The *Last Mechanical TIMEX Watch! June 1996
"The Last Wind Up," Limited Edition watch, only 700 made!
What? And then, "wow!" Not my watch, belongs to Knut. Photos are all his as well.
This was news to me, writing this in August 2019. "The Last Wind Up," a very limited edition watch from June 1996, designed to mark the occasion of the last mechanical watch TIMEX would make. Of course, later, in the 2000s, they began making some mechanicals, using auto movements sourced from other firms. But I have every reason to believe that this watch, made during an era of of quartz dominance when mechanical seemed like a dinosaur, that TIMEX soberly created this limited edition believing it truly would be the last mechanical watches they would ever make! Oh, btw, this is Alan, and thanks for reading these pages. My contact info is at the bottom.
The watch and the pictures from this page all belong to Knut, a TIMEX expert and collector from Norway. He has graciously allowed me to use them here. You can see on the back it says "The Last Wind Up" June 1996. The watch is numbered, and Knut's is number 341 out of 700.
Have a look at the paperwork that comes with the watch, especially the last part. "These thoughtful iconoclasts take pleasure in winding their watches every morning, both for the comforting daily routine this take provides, and for its symbolic connection to a five hundred year tradition of human artistry and ingenuity." I feel like this passage really "gets" why a lot of people love mechanical watches. Also, I now sort of want to call myself a THOUGHTFUL ICONOCLAST.
So, this was all from 1996.
Many years later, in November 2017, more than 21 years after "The Last Wind Up," TIMEX made another mechanical watch, a reissue of a 1965 TIMEX Marlin, which also used a hand-wound movement. Pic of watch, and box, above. It is nice to see that here they also reference the "pleasure of a hand-wound mechanical movement."
Let's take a closer look at this 1996 watch.
My initial thought was, if you're going to make a special watch, this very limited edition of 700 to mark the end of the road for mechanical TIMEX, why make it such an ordinary-looking TIMEX?
Sure it's got a special box and the caseback commemorations, but the dial is just so ordinary! No listing of the June 1996 date, no inscription, nothing bespoke, it might as well be just any TIMEX from that era.
Then, it dawned on me that maybe this was exactly the point! In creating the "last of the mechanical," what better way to reflect the history of this brand -- this icon of mass-produced, inexpensive durable timepieces -- than by creating, essentially, a "normcore TIMEX." If this was the point, and maybe it was, then this was genius.
Thank you for reading.
I hope you will like it.
Alan
Contact:
Website: Alan's Vintage Watches
Knut's Instagram, @Timexvintage, can be reached at this link.
Knut's watch is number 341 of 700.
Caseback removed to reveal the movement, M105. Here is a good pic of movement with some parts removed, pic by Christoph. The case is interesting. You can see here that the opening in the back is clearly smaller than the movement/dial assembly. If you wanted to remove the movement to perform a repair, you would need to first remove the back, release the stem, then turn the watch around and remove the crystal, Only then could the movement be removed, from the front of the watch. I don't have an explanation as to why this was engineered this way. The sloped back of the case created the need for a tube or short tunnel for the stem to go through. All pretty interesting. Here is another identical case. It is from another Timex that was not the last, but was also near the end of the road for Timex mechanical, but from 1993. It used the same movement and case shape.
What follows (and also right above) are some really exquisite macro photos taken by Knut, of this watch. Above, you can see the dial has fine radial striations. A good look the serifs typestyle for the hours.
Nice view of the drilled lugs (I love drilled lugs) and the integrated stretch bracelet. The case is base metal which has been chrome plated. Looks pretty good. Another look at the plated case, back of it, below.
These "flared out" date windows are pretty fun. TImex started using them in the 1970s, and at first I thought it was a kind of distortion artifact because of the curve of the crystal. But no, it's very real, with the more peripheral vertical edge of the window taller than the more central vertical edge. The numerals also "swell out" at the outer edge, it's pretty crazy and kind of fun. Many Timex had this little bit o' craziness.
Look at Knut's amazingly detailed macro photograph of the date window. I haver seen anything like it.
It is a very interesting and rare piece of Timex history. As interesting as the actual piece itself, if that Timex decided to do this in the first place. They saw the tsunami of quartz watches having took over the industry over the years and knew that the mechanical was over. That they decided to memorialize the mechanical Timex with this special edition, limited to 700, is really a pretty great thing.
Debt of gratitude to Knut for taking these pics, and allowing me to share them here so that others may learn about this great piece.
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Quite a special caseback. It announces The Last Wind-up June 1996" as a Limited Edition, number of 700. Knut's piece is number 341 of 700. Some engraved scrollwork, and a banner for "Limited Edition" for extra fanfare. If you want to see a more full pic the entire back of the watch, click here.
Movement 105, with some parts removed, from this site, by Christoph Lorenz.
