Arms-On: Timex x Pan Am Day-Date Watch  

Inside america, Timex is among the only a few watch corporations that may rival the mainstream model recognition of Rolex. To be truthful, the 2 corporations occupy polar reverse ends of the worth spectrum, but each take pleasure in related ranges of mainstream notoriety. One firm represents the epitome of luxurious and exclusivity, whereas the opposite is known for being the inexpensive but practical timepiece for the lots. Nonetheless, if you happen to have been to ask a random group of People to every listing three totally different watch manufacturers, each Rolex and Timex are virtually actually assured to be among the many majority of their solutions. Timex holds declare to being the number-one best-selling watch firm in america, and whereas the overwhelming majority of Timex’s merchandise are actually manufactured abroad, the model nonetheless has its headquarters in Middlebury, Connecticut, and it’s usually thought of to be the quintessential American timepiece firm.

Inside that very same spirit, Pan Am Airways is usually celebrated as being the model that embodies the golden period of American aviation, although no Pan Am airplanes have truly flown because the early Nineties. In all honesty, the truth that Pan Am isn’t round anymore might be exactly why it embodies the golden period of business flight. Based in 1927 and bankrupt by 1991, Pan Am Airways existed lengthy earlier than TSA and random safety screenings, again when the idea of getting on an airplane was nonetheless new and attractive. Folks received dressed as much as fly and smoked cigarettes within the cabins, fairly than placing on sweatpants and noise-canceling headphones, solely to stare into their telephones for hours, taking part in Sweet Crush or doom-scrolling by Instagram. Moreover, since Pan Am Airways isn’t round anymore, it’s simple to have a good time the model’s historical past and the glamor days of aviation with out feeling such as you’re flaunting your frequent-flyer account. The glory days of Pan Am existed earlier than I used to be even born, however there’s a sure inherent cool that exists within the defunct airline model, and once I heard in regards to the not too long ago introduced Timex x Pan Am collaboration, I fortunately took the chance to get a hands-on have a look at one of many co-branded watches.

Though Pan Am not flies airplanes, the model at the moment exists in a special kind and is engaged in plenty of totally different licensing and partnership offers. Timex is a associate for watches, however additionally, you will discover varied different formally licensed merchandise with the enduring Pan Am emblem on them, corresponding to journey baggage, baggage tags, passport covers, and extra. Particularly, in regard to the Timex x Pan Am collaboration, the gathering is positioned inside Timex’s Waterbury lineup of barely extra premium timepieces and at the moment spans two fashions: a day-date and a chronograph. Each fashions provide the same general aesthetic with basic pilot’s watch design cues and simple Massive Pilot vibes with their blue sunburst dials and brown leather-based straps. I didn’t specify which model I might be fascinated by reviewing once I requested a pattern, and the mannequin that I used to be despatched was the day-date model, which provides a really conventional pilot’s watch aesthetic, and permits the Pan Am emblem to sit down unobstructed on the decrease half of the dial.

A lot to my shock, the overview pattern that I requested confirmed up packaged with a bunch of different Pan Am branded merchandise, which so far as I can inform, don’t even have something to do with the Timex watch collaboration itself, however fairly are a number of the varied different formally licensed Pan Am merchandise which have been created by the corporate’s different partnerships. Though I’m personally not often a fan of enormous logos or distinguished branding on the merchandise that I put on, these Pan Am objects are inexplicably fairly cool, and I’m a bit extra open to the concept of carrying a emblem when it’s a defunct airline that harkens again to the daybreak of the jet age and the glamor days of aviation. Plus, I assure that I might seem like an absolute imaginative and prescient strolling by the airport whereas rocking all of this Pan Am gear without delay, and I’m decided to make that occur at the least one time whereas these samples are right here with me for overview. That mentioned, whereas the journey bag, baggage tag, and passport holder don’t come included with the acquisition of a Timex x Pan Am watch, each the day-date and chronograph mannequin come packaged in a particular collectors field, full with just a little wing-shaped Pan Am Airways pin.

So far as the watch itself, the case of the Timex x Pan Am Day-Date is crafted from stainless-steel and measures 42mm in diameter by 11mm-thick, with an general lug-to-lug distance of simply over 50mm. On Timex’s web site, the model lists the peak of the watch as 12mm, however I’m pretty sure they’re measuring that from the highest of the crystal to the underside of the lugs, which curve downward under the caseback by roughly a millimeter. I’ve measured the middle of the case quite a few occasions with digital calipers, and the precise case thickness is nearer to 11mm fairly than its complete top of 12mm. Provided that the Timex x Pan Am collaboration fashions are a part of the model’s more-premium Waterbury vary, they function circumstances crafted from stainless-steel with alternating brushed and polished surfaces, fairly than the chrome-plated brass circumstances which are used on a lot of Timex’s entry-level fashions. On the aspect of the case on the 3 o’clock location resides a 7mm onion-shaped crown that’s signed with an engraved Pan Am emblem in blue. In the meantime, a flat mineral glass crystal protects the dial aspect of the watch, whereas a snap-on stainless-steel caseback engraved with one other Pan Am emblem helps present 50 meters of water resistance.

