Timex, the venerable watch company best known for its slogan of “It takes a
licking and keeps on ticking,” has signed a “Web-to-wrist” deal with Yahoo!
Inc. that will bring news, stock quotes and even e-mail to the forearms of
timepiece users all over America.
With the “Timex Internet Messenger Fortified by Yahoo!” watch, Middlebury,
Conn.-based Timex claims to be the first to market a
watch that allows the user to receive Internet e-mail, news, weather data,
sports scores and stock quotes anytime and virtually anyplace in the United
States.
Data transmission is made possible by a partnership between Timex, Motorola
and SkyTel. Financial terms among all the various companies were not
disclosed.
All Timex is asking is that watch users give the timepiece a chance.
“The Timex Internet Messenger isn’t just about bringing a lot of technology
to the wrist, it’s about delivering real, useful innovations and features
that makes everyday life a little easier,” said Jan Mladek, vice president of
marketing for the product. “Yahoo!’s offerings fit perfectly into that idea.”
Timex and Yahoo! paired to create a mobile alerts Web site that allows watch
users to customize the Timex Internet Messenger experience. This page,
accessed by linking from the Internet Messenger home page or
logging on to Yahoo! Mobile, offers enriched content and
lets watch owners customize the wireless information feeds sent to their
watches.
“The combination of advanced technology and unsurpassed brand recognition
that both these companies possess makes for a very compelling offering,” said
Sridhar Ranganathan, general manager of Yahoo! Everywhere.
The watch can receive and store up to 16 Internet e-mail, numeric or word
messages. The wearer can choose both the speed and direction of the messages
as they scroll across the watch’s display. There is also a choice of a silent
vibrating alert or several musical chimes for notification when new messages
have arrived.
Pricing for the watch is about $100 and it’s available in three styles;
wireless services are provided exclusively by SkyTel and start at $9.99 a
month.
The Timex slogan, by the way, was made into an American advertising industry
icon by John Cameron Swayze,
said to be the first anchorman on network news. He appeared in Timex watch
commercials for more than 20 years, and became one of the most recognized
personalities on television. He died in 1995.
