Timex Watches

Timex is the best-known American watch company. They have become famous after a half century of producing durable, well-made watches. The Timex U.S. headquarters are located in Middlebury, Connecticut and they have expanded to have substantial operations in China, the Philippines and India as well as having full-scale companies in Canada, the U.K., France and Mexico.

Timex started in 1854 under the name Waterbury Clock. During the nineteenth century, they were known as the Switzerland of America. Their sister company Waterbury Watch produced the first inexpensive mechanical pocket watch in 1880.

During World War I, Waterbury started to make wristwatches, which had just started to become popular. In 1933, they made history by creating the first Mickey Mouse clock under the license of Walt Disney, with Mickey Mouse hands that pointed out the time.

During World War II, Waterbury renamed them U.S. Time Company. In 1950, the company produced a wristwatch called the Timex. During the next three decades, the Timex watch was sold through advertisements that emphasized the watches durability. At this time, their sales skyrocketed. The company later became the Timex Corporation followed by the Timex Group and to date has sold over one billion watches.

In the 1970s, the watch industry in America was hit by the arrival of cheap mechanical watches from the Far East as well as the development of digital quartz watches. After surviving the 1970s and 80s, the Timex Company came back strongly. The company remains profitable and competitive today and the Timex brand of watches continues its dominance in the industry.