This series is called You Probably Can Afford It, – in the case of most Timex timepieces, it’s a case of you definitely can afford it. Timex make watches so economically even messenger boys in third world countries have been known to look down on Timex as being too cheap.
But that would be to do Timex a great disservice. For decades Timex has produced a wide range of affordable and dependable watches. Their old tagline ‘Timex takes a licking and keeps on ticking’ is one of the most famous of all.
The line centred around a series of ads which put Timex watches through a series of torture tests to show how reliable they are. However, Timex’s finest hour came in 1993, following the first World Trade Centre bombing, when an office worker led people to safety down 40 flights of stairs guiding them by the light of his Timex Indiglo watch. It’s the kind of publicity any watch brand would love to have.
But Timex has moved with the times. True, their watches are still very affordable if not exactly aspirational, but they are well designed, contemporary and sophisticated. Their Ironman Sports collection was developed in co-operation with top athletes. Their production techniques enable new designs to be integrated quickly and developed economically.
The fact is, much as people love to knock Timex, you get a lot of watch for the money. It may also surprise you to know that Timex is the name behind high-end luxury Swiss hand-made atelier Vincent Bérard.
Does anyone dream of one day owning a Timex? Maybe not, but everyone needs an affordable watch for day to day to knockabout wear, and that’s where Timex excels. It’s a case of knowing your market and developing affordable products with plenty of appeal.
Here then are some of the watches in the Timex range.
Timex Originals 1972
This is a new watch from Timex to celebrate 40 years of quartz. The watch features a great looking wood effect dial, a tribute to the original piece developed in 1972. This limited edition watch comes with a date at 3 o;clock and features the famous indiglo night light. £115.00
Intelligent Quartz Altimeter
Anticipate adventure by blending an advanced altimeter with classic analogue style. With this watch you can recall maximum and minimum altitude records. The watch has an altimeter range between 400 and 25,000 feet. It’s also easy to toggle between feet and metres to measure altitude. £210.00
Timex Intelligent Quartz Flyback Chronograph
This watch features a second time zone with date and flyback sub dials. If this were the product of a Swiss watch manufacture you could expect to see it retail for many more times the asking price of £184.99.
Timex Ironman Tapscreen 50 lap
Developed for gruelling Ironman marathons in co-operation with some top Ironman athletes, this watch features TapScreen™Technology, which logs laps and offers access to advanced features without breaking stride. The target time pacer gives slow, fast or on pace audible feedback when laps are logged. You can recall your progress for up to 50 laps and assess your performance accurately. The oversized digital read out looks cool too. Just £69.99.
Timex Expedition
At a mere £47.99 you can take this rugged and sporty little watch anywhere and not worry about it, because it’s a true ‘takes a licking’ Timex with a highly legible dial and the trusty indiglo night light system. This watch sells so well it’s tough to keep in stock.
Timex Weekender Central Park
They might have called this Weekender watch ‘Central Park’ for the simple reason it’s cheap enough to be ignored by Central Park muggers. This unpretentious watch features 24 hour time and comes on a colourful nylon strap. At just £47.99 it’s a basic three hander but it’ll keep accurate time for years to come.
