Timex Watches Need Love Too:)

[ricardopalamino]

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The town is Dundee where I live. I worked in the Beano factory D.C.Thomson just a few hundred yards from Timex, it was amazing how many Timex watches you got offered from time to time, especially in the local pubs.

We had our own slogan for Timex watches here in Dundee, "Clunk klick every tick".

 

 

Beano ??

 

 

[Geo]

I could probably do with that stuff! :D

This was my type of Beano.

[jeffc83]

I have restored a few more Timex watches from the "Timex Lot", here are some before and after pics for anyone that may be interested:)

 

 

[ricardopalamino]

The first one came out very nice. Does the second one need body and fender work on the case by the crown area ?

[jeffc83]

The first one came out very nice. Does the second one need body and fender work on the case by the crown area ?

 

No sir!  (you may be seeing the indent in the design?)  Both are in phenomenal shape after cleaning and oiling!   :)

[ricardopalamino]

Very Good , Yes , I was referring to the indent . I have never seen that feature before , but it probably helps in winding . I like the full face dials .

[jeffc83]

It definitely helps with the winding, it is odd too because I haven't seen another Timex with that feature.  Love the dial and lettering on it too!

[stroppy]

As a kid I used to love looking at the Timex mechanical watches in the cabinet at Kmart.  Then, of course, you had all those ads where they did things like tether a Timex watch to a outboard motor's propeller to prove that the watch was both water and shockproof.  

 

A good mate of mine bought one when he was 16.  It had a day/date window and that watch went through thick and thin and seemed to be great.  I think he still has the watch.  It was silver in colour, a black faceplate and a kind-of hexagonal dial, as I recall.

[oldhippy]

I think they might have been water resistant not proof. 

[jeffc83]

I think they might have been water resistant not proof. 

 

Correct, most of them were just water resistant but some were built quite well and were water proof to a decent depth:

 

One of the firm's greatest successes during this time was its sports watches. In 1984, an Olympic games year, the company brought out the Triathlon watch, which was water resistant to 50 meters, could recall eight laps of running times, and had a 16-hour stopwatch. In its first year, 400,000 of the watches were sold at $34.95 each. Encouraged by this success, Timex brought out a ski watch that included a thermometer as well as a racing watch that could measure speeds of up to 999 miles an hour. The company launched its Atlantis 100 water resistant sports watch in 1986 with a $1 million ad shown during football's Super Bowl. This ad featured a group of divers discovering a 65-foot replica of the watch on the bottom of the Red Sea. Five other "adventure" commercials were also produced.

Edited March 10, 2016 by jeffc83

[clockwatcher]

This morning's post brought me three new watches to play with - A Favre-Leuba cal.101 purporting to be a Sea Chief, very much resembling one of the fabled Indian repaints but attractive in its own way. It has a very clean chromed case and a fresh crystal but (I'm guessing) has a balance pivot problem. It was fully wound when it arrived but reluctant to run. With a bit of coaxing it is now ticking away dial up. It's not happy in other orientations though. 

 

In case you're wondering why I've introduced my F-L into a thread about the mighty Timex, it's because the two travelling companions are Timexes (is that the plural of Timex?). One 1970 Model 24 that's also wound tight but will only run if I gently apply yet more twist to the stem. Hmm, I think it knows I'm writing about it as I just gave it another tweak and it's now running (face down). I'll leave it to see whether it can de-stress itself. If not I'll let it down and give it a gentle wind and see if that cures it. Apparently the mainsprings in this Model are lifetime lube-coated and impervious to cleaning fluid. What technical wizardry is this?

 

The third watch is a Model 40 Electric from 1971, cosmetically clean and free from dings. It came with a button cell (the wrong one) but I have a correct cell from my Model 255 Dynabeat and when that's inserted she runs strongly.

 

There you have it, three watches for £16 including post, and all three at least in motion, if not yet reliably running.  More importantly, two more Timexes saved from the club-hammer! :biggrin:

[ramrod]

well, i'll tell ya'....i got two dynabeats in the mail this week. the one that is almost pristine is a nonrunner. i can't get it to go. the other one is ticking away. but, i was rather upbeat about timex watches - until i opened one of them. underwhelming. stamped bridges - and riveted?! wow. mark is correct - they might be harder to work on than a more mainstream watch. i am happy with my runner, but i'm not sure how much investigating i'm going to do on the nonrunner.

[ricardopalamino]

Howzit ramrod . Put the non-runner in your paint mixer and see if it starts ticking...

[ramrod]

i'm about to do that, louis. it's either that or i'll see if it can survive the rear tire of a crown vic.

[ricardopalamino]

Crown Vic...still ticking...

[ramrod]

"We've placed a timex on the wrist of John Cameronswayze and had him lay under a '97 crown victoria made by the Ford Motor Car Company. The car is in gear.....it's rolling over his wrist.....look away folks.....IT'S STILL TICKING!!"

cut to grimacing John Cameronswayze......... "Timex.....it takes a licking and keeps on ticking!"

[ausimax]

I got this one recently in a batch, wasn't very hopeful but found a battery to fit and it fired up, don't know its vintage however as it's a LCD display it's probably from the 60's.

Doesn't seem to have any other functions other than telling time

 

As it came!

 

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Now!

 

 

 

 

[ricardopalamino]

A watch that only tells you the time ....how quaint . Maybe it's worth a bundle ??

[stroppy]

I got this one recently in a batch, wasn't very hopeful but found a battery to fit and it fired up, don't know its vintage however as it's a LCD display it's probably from the 60's.

Doesn't seem to have any other functions other than telling time

 

As it came!

 

.timex-01.jpg

 

 

 

timex-02.jpg

 

 

Now!

 

timex-03.jpg

 

 

 

timex-04.jpg

Not from 60s.  The Liquid Crystal displays didn't really become mainstream until the mid to late 70s.  This is probably a mid 70s watch.

[stroppy]

A watch that only tells you the time ....how quaint . Maybe it's worth a bundle ??

I've got a Citizen with a simple time and day display and, apparently, because it is relatively pristine it's worth a bucket.  Go figure!  I've seen them on the bay for more than US$100.  I think I paid AU$35 for it in 1982!

 

Mine is similar to this one.

[bobm12]

 

IT'S STILL TICKING!!"

cut to grimacing John Cameronswayze.

It probably missed the watch...or the FORD didn't start! :D

 

FORD = Fix Or Repair Daily

[jeffc83]

It probably missed the watch...or the FORD didn't start! :D

 

FORD = Fix Or Repair Daily

 

That would be FORD = Found On Roadside Dead    :D

[Peixian]

how did you clean up the appearance of the watch ?what's the method? I want to have a try on my watch

[jeffc83]

how did you clean up the appearance of the watch ?what's the method? I want to have a try on my watch

 

As a start, try using Simichrome.  If it is a gold plated watch, BE CAREFUL because this stuff will remove several layers of metal at a time, which could ruin the plating.  If it is gold filled or stainless, polish away!  For the crystals, I either replace them (70% of the time) or sand them down using 1000,1500,2000,2500 grit pads then polish with Polywatch or Simichrome. (I use both, they do the same job BUT the polywatch doesn't smell bad)

[jeffc83]

Next up is a 1973 Timex Gold Plated Manual Wind.  This one emerged from the grungy dirty lot clean and ticking away happily!  I was quite impressed with this one even though it is not my style, lol.  I love servicing these Timex's in between projects!  (it also helps clear the mind)