TIMEX Launches $2,500 Bored Ape Watches and Matching NFTs

Owners of Bored Ape Yacht Club NFTs will soon be able to show off their PFPs on their wrist, encased in a unique TIMEX watch.

The collaboration between TIMEX and the Bored Ape Yacht Club community will see the release of 500 watches that will feature an owner’s ape or mutant prominently on the dial. Those who buy the watch will be able to customize it, with a choice of case, strap and selected etchings.

Sales of Timepiece Forge Pass NFTs began today, which can be minted for 2 ETH, or around $2,500 as of this writing. Around mid-December, Forge Pass owners will be able to design their own watch on TIMEX’s website.

Each physical watch will be accompanied by an identical, digital version as an NFT, separate from the Forge Pass NFT. But they won’t arrive in time for the holidays and are expected to ship to buyers sometime in the second quarter of 2023.

“Timex enters Web3 by keeping creativity and community at the forefront,” said Shari Fabiani, Timex Group senior vice president of global marketing and creative services. “We are redefining and pushing the boundaries of physical, virtual and now phygital products.”

Just last month, Timex declared themselves “timekeepers of the metaverse” with the release of a brand challenge in the game Fortnite.

The creative direction for the BAYC watch collaboration was provided by longtime members of the Ape community, including Josh Ong and CryptoVonDoom. “As part of the OG Bored Ape community, it’s been silly to collaborate with the OGs in watchmaking,” VonDoom said in the announcement.

A pre-sale took place at an invite-only party for the Ape community that ran alongside Art Basel in Miami on Friday. The event represented the continued rise of brand name NFTs as a force in the art and fashion worlds. A few custom TIMEX monkey watches were visible at the art fair, where the watchmaker hosted an event.

At Art Basel, All Seeing Seneca – the pseudonymous lead artist behind Bored Ape Yacht Club – also made an appearance. Three of Seneca’s animated artworks minted as NFTs sold through the auction house Phillips, in addition to her first physical artwork.