Jump to content

TIMEX watch "crystals" - from Scotland - hidden treasure found :)


Recommended Posts

I managed to buy a few boxes of Timex watch crystals, they once belonged to someone who worked for Timex for all his life and sadly is not with us anymore. They came from Aberdeen and the gentleman worked for the Dundee Timex factory in the sixties. They have different sizes and shapes and it seems they were actually samples for quality control. I cannot take out the writing on the "TIMEX inspection report"s as it is faded away but the smaller sized "Final Inspection: is dated as 1978 and I can read/take out the same year on the TIMEX  inspection reports too as far as I can see it. I found it very interesting so I thought I would share with you. I know there are Timex fans out there.

An interesting BBC documentary: The Rise And Fall Of Timex Dundee - Full BBC Broadcast - October 2019 There is some glitch with the voice at the end, unfortunately you cannot watch it on the BBC at the moment.

IMG_20201127_111247.jpg

IMG_20201127_111249.jpg

IMG_20201127_111252.jpg

IMG_20201127_111305.jpg

IMG_20201127_111413.jpg

IMG_20201127_111442.jpg

IMG_20201127_111825.jpg

IMG_20201127_111946.jpg

IMG_20201127_112154.jpg

IMG_20201127_112422.jpg

IMG_20201127_112748.jpg

IMG_20201127_112855.jpg

IMG_20201127_112956.jpg

  • Like 2
Link to comment
Share on other sites

I watched the Documentary twice and found it a stark reminder of the methodology of the management at the time and the bull neck approach of the unions Indicative of the British Auto industry and the Railways, hopefully never to be repeated.   Dundee was a good factory with skilled workers its demise was a great pity.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

@AndyHull Could you please go there and check if you could pick these jigs up? ? Are all of the buildings completely gone? I would want to see both sites, where the tools were made and also the assembly line. Maybe there are some tools in garages just like these watch crystals were.

Edited by luiazazrambo
Link to comment
Share on other sites

1 hour ago, AndyHull said:

Believe me if there were still bits of old Timex lying in the bins there I'd have grabbed them.

https://www.google.co.uk/maps/@56.4847228,-3.0190493,3a,75y,279.18h,92.19t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1sfYBm3nTCOUG_q2y0xATfXg!2e0!7i16384!8i8192

 

Seems the fence was made for eternity.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I got them today, some of them are damaged as they were put into the same plastic bag and the sharp legs scratched the faces. I was kind of expecting that when I saw them in the same bag on aBay and the royal mail also helped with the damage, most of them are ok though. If you still would like to trade i am going to pick those where there is no damage.IMG_20201203_175903.thumb.jpg.86560bdf6745bae7bddfd99a9c8766c6.jpg

  • Like 2
Link to comment
Share on other sites

taking a closer look at those Snoopy dials I see the movement number is 100.  That means they are for the smaller version of the watch made for children or ladies. The dial code starts left to right. the first grouping indicates the model and features. the second grouping is the movement number followed by year of production. so in this example movement 100 and year made 1981.

 

Capture3.JPG

Link to comment
Share on other sites

 The bigger question is what to do with all these dials? To try and build complete watches from them will take a bit of luck to come across the missing parts. Case, crystal, movement, hands, stem, case back. Or as I once saw them reused as the front decoration on draw pull knobs!  Think of having a Snoopy collector see those as "I've got have them"...:0

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Restore formatting

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.



  • Recently Browsing

    • No registered users viewing this page.
  • Topics

  • Posts

    • Getting back to the issue which is us guys repairing or just enjoying horological exploits. The big worry now is how sound is Cousins as company going forward. The of cost if this 8 year legal battle will be astronomical. Cut backs will happen noticed already how the Cousins catalogue is half its size this year. The main supplier going out of business will hit the UK horological community in a big way.    On the Brexit issue it was about a sovereign country being able to make its own laws and trade with any country in the world. I cannot see what was wrong with this. For those who wish to re join the cost would be very high indeed.
    • Yes, it's the same (old) song and it's getting worse & worse;  
    • 🤔 leaving the EU meant that UK was no longer part of the convention and have already been turned down an independent reapplication. I'm pretty sure courts have to be held in Switzerland in this case. There will be a lot more watches stashed away in draws  tbh, folk wont be able to afford to maintain them. Cheap watches will be bought and top end watches by folk with plenty of cash that can pay for service and repair. The expensive once in a lifetime gifts and everything else inbetween will be at the forgotton when they stop working. I know i was being a numpty, get used to it 😄 Anybody that knows will boycott them, but besides repairers who will know. Nope will never buy one, i made that decision as soon as i learnt about this. 
    • although not in this case.  It was the Lugano Convention and its deficiencies that allowed a Swiss court decision in the first place.  This isnt really a Brexit issue at all.  A decision that affects both the EU and the UK should never have been heard in Switzerland. I bet the authorised service centres in the UK are pretty pleased.  It's a massive shame, though; I believe watch owners should be able to choose to have their watch serviced by whoever they trust.
    • Hi guys I think that old hippy is correct, it opens the gates for china to manufacture aftermarket spare parts. considering that they already do work on behalf of the Swiss I guess this decision gives the a little more legitimacy to tool up and I am sure they will take advantage of the situation either with or without the blessing of the Swiss watch industry  Having read about the protectionist machinations of the Swiss in the history of Europe they were the only ones to get fat at everybody else’s expense. I think the outcome could have been guessed at but ,  fair play to Cousins UK for standing up to them.  Now the question,  will everybody boycott Swiss watches and Swatch, no way they will still fill their coffers.  Me I stick with the Japanese once renowned for cheap shitty watches who came good through industrial effort and don’t for get the Russians that most dismiss as low grade crap. Wouldn’t buy a swatch product ever how about you all.? a
×
×
  • Create New...