TIMEX Sprite 'Military'

In the Sixties military inspired watches were very popular. TIMEX introduced their Sprite 'Military' in 1966. It turned out to be a model that kept it's place in the TIMEX product portfolio untill the early Eighties. During this period, this Sprite 'Military' was available in a non-date and a date (calendar) version and in various case forms. The dial configuration however remained unchanged. 

Here is an overview of the different models and references of the Sprite Military. 

Model 24 (no-date)

1966 - 1970*

round case

ref. 1158

1969 - 1970

square case

ref. 1137

1971

square case

ref. 2307 / 23070

1972 - 1973 - 1975

round case

ref. 23172

1974

round case

ref. 23570 / 23070

1975

cushion case

ref. 23070

1978

tapered case

ref. 23371

1979

tapered case

ref. 22529

* Cathedral hands - the US models of reference 1158 from 1966 - 1968 have cathedral hands where the European models have the regular dauphine hands


Model 25 (date)

1970

round case

ref, 1178

1971 - 1978

round case

ref, 23571

1974 - 1975

round case

ref, 23570

1979

round case

ref. 22728

The calendar version of the Sprite Military only came in one case configuration, the round one. 


Military or something completely different?

The Sprite is called military because of the resilience to the military watches in the past. However, as the Sprite models are boys size watches they also can have a different purpose. According to the Italian TIMEX Collezione 75 catalog this watch was 'didattico per imparare a leggere l'ora' which means they were meant to educate the youth to learn telling time by looking at their watch.