Why do Collectors HATE Timex Watches?

[daveincarthage]

On 11/27/2019 at 11:48 PM, Redwood said:

My first watch was a Timex, 53 years ago this Christmas still can see the little watch now.
Love vintage watches, I think it’s because of the size and shape that makes them comfortable to wear
There was an Ingersol watch factory just up the road from me, it was locally called the ticktock.


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My first watch was a Timex as well..

I still wear a Timex Expedition 905 on occasion to knock about in - mainly because it fit my 8.5" wrist when I got it in an auction lot - but I also like the way it looks.

[jdrichard]

I wouldn't repair them. Always sent them back to Dundee Scotland. 

Is that where they were made?


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[AndyHull]

5 hours ago, jdrichard said:

Is that where they were made?

Not exclusively, no, but this was one of their major production sites until 1993. If the watch says Great Britain, or made in Scotland or Made in the UK, or UK Time Corporation, then it was made by UK Time Corporation (a division of US Time Corporation, the parent company of Timex) who set up in Dundee in the late 1950s, and also produced other items (the Sinclair ZX and Spectrum computers for example) at their Dundee site.

During this time period, Timex also produced or used dials, mechanisms and so forth, made in France, Germany, England and even occasionally Switzerland. The majority of Timex watches for the European market were made in Dundee, but not all.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Timex_Group

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Timex_strike

Nowadays, like most volume producers, they manufacture mainly in the far east/China.

Edited December 16, 2019 by AndyHull

[luiazazrambo]

I seem to remember that one of our member posted a link where I could see the timex service manuals. Not just one, but many. I failed to save that link. Any chance you have it?

[dadistic]

Here you go -

Timex Documents

Happy New Year! 

Edited October 2, 2021 by dadistic

[vinn3]

23 hours ago, dadistic said:

Here you go -

Timex Documents

Happy New Year! 

     Timex originated 1941 in USA   by Tom Olsen. 

[Nucejoe]

Timex keeps the looking since even, as new,  the damn thing quits tic ing.

 

[Francisco]

On 11/25/2019 at 9:10 PM, JerseyMo said:

no issue with that but, in no way does that support his claim that the watches could not be repaired and were designed to throw away.

Now I'm curious about the return \ replacement you mention.  How long would Timex apply this policy to one of their products?

One year or several?

 

Hi I have a Timex watch writing coca cola in black it says timex m cell assembled in France Timex quartz can any one help me with some info pls thx

[JerseyMo]

18 hours ago, Francisco said:

Hi I have a Timex watch writing coca cola in black it says timex m cell assembled in France Timex quartz can any one help me with some info pls thx

One year - 

[luiazazrambo]

I am in a serious you or me fight with an M21 movement at the moment. It seems that the movement is going to triumph over me - a clean and lube action i hoped for turned into sleepless nights, with hairsping bending and unbending, and i put the mainplate back now as easy as other ppl eat porridge for breakfast, a task i thought is impossible before - , there is still hope for me to win though. Whatever happens, there is a love between the two of us and it will stay there forever. 

Edited December 23, 2020 by luiazazrambo

[AndyHull]

Don't let it get the better of you, but be really careful, before you know it, it will have invited all its friends to join you.

[Poljot]

18 minutes ago, luiazazrambo said:

I am in a serious you or me fight with an M21 movement at the moment. It seems that the movement is going to triumph over me

I lost my battle with M107 repair project. Luckily, there was one NOS available and I snapped it. It was working fine after i did a complete overhaul, but Auto-winding mechanism created some issues as it was worn and perhaps damaged. The new movement was not identical, but still M107 and worked fine with the old oscillating weight attached to it. 

[JerseyMo]

8 hours ago, luiazazrambo said:

I am in a serious you or me fight with an M21 movement at the moment. It seems that the movement is going to triumph over me - a clean and lube action i hoped for turned into sleepless nights, with hairsping bending and unbending, and i put the mainplate back now as easy as other ppl eat porridge for breakfast, a task i thought is impossible before - , there is still hope for me to win though. Whatever happens, there is a love between the two of us and it will stay there forever. 

I recently worked on a 1958 Marlin model 22 which at first looked very promising.  All was looking great until about 5 minutes went by and it stopped. Typically when this happens to me after a service I find I over oiled a pivot or other such friction point.  But, what I found was that the pivot hole on the top plate that the escape wheel fits into was elongated.  Could it be corrected?   Maybe after a few more years at the hobby I will take on the task. But to me it was more rewarding that I spotted the issue than trying to correct it.

[Watchtime]

Really love these old service manuals, especially releasing power from the mainspring, holding the clickspring with your nail...

[luiazazrambo]

On 12/24/2020 at 12:36 AM, JerseyMo said:

I recently worked on a 1958 Marlin model 22 which at first looked very promising.  All was looking great until about 5 minutes went by and it stopped. Typically when this happens to me after a service I find I over oiled a pivot or other such friction point.  But, what I found was that the pivot hole on the top plate that the escape wheel fits into was elongated.  Could it be corrected?   Maybe after a few more years at the hobby I will take on the task. But to me it was more rewarding that I spotted the issue than trying to correct it.

