The famous slogan of the Timex Watch brand is “Takes a licking and keeps on ticking.” This watch brand is loved by many and they’ve been around and making watches for more than a century! Can you believe that?
Most timepiece fans are always searching for a quality, functional and affordable watch they can add to their collections. If you’re reading this article that means you are a part of this special league.
You may be shopping for a brand new Timex watch or you may already own one and just want to know a bit more about the brand. It’s not surprising because a good watch brand is a must have in this day and age of a number of watch brands showcasing some of their best wristwatches.
In this article, we’ll be answering the question “where are Timex watches made?” so you can get to know more about the brand manufacturer.
Where Are Timex Watches Made?
The Timex group has its main headquarters located in the Netherlands in Europe. They have a number of global companies also located in the United States, Philippines and India.
The technology used in Timex products is developed in both Germany and the United States.
The watches themselves are manufactured in different countries including France, China, Hong Kong, Philippines, India, and the United States.
Here’s a video of Timex watches being produced in their Philippines Factor
It’s important to note that Timex stopped producing its mainline watches in the United States in 2001. However, certain quality versions are still manufactured in the US. This is because sometimes affordability means sacrifice which is why the company made the decision to let go of the made in the USA status.
The brand has also branched into new territory, working on GPS devices and heart rate monitors. They do this in addition to managing a number of sub-brands which are all under the larger Timex umbrella.
The one thing that has remained consistent over the brand’s various phases and rebrands is this – they’ve remained dedicated to making sure everyone has access to the simplest and most affordable watches.
There are some reasons customers tend to gravitate towards luxury mechanical brands. Notwithstanding, all future watch geeks need a starting point and they usually start with a Timex watch.
History Of Timex Wristwatch Brand
This timeless brand has been in existence since 1854 with the company tracing its roots to Waterbury in Connecticut in the United States. This is a popular location to obtain brass from.
Right from the very beginning, the brand has stayed true to its philosophy of creating and manufacturing affordable watches and clocks. It’s a fascinating story told by the company which they published on their website that there was a time when they produced an affordable pocket watch which only cost one dollar! At that point in history, five pounds of candy cost 35 cents!
It’s not surprising the company went on to sell over six million of these watches by the turn of that century. All this happened around the year 1901. By the time it was 1914, the company started shifting to making watches that had straps on them. After this, they launched successful concepts which have contributed to making the company one of the biggest watch brands today.
They launched the Mickey Mouse designs and the Timex Ironman which is the world’s first sports watch. They also launched the V-conic, an affordable high-quality, mass-produced watch movement. We also can’t forget to mention the brand’s famous Timex Indiglo light wristwatch.
Below we’ve detailed a brief break down of the manufacturing timeline of the Timex watches.
Manufacturing Timeline Of Timex Watches
The history of the brand isn’t only a direct affair however it’s an intriguing story of survival in America’s corporate world.
1854
The Waterbury clock company opened in brass city. While Waterbury grew with brass, the company added American ingenuity to the European style of clock making. This resulted in mass production forty years before they began producing the T model wristwatch. They also produced a clock priced at $6 which a lot of people could afford.
1901
This was the year they produced “the watch that made the dollar famous” according to Timex watches.
In the year 1895, five pounds of candy only cost 35 cents while with just a dollar you could purchase a Yankee pocket watch. By the end of that century, they sold six million watches and even Mark Twain the well-known author was a fan.
1914 – 1916
The company came up with a concept known as “A twist of the wrist.” This was a simple idea yet it changed everything. The idea was wristwatch owners could move the stem from the 12 o’clock hand to the 3 o’clock hand. They could also weld on loops to hold a strap.
Most of the world no longer kept their time via watches in their pocket as the times were indeed progressing forward. During the Chicago world’s fair which held in 1933, people could see airships, bullet trains and Mickey Mouse tell the time. Within a short time frame of 3 years, Mickey Mouse became the official timekeeper of two million children.
World War II
The Second World War was quite lucrative for the brand as well. During this period, they were known as The United States Time Corporation. Notwithstanding, the brand was not focused on making wristwatches rather they were preoccupied with making precision timers for bomb fuses. The only issue with this was the fact that this business could only last as long as the war lasted.
By the time aggressions pestered out during the Korean War the company went back to the original business model which was watch manufacturing.
Ultimately, the company’s war research ended up helping their watch designs especially the use of armalloy. This was a new hard alloy that could be taken from wartime missile bearings. The armalloy was then used to replace the expensive jewels traditionally used to manufacture wristwatches.
1950
By the year 1950, quality truly became affordable because in the year 1950, the brand introduced the V-conic. This was the first high-quality yet mass-produced watch movement. By the end of the decade, one out of three watches sold was a Timex wristwatch.
1958
This was the time period where the brand became known for its popular slogan “takes a licking and keeps on ticking.” The brand did everything that you can think of to destroy their watches on live television every week!
They set out to prove that indeed their watches do take a licking and keep right on ticking.
1984 – 1992
This was the era where they became the undisputed favorite or at the very least were known for their bright ideas.
In the year 1984, the brand took the clock off the finish line and put their watches on customer’s wrists in order to create the world’s first sports watch. This was the year where Timex Ironman became their owner’s coach, a symbol of the owner’s dedication and his/her motivation.
In 1992, the brand introduced the Indiglo night light and revolutionized the face of time. The signature blue backlight changed the way the world reads the time in dark environments.
Reputation Of Timex Watches
The wristwatches produced by this brand generally fall into the affordable category. The brand is popular because of its simple yet durable designs and the fact they also have a wide range of models for customers to choose from. Potential buyers can make their choice from simple watches priced at $10 to divers and limited editions.
It is a brand considered by many as one the provider of the best watches you can get if you’re looking for good quality and affordable everyday watches. If you’re looking for an anti-investment timepiece, this is also the watch for you.
A brand that is commonly compared to the Timex brand is Casio. This is because the two brands have outstanding quality and their price tags won’t bleed their customers dry.
Another thing that makes a lot of the Timex watches special is the collaborations the brand has achieved with other brands. Like we mentioned earlier, the brand has been around for a long time so they’ve partnered with a number of companies. These collaborations have helped to increase and strengthen their brand presence in the watch market.
For more about Timex, click here to read How To Set A Timex Watch.
