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Thread: Any interest in a Time Factors watch for boys?

  1. #1
    Craftsman rickf's Avatar
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    Any interest in a Time Factors watch for boys?



    I’d like to gauge the interest of the forum in a potential new project for Eddie. I’ve long searched for a watch for my son who’s 10 years old. I’ve actually acquired a couple different Flik-Flaks for him and while they are OK, they don’t quite fit the bill. Kids’ watches today tend to be more cartoonish. An active, adventurous boy really wants something like what Dad wears and I’ve yet to find a watch like that sized for boys.

    In general I think we’re a nostalgic lot here and more than a few of us have memories of growing up in a less “careful” society. We thought nothing of venturing out of doors for the entire day without any parental supervision (gasp!) to explore the woods, the streets or the neighbor’s backyard. Thinking about this and after recently thumbing through a copy of The Dangerous Book for Boys, I got to thinking that I loved my first watch as a boy which was a Timex.

    Unfortunately I no longer have that watch but I searched a bit for various vintage Timex models for boys. Here are a few different styles from the 60s and 70s:



    My vague recollection is that mine was similar to the watch on the bottom right only with a white dial. I do remember watching the luminous hands glow at night in bed. I know that RLT came up with an homage to a vintage boys Timex but I’m not suggesting an exact recreation of any of these models. I would like to re-create the “spirit” of the Timex of my youth. That is, a sturdy watch that my son can go out with and get dirty.

    The features I’d like to see would include:
    - Extremely legible dial with Arabic numerals
    - Quartz is most practical
    - Strong lume is key, there is nothing cooler to a kid than glow-in-the-dark stuff
    - Simple sturdy strap, maybe a nylon NATO-like strap with Velcro closure (washable). A strap with a compass on it would make it that much more interesting. Boys, like their dads, are into gadgets.
    - Reasonably priced. This is a relative term but I’ve spent anywhere from $30 - $60 for Flik-Flaks which tend to be more expensive than most kids’ watches. I think this would be a good target range.

    So what would it look like? I’ll use my feeble photo editing skills to mock up a couple concepts but I’m very open minded about different cases, dials, hands, etc.:



    Here, I borrowed the Timex case most similar to my Timex and the legible dial of the Speedbird 3. One is the basic black dial, the ivory dial is meant to represent a full-lume dial. And if ever there was a watch that should have a lightning bolt seconds hand, it should be the “Dangerous Watch for Boys”. As for a name, I would take my inspiration from the vintage Timex models bearing the Cub Scout logo, my son’s interest in Scouts and the adventurous spirit of this project. Call it the Scout.

    So would anyone else be interested in a Timefactors watch similar to what I’ve described and sized for boys?

    Thanks for looking,
    Rick

  2. #2

    Re: Any interest in a Time Factors watch for boys?

    Nice post. My first ever watch was the Timex in the centre of the bottom row. I still have it in a drawer somewhere but it doesn't work. I have toyed with getting it fixed for my 4 year old son. As I recall it was manual wind.

    Finally, to answer your question, yes I would be interested.

  3. #3
    Master village's Avatar
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    Re: Any interest in a Time Factors watch for boys?

    I've still got my Timex i was given as my first watch in 1977 ish



    You might have an uphill struggle but if Eddie made one i would buy one.

  4. #4
    Apprentice
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    Re: Any interest in a Time Factors watch for boys?

    Every watch I've given my kids has been destroyed 8(

  5. #5
    Master searat's Avatar
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    Re: Any interest in a Time Factors watch for boys?

    I think that Eddie's PRS-10 already fits the bill in many respects, it's tough, highly legible, 100m WR, quartz, compact (36 or 37mm I think) and under £100 - my 12 year old is currently testing one to destruction.. My 17 year old has a PRS-17Q, and my 15 year old prefers G-shocks.
    Steve

  6. #6
    Thomas Reid
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    Re: Any interest in a Time Factors watch for boys?

    This is the only one I've made for a boy (10 or so at the time). I thought it best if it were very simple.





    Best wishes,
    Bob

  7. #7
    Craftsman rickf's Avatar
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    Re: Any interest in a Time Factors watch for boys?

    That looks very nice Bob. In fact a little too nice for my 10 year-old.

    I think the lack of response to this post is a pretty strong indicator that there's not much interest in such a project. Thanks to those who took the time to read and comment.

    Rick

  8. #8
    Journeyman
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    Re: Any interest in a Time Factors watch for boys?

    I too would be interested.

    My 12 year old wears an orange monster and it looks great on him, but my 4 year old son currently just wears bright and plasticky ones.

    I like your mock ups - and also like what Bob made too

    I

  9. #9
    Craftsman Hobbes's Avatar
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    Re: Any interest in a Time Factors watch for boys?

    Not sure about watches for boys but I just noticed that the black faced Timex on the top row appears to be the same as my first ever wrist watch bought by mum and dad for Xmas (1972?), as I recall it came on a rally style black leather strap and was lost years ago...let the search begin!!

  10. #10
    Grand Master mr1973's Avatar
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    Re: Any interest in a Time Factors watch for boys?

    Quote Originally Posted by rfrazier
    This is the only one I've made for a boy (10 or so at the time). I thought it best if it were very simple.





    Best wishes,
    Bob
    That's an incredibly nice watch! Would love to wear that myself!
    Did you make the dial yourself Bob? :shock:
    I'm not as think as you drunk I am.

