Oldest Timex watch found alive and ticking

MANILA, Philippines - World-renowned watchmakers and global icon Timex recently launched Timex Originals, an exciting new collection that features vintage designs inspired by Timex products throughout the decades, as well as modern updates to classics still in the line today. The collection celebrates the brand’s 156 years of watchmaking experience — a homage to its heritage of authenticity.

Along with the launch last January, Timex initiated a massive countrywide hunt for the oldest Timex watch. The brand offered a $1,000 reward to anyone in possession of an authentic Timex watch with working, intact, and complete parts. After a month of searching, 20 original Timexes were found that were still alive and ticking.

On May 25 at SM Makati, Timex gathered them all to award the owner of the oldest Timex watch and celebrate with the rest of the participants. At the event were two of today’s fast-rising young stars, new Timex brand ambassadors Joseph Marco and Jessy Mendiola. The afternoon was spent rediscovering the brand’s amazing history and its prized time-trackers.

The oldest working Timex: Grand prizewinner Armando Paez submitted his 1894 Waterbury pocket watch.

“We are very happy with the response of the consumers to the Oldest Timex contest,” said Timex marketing director Gemma Pagsibigan. “We got really great entries, which all demonstrated the incomparable quality, functionality, and sturdiness of every Timex watch. And it is something unique to our brand, something we are very proud of.”

Besting hundreds of entries to claim the top prize was Armando Paez and his 1894 Waterbury pocket watch. Waterbury, a sister company of Timex, manufactured the first inexpensive mechanical pocket watch in 1880 and quickly sold more than any other firm in the world. The Waterbury is known for its extraordinarily long, nine-foot mainspring and was assembled by a predominantly female workforce whose dexterous fingers were prized for the close and exacting work.

“Known as the ‘the watch that made the dollar famous,’ my Waterbury pocket watch came from my father as a gift on my college graduation, which in turn was also given to him by my grandfather,” said Paez, when asked about the watch that won him the $1,000 cash prize. “Up until now this classic watch still ticks and shows no sign of stopping.”

Winning second and third prizes were Daniel Cheng and his 1897 Ingersoll Buck pocket watch, and Aileen Cheng and her 1931 Ingersoll Yankee pocket watch, respectively.

The contest’s grand winner and top 21 shortlisted participants also each received a Timex Modern Originals Camper, a watch inspired by a men’s military watch first launched by Timex in 1918. This new version is oversized and has convenient features like an Indiglo night-light and interchangeable, slip-through nylon strap. It has the ever-reliable date feature, 24-hour markings, and is water-resistant up to 50 meters.

Vintage original Timex watches like the promo winners’ are now available in stores. Not only have they been updated to complement current fashions, they’re also equipped with unique design details inspired by the eras they were conceived in.

The Timex Originals with 1900s inspiration feature crafted dials inspired by the original Yankee pocket watch from 1896. To recreate the original look, both the stainless-steel case and vintage construction expansion band and genuine leather strap have a timeworn finish as well as enhancements like a date feature, Indiglo Night-Light, mother-of-pearl dial options, and water resistance up to 50 meters.

The timepieces with 1940s inspiration combine ’40s simplicity with 21st-century colors and materials. With the same basic features as the previous set, one can choose between a nylon canvas strap and vintage construction expansion bracelet.

In the 1970s, Timex introduced ultra-precise quartz technology to the mass market at an affordable price. The custom of the time was to call out “quartz” on the dial, letting consumers know what they were getting. The contemporary rendition comes with either a classic stainless-steel expansion band or genuine leather strap.

The most iconic wristwatch, however, is the Timex Modern Originals Easy Reader. This classic time-teller gets a makeover in a bigger size and new colors, including fashion-forward shadow models in black and white. The eye-catching oversized stainless steel or brass case matched with genuine leather strap is designed to suit any occasion.

For more information, go to www.Timexstylewatch.com/originals/. Timex Originals are distributed by Newtrends International Corporation.