Timex Ironman
Encyclopedia
The Timex Ironman is a digital wristwatch first produced by Timex in 1986 that continues to be made in various styles today.
In 1984 Timex worked together with the officials of the Ironman Triathlon
sporting event to develop a new digital watch to help sagging sales within the company. The result was the Timex Triathlon. In 1986, Timex got the rights to the Ironman name and developed the Ironman Triathlon watch based on the 1984 watch. The basic functions and design were the same as its Triathlon cousin except the Ironman was water resistant to 100 meters instead of 50, given an updated look with a black, orange and grey color scheme on the watch face and the 19mm ribbed wrist strap was adorned with the Ironman name and 3 stylized "M" logos. Sales for the new watch soared in the first year of its production, dwarfing that of the earlier Triathlon watch, though the two watches would coexist in production for many years to come. Sales were strong enough to warrant a dressy silver/stainless steel version a couple of years later. The watch's rugged design made it very popular with sporting enthusiasts and people who needed a "workhorse" watch. The Ironman Watch includes time, stopwatch (chrono), timer, occasion alarm, and three alarms. The first generation Ironman watches were commonly seen to be worn by military and law enforcement personnel as the watch could take quite a bit of punishment. The watch was also extremely popular with American youth. A mid-sized, ladies/youth version of the watch was released the same year as the original. The original 1984 Triathlon and 1986 Ironman (full size/mid size) watches would remain in production until 1991 when the first of many cosmetic and design refreshes came along. This era of Timex Ironman is now known amongst watch collectors as the "Pre Indiglo" Ironman.
In 1992, the Ironman got its first major technology update since its introduction six years earlier with a new Indiglo
electroluminescence
technology to replace the mini white corner backlight. Initial runs of the Indiglo Ironmans were the same 1986 design, except they were painted black and silver, given a different wrist strap and were available exclusively at K-Mart before going wide release in early 1993. The original 1986 color scheme Ironman would get the Indiglo backlight at this time as did the Silver/Stainless steel full size version. The ladies/midsize Ironman would not get the Indiglo technology until 1994. In 1996, Indiglo/TIMEX developed a reflective blue-green or "all-day Indiglo" for its Ironman and other digital watches. This reflective technology has since been adopted by other watch makers and has seemingly been abandoned by Timex as evident in newer (post 2005) releases of its Ironman and other digital watches as they no longer have the reflective screens.
The original 1986-91 design and subsequent models of Timex Ironman are one of the most recognized timepieces around the world and continues to be Timex's best selling brand. The brand has seen many updates to its technology and design refreshes over the years including the popular Timex Datalink
Ironman. Timex and its line of digital watches have been a favorite of endurance athletes ever since.
owned and wore several early models (including the original) of the watch during his time as Governor of Arkansas and in the early years of his Presidency. In one of his early Presidential photographs, he is seen wearing a blue & black colored Ironman. President Clinton has since donated one of his early Ironman models to the Smithsonian
.
History and development
Ironman Triathlon
An Ironman Triathlon is one of a series of long-distance triathlon races organized by the World Triathlon Corporation consisting of a swim, a bike and a marathon run, raced in that order and without a break...
sporting event to develop a new digital watch to help sagging sales within the company. The result was the Timex Triathlon. In 1986, Timex got the rights to the Ironman name and developed the Ironman Triathlon watch based on the 1984 watch. The basic functions and design were the same as its Triathlon cousin except the Ironman was water resistant to 100 meters instead of 50, given an updated look with a black, orange and grey color scheme on the watch face and the 19mm ribbed wrist strap was adorned with the Ironman name and 3 stylized "M" logos. Sales for the new watch soared in the first year of its production, dwarfing that of the earlier Triathlon watch, though the two watches would coexist in production for many years to come. Sales were strong enough to warrant a dressy silver/stainless steel version a couple of years later. The watch's rugged design made it very popular with sporting enthusiasts and people who needed a "workhorse" watch. The Ironman Watch includes time, stopwatch (chrono), timer, occasion alarm, and three alarms. The first generation Ironman watches were commonly seen to be worn by military and law enforcement personnel as the watch could take quite a bit of punishment. The watch was also extremely popular with American youth. A mid-sized, ladies/youth version of the watch was released the same year as the original. The original 1984 Triathlon and 1986 Ironman (full size/mid size) watches would remain in production until 1991 when the first of many cosmetic and design refreshes came along. This era of Timex Ironman is now known amongst watch collectors as the "Pre Indiglo" Ironman.
Indiglo technology
Indiglo
Indiglo is a brand name of Indiglo Corporation, solely owned by Timex for licensing purposes. Timex electroluminescent lamps, branded Indiglo, were introduced through Kmart in 1992 in the Ironman watch line...
electroluminescence
Electroluminescence
Electroluminescence is an optical phenomenon and electrical phenomenon in which a material emits light in response to the passage of an electric current or to a strong electric field...
technology to replace the mini white corner backlight. Initial runs of the Indiglo Ironmans were the same 1986 design, except they were painted black and silver, given a different wrist strap and were available exclusively at K-Mart before going wide release in early 1993. The original 1986 color scheme Ironman would get the Indiglo backlight at this time as did the Silver/Stainless steel full size version. The ladies/midsize Ironman would not get the Indiglo technology until 1994. In 1996, Indiglo/TIMEX developed a reflective blue-green or "all-day Indiglo" for its Ironman and other digital watches. This reflective technology has since been adopted by other watch makers and has seemingly been abandoned by Timex as evident in newer (post 2005) releases of its Ironman and other digital watches as they no longer have the reflective screens.
Ironman today
Timex Datalink
Timex Datalink or Timex Data Link was a line of watches manufactured by Timex. As the name implies datalink watches are capable of data transfer through linking with a computer...
Ironman. Timex and its line of digital watches have been a favorite of endurance athletes ever since.
A Presidential watch
U.S. President Bill ClintonBill Clinton
William Jefferson "Bill" Clinton is an American politician who served as the 42nd President of the United States from 1993 to 2001. Inaugurated at age 46, he was the third-youngest president. He took office at the end of the Cold War, and was the first president of the baby boomer generation...
owned and wore several early models (including the original) of the watch during his time as Governor of Arkansas and in the early years of his Presidency. In one of his early Presidential photographs, he is seen wearing a blue & black colored Ironman. President Clinton has since donated one of his early Ironman models to the Smithsonian
Smithsonian Institution
The Smithsonian Institution is an educational and research institute and associated museum complex, administered and funded by the government of the United States and by funds from its endowment, contributions, and profits from its retail operations, concessions, licensing activities, and magazines...
.