I know odds are slim there is much thought given to Timex BUT I will take a stab here.

A few nights ago Mrs Arkstfan was digging around in one of her old jewelry boxes and said "Hey here's an old watch, is it yours?"

It was a Timex I received as a birthday present from my parents in junior high. I wore it daily, playing basketball with my buddies, hauling hay in the summer, the band took a piece out of the lip of school bully Tim's lip in a fight and I had it on first time I kissed my wife."

Unfortunately it won't wind.

I am debating between taking it to a local watchmaker I've found online but I have also emailed Timex repair service to see if they handle anything that old, whether or not they do estimates etc. main reason I am considering Timex repair is because it is only a few miles from my house.

Thoughts?

 

Probably not worth repairing. Some Timex movements were "assembled never to be serviced".*

You might find a hobby watchmaker who could do a basic service, but it would probably have to be a Duncan Swish.

Need to see CLEAR pictures of the movement to be sure.

Edit: * Not serviced in the normal sense (full strip, clean, replace worn parts, assemble, lubricate, adjust).

 

For sure the Timex service centre is O U T out as far as servicing your watch. They don't repair ANYTHING! None of them do! All they will do is to suggest a replacement.

 

Every so often you find NOS movements on eBay. I have a couple though I'm pretty sure they're not day/date like yours.

If the movement is jeweled, I believe you can do some maintenance to them. If it's not jeweled, you can only replace the movement.

Tom

 

I'm going to reach out to the guy I spotted in a search. Betting a watchmaker in Little Rock if he has a good deal of experience knows Timex since they were built here a long time and fair chance that's where he cut his teeth.

 

Very nice!! Good luck!

Tom

 

Why not transplant a running movement inside? It's pretty easy. Done it many times.

 

Good luck with getting it going. Sounds like its got some good history

 

Great idea. Will raise that question.

 

I wish I still had my old timex. I grew up in the timex marketing era of "it takes a licking and keeps on ticking". I found my timex in a pond and the motto was in fact true. It was my only watch for many years but got lost along the way somewhere.

 

most wrist watches have a screw to loosen - to remove the stem and crown (first step in replacing the mvt.) TIMEX has several way of doing this. Mel knows all these ! since the watch has ONLY sentimental value and may never run again ; why not take it apart and see whats wrong with it ? vinn

 

Timex only guarantees parts stocked for 5 years. Minimum charge is $10 max is 1/2 of retail value.
Waiting to hear back from watchmaker.

 

Most of the timex movements are a nonconventional spring holding the stem in place. You have to pry the darn thing apart! Don't need a screwdriver for the dial either..........held on with tabs Usually a MONSTER mainspring to keep it ticking under almost any circumstance.
Not really meant for service.
My first watch was a Timex automatic back in the mid '70s and it was almost $40! Dropped it once and the counterweight broke off . Was still ticking, however. I then saved my money for a Seiko which was my holy grail until the Swiss Army came along (as seen on MacGyver).......Then there was Magnum PI with the Chronosport migrating to the GMT..........

 

Well got it back today! Poor investment but I'm happy.

 

Good story.
Now you just need your first folding pocket knife to go along for the ride? (some of those are fun to look up)

 

Daughter has my first pocketknife at her apartment at college. She has a thing for knives and I didn't realize just how bad until my wife told her to take out all her knives and pepper spray before we left for the airport. Come back home and there was a canister of pepper spray and seven knives piled up on the counter.

 

Great story, glad you got it running! I disagree - great investment!

 

another reason to "save a Timex": i am shure that "tiny" design has been copied around the world. there some nice looking pocket watches (made out of stainless steel) that IF- you can get the stem out. if you could, a re- lube would keep um running on time. vinn

 

I looked around in my great uncles watch band stash ~ Sorry no vintage gold stainless Twist o Flex's that size to donate.


"thing for knives" ~ ohhh, who hasn't accumulated a fistful of vintage knives o're the years?
Was gifted, and bought a few and fixed blades since 12 or so myself.
One fixed blade, as gifted from my stepfather I thought was a chromed toy type thing. As pointed out from another on an airgun forum ~ It's a Vietnam era ('68-'69 version) 14.5" fighting knife/Bowie that never saw action.
Wow! I've seen some of same condition sell on "the bay" for two hunert, one version earlier/same knife with box and papers for four hunert. ~ Whether be watch, knives, airgun, rocking chair, etc., rainy day dating stuff is fun.
Even an original Boy Scout folder; there's someone out there dying for one for their collection.
~~ Nice to know your daughter isn't planning on being a victim ~ And now you know what to get her for a birthday/stocking stuffer; there's some nice/light weight one hander open/close folders out there...with clip!

Btw, if anyone has a vintage Sheridan Blue or Silver Streak pellet rifle (pre- 1979), don't let it go for less than 400.00 before searching condition truths. The airgun forum I joined has nice, goofy, knowledgeable folk as you all.

 

Working on the road this week so wearing the Timex all week.
Kat wanted a switch blade but I pointed out that they aren't legal here so she bought a butterfly. Currently she's doing a study abroad in Europe and man do the laws vary wildly over there. She finally just elected to not take any with her (or at least that's her story).

Last semester some unhinged guy drove his truck across campus flying the Gadsen flag, hopped out with a shotgun and began pouring gas on himself and around himself and the truck and had two large propane tanks in the bed of the truck. She elected to make a dash for it. Cops finally talked him down because they were afraid to open fire for risk of explosion.

I mention that to get to the funny part. About a week before she was to leave for Europe she got a text alert of a campus lockdown because of suspected gunman. She was at home with us and started texting friends about an hour later got the story. A group of her friends who make their own movies were walking across campus carrying cameras and tripods with two dressed as ninjas. Someone saw and mistook the tripods for rifels and called campus police. Her friends are getting ready to film, get the text alert and see people running to buildings so THEY RAN TOO so campus police didn't find them because they were hiding from the gunmen too. Finally got sorted out but if it weren't for the fact she was home getting ready to leave she would have been one of the "gunmen".