Long before the Garmins and Apple Watches of the world, there was the Timex Ironman — a small but mighty timepiece that Timex called the “world’s first sports watch.”
Of course, the Ironman wasn’t the first timepiece designed around sport, as the Jaeger-LeCoultre Reverso (created for polo players in the 1930s) predates its 1986 launch by more than half a century.
But the prominent placement of two large Start/Stop and Lap/Reset buttons — not to mention its 100m water resistance and $35 price tag — made it a must-have gadget for runners and triathletes of all stripes (including one very famous hobby jogger, Bill Clinton).
Broad appeal
Allegedly, Timex sold somewhere in the ballpark of 500,000 units annually through the 1990s, with the watch stretching its appeal to not just endurance athletes but techies and kids, to boot.
Now, decades later, you can add campers, gorpy hypebeasts and potentially even upmarket collectors to the list.
