This is the 11665th most frequent Spanish word.
funcionaban
"Funcionaban" means "they worked" or "they functioned."
Funcionarían indicates past habitual action, describing that the watches used to work properly.
Los viejos relojes funcionaban perfectamente antes.
The old watches used to work perfectly before.
Funcionarían here conveys an ongoing past state where the machines were inoperable.
Las máquinas no funcionaban debido a la falta de energía eléctrica.
The machines were not working due to the lack of electrical power.
Funcionarían is used in a reflective context to discuss how things operated historically.