Timex opens first worldwide monobrand store in Tokyo

“Timex Tokyo” is set to open in Jingumae 6th street, near the Jingumae intersection. The store will be located on the 2nd floor of the building. The store will also feature a ‘strap bar’ for leather maintenance and engraving, and will also feature exhibition pieces.

Timex was established by the Waterbury Clock Company in Connecticut in 1854. In the 1890s it launched the first edition of the pocket watch, Yankee, which sold 4 million units in 20 years. The label’s timepieces were also said to have been worn by the writer Mark Twain.

The brand later released its first military-issue watch, dubbed ‘Midget.’ By the 1960s the company occupied a 50% share of the US watch market as the nation’s most popular brand, and is perhaps best known for the appearance of the ‘Ironman’ model on the wrist of Bill Clinton at his 1993 inaugural speech.

The brand has gained visibility in Japan of late due to Timex’s Japan-exclusive collaborations, including a partnership between Engineered Garments and Japanese retailer Beams. Relaunches of classic models such as the Camper, updated last year by Timex Japan in stainless steel and limited to 1500 pieces, have also been a hit.