Timex to sell watches for $1
Russell SheldrakeWe love talking about affordable watches here at Time+Tide, but getting hold of a watch for just $1 is almost unheard of. I say almost, because Timex is doing this for the second time in its 170-year history. This promotion of 1,000 Waterbury watches will go on sale on November 16, as the brand that has always been known for its affordable watches takes it to the extreme.
Timex is selling these simple, time-only pieces (that normally retail for US$119) for just US$1 because the company’s first watch, the Yankee pocket watch, was priced at just a dollar, with the catchy tagline, “the watch that made the dollar famous.” This was one of the earliest examples of watchmaking becoming democratised, which Timex has continued to do throughout its history.
With the brand celebrating its 170th anniversary this year, it shows just how successful this approach has been. Timex, which was founded in 1854 as the Waterbury Clock Company, sold over six million “dollar watches” throughout its production run. These modern, limited-edition dollar watches feature ornate cathedral hands filled with lume that pass over a white dial with black-painted Roman numeral markers, and a day/date window at 3 o’clock. It’s part of the brand’s classically designed Waterbury collection, running on a quartz movement and measuring 40mm across and 10mm thick, meaning it will fit nearly all wrists.
While it seems like the entire watch world is becoming increasingly expensive, it is nice to see campaigns such as this one showing that watches can be for everyone, and certainly don’t need to a four-figure price tag to justify their heritage. When are they dropping exactly? They’ll be available for purchase on Timex.com and Timex.ca at 10am EST / 7am PST, on Timex.co.uk at 10am GMT, Timex.eu at 10am CET and shop.timexindia.com at 10am IST, as well as in-store in certain locations… Though, with only a thousand up for grabs, you’ll have to be quick with your single dollar in order to nab one.