In 1954 Timex ran a series of “Torture Test” advertisements with one ad featuring boxer Rocky Marciano pounding away at a Timex strapped to a heavy bag. The tagline born of that campaign is now the legendary phrase: “Timex takes a licking and keeps on ticking.” Touted as the toughest watch in the world, and made available for reasonable prices at nearly every corner store in North America, the Timex was a hot seller. By 1960 one in three watches sold was a Timex. In the years since, little has changed with Timex watches still commanding a sizable portion of the watch market. They are to this day, reasonably priced, durable, reliable, and available nearly everywhere.
One of the most popular watches in the Timex line is the Expedition Military Field watch. For the sake of full disclosure, Timex has always had masterful marketing. The description says the Military Field watch is inspired by WWII era aviation equipment. It kind of implies that Timex was involved in making military time pieces at that time, but they really weren’t. The first government commissioned Timex didn’t arrive until the 1980s with a plastic-cased watch. No matter, the Expedition Military Field watch does have the classic aesthetic of what one might expect of a WWII era time piece. The nylon band has the look and feel of military inspired gear, and the utility and simplicity harkens to a simpler age. Although classic in appearance, this is actually a complex watch. It features Timex’s famous INDIGLO Night-Light for easy viewing as well as their handy QuickDate Feature which ensures the date is always advancing correctly with the changing of each month. Water-resistant to 100 meters and featuring a mineral glass crystal, a Timex is still curiously tough. Battery life is superior to many other brands, and above all, a Timex keeps time with uncanny precision. At only $65, the value is hard to pass up.
