Timex Brings Back a Dirt-Cheap Military Watch, Sold Out Since 2012

Once a staple of students, hikers, secret agents named MacGyver and the Hollywood elite, a storied timepiece returns in rare form.

Close-up of a blue Timex quartz watch with white and green hands and a blue fabric strap.

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By Jack Seemer

Published 2 hours ago

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The Timex Camper is a little watch that could.

Born out of the brand’s MIL-W-46374B produced for the US Government in the early ’80s, the plastic timepiece eventually became a staple among students, hikers, secret agents named MacGyver and even the Hollywood elite.

One famously featured in the 2007 Coen brothers’ film No Country for Old Men, with Josh Brolin’s character using it to track his direction in one of the opening sequences.

While the watch has resurfaced in spirit over the years, most recently in the form of the MK1 Resin, the most faithful reissues comes by way of Japan.

There, the Camper lives on as a dirt-cheap collector’s item that stays true to the specs of the second-generation model from the late ’80s and ’90s.

Black wristwatch with white numerals and a black nylon strap worn on a wrist. — The new Camper measures 34mm. The MK1 Resin from early 2025 was 36mm.

That means it’s powered by quartz and, unlike the MK1 Resin reissue, measures just 34mm rather than 36mm.

It also comes in black, olive green and, new for the first time since 2012, navy blue — all with 30m of water resistance, as indicated by the wave symbol on the dial.

Three Timex wristwatches with black, brown, and blue cases and nylon straps on a light fabric surface. — The Camper 34mm comes in three colors: black, olive green and blue.

Once in a blue moon

According to the product page, the blue color in particular has become something of a grail among Camper collectors. However, its inherent rarity makes the claim nearly impossible to verify.

Blue Timex wristwatch with a fabric strap resting on a textured beige surface. — Last released in 2012, the blue Camper is something of a collector’s grail, Timex claims.

Blue nylon watch strap with silver buckle and stainless steel back of a Timex watch. — All three colors feature a matching nylon band.

Nevertheless, it’s certainly an obscure version of the watch, made all the more intriguing by the bargain-bin price tag.

The Timex Camper 34mm costs all of 9,900 Japanese yen, which converts to just $64.

Unfortunately, it would seem that Timex has no plans to bring the exact model to the US. But for that price, why rule out a plane ticket to Tokyo?

Blue Timex wristwatch with nylon strap and white hour, minute, and second hands on a blue dial.

Timex Camper 34mm

$64 at Timex

About the Author:

Jack Seemer is the executive editor at Gear Patrol, with over a decade of experience in product journalism. He currently reports on a wide range of topics, including footwear, watches, EDC, cookware and more.

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