!)
Something about the chrome case, the offset date window and the groovy plastic band just said Sixties Futura to me. Very Matt Helm, or maybe Our Man Flint! -Or maybe it's just me?

As for Ebay, I'm completely happy not owning every watch out there, but a few really cool looking ones just pull me in!

1977 Timex Digital

This is a watch my grandmother gave me. It had a bad wristband on it when new and I pretty much carried it around without any kind of band. It displays exactly what the face tells you. Press its one button and you get 3 seconds of the date, press twice and you get a rolling count of the 60 seconds that make up the minute. This very simple watch means something to me because of the memory of my grandmother. I guess watches keep time in more than one way, eh?

It has very narrow lugs, like 14mm. Odd since the case is so broad, but I finally found a Spiedel that fit it and didn't look too strange. It looks pretty sharp now!

1978 Stainless Steel Viscount Day Date!

I have been looking for a watch just like this since I got this bug! I wanted a dark blue dial, day/date automatic! It's fantastic! I don't even mind the steel band. I was originally going to switch to a dark blue padded croco band, but those things are expensive! Ack!

I like the style of the case. Many angles on this big watch. The longshot picture doesn't do the watch justice. The face has a pearlescent quality to it that really "pops" as they say. You can see this more clearly in the smaller picture. '78 was a good year for Timex!

1980 Timex Great Britain Manual Wind

Another Ebay watch. The big dial on this wonderful watch made me think of the White Rabbit in "Alice in Wonderland"

This watch came with a metal band that ripped the hair off my arm! Ack! I bought a Timex replacement and made a very dressy watch out of her! Sadly she gains about 15 to 30 minutes every day, so I have to keep that in mind if I need to be somewhere! Hmm, maybe it IS the White Rabbit's watch? ("I'm late! I'm late!")?

I'm thinking that as quirky as this watch is I may have to find a really "out there" looking band that makes it feel even more offbeat. But in the meantime I really gotta get that crystal buffed or replaced.

1988 Timex Viscount

Wow, one of the very last Timex Old School Automatic mechanicals. Winding rotor, water resistant icon, date window, this watch is cool! I had a matching model in gold and sold it off. Gold looks crap on me. I'm more a silver / platinum kinda guy.

Timex recently brought back the Automatic. Not sure if they are calling it a Viscount, but whether I eventually buy one of them or not I will still love these old mechanicals from "back in the day!"

1996 Timex Expedition Digital

This watch is my workhorse watch!

I originally bought it because I was going up to Minnesota for my company to set up a store. I wasn't going to risk one of my babies getting scratched up while I did all the work required up there. So I wandered over to K-Mart (anyone remember K-mart?) and plunked down $30 on the heartiest watch in the case. -and this poor watch has worked like a trooper ever since!

I need to post a newer picture, I put a new speedstrap on it and it looks even better!

2004 Timex Expedition Dual Timezone

I spotted this watch on the Timex.com site and thought it was the ugliest thing I had seen. Naturally I had to have one. When it arrived I really liked it! It's much nicer looking in person. And it comes in real handy when Steph' is in LA!
It's got Indiglo, a date window and I really love the tonneau shape of the case! It's a winner!