Timex Goes Ape with BAYC Web3 Phygital Partnership

Timex, the top-selling watch in the United States, has teamed up with the Bored Ape Yacht Club (BAYC) to launch a limited-edition collection of phygital non-fungible tokens (NFTs).

The Web3 project will offer a world-first of phygital products for use in the real and virtual world for Bored Ape and Mutant Ape holders.

A photo of Timex’s Bored Ape Yacht Club (BAYC) phygital watch collaboration. PHOTO: Timex/ Yuga Labs

Timex’s luxury watches will offer longstanding BAYC members a fully hand-assembled Timex Waterbury Classic model watch for over 30,000 Apes across 17 bespoke attributes.

The Middlebury, Connecticut-based firm will issue 500 watches and NFT digital twins for the phygital project, with watches set for delivery in the second quarter (Q2) of 2023.

Josh Ong, CryptoVonDoom, The Miami Ape, LOGIK, BaronVonHustle, and Zeneca, some of the BAYC’s long-time NFT holders, have consulted the ‘Timex Goes Ape’ phygital project.

Web3 strategist, marketer, and full-stack developer firm Daz3D also partnered with the initiative. The Draper, Utah-based firm has built one of the world’s largest 3D platforms for millions of global Web3 artists.

The company has previously joined Web3 marketing initiatives with Nike (formerly RTFKT), Atari, Coca-Cola, Warner Brothers, Champion, Este Lauder, Coinbase, Ledger, and many others.

Comments on Bored Ape-Timex Collaboration

Shari Fabiani, Senior Vice President of Global Marketing and Creative Services Timex Group, said that Timex had leveraged Web3 technologies by “keeping creativity and community at the forefront.”

She continued,

“In partnership with the BAYC community, we are redefining and pushing the boundaries of physical, virtual, and now phygital products.”

Josh Ong added,

“From customizing the digital collectible and unboxing the physical watch to flexing at Ape Fest, these incredible timepieces will delight Ape holders and keep them guessing at surprises yet to come.”

Sales will commence on 2 December by exclusive invitation at the Art Basel in Miami. The general BAYC community can later purchase a Timepiece Forge Pass NFT from 4 to 31 December for 2 Ether (ETH).

Forge passes will also incorporate blockchain technologies to verify the watch’s authenticity. For more information, kindly visit Timex’s website.

Timex is one of many brands leveraging Web3 and blockchain technologies to communicate brand value to its customers. Dozens of firms have entered the metaverse market to increase brand visibility and collaborate with major collectives in the Web3 space.

Brands Push Phygital NFT Initiatives

The announcement comes amid a push for global brands to connect with consumers and audiences with Web3 creative content. Such initiatives have led to the rise of metaverse communities and marketing campaigns capable of significantly boosting engagement with shoppers.

NBCUniversal collaborated with Ready Player Me ahead of the Halloween season to launch Classic Monster-themed phygital NFTs. The massive entertainment studio also joined VARIANT3D to create phygital goods and digital twins launched publically for consumers.

The products also leveraged Proof of Attendance (POAP) via the Polygon blockchain and awarded holders with points for keeping score on a leaderboard. Additional rewards included patches, Snapchat augmented reality (AR) lenses, and wearable digital twins for Ready Player Me avatars.

Insomnia Labs also teamed up with Under Armour to open a limited-edition NFT project to back Golden State Warriors legend Stephen Curry ahead of the NBA Finals in June.

The massive venture celebrated Curry’s record-holding 2,974 three-point shots with an equal number of Genesis Curry Flow product lineup of ‘NF3s’ for sale on the Ethereum blockchain.

The project also incorporated Web3 firm Basketball Headz avatars under the star’s Curry Brand trainers released on metaverse platforms such as The Sandbox, Decentraland, Gala Games, and Insomnia Labs.

Firms such as Nike, Adidas, Timberland, Mcdonald’s, Wendy’s, PUMA, and many others have launched respective phygital NFT collections and metaverse campaigns. These have built large fan bases across the Web3 community and its supporters while keeping customers updated on the latest product releases.