  11. #11
    Thomas Reid
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    Re: Any interest in a Time Factors watch for boys?

    Quote Originally Posted by mr1973
    That's an incredibly nice watch! Would love to wear that myself!
    Did you make the dial yourself Bob? :shock:
    Yes. It is one of my dials. Printing (of various sorts) is enjoyable challenging. (Small scale. Industrial printing is, well, industrial. Interesting in another way.)

    Best wishes,
    Bob

  12. #12
    Craftsman rickf's Avatar
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    Re: Any interest in a Time Factors watch for boys?

    Quote Originally Posted by rfrazier
    Quote Originally Posted by mr1973
    That's an incredibly nice watch! Would love to wear that myself!
    Did you make the dial yourself Bob? :shock:
    Yes. It is one of my dials. Printing (of various sorts) is enjoyable challenging. (Small scale. Industrial printing is, well, industrial. Interesting in another way.)

    Best wishes,
    Bob
    Bob, I'm even more impressed. That dial looks great. I wouldn't mind seeing a post about how you make the dial. As I said before, the whole watch is much too nice for my son who would bang it up pretty quickly. Well done.


    Hey Mike, I just noticed your new avatar. What's up with the gay dog?

    Rick

  13. #13
    Master
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    Re: Any interest in a Time Factors watch for boys?

    I had a watch like the black Timex...except it did not say Timex on it. I found it a short while ago and it still manually winds and runs ok. Getting back to the subject it would mainly be about cost. Most kids today don't have quite the same care over items that we might have had. A cheap Casio is hard wearing, easy to replace and above all does not require said child being hung, drawn and quartered if something happens to it.

  14. #14
    Journeyman
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    Re: Any interest in a Time Factors watch for boys?

    A really nice small diver, I guess perfectly for boys would be the Seiko SUG089K. With a little bit of searching and if you are lucky enough, there are still some out there!

  15. #15

    Re: Any interest in a Time Factors watch for boys?

    It would be great

  16. #16
    Thomas Reid
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    Re: Any interest in a Time Factors watch for boys?

    Quote Originally Posted by rickf

    Bob, I'm even more impressed. That dial looks great. I wouldn't mind seeing a post about how you make the dial. As I said before, the whole watch is much too nice for my son who would bang it up pretty quickly. Well done.

    Rick
    Try this. Dial Making HOWTO. Although it isn't the method I now use, it is the method I used in making this dial.

    Best wishes,
    Bob

  17. #17
    Master
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    Re: Any interest in a Time Factors watch for boys?

    Quote Originally Posted by flomatic
    A really nice small diver, I guess perfectly for boys would be the Seiko SUG089K. With a little bit of searching and if you are lucky enough, there are still some out there!
    As long as you didn't tell them it was a ladies diver :lol: I still think price is the biggest barrier. What age are we talking about here? Say 8 -12? I don't think most parents would be willing to spend that much on a watch. I would certainly thinking long and hard once it got to £40-£50. What I would be more inclined to do might be buying a Rolex "birth watch" to give my son at 21 or whatever. Though again would they appreciate it?

  18. #18
    Grand Master mr1973's Avatar
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    Re: Any interest in a Time Factors watch for boys?

    Quote Originally Posted by rickf
    Quote Originally Posted by rfrazier
    Quote Originally Posted by mr1973
    That's an incredibly nice watch! Would love to wear that myself!
    Did you make the dial yourself Bob? :shock:
    Yes. It is one of my dials. Printing (of various sorts) is enjoyable challenging. (Small scale. Industrial printing is, well, industrial. Interesting in another way.)

    Best wishes,
    Bob
    Bob, I'm even more impressed. That dial looks great. I wouldn't mind seeing a post about how you make the dial. As I said before, the whole watch is much too nice for my son who would bang it up pretty quickly. Well done.


    Hey Mike, I just noticed your new avatar. What's up with the gay dog?

    Rick
    I don't know. It's Simon's playmate :lol:

    Incredible Bob, this is by far one of your nicest dials so far!
    I'm not as think as you drunk I am.

  19. #19

    Re: Any interest in a Time Factors watch for boys?

    Definitely interested - i've got too god sons (and a daughter) a couple of years off ten and I'd love to give them a proper watch for that birthday as I remember getting my first Timex then.

  20. #20
    Craftsman
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    Re: Any interest in a Time Factors watch for boys?

    First proper post (long time lurker). Clearing out my father's house I came across my first Timex (bottom left in the first post) and it still works. I was showing it to my 10 year old daughter and she said it was amazing that the battery still worked after 30 odd years!! I said that it wasn't battery driven and she said "wow, so it's solar powered then?"

  21. #21

    A new edition of....

    the Lady Speedbird would do.

  22. #22
    Craftsman
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    Re: Any interest in a Time Factors watch for boys?

    This has been an ongoing problem for me - my son's currently using a smallish (?mid size) swatch irony, and I have wondered about the Seiko ladies' watches.

    I still have my first watch, by the way - an Ingersoll - it works although the pearlescent dial has flaked a bit, taking some of the numbers with it.

    Andrew

  23. #23
    Craftsman
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    Re: Any interest in a Time Factors watch for boys?

    My first watch was your top right timex. Now that takes me back a bit

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