TIMEX Promotion Watches

TIMEX watches, as they were cheap, were perfect for promotion activities. American company Heinz (with the famous Ketchup bottle hand) is one that easily come to mind. The first TIMEX (Ingersoll / US Time) promotion watches were the watches for Disney and the big TV Networks. This became their 'Character' line of watches.


TIMEX 1972 Kodak Voter's Choice Watches

In 1972 however it was Kodak who used TIMEX watches in their promotion of the Voter's Watch. $4,95 and both end panels of three boxes of any Kodak color film would get you the Voter's Watch of your choice.  



You could choose between the neutral Uncle Sam watch, the Democrat Donkey watch or the Republican Elephant watch. 


Neutral Kodak Voter's Choice Watch

Uncle Sam is a well-known symbol of America, named after Samuel Wilson and personified by cartoonist Montgomery Flagg during WWI through a recruitment campaign of the US Army. Because of there was another Samuel Wilson in the town where he lived, he was called Uncle Sam to be able to distinguish the two. As he delivered meat to the Army much of them knew Uncle Sam, also abbreviated to U.S.  


Thomas Nast

Political cartoonist Thomas Nast played an important role popularizing both the donkey and the elephant as symbol for respectively the Democrat and Republican Party from 1870 on as he used these animals in his political cartoons in Harper's Weekly to comment on the political issues of that time.  


Democrats Kodak Voter's Choice Watch

In 1828, during the presidential campaign Andrew Jackson, a popular war hero, was called jackass by his opponents. He used this in his campaign and won the election. Since then the Democrat Party is symbolized with the donkey.


Republican Kodak Voter's Choice Watch

The symbol of the Grand Old Party, the Republicans, is attributed to Tomas Nast. With his cartoon "The Third Term Panic" in 1974 he introduced both the elephant and the donkey in the same cartoon. Henceforth the elephant became the official symbol of the Republican Party. 


The sequel of Eastman Kodak in 1988

For the 1988 US Elections Eastman Kodak decided to once again cooperate with Timex and copied their campaign from 1972 by issuing Voter's Choice watches once again. This time they used quartz watches, of course, but the resemblance is stunning.



TIMEX Electric Calendar 'Hanomag' (1971)

To celebrate their 100 years anniversary Hannover Hanomag Tractors issued a TIMEX Electric watch in 1971 with the Hanomag logo printed on the dial. It's unknown if these watches were given to management, employees or their customers. It is the first I have come across in the years collecting vintage TIMEX watches. Full set!


Latest acquisition 

This radiant blue 1975 TIMEX Electric Calendar is my latest TIMEX promotion watch. Isn't she a beauty? Disco volante case so typical 70's. 

The CEE logo I haven't been able to track so far. In order to find out the story behind this promotion with TIMEX that is step one. So, if anybody out there recognizes this logo, please reach out to me. 


TIMEX Marlin 'Seabulk'

This TIMEX Marlin originates from 1970 and because it says water resistant on the dial it clearly is an American model. The black flag with the white S logo seems to be the logo from Seabulk, a US shipping company specialized in marine logistics, port services, bulk ocean transportation etc. 

According to the October 1970 edition of Maritime Reporter Magazine they were active in the same periode the TIMEX watch was produced.