TIMEX x coen Weekender "Central Park," October 2016.
Hi, this is Alan. Contact information is below. Thanks for reading these pages...
Here is a bespoke model of the TIMEX "Central Park" Weekender, made for the Japanese apparel retailer coen. From the stamp on the back, it was made in October 2016, but from what I have been able to find out, it first went on sale in Spring 2017. coen is a brand or subsidiary of the large United Arrows company, and features a more relaxed and casual approach to fashion and style. I've been told it's less expensive than say BEAMS or SHIPS. From the United Arrows site, about coen: "Feel free to enjoy fashion with a brand concept, relaxed casual eye on the American West Coast." Maybe like "Hollister, Japan?"
The company itself is very interesting in terms of how it treats its employees, and what it does to contribute back to society. More on this later on the page, but please do check it out. It makes me like this watch a lot more than I already did before I learned this information.
The watch is 38 mm diameter in a case of chrome plate, with lug width of 20 mm. You can see in this angled view, the sides of the watch slope anteriorly. The dial is white, but in some of my pics has a bit of yellow color from lighting. It's got nice little pips and pops of color in the seconds hand, the 13-24 hour marks (well, the bear steals the 24,) and in the yellow minute/second marks on the sloped part of the dial.
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From the coen website.
It came supplied with a strap I didn't care for much, Blue and red fabric single-piece. I swapped in a really good grey strap that I swiped from a Todd Snyder x TIMEX Bullseye Watch, and I think it works out pretty well.
Who is the bear? You can see there is a bear at the 12 o'clock position on the dial. This is the coen BEAR. I don't know if it has a name, or any other information, but I'm trying to find out. It features consistently in its promos. Here, 1540 people have liked the bear. This is way more likes than I've ever gotten on any of my Instagrams.
Dial has a lot of contrast, white background, bold black letters and hands. Design has what could be described as "military styling," with the high-contrast readability, the 13-24 hour marks, and the marking of the minutes and hours, along with all the hash marks. And an attractive cross in the middle. And the Bear. A watch for the Bear Army.
Really good Indiglo. I love that bear.
Steel caseback, with all the usual details. The 34 indicates it was made in October, 2016.
Good look at some of the dial details. I really like the rounded ends of the numerals, and the prominent black dots. Each detail, like those dots, or the central cross, adds to the pleasing effect of this dial.
NOT MY WATCH. Here is another Weekender, made by TIMEX for KINASHI CYCLE, made in 2015. Also comes in black dial. Nice looking, and you can see it has similarities with the coen watch, but it does lack many of the "extra" features that give the coen just that bit more, and push it into a different category of design, to me.
I really do love the dial. It has a kind of "vernacular" feeling to the design, like it speaks a well-known and easily understood classic wristwatch language.
NOT A TIMEX. But it is another wristwatch from coen. It prominently features the Bear front and center. The arms of the bear serve as the hour and minute hands, in the classic Mickey Mouse style.
Here is the strap supplied with the watch. Nothing really that wrong with it, and I'm sure people like it, but i just liked it much better on a plain grey one.
Here's another, earlier TIMEX coen Weekender, from October 2014. Similar look in many respects, but missing a lot of the features of the 2016/2017 version, most notably the colors, and what I would say the "striking boldness" of the 2016/2017 version. But it's still a pretty nice watch! Sorry, this is the best pic I could find.
I'd heard of United Arrows, but I'll admit to never having heard of coen (established 2008) until I found this watch. I did a bit of reading from their website, and I'm kind of impressed with some of their philosophy. I"m unsure how much of it "stands out," when compared with other Japanese firms, but from my experience living in the US, it does seems to stand out. Waaaaay out. I'd be interested to hear what people think.
I'll list some of the information from the website.
First, disaster relief:
"Based on our philosophy of "contribution to society and the community", we carry out support activities for the affected areas.
1. Sales of disaster area support products
We sell recovery support products over the counter and donate the proceeds to disaster recovery support groups.
2. Store donation box setting
We set up a donation box at the storefront of each store and donated the amount we received from customers to the disaster recovery support group.
3. Trade-in campaign
We bring clothing items that are no longer needed from our customers to stores, hand them to Whatman Co., Ltd., and donate them to disaster areas and disaster recovery support groups after conversion.
4. Other
A portion of the earnings earned through sales activities are donated to disaster recovery support organizations according to business performance.
(Result: Charity flea market January / July / December 2014, August 2015 / January 2016)
Click here for past donations
Total reconstruction assistance for the affected areas: ¥ 22,772,476 (as of the end of February 2018)."
(This is about 1.1 million in USD)
Second, is how they treat their employees. Again from their website:
"Welfare
Internal discount system
Short-time work system
A system of short working hours for employees with various restrictions such as childcare and nursing care. In the case of childcare, the target is until the child completes the third grade of elementary school.
enjoy! 1 week holiday
One week consecutive holidays acquisition system.
United Arrows Employee Shareholding System
Retirement benefit system (401K)
Transfer support system
The company pays for 6 days “relocation leave” and travel and moving expenses for previewing. Preparation money, travel expenses will be paid.
Single part-time job allowance system
If you are separated from your spouse or dependents and transferred to a single employee by transferring work, you will be paid a single employee.
Local limited employee system
A system that allows a way of working with a limited work area.
Employee appointment system
Target audience:
Part-time job Part- time staff have the opportunity to be promoted to employees.
Award and reward system
Target person:
It is commendation system according to the results such as every employee store or individual commendation.
Education system
Cohen Education System Diagram
In addition to OJT (On-Job-Training), Cohen works on human resource development in accordance with the following education system. In addition to practical training, you will be able to learn in a balanced manner the skills, mind and knowledge necessary to work throughout your life."
I can't read any of the above diagrams, but it seems to be all about how they manage educational advancement and on-the-job training for employees, different types of stages and advancements.
Above, about their clothing recycling program.
I know I'm supposed to talk about watches here, but I just can't get over the corporate philosophy of coen and/or United Arrows. I have never worked a standard "corporate" or "retail" job in America, and I do know that increasingly firms are offering better benefits to their employees and communities, but to me this seems extraordinary. But again, maybe this is typical for Japan? I won't dwell on each detail, as it's all listed above, and kind of speaks for itself, but wow. I will say that even though this watch is "just a watch," I do enjoy as I wear it knowing about some of the "really cool" ideas and philosophy of the company.
Maybe the Bear is behind it all. That bear.
Close up of the Indiglo. The bear is throwing up its hands in celebration.
2016/2017 TIMEX x coen bespoke "Central Park" Weekender watch with lots of color, and bold "military styling," with a Bear at the 12 position. Quartz movement, case size 38 mm, with a Indiglo.
Thanks for reading.
I hope you will like it.
Alan
Contact:
Website: Alan's Vintage Watches
