1983 TIMEX Camper Watch model 29911, with label and box, appears to have never been used.
Don't overpay for a vintage Timex Camper! See this page for info. They are not rare!
Hi, this is Alan. As always, thanks for your interest in my watches, and for reading these pages. I hope you will like it. My contact information is at the bottom.
Yet another Camper Watch from TIMEX I'm writing about. I feel that there should be an index page to the numerous and varied pages I've written about the Camper.
If anyone wants to learn more about Camper Watch in general, here are some pages to review:
5. TIMEX "Mini" Camper, 1983. A much smaller version of the full-size Camper. Very fun. Orange hand.
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So why yet another page on Camper? Well, I recently came across one with the original box in seemingly unused condition, running well. I have seen one photo on Pinterest with a Camper Watch with box, a different box than mine (pictured below) but they seem to be very uncommon. So, I thought I'd get it, take some pics and make a page, so as to add to the literature on the TIMEX Camper.
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The watch comes strapped to a typical oval-shaped plastic holder, a single piece of black plastic that slides out so you can remove the watch (pic just above.) An adhesive label with slivery printing is affixed to the bottom of the piece, with a tab stating the price. You can see in this picture that there is an inner black plastic, surrounded by white plastic. The white part rotates on two "pressure hinges" (not visible) to enclose the watch for shipping, and it opens up to display in a retail setting, as shown here.
Here is box fully closed. Nice tu-tone appearance.
Typical appearance of the early Camper, with the "straight" (not italic) lettering for TIMEX, WATER RESISTANT and the TIMEX wave symbol on the dial. Some background dust on the watch, but no crystal scratches or case scuffs or scratches. It appears to be unused. The strap hand chronic creases along the nylon where it crossed over the lugs, and where it crossed the buckle. But once I rinsed it with water to remove the background dust, and massaged it a little bit, the creases went away.
Let's have a look at the label info, Firstly, confirms the name CAMPER WATCH. Model is 29911. Interestingly, I've opened up quite a number of mechanical Campers and they have all been 29912. The wave symbol is shown (pretty new at that time) and WATER-RESISTANT is indicated. More info about hands, 24 hour dial, strap.The lettering is silvery, reflective. Label in very good condition. They mention an insert (SEE INSERT) but that was gone.
The suggested price is $17.95. Notice that the price tab has perforations for easy removal. If given as a gift, this is handy. But I wonder if this was also so the retailer could remove it if they chose to sell it for a price other than suggested by TIMEX. I guess TIMEX probably didn't care. They were a discount brand, and TIMEX got their wholesale price when they shipped it to the drugstore or department store, and probably didn't mind if the seller wanted to change the price. But I don't know if they were allowed to do that. I have heard that ROLEX does not allow retailers to discount their watches. Said to tarnish the brand name, the reputation, etc. "ROLEX is ROLEX, we don't go on sale!"
Classic caseback, nonremovable, with the kind of granular surface texture (someone said that this helps the case to pop out of the mold once it has set, as the granular surface makes it less "sticky" to the mold.) WATER RESISTANT and ASSEMBLED IN TAIWAN molded into the back. The first Campers were assembled in Taiwan, and later in the Philippines.
Here is another, different box, pic from Pinterest. The model is the same as mine, 29911. The price is higher, $19.95, two dollars more than mine, and presumably mine is older than this one. Box shaped differently, with a kind of V-shaped point to the bottom front.
There was even a white styrofoam "cup" that fits over the top of the watch, presumably so it won't rattle around during shipping.
On the bottom of the box, you can see how it was designed to hold a rectangular folded card. To our left, one edge of the card fits under the straight slot. To our right, the other end of the card fits under the "lip." The card was likely a combo of information about the watch, how to wind it, how to set it, along with info on the guarantee, and where to send it for service. Usually there is a mail-in card that is separated by perforations, that you tear off, fill in, and mail to TIMEX. This served as warranty registration, but also a good way for TIMEX to collect demographic and other info that probably helped them in marketing, advertising, etc. Here is an example of one such card, but from many years before, appears to be from 1950s.
So, in summary, I think this is a box from early Camper. I have not opened up the crystal to see the hidden date code on the dial (hidden under a metal ring, see this link) but I think it is probably from 1983, maybe 1984. It's TAIWAN, which I think were only a couple years, and it's two dollars less than that other Camper box price, therefore earlier.
Anyway, nice piece of Camper memorabilia, not something you see too often.
Thanks for reading.
I hope you will like it.
Alan
Contact:
Website: Alan's Vintage Watches
