TIMEX

Timex has fundamentally reinvented what it means to make and sell timepieces as a company. Their advancements have historically lessened the price for regular people—making convenient timekeeping accessible for for over a century—by bringing a cheap and mass-produced watch to the market. Timex had to put in some considerable legwork to establish itself in wristwatch culture, despite the fact that they're now a household name. With a 165-year history, Timex's scope and growth as a company is impressive—yet it wasn't all about wristwatches. In fact, in order to thrive in an ever-changing world—both culturally and technologically—Timex has donned a variety of masks to get to where it is now.

Waterbury Clock Co., which is today known as Timex, was initially a clock maker. This brand was founded in 1854 in Waterbury, Connecticut, which was formerly known as the "Switzerland of America" (and the current site of Timex Group U.S.A.). The Waterbury Clock Co. was founded by Benedict and Burnham, a brass firm that employed brass components to make clocks. The firm was successful enough that it launched a subsidiary brand, the Waterbury Watch Co., in 1877. Waterbury Watch Co. was the start of the watchmaking industry in Waterbury. By 1878, they had found a low-cost technique to incorporate their brassworks into pocket timepieces, and the first Timex ancestor was in full production (boasting 200 built a day). Within a decade, Waterbury Watch Co. had become the world's largest watch manufacturer.

Another important figure in the history of Timex was Ingersoll, who lived in the latter half of the nineteenth century. Originally a clock manufacturer (as was Waterbury), they began dabbling in the watch business. Ingersoll developed their "Yankee" pocket watch in 1896, when they were under new ownership. Another Timex precursor, with Waterbury Watch Co. as the primary supplier. This low-cost watch cost one dollar when it was created (about $30 now). The Yankee was nicknamed the "watch that revolutionized the dollar" due to its popularity. Waterbury Watch Co., the sibling firm of Waterbury and Ingersoll, began to lose prominence as time passed. Ingersoll bought the Waterbury watch manufacturing factory from the Waterbury Clock Company in 1912.

Waterbury and Ingersoll's partnership lasted into the early twentieth century, paving the way for what would become Timex. When WWI necessitated the use of newly developed wristwatch technology, Waterbury began producing wristwatches for military gunners. These Waterbury watches were battling on the front lines long before the expression "it takes a lickin' and keeps on tickin'" became common. Ingersoll was also finding comparable markets outside of the United States at the time. However, in 1922, Waterbury bought the Ingersoll brand altogether, owing to Waterbury's profitability and Ingersoll's relative lack thereof (during WWI).

Furthermore, throughout WWI and WWII, the Ingersoll (Waterbury) brand struggled to stay afloat. The Great Depression was wreaking havoc on American enterprise. However, in the early 1930s, the Ingersoll brand was granted a license to make Mickey Mouse watches by Walt Disney. This helped the Ingersoll brand get by, but Waterbury was on the verge of bankruptcy. However, there was a solution to this. During WWII, Thomas Olsen took over Waterbury. Olsen's leadership effectively saved the firm from going bankrupt by instigating the production of military parts for government weapons. It was a long way from watches, but the success of these parts was the deciding factor in Waterbury's decision to build the Timex timepiece.

The "United States Time Co." was born out of the success of Waterbury's military activities. The first Timex watch was produced under this name, following a break from the Ingersoll brand (in 1949). The Timex wristwatch was first marketed to American consumers in 1950. This new clock was a gamble by U.S. Time Co. to display its original spirit and industrious engineering by combining the names "Time" from Time Magazine and "x" from Kleenex. If Timex's present prominence is any indicator, this design project was a success! The Timex could stress test very well—and was affordable to sell/manufacture—by using "Armalloy" military time technology into its watches. Timex became the American watch after a series of effective television, print, and radio advertisements. By 1962, one out of every three watches sold in the United States was a Timex. As a response, "United States Time Co." was renamed "Timex Corp." in 1969.

Timex Corp continues to grow the brand and create personal technology and business machines from the 1960s to the early 2000s. One example is their collaboration with Polaroid. Although the partnership began in 1950, Timex remained Polaroid's sole manufacturer until the 1970s. Due to market demand, Timex was forced to reduce its operations to solely producing timepieces by 1980. This, however, led to the popular Iron Man watch series, which was the best-selling watch in the world for a decade (1986-1996). Furthermore, throughout the 1990s and early 2000s, Timex Corp's branding diversified significantly, particularly in the area of watches. They bought premium brands and streetwear labels, collaborated with Microsoft on new technology, and even re-teamed with Disney for a "Disney Classics" watch line.

The event is now operated by the Timex Group B.V., who bought the brand in 2008. They're a Dutch holding corporation that oversees the Timex brand's global operations and manufacture. Due to a recent five-year drop in revenues, Timex began separating its work into the Timex Group, USA (inc.) and the Timex Group (hardly an issue for such a long standing brand).

While Timex's history is littered with ups and downs, the company has built a global timekeeping dynasty. Timex is a behemoth of a watch company. Timex is a real iron man of sales, marketing, and flexibility in a market that is continually changing with the times, in addition to the strength of their clocks. Over the last 165 years, they've successfully transitioned from brass clocks to digital diving watches and more. Their accessibility is a crucial factor in their success, making them quite simple to get and enjoy. Some of the brand's classic favorites are currently being re-released. So keep a watch out for new spins on old favorites—they'll undoubtedly "take a lickin' and keep on tickin'" in the coming years.

From 1982, Times Ticking has been in business for more than 30 years. Customers from all around the world have entrusted us with their timepieces. If It Ticks, It's a Tick! We're aware of it! Our watch repair professionals have over 120 years of combined watchmaking experience.

( Above picture of Waterbury Clock Company)