The Waterbury Clock Company, re-posted

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Saturday, September 12. 2020

The Waterbury Clock Company, re-posted

Maggie's Farm endorses only two watch brands: Timex and Seiko. However, it was Timex (the- then Waterbury Clock Co) which invented the wrist watch for the convenience of artillery gunners.

A Timex "Takes a licking and keeps on ticking." Among other virtues, a Timex signals that you are a thrifty and practical sort. Not a bad social signal even if it's not true. Most of my doctors wear Timexes.

If the strap breaks, or it runs a bit slow after 3 or 4 years, or you get in in salt water, you just get a new one from Amazon. $35 or so.

Posted by Bird Dog in The Culture, "Culture," Pop Culture and Recreation at 15:11 | Comments (23) | Trackbacks (0)

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My first watch, at age 7, was a Timex. I've been fond of watches ever since. My business for the last 20 years had me calling on Timex and I've been to their museum in Waterbury CT several times (TIMEXPO).

They are a funny company, as in peculiar, that is owned by a Dutch firm which in turn is owned by a Norwegian shipping company. Their headquarters building is an eccentric structure atop a hill in Middlebury CT. The grounds feature a sundial structure made of what look like utility poles. The building was green - energy efficient - before green was a big thing for buildings.

I now own six watches, two of which are Timex. The other four are a tad more elegant and expensive. What, if anything, does that signal?

#1 steve walsh on 2017-07-05 16:49 (Reply)

I have a Timex quartz reissue based on one of their 1950s-1960s vintage "Marlin" models. What's interesting is that it uses the old name "Ingersoll" on the dial, although the back of the watch is still marked Timex.

#2 Jim on 2017-07-05 16:49 (Reply)

Bought a Timex 25 years ago. It worked for about 2 weeks. Threw it out the window as I drove down the road, never again. Back in the day the were good, but by 1990, the weren't. Don't care what they are today as 1. Casio I bought after worked for a couple decades and these days, I have my phone so don't need a single use device on me.

#3 JK Brown on 2017-07-05 20:51 (Reply)

I love watches. Unfortunately---watches don't love me. I'm a stone-cold watch-killer. I've stopped them all, just by wearing them. Presently, I'm wearing a Citizen Eco-Drive (powered by light) but I only wear it when I leave the house, which is maybe 2 or 3 times a week for a few hours. It's lasted longer than all the others---going on four years---though I wore a Benrus for about three years before I stopped it. I've always wanted a luxury watch---believing the better works could withstand my body's quirky emanation---but it's an investment I can't afford.

#4 HH on 2017-07-06 08:10 (Reply)

I, too, am a watch killer. I’ve never figured out why. I bought a Timex made for exercise - no name on it. It ran until the battery expired. Then I learned a jeweler has to change the battery. I had the battery changed and it ran another four ot so years. I wonder if there are seals or something that kept me from killing it.

#4.1 Juan Paxety (Link) on 2020-09-13 07:55 (Reply)

I've always used OP for getting the time. Never owned/worn a watch, except when they gave me one and made me wear it while flying.

#5 BillH on 2017-07-06 10:36 (Reply)

I am a long-time Timex fan, especially of their Expedition series with the dial that lights up. I really liked the one with 2 stems and alarm feature from years ago, but don't think that make that model anymore.

#6 archer2010 on 2020-09-12 15:49 (Reply)

I have 5 wristwatches. A Rolex, a Benrus, a Bulova, a Seiko, & a Timex Expedition. Each of them, with the exception of the Timex was a gift from a family member, & each of those have value for sentimental reasons. But it is the Timex Expedition that I wear 6 days a week in all kind of conditions. It cost me about $30 & I've changed batteries 3X. Never been more satisfied with a watch.

#7 Emil Turner (Link) on 2020-09-12 15:54 (Reply)

Like others on this thread, I've always worn Timex (even when I was gallivanting around the globe). The one I have now was recommended to me by my father-in-law, a retired janitor. Said it was the most reliable he's ever owned, and it has proven to be so for me.

#8 RetiredSOF on 2020-09-12 16:07 (Reply)

Love my Timex Expedition. Yeah, yeah, I have had a few Rolexs over the years and still have two of them but I never wear them, anymore.

There was an Omega that caught my eye, years ago. Very handsome but a bit pricey. Maybe it was a Seamaster or Speedmaster or something to that affect.

The pocket phone has replaced wrist watches for some folks.

Timex used to located by the airport in Little Rock when I lived in that area.

