几个在线词典对time-honored的解释如下：
1. Cambridge Dictionary
A time-honoured tradition, practice, or method is respected because it has been done or used in the same way for many years:
The developers dealt with the problem in the time-honoured fashion/way, burying the industrial waste in landfill sites.
2. Oxford Dictionary
(of a custom or tradition) respected or valued because it has existed for a long time
‘the eldest son was named, in time-honoured fashion, after his father’
‘the beer is still brewed in the time-honoured way’
3. ldoce Online
A time-honoured method or custom is one that has existed for a long time.
Sharon became involved with music in the time-honoured fashion – through her family.
4. Collins Dictionary
A time-honored tradition or way of doing something is one that has been used and respected for a very long time.
Raising the money is done in the usual time-honored ways – college events, garage sales, and the like.
5. Macmillan Dictionary
done in the same way for a very long time
a time-honored custom/method/procedure
这五个解释均明确说明time-honored指传统或行为，与brand搭配可能并非最佳。另外值得考虑的一点是第3和第5条释义没有提尊重，只说历史悠久就可以用time-honored，这无疑拉低了“老字号”的门槛。需要注意的是前五个解释均来自英国词典品牌（剑桥、牛津、朗文、柯林斯、麦克米伦），对词语的解释可能会倾向于英式英语习惯。
有的词典并没有把time-honored限定为传统和行为。看一下www.thefreedictionary.com网站上对time-honored引用的两个解释：
Respected or adhered to because of age or age-old observance.（American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition）
如果选用respected because of age的释义，time-honored brand确实站得住脚。
Adhering to beliefs or practices approved by authority or tradition.（The American Heritage® Roget's Thesaurus）
这个解释同样支持time-honored brand的用法。
Random House Kernerman Webster's College Dictionary对time-honored的解释也与以上两者近似，尽管示例仍然使用了“custom”：revered or respected because of long observance or continuance: a time-honored custom。
美国英语词典中最权威的Merriam-Webster对time-honored的释义为：honored because of age or long usage <time-honored traditions>。
美国的英语词典似乎都对time-honored的解释更为宽泛，虽然引用的示例仍然使用了custom或traditions。
看来大西洋两岸对于time-honored的用法存在差异，而即使在对其定义更为宽泛的美国，这个词似乎也和传统、习俗搭配最自然。
这样来看不如换一个词。笔者认为，venerable brand比time-honored brand搭配更为自然，其中venerable意为：old and respected: valued and respected because of old age, long use, etc。
谷歌搜索证明境外主流商业新闻网站更偏爱“venerable brand”。
华尔街日报：
福布斯：
金融时报：
经济学人：
以上对比清晰显示，无论是结果的数量还是结果质量，“venerable brand”都要远高于“time-honored brand”。
无论从词义和使用上来看，venerable brand都要优于time-honored brand。这里涉及的不是绝对的对与错，而是哪个更常见，因此也很可能更自然、更地道。
注：文中词语英文解释除说明外均来自Merriam-Webster。
