TIMEX x Todd Snyder "Military Watch," March 18, 2016
Japan-sold watch from the Spring 2016 "Re-issue Series," based on a late-1970s version of the TIMEX "Viscount" model.
This is another watch from the collaboration between TIMEX and American designer Todd Snyder. Manufactured in March 2016. I obtained it in April 2018 from someone in Japan. From what I can tell, it was part of a "Re-issue series" that initially dropped, through the Todd Snyder stores in Japan, and at toddsnyder.jp, March 18, 2016. This was simultaneous with the release of two other watches, the 1950s Marlin re-issue, and the re-issue of an iconic 1971 "Sprite" model, recreated for the modern era as the Bullseye in Japan initially, and in later in the US as the "Mod Watch."
All three watches were released initially in Japan on March 18, 2016 (From this article in "HOUYHNHNM, Magazine for the Hip.") This watch, the "Military Watch," along with the Mod Watch, were then released not long thereafter in the US, July 2016. The Marlin re-issue was never released outside of Japan. This Military Watch differs from the US release only as it relates to some caseback markings and a single dial feature. The Japan version comes in a different box from the US box. The box is really nice, and also came with the original sales tag.
新品 TODD SNYDER別注 TIMEX タイメックス トッドスナイダー 1970年代モデル Military アナログ 腕時計
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Quite a dial, on this watch. If you count black & white, there are five colors; red, yellow, orange, black, and white. The dial and hands are an extremely close reproduction of an original 1978 TIMEX upon which the watch is based. It was an automatic mechanical watch, and I bought mine in 2001 from Steve in West Virginia, for $38.50 + 5 shipping. He said his thrift shop didn't know how an automatic worked, wound it up, and when it stopped running, figured it was broken:
I wrote about this watch in June 2002, at the now long since closed "Vintage TIMEX Watch Forum," to alert other participants that another one was for sale. By this point, I'd found a 1977 catalog picture showing the watch, a version of the TIMEX "Viscount "model.
Have a look at the dial and hands of the re-issue, above, and the original 1978 auto, below, and notice the similarity. All the markings are there, the seconds/minutes 0-60 in yellow at the outer edge, the white hash marks noting the sixty seconds (plus four sub-divided seconds marks between each second - I love that,) and 13-24 marks in red at the center. The font for the red and yellow numbers appears identical.
The thick, white numbers for the 1-12 hours, in font I kind of think of as "macaroni numbers," is nearly identical, but there are differences in all, except maybe 1, and 11. Notice for example the 3 has a flat top, and the 4 is fully closed, on the re-issue. The center "cross" in white lines is now gone (on my Japanese version, but present on the US version, see below,) of course AUTOMATIC is gone, and WATER RESISTANT has been moved to the far top of the dial, to make room for the Broad Arrow.
What is the Broad Arrow. "The broad arrow was used in England (and later Britain), apparently from the mid 16th century, to mark objects purchased from the monarch's money, or to indicate government property." There are some who will object to placing the Broad Arrow in a watch that is now of British property. I do respect the opinion of people who feel this way about it. I've discussed this at length, maybe too much length, at my review of a TIMEX x Nigel Cabourn Camper watch, a really cool watch if you haven't seen it. As a symbol, it is not only visually attractive, but it can convey a stated or perceived "affinity," with something, even with history if you want, and I don't personally find the Broad Arrow at all incoherent or objectionable. As always I'm happy to hear thoughts of others.
Outer box, and retail sales tag. Retailed for 16,000 yen + tax.
The watch normally is supplied with a greenish-khaki color NATO style strap, but the seller in Japan made a mistake. Apparently he had another customer who bought a different watch, and requested a metal bracelet. The seller mistakenly installed the metal bracelet on the one he sent to me (and did not include the greenish-khaki strap). Honest mistake, could happen to anyone. But I thought the look and feel of this bracelet was really terrible. So, I've worn it on the strap supplied with my TIMEX x Snyder Mod Watch, and it works pretty well. I've also worn it on a different 20 mm grey NATO type strap, see first picture of this review. Below is the khaki strap (the pic is from toddsnyder.com). Notice also the US version of this watch has preserved a feature of the original dial, the white lines making a cross in the center, missing in my version.
Image from toddsnyder.com
What a really great case, like all of the watches in the Snyder collaboration that I have seen. Robust, 40 mm transverse dimension, quality steel Nice styling, but not overstyling, of the lugs and bezel.
Did I say I love the box? It's like a book, and is identical in construction to the boxes used for the celebrated collaboration TIMEX x Engineered Garments x BEAMS BOY. I've got two of those, a steel case, and a black plastic case version. (The reverse dial on these, btw, has elicited what I an only describe as "visceral reactions" among some highly formal people on watch forums, who just cannot believe anyone would make or wear such a watch.) The cover of the inner box on the Snyder re-issue, unlike the BEAMS BOY EG watches, has a really nice fabric or at least textured surface. (I think that is a pretty cool nod to the fashion and garment industry that Todd Snyder has been a part of for so long.)
Just a pic showing blurring motion artifact as the pic was snapped in mid tick. Almost all quartz movements will tick once per second, vs mechanicals which usually tick 4 or 5 times per second depending on the escapement.
Just playing with some of the settings on my phone's picture edit function (Samsung). This one I think was "vintage."
Snap-on steel caseback has 27N, from March 2016 manufacture. Usual listings of 50 meter water resistance, listing of the battery replacement type, and the global TIMEX website. Also TIMEX in large fond across the center. The Japan Todd Snyders didn't have his name or logo on the back, though the US ones do. See below, showing this Military Watch side by side with a Mod Watch I got from Todd Snyder New York. The Mod Watch has X TODD SNYDER NEW YORK, as well as some minor differences in font of the other texts and three etched circles instead of one. Aren't you glad someone like me is cataloging these differences.
I really like it on the grey NATO type strap I found laying around in the strap bin.
I am very pleased with this watch. Like all of the other three Todd Snyder x TIMEX collaboration watches I am have, this is another re-issue, updated in larger size and with modern features, of an earlier mechanical watch I owned and loved during my earlier days of TIMEX collecting and, ok, yes, fandom. Those three others being:
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