Timex creativity and experimentation has helped them grow as a brand, and their consistently affordable prices have made them popular with watch fans. The History of Timex 1854 – 1950 When brass manufacturer Benedict & Burnham decided to start manufacturing clocks with brass in 1854, they initially traded under the guise of ‘The Waterbury Clock Company’. Becoming legally incorporated in 1857, their whole ethos was bringing the same luxury designs being imported from Europe to the masses in the United States, at accessible prices. They quickly reached this target, swiftly becoming one of the largest producers of watches and clocks in both the US and internationally. Originally producing copies of more expensive designs, it wasn’t until 1887 that they designed and created their Jumbo pocket watch. By now the company name has changed to the Ingersoll Watch Company, and the success of their newest design caught the attention of salesman Robert H. Ingersoll. With the help of Robert and his brother Charles, the brand created the Ingersoll Dollar Watch, selling them for, as you might have guessed, a dollar, and taking the market by storm. The brand grew at a rapid rate, and by 1878 they were producing over 200 pieces a day, having to upgrade to a larger factory to keep up with the demand. Despite the fact that the quality was high, the price was cheap, and the popularity for the brand was only growing, poor sales techniques meant that the watches were being sold at a loss, and the company soon fell close to bankruptcy. It wasn’t until WW1 when artillery gunners needed to read time while still using their guns that Ingersoll began to crawl back from the depths. They modified one of their women’s designs, the Midget pocket watch, and changed it into a precise and well crafted military-issue wrist watch. The first of its kind, the design revolutionized watch making, and helped with the production of the wrist watch we see today. The military may have helped with Ingersoll’s design elements, but it was Disney that helped propel it back into the commercial spotlight. 1930’s America was still suffering from post-depression hardship, and a little character called Mickey Mouse seemed like a good way of creating some much needed cheer. Joining with Disney, Ingersoll created the famous, and hugely popular Mickey Mouse watches and clocks, and this success helped cement them as a respected and popular brand. 1950 – 1970’s It wasn’t until the 1950s that Timex finally got its name, and by then it had improved its mechanisms to make its products run at an improved rate and with cheaper manufacturing steps. With advertisements showcasing its practically indestructible built, “It takes a licking and keeps on ticking”and charismatic anchorman John Cameron Swayze hosting their product demonstrations. Slogan: It takes a licking and keeps on ticking The new watch movement design faced resistance from traditional jewellers. A marketing decision was made to use the most credible newsman in the United States at that time, John Cameron Swayze as a spokesperson for live torture tests on television with the tag line created by Russ Alben, "Timex – Takes a Licking and keeps on Ticking", a well-recognized campaign in advertising history. These commercials were developed by Hirshon Garfield as elaborations on tests originated by United States Time Corporation salesmen. The commercials included high-divers, water skiers, a dolphin, dishwashers, jackhammers, paint mixers and the propeller of an outboard motor, all torturing a Timex watch. Timex watches gradually became known for their reliability and superior design. As they insisted that jewellers only marked up their watches by 30%, many outright refused to stock the brand. To counteract this, head of marketing, Robert Mohr, built a distribution network of drugstores, department stores and other, then unusual, points of sale. By the 1960s, sales were reaching in excess of $70 million. In recognition of the Timex brand's worldwide success, United States Time Corporation was renamed Timex Corporation on 1 July 1969. By mid to late 1960’s, attempting to keep up with the rapidly changing marketplace – Timex began producing digital (electric) watches. While troubles in the company at both a production and management levels, the company struggled to maintain it’s market share in a now predominantly electronic market – with most of their watches retailing at nearly double that of their competitors. By the time the 70s rolled around however Timex had taken a dip again. Their contracts with various brands, including Disney, had ended, competition from modern watch companies had increased, and an ill-advised venture into home computers only caused the business to waver even more. Comments are closed.
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Old Time WatchesI enjoy collecting mechanical (manual wind and automatic) and early electric and quartz timepieces. I take great pleasure in researching and writing about the companies and people that created these beautiful watches. PF
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September 2018
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