Story Highlight
– Timex joins Watches of Switzerland’s brand lineup in U.S.
– Available exclusively online, focusing on lower-priced products.
– Previously, group’s cheapest brands were Citizen and Tissot.
– Timex’s American heritage may aid its market presence.
– Features classic styles in promotional offerings from Watches of Switzerland.
Full Story
Watches of Switzerland has announced the addition of Timex to its selection of brands available in the United States.
This development signals a notable move towards offering high-volume, more affordable timepieces, although at this stage, Timex products appear to be available solely through online channels.
Previously, the most economical brands featured by Watches of Switzerland were Citizen and Tissot.
In a promotional email sent out by Watches of Switzerland this morning, Timex was highlighted, yet a search on its website for local retail outlets yielded no results for purchasing watches.
Timex’s longstanding American heritage may have played a role in securing its partnership with Watches of Switzerland and its subsidiary, Mayors.
Founded in 1854, Timex began as the Waterbury Clock Company in Connecticut, where it gained recognition for producing cost-effective brass clocks using mass-production methods inspired by the American industrial revolution.
Transitioning into wristwatches in the early 20th century, Timex launched the Ingersoll Dollar Watch, which made timekeeping accessible to a broader audience.
The Timex brand officially came into being in 1950, and by the 1960s, it was responsible for one-third of all watches sold in the United States.
The company also embraced quartz technology in the 1970s, allowing it to stand firm against rising competition from Asian watchmakers that threatened the Swiss mechanical watch industry.
Over the past quarter-century, Timex has adapted throughout the global Timex Group’s evolution, which has diversified to include fashionable branded watches while remaining committed to producing modern, affordable designs inspired by its extensive archive.
Watches of Switzerland’s promotional material this morning described Timex as a brand with a 170-year legacy in watchmaking, characterised by reliability, clarity, and purpose.
The promotion showcased classic models such as the Waterbury Heritage Chronograph, the Q Timex 1975 Enigma Reissue, and the Marlin mid-century revival.
A search on the Watches of Switzerland USA e-commerce site, sorted by price from low to high, revealed a £75 Parchie “Lunar-Time” Limited Edition for Hodinkee, followed by 50 Timex models priced from £129 to £349.
Once prices exceed £350, Citizen and Tissot watches begin to appear alongside Timex products.
Currently, Timex watches are not featured on the platform, though the site does offer timepieces from Seiko, Casio, and fashion brands like Vivienne Westwood and Emporio Armani priced below £500.
