It seems that the spread of smartphones has increased the number of people who do not wear watches even when they go out. If you think about it, smartphones began to spread around the end of the 2000s. However, since the previous decade of flip phones, the wristwatch function should have been a representative function of mobile phone screens.
Looking at the size of the domestic watch retail market over the past 10 years or so, it has been around 800 billion yen ~ 900 billion yen, excluding the period of the Corona disaster, and there has been no major slowdown or contraction. I get the impression that it doesn’t seem to have much to do with the smartphone market.
However, it may be possible that both domestic and overseas inexpensive products have decreased halfway through and shifted to high-end machines. The reality may be that the increase in inexpensive watches of 5,000 yen ~ 10,000 yen or less, represented by Chipkashi, and luxury watches of more than 1 million yen, is balancing.
In such a low price range, I got Timex’s Japan limited model “Camper” in early spring of this year, which I had been aiming for for a long time. It is available in three colors: black, navy, and olive. Black is too ordinary, so I chose the olive model because I was worried about two colors, navy and olive. Both models have a small bezel diameter of 34 mm.
It has an army-type dial with a history and tradition of half a century since around 1970, and features two long and short hands with phosphorescence, a dot at the end of the second hand and a time index. In addition, the time index is also written in the same Arabic numerals with a 24-hour notation.
What differs from the original is that the dial size is 36 mm → 34 mm, which is compact in consideration of the female market. Since it is not wartime, the dial has been changed to beige, which is close to white, to improve visibility. The short hand is accented with red. Along with the red color of the second hand, the camper has been revived in modern times, and what makes it petite dressy is the luster of the inside of the wall, which is perpendicular to the dial.
There seem to be various elements of a wristwatch, which is commonly called an army watch. However, in recent years, there are many Mr./Ms. products that are not pure army watches in the sense of expanding the usage scene, but army watch homage products that expand and reduce their own functions in consideration of adaptability in modern society.
Camper 34mm with a white dial and red second hand for more effective visibility. No matter how hard I try to move the army line forward, I can’t see the Bell & Ross Phantom. The 500-yen Daiso Milli watch, which uses shiny chrome parts that are not welcome in a pure army watch for fixed leather and yuleather (belt threading), is one of them.
Timex, the original company of army watches, also has quite a variety of modern adaptation models of original army watches. At the same time, I also love the black tile collection model, which has a slightly larger dial, and the yellow gold metal model, which is a collaboration model with BEAMS. Both are developments from the Army model.
After all, the biggest feature of the camper 34mm, and the benefit to the user, is its light weight. The actual measurement is exactly 20g, which is the same as the spec. I think that the author’s The Citizen, which is a very common wristwatch, is the standard image of a metal breath watch, but the actual measurement is 107g. If it is a GMT type Seiko spring drive, the actual measurement is 174g, which is nearly 9 times that of the camper 34mm. When you actually wear it on your arm, the feeling of squeezing is tremendous.
However, there are many people who like watches who feel that they are light and prefer watches. The author is also selfish, and the feeling changes depending on the season and the day. The biggest reason for the popularity of the Omega-Swatch collaboration Speedmaster is that the Omega Speedmaster, which has too many stories, has become tastefully light and cheap against the backdrop of the ECO era.
And I’m grateful that the camper 34mm, which I bought, can be used in winter or summer without worrying about the olive, other blacks, and navy because it doesn’t have such a strong seasonal feel. The seasons have a strong sense of almighty, but in order to create an all-around feeling of day and night, the triangular phosphorescent time index placed outside the numbers on the dial has a short luminous time and low illuminance, which cannot be expected.
Both manufacturers and users may have various opinions on what modern watches should aim for. A rarity and luxury route that is a joy to have. This is the case with universality that can be used for a long time, unexpected gimmick-mounted systems, and reprints with memories and stories. However, basic specifications such as light weight, mounting performance, and visibility have been important items for a long time.
If you look at the watch world with this in mind, you will find a large group of high-end lines and another cheap and light watches. Typical manufacturers would be Fossil, Casio, and Swatch. Of course, Timex’s Camper 34mm has always been the core manufacturer of the inexpensive and lightweight group. And it is a watch that has created a variety of stories that are second to none.
When I stroll around Akihabara and the surrounding downtowns, I pack a compact moto razr 40, a THINK notebook that I have been using for more than 30 years, and a slim AURORA ballpoint pen in a Tyvek Think Aero sacoche that weighs only 45g, which I plan and make myself. And I’m out with a Timex Camper 34mm. Lightness is always power.
Product namePublisher PriceCamper 34mm Olive[For Japan only]Timex 9900 yen
Marine 5515
Marine Chronograph 5525
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Limited to Japan. Case diameter 42mm, self-winding, Nortec case, rubber strap, 200m water resistance. 935,000 yen (NORQAIN/NORQAIN Japan)
Case diameter 42mm, self-winding, Nortec case, rubber strap, 200m water resistance. 902,000 yen (NORQAIN/NORQAIN Japan)
Incidentally, Stan Wawrinka, who serves as an ambassador for those two models, wore “Coral” at the French Open in May. At Wimbledon in July, he will wear a “gecko”. Along with his play, his skills are also attracting attention. It’s the perfect color for spring and summer, so be sure to get it.