#9 Tally Whagger on 2020-09-12 17:33 (Reply)

I have a Waterbury eight-day pendulum clock hanging in my living room. From the 1880s, you can tell because someone had glued part of a newspaper page on the back. After all these years, the dial is a bit buckled and some of the paint has flaked off the dial, but it still keeps good time, within a minute or so a week. I wind it every Sunday. A relative gave it to my Mom in the 1930s when she was a little girl. He had found it in a trash pile somewhere, took it home and fixed it up and got it running again, refinished the wooden case and put in a new glass panel for the front of the pendulum compartment.

#10 Jim on 2020-09-12 18:17 (Reply)

Oh well after about 25 years not wearing a watcH, I now own 3 Filson branded watches, made by Shinola -yup, that’s the name - in Detroit. All “men’s” because I can see them well; #1 because it was the first, has a blue face and I liked it; #2 because I wanted a leather band; #3 because it has a green face and an orange NATO band - and it was on deep sale and it had an orange band. They work really well, are essentially the same watch and I can see them really well. So - highly technical reasons and I don’t really need a watch but derive great pleasure from them.

#11 Annie on 2020-09-12 19:31 (Reply)

Those ain't half cheap.

#11.1 William O. B'Livion on 2020-09-12 23:25 (Reply)

I use a Fitbit Inspire HR.

It gives me the time, it's waterproof and most, most, most importantly...it stops me from lying to myself about how much I've walked the day.

#12 Fred Z on 2020-09-12 19:46 (Reply)

I’ve worn a Timex for literally half a century. When I was a student and the watch went bad, I would take it to the Timex Watch Hospital off Park Street in downtown Boston. If they couldn’t fix it, they’d give me a new one. I just got a new Expedition because the bezel on the old one was falling off and superglue no longer did the job. Love’em.

#13 Paul in Boston on 2020-09-12 20:16 (Reply)

I haven't cared for Timex since their production moved pretty much entirely to China. Overseas markets can get Philippines production, but in the US it's almost all China. No thanks.

#14 Dan D on 2020-09-12 20:35 (Reply)

I wear a very beat-up Timex Ironman with Indiglo back-lighting when I'm knocking around. It's got to be at least 20 years old, and it looks older. A few years ago the battery finally gave up the ghost and I just unscrewed the back and stuck a new battery in it. I was amazed it lasted as long as it did. Still going...

Then I have an Citizen Eco Drive which must be about 15 years old, titanium case, light-driven although you can't tell, snappy enough for polite society. Finally, I've got an old Seiko Bellmatic from the 70's that still runs well, motion-wound with an old fashioned bell alarm. Wearing watches is a life-habit that locks your age in for all to see, much like people who used pocket watches, I expect.

#15 Aggie on 2020-09-12 20:51 (Reply)

I like watches, always have. I have a few high end, expensive models. They are jewelry as much as time pieces.

One of my favorites is a Timex. It is a purpose purchased watch: I bought it, at TimexPo in Waterbury, CT, for a single feature which is that it has a countdown timer that I use when sailboat racing. It will countdown from 5 minutes, alerting at each minute and then audibly counting down from 10 seconds to zero. I got it for about $30, was touring the museum with an employee and they allowed me to use their employee discount. You should check out the US HQ building in Middlebury CT, it's quite modern and interesting.

https://timexgroup.com/

#16 steve walsh on 2020-09-12 22:06 (Reply)

No love for Casio?

#17 William O. B'Livion on 2020-09-12 23:29 (Reply)

I picked up a Casio lying a on a sidewalk on a highway overpass. No idea what model. Had to reset it several times because I would touch the wrong button without realizing what I had done. I finally threw it away because the strap broke, but after 8 years it was still running and still keeping perfect time.

#17.1 barnhill on 2020-09-13 09:11 (Reply)

I have a Timex Weekender. No date function but Indiglo works great in the middle of the night. I’ve been through 3 batteries and four bands. I use a Velcro band so it’s secure while body surfing in the Atlantic. Salt water no problem.

#18 William on 2020-09-13 07:58 (Reply)

No watch company has a better glow in the dark watch technology than the Indiglo by Timex.

#19 Robert Moffett on 2020-09-13 12:02 (Reply)

I used to love the Timex commercials. Especially the one where they put a Timex on an outboard motor.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_NHq3Yze6s0

#20 Ron Liebermann on 2020-09-13 12:07 (Reply)

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Saturday, September 12. 2020

The Waterbury Clock Company, re-posted