This one just feels different.
Don’t get me wrong, Timex has been doing an incredible job these last few years. The Red Wing collaboration. The Archive line. The Todd Snyder collaberations. The mechanical Marlin. All huge wins for Team Timex Design.
But the Q? The Q seems to be another level.
Based on a design from their back catalog when Quartz watches were the hot new thing, it is decidedly retro, yet totally of this moment. Because right now, in the 21st century, 1970s style is kinda all the rage (minus the bell bottoms, thankfully). Especially the sporty stuff. The bold colors and mixing of sharp lines and curved edges. And that’s the Q in a nutshell. That is, if the nut in question was a quartz watch movement, and the shell was an extraordinarily well designed, fun, sharp, reasonably affordable piece of wrist candy.
Nuts. Yes. You’re gonna love these nuts.
Diameter is an appreciated by many, more classic, 38mm. Too small for some, but a refreshing change for those who haven’t enjoyed the “bigger is better” timepiece trend of the last decade or so. And that size fits right along with the rest of the retro styling cues.
Off-white, almost sepia indices and hands. A case that mixes geometry with wearability, brushed edges and polished surfaces. The blue and red bezel functions, and it’s one of those bidirectional, “clickless” types. There’s good tension to it too. I don’t see it getting knocked out of place easily. And then there’s the band. A mesh Milanese style, with a jubilee influenced width-variation to the links.
The generously domed crystal is also pretty fun. It is acrylic, so expect it to pick up some scratches. But some guys actually like a watch that shows some wear. And acrylic is true to the time period they’re invoking. Water resistance is 50m, which should be plenty. And the back of the case is adorned with a charmingly off-kilter, easy access battery hatch.
But does it “tick”? Yes it ticks. But to me, it’s not as loud as the dreaded TICK TICK TICK that some cheaper Timex watches seem to display. This one has an audible tick, like almost all Timex watches, but it doesn’t seem as aggressive on the ears. Maybe it’s the higher quality case and design? It does feel a step above. So perhaps that’s what’s keeping those sound waves from assaulting the sensitive (to some, not all of us) shores of your ear drums.
To keep up in an ultra competitive retail world, Timex has had to answer a lot of questions. And this Q seems to be the latest Answer to the inquiry: “Will Timex make another hugely popular watch that retailers can’t keep in stock?”
Yes. Indeed they have.
Enter here to win the Timex Q Reissue watch shown in the post above. One entry per person. Deadline for entry is 11:59 pm ET 11/6/19. Thanks to the Dappered checking account, as well as ops manager/keeper of the budgets Sarah, for giving the green light for giveaway.
UPDATE: Congrats to C. McCahill who won the drawing for the Timex Q!
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