I exactly know that feeling. One of my first movement I stripped down was a CAL400 movement and it only ran for a few secs in certain positions maybe half a min max. I thought it has to be the balance or the pallet fork as the train of wheels were running just fine without the balance assembly.  I tried to replace the balance assembly and the fork from other movements in pair and mixed, spent loads of time to compare the forks etc etc.. it was on my bench for half a year or so. CAL400 issue then I got myself a microscope and voila: CAL400 solution (there are no balance jewels of course, but pins) I was really relieved and found my peace. I would love to repair it in one way or another just for learning purposes.

[Poljot]

Some Timex watches from 1970s look quite nice. Same appearance as Bulova, etc. Very nice dial, heavy, automatic, but inside - there is nothing to love IMHO.

[watchweasol]

Whats to love ?  the inginuity, simplicity, and the manufacturing technique of the time, to come up with a watch for the people/masses,  a bit like the volkswagen, and the russian Lada (some still running in Cuba a friend told me)   they enabled people to own a watch , like the waltham dollar watch, a testament to their design is there are a lot of them out there still running.

[JerseyMo]

yes, a basic design that was capable of being modified to include features such as day and date, autowind and more.

[luiazazrambo]

Here it comes.... I must confess: it was me. Me, who lost the battle. After so many hours, and I was so close at least twice. My advise first of all: RTFM. I got this beauty not long time ago, it is the brother of another one I almost received at the same time, but this one was a non runner. Quickly turned out that one of the pallet fork pin was bent, tried to get the fork out without completely stripping down the movement without reading the manual, but in a similar manner by unscrew some of the screws. I failed.. wheels were everywhere out of the pivot holes, had no choice but to do a full strip down. My first time ever for a TIMEX. Then it took me about 6 hours to clean it and to put the plate back... without the keyless work. I had no idea how could be this done with the keyless work... I have not read the manual.. started with the wrong plate... for various reasons i had to put that plate back again and again and at the end I managed to put all of the weels, fork, keyless work and the plate in 5 minutes compared to the initial ~ 4 hours. I was probably a bit lucky too. Anyway it was cleaned and lubricated and was ticking away nicely. BUT! One of the oil cup opposite of the balance screw had no oil in it, as I washed the movement again and again.

- So I tried to oil it. M23 HINT says:

Oiling. When oiling the dial plate balance cup, to facilitate the precise entry of the oil to the bottom of the cup, undertake this operation through the balance screw hole before the balance screw is assembled.

I ignored the "before the balance screw is assembled." - note that this point i was aware of the service manual content - and I tried to move the balance out of the way a little bit hoping that I can oil that cup with the balance still in place. I failed. What I managed to do is my nightmare: I BENT the HS! (i call it HS from now on, just like Voldemort could not be called Voldemort but "you know how" except Harry Potter).

So I unbent it, but it was not completely ok so the watch performance was also not ok.

I took the balance out (without taking the whole thing apart) and i worked on the HS again. I put it back again but it was out of beat. Decided to take the whole thing apart and play with the HS collet to bring it back to beat. When I removed the plate I dont know how, but I BENT the HS again! 

So I worked on the HS again. I put it back and started to work on the beat by rotating the collet, did it a several times when my screwdriwer slipped and badly damaged the HS again. I could not bring it back into shape again... I gave up.

I was devastated.... I must have worked on it ~ 20 hours.

Additionally I lost the dust seal for the stem, no idea how and when I tried to push the crystal out to clean the crystal and the case separately it did not came out, but I managed to chip the crystal at 12 and 1 oclock position.

Later I asked @AndyHull how he does oil that oil cup for the balance, I hope he would not mind to share his method here:

 

"I use my smallest oiler, and clamp the movement firmly in a movement holder, then with lots of light and some good magnification, I aim the oiler in from whatever angle I can while trying to avoid getting oil on the hairspring.

It takes patience, and even then can be a little hit or miss. As to adding exactly 3/4 of the cup full of oil, who are we kidding? If I can get in what I feel is an adequate amount of oil, I'm happy. This is a Timex, after all, so near enough is usually good enough. "

How do you people do it?

What I wanted to say is that: I love this watch!   And again, this love will stay here forever! 

21-22-23-26-29.pdf

Edited December 31, 2020 by luiazazrambo
added the manual i read

[AndyHull]

I may have a scrap movement with good HS if you are interested. If so it probably just needs a good clean to get it going.  I'll take a look tomorrow if I get a spare moment.

[luiazazrambo]

Last night I had another go with the HS with fresh hands and mind. After 5 hours of work i was badly defeated. HS vs lui 2:0

[luiazazrambo]

On 12/31/2020 at 10:56 PM, AndyHull said:

I may have a scrap movement with good HS if you are interested. If so it probably just needs a good clean to get it going.  I'll take a look tomorrow if I get a spare moment.

Thank you for offering, i got two ladies watch with the same movement, i just wanted to avoid using them as donor so far.

[luiazazrambo]

Happy Easter!!

 

Edited April 3, 2021 by luiazazrambo

[luiazazrambo]

US. TIME

SCOTLAND

UNADJUSTED

NO(0) JEWELS

[WatchingOracle]

So after perusing this forum thread, I was wondering if the feeling is more to avoid touching Timex watches then if one is a noob at watch repairs?