# A Couple Of Real Rarities



## watchnutz (Jan 18, 2008)

Just got these today.

First is a Timex Electro-cron from about 1974. I had only seen one of these before and it was in the Timex museum. Looking at the back it appears as if it was an company internal test watch since there doesn't seem to be any record of these being sold and the number etched on the caseback and lug.



















Next is a Quartz/balance with an EXHIBITION BACK and a movement that is different from the normally seen Timex quartz/balance.



















Two VERY rare Timex in one deal! Neither one has the normal Timex number code on the dial.


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## dombox40 (Oct 20, 2008)

Thats a couple of interesting watches bill I think the second one is an early attempt at a quartz but still with the balance wheel. i notice you have not taken the back off the other one

have you not had it off yet. I expect paul will be along soon he would know more about it than me.


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## watchnutz (Jan 18, 2008)

Oh, I've had the back off. here's what it looks like. Notice it takes two cells. BTW this photo is of the one in the Timex museum archives and not mine.










As for the quartz, Timex was one of the few to make a quartz controlled balance wheel watch. They are very common and easily found ,but none that I have seen or own have this particular movementThe different movement, exhibition back, and lack of model number on the dial edge leads me to believe it was not a production watch.


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## Silver Hawk (Dec 2, 2003)

dombox40 said:


> I expect paul will be along soon he would know more about it than me.


Actually, I know nothing about these...and Bill is our resident Timex expert. :thumbsup:

Bill, what a great find...never seen anything like these before. So on the Electro-Alarm, does one battery drive the movement and the other the alarm...or are they linked up in series (3 volt) or parallel and drive both movement and alarm? It looks a fascinating movement --- and is that an enormous capacitor at the top?

You don't say whether either of them are running... I must know. h34r:

And that quartz controlled one does look very prototype-ish. The production ones (below), as you know, are much more compact and discreet.

Two great finds. :thumbsup: BTW: what does the Timex forum say about these two? :huh:


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## AbingtonLad (Sep 8, 2008)

Congratulations Bill, they are both very nice watches indeed. Particularly keen on the blue one, very attractive retro feel to it.

What size are the cases?


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## watchnutz (Jan 18, 2008)

Silver Hawk said:


> dombox40 said:
> 
> 
> > I expect paul will be along soon he would know more about it than me.
> ...


Paul, both watches are running but the alarm function either doesn't work or I am not doing something right. It is possible that the second battery needs to be in series and the movement itself just works of the one. I haven't tried that yet. It did bother me that when I looked at the contact arrangement on the second battery it almost looked like it would cause a short circuit across the battery poles. (the button and the case side) In fact if you look at the photo of the movement and the battery recess away from the movement, you may see what I mean. Notice the contact that runs down the side to the bottom and when pushed down by the cell, contacts another contact strip that runs across the bottom of the recess. Then there is another contact on the left side of the recess in the photo that touches the side of the cell. It appeared to me since the one that runs to the bottom also contacts the side of the cell it would short out the cell.

As for the Timex forum no one even knew the Electro alarm existed until this kind of bizzare event. Let me preface by saying that a few years back while I was inventorying the archives at Timexpo I was allowed to take photos of unique, to me, watches I came across and the Electro alarm was one of those. About a month ago I posted the photos of the Electro alarm and said it was one of my grail watches but I didn't know if it was production or not since nobody else had ever seen or heard of one. Not two weeks later these two watches showed up on the bay from the same seller. I was able to get them for a combined sum of $60!

If you find it fascinating enough to have a closer look, I would be willing to loan it for a while to the Guru of all electric watches as a study piece.

For Abington Lad, thee case sizes are about 40mm across on the Electro alarm and the same for the quartz.


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## dombox40 (Oct 20, 2008)

Cant refuse that offer Paul surely, a chance to get hold of those two beauties


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## AbingtonLad (Sep 8, 2008)

Cheers Bill. 40mm is certainly very healthy and the more I look at the blue beauty the more I like it.

if you get bored of it any time soon, do let me know... :tongue2:


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