Relating to the dial, the general design is what might finest be described as a slight variation of a conventional Kind A flieger dial, with crisp white markings and a brilliant blue metallic sunburst end. The “Timex” title seems slightly below the triangle on the 12 o’clock marker, whereas the enduring Pan Am emblem prominently occupies the decrease half of the dial. Subsequent to the three o’clock marker is an oblong window that accommodates each the day and date show, with the twin language day disc (English and Spanish) that includes its markings for Sunday in purple letters, whereas the remainder of the times and the date are printed in black. On the heart of the dial are a trio of fingers which have been given a matte silver end. The sword-shaped hour and minute hand embrace luminous facilities, whereas the seconds hand encompasses a distinctive tip that barely resembles the form of an airplane. Along with the 2 fingers, every one of many hash marks positioned on the periphery of the Arabic numeral hour markers can also be completed with luminous materials, though none of it glows all that brightly or for that lengthy of a time. Whereas the luminous materials is undeniably a bit lackluster, the watch’s massive measurement, legible design, and high-contrast dial markings nonetheless make it pretty simple to learn in all however the absolute darkest of circumstances.

Powering the Timex x Pan Am Day-Date watch is an easy battery-operated quartz motion — and for these of you questioning, the reply is not any; the motion isn’t loud in any respect. Though I’m not personally bothered by a loud ticking watch, I do acknowledge that some Timex fashions just like the basic Weekender are considerably louder than your common timepiece; nonetheless, none of that exists with the Timex x Pan Am Day-Date watch. Moreover, not like a lot of Timex’s different fashions, this one doesn’t function the model’s signature Indiglo digital backlight. Because of the dial’s metallic blue sunburst end, Indiglo probably wouldn’t have been an choice anyway, because it requires a dial floor that may permit gentle to go by it, fairly than one that’s specifically designed to replicate gentle. That mentioned, the easy indisputable fact that a lot of Timex’s least costly watches include a function that’s lacking on this extra premium mannequin does nonetheless really feel a bit unusual. With all of that in thoughts, the quartz motion powering the Timex x Pan Am Day-Date is definitely in all probability a small step up from what you usually discover inside lots of the model’s budget-friendly watches. For a lot of of its extra premium fashions, Timex often opts for entry-level Seiko or Miyota actions, and given the shortage of Indiglo, the quiet ticking, and the purple Sunday textual content on the dual-language day disc, there’s a superb probability that it’s certainly one of these two well-known and respected Japanese motion producers that’s liable for the Quartz caliber powering these Timex x Pan Am watches.

Fitted between the lugs of the Timex x Pan Am Day-Date watch is a 20mm brown leather-based strap that tapers to 16mm at its signed stainless-steel pin buckle. The general aesthetic is similar to the leather-based straps fitted to conventional pilot’s watches with rivets close to the lugs on both sides, adopted by a sharply sloped taper fairly than a gradual one which steadily decreases in width because it strikes in direction of the buckle. Moreover, as a substitute of that includes regular rivets, the heads of the 2 rivets on the strap are every adorned with the Pan Am globe emblem, whereas the polished stainless-steel pin buckle is engraved with the “Timex” emblem. When it comes to high quality, the leather-based strap is a step or two above what often comes fitted to Timex watches and it additionally encompasses a brilliant blue liner, which serves as a reference to Pan Am’s firm colours. Whereas the blue lining isn’t seen whereas carrying the watch, it provides a enjoyable splash of shade that catches your eye each time you both strap on the watch or take it off on the finish of the day. The design of the strap provides loads of holes for adjustment, and though it’s barely stiff proper out of the field, I discovered that it shortly conformed to the form of my wrist and have become fairly comfy to put on.

All issues thought of, the Timex x Pan Am collaboration watches provide plenty of American aviation enjoyable for a really affordable value. Each Timex and Pan Am are inherently American in spirit, making the partnership between the 2 manufacturers really feel like a pure one, and whereas some watches with a connection to Pan Am can price a small fortune, these are firmly priced throughout the inexpensive territory. The Timex x Pan Am Day-Date watch is accompanied by an official retail value of $179 USD, whereas its chronograph sibling comes at a slight premium and is priced at $219 USD. Moreover, these collaboration items aren’t restricted editions the place manufacturing goes to be capped at a selected quantity, that means that everybody who needs to buy one ought to in idea be capable to get their fingers on the model of their alternative, though they could want to attend till the second spherical of provide, as each fashions at the moment seem like offered out on Timex’s official web site. With that in thoughts, I can’t think about that these Pan Am collaboration watches will stay a part of Timex’s catalog endlessly, they usually current a compelling choice for individuals who need a watch that gives most aviation enjoyable at a really budget-friendly value level. For extra info, please go to the model’s web site.