Timex Waterbury: Heritage Automatics Named for the Birthplace

The Timex Waterbury collection is named for Waterbury, Connecticut, where Timex's forebear, the Waterbury Clock Company, was founded in 1854. It is Timex's heritage line: dressier and more substantial than the M79, built around Japanese automatic movements and nods to the company's nineteenth-century roots.

The Waterbury Traditional Automatic

Launched in June 2021, the Waterbury Traditional Automatic uses a 40mm steel case with 100 metres of water resistance, a mineral crystal and a display caseback showing its Miyota 8205 automatic (21 jewels, 21,600 vph, day-date). The crown carries the ornate logo of the historic Waterbury company. It launched at US$259.

The Waterbury Dive Automatic

The Waterbury Dive Automatic applies the same formula to a mid-century dive style: a 40mm case about 13mm thick, a rotating bezel, day-date, 100m water resistance and a 21-jewel automatic visible through the caseback, at around US$299.

Waterbury Heritage

More recent Waterbury Heritage models extend the line with a 39mm day-date automatic on a bracelet with glossy enamel-style dials and a double-domed crystal, and a Waterbury Heritage Automatic GMT , including a brown-and-gold "root beer" colourway.

The Waterbury Heritage

Waterbury, Connecticut, was once known as the "Brass City", the centre of American brass production, and its industrial base made it a natural home for mass-produced clocks and watches. The Waterbury Clock Company, founded in 1854, became the foundation of Timex after it made millions of inexpensive pocket watches for Ingersoll and, in 1933, the Mickey Mouse watch. Naming a modern collection after the town is Timex's way of signalling its oldest roots, and the antique Waterbury logo on the crown is a deliberate period detail.

Which Waterbury Should You Buy?

The Traditional Automatic is the all-rounder: a dressy-casual 40mm watch with 100 metres of water resistance, which is unusually generous for a watch of this style. The Dive Automatic adds a rotating bezel and a more rugged mid-century look. The Heritage models are the most refined of the family, with 39mm cases, day-date displays, enamel-style dials and, in the GMT, a second time zone.

Timex x Pan Am: The Waterbury Goes Flying

The Waterbury is also the platform for Timex's long-running collaboration with Pan Am , the airline that defined international jet travel. Every Timex x Pan Am watch since 2022 has been a Waterbury, finished in Pan Am blue with the airline's globe logo, aviation-themed hands and leather straps lined in Pan Am blue:

• 2022: a 42mm quartz Day-Date (US$179) and Chronograph (US$219).
• 2024: the 39mm Waterbury GMT (TW2W97300), with a Swiss Ronda quartz GMT movement, and a 43mm Fly-Back Chronograph (TW2W97200) with a slide-rule bezel.
• 2025: the 41mm Waterbury Ace Chronograph (quartz) and Waterbury Automatic Ace , the first mechanical Pan Am Timex.
• 2026: the 41.5mm Waterbury Automatic GMT (TW2Y94300), an automatic GMT on a steel bracelet with a two-tone bezel, at US$669.

The GMT models are the most fitting: Pan Am's long-haul pilots are closely tied to the 1954 Rolex GMT-Master, the watch that popularised the 24-hour hand. For full specifications of every model, see our coverage of the Timex x Pan Am Waterbury Automatic GMT and every Pan Am Timex so far.

Waterbury vs. Marlin

The two collections overlap but serve different buyers. The Marlin is a reissue of a specific 1960s watch, with vintage proportions and an emphasis on authenticity. The Waterbury is a broader heritage-inspired line, with sturdier cases, higher water resistance and more modern features such as GMT complications. If you want a slim period-correct dress watch, choose the Marlin; if you want a robust everyday automatic with a heritage story, the Waterbury fits better.

Ownership Notes

As with other Miyota-powered Timex automatics, the Waterbury's movement winds by hand as well as automatically, and the seconds hand does not stop during time-setting. The display caseback lets owners see the rotor at work, and the 100-metre rating on the Traditional and Dive means the watch can handle swimming. For more options at this price, see the best watches under $500.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why is it called the Timex Waterbury?
After Waterbury, Connecticut, where Timex's predecessor, the Waterbury Clock Company, was founded in 1854.

What movement is in the Waterbury Traditional Automatic?
A Japanese Miyota 8205 automatic with day-date, 21 jewels and 21,600 vph.

How water resistant is the Waterbury Automatic?
The Waterbury Traditional and Dive Automatics are rated to 100 metres.

Is there a Waterbury GMT?
Yes — the Waterbury Heritage Automatic GMT, including a 'root beer' version, plus the Timex x Pan Am Waterbury GMT (quartz, 2024) and Waterbury Automatic GMT (2026).

Which Timex x Pan Am watches are Waterbury models?
All of them. The 2022 Day-Date and Chronograph, the 2024 Waterbury GMT and Fly-Back Chronograph, the 2025 Waterbury Ace Chronograph and Automatic Ace, and the 2026 Waterbury Automatic GMT are all built on the Waterbury platform.

Related Reading

• Timex: Brand History
• Timex Marlin
• Timex M79 Automatic