Budget Watch Collecting/Timex date codes

Most (possibly all) mechanical Timex watches from 1963 until the end of mechanical production in 1993 have a reference number, usually at the bottom of the dial. The last two numbers correspond to the year the watch was produced. The two (occasionally 3) numbers before that are the movement number, the remaining numbers are the catalog number. For example, 2495210592 would indicate catalog number 24952, movement 105, year 1992. In some cases this number is hidden under the bezel and cannot be viewed without removing the movement from the case.

Some earlier Timex models have an ink-stamped date code on the inside caseback consisting of one letter and one number. The numeral denotes the year of manufacture as follows: 1959-8, 1960-7, 1961-6, 1962-5 1963-4 1964-3 1965-2 1966-1 1967-9.

Watches from 1985 and later generally have a 2 digit code on the caseback indicating year and month of manufacture:

	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec	
1985	01	02	03	04	05	06	07	08	09	10	11	12	1985
1986	13	14	15	16	17	18	19	20	21	22	23	24	1986
1987	25	26	27	28	29	30	31	32	33	34	35	36	1987
1988	37	38	39	40	41	42	43	44	45	46	47	48	1988
1989	49	50	51	52	53	54	55	56	57	58	59	60	1989
1990	61	62	63	64	65	66	67	68	69	70	71	72	1990
1991	73	74	75	76	77	78	79	80	81	82	83	84	1991
1992	85	86	87	88	89	90	91	92	93	94	95	96	1992
1993	A1	A2	A3	A4	A5	A6	A7	A8	A9	A0	AA	AB	1993
1994	B1	B2	B3	B4	B5	B6	B7	B8	B9	B0	BB	BC	1994
1995	C1	C2	C3	C4	C5	C6	C7	C8	C9	C0	CC	CD	1995
1996	D1	D2	D3	D4	D5	D6	D7	D8	D9	D0	DD	DE	1996
1997	E1	E2	E3	E4	E5	E6	E7	E8	E9	E0	EE	EF	1997
1998	F1	F2	F3	F4	F5	F6	F7	F8	F9	F0	FF	FG	1998
1999	G1	G2	G3	G4	G5	G6	G7	G8	G9	G0	GG	GH	1999
2000	H1	H2	H3	H4	H5	H6	H7	H8	H9	H0	HH	HJ	2000
2001	J1	J2	J3	J4	J5	J6	J7	J8	J9	J0	JJ	JK	2001
2002	K1	K2	K3	K4	K5	K6	K7	K8	K9	K0	KK	KL	2002
2003	L1	L2	L3	L4	L5	L6	L7	L8	L9	L0	LL	LM	2003
2004	M1	M2	M3	M4	M5	M6	M7	M8	M9	M0	MM	MN	2004
2005	N1	N2	N3	N4	N5	N6	N7	N8	N9	N0	NN	NP	2005
2006	P1	P2	P3	P4	P5	P6	P7	P8	P9	P0	PP	PR	2006
2007	R1	R2	R3	R4	R5	R6	R7	R8	R9	R0	RR	RS	2007
2008	S1	S2	S3	S4	S5	S6	S7	S8	S9	S0	SS	ST	2008
2009	T1	T2	T3	T4	T5	T6	T7	T8	T9	T0	TT	TU	2009
2010	U1	U2	U3	U4	U5	U6	U7	U8	U9	U0	UU	UV	2010
2011	V1	V2	V3	V4	V5	V6	V7	V8	V9	V0	VV	VW	2011
2012	W1	W2	W3	W4	W5	W6	W7	W8	W9	W0	WW	WY	2012
2013	Y1	Y2	Y3	Y4	Y5	Y6	Y7	Y8	Y9	Y0	YY	YA	2013
2014	01	02	03	04	05	06	07	08	09	10	11	12	2014
2015	13	14	15	16	17	18	19	20	21	22	23	24	2015
2016	25	26	27	28	29	30	31	32	33	34	35	36	2016
2017	37	38	39	40	41	42	43	44	45	46	47	48	2017
2018	49	50	51	52	53	54	55	56	57	58	59	60	2018
2019	61	62	63	64	65	66	67	68	69	70	71	72	2019
2020	73	74	75	76	77	78	79	80	81	82	83	84	2020
2021	85	86	87	88	89	90	91	92	93	94	95	96	2021
2022	A1	A2	A3	A4	A5	A6	A7	A8	A9	A0	AA	AB	2022
2023	B1	B2	B3	B4	B5	B6	B7	B8	B9	B0	BB	BC	2023

Below is a general breakdown of Men's model names per model number. Model number can be found below and to the left of six o'clock (in small print)

(1XXX = Mercury/Sprite) (2XXX = Marlin) (25XX = Sportster) (3XXX = Fun Timer) (4XXX = Viscount) (5XXX = Super Thin) (6XXX = 17 Jewel) (9XXX = Electric)