You know who does collaborations well? The watch scene. Take Timex's running IYKYK collab with seconde/seconde/. They’ve taken what we’ve grown to love about Timex and their contributions to horology while nodding to some of the most iconic timepieces in watch history — with just the right mix of humor and irony.
The best watch collabs offer the chance to possess a timepiece that's not just distinctive but also expands on the lore of the brands in question. It speaks to those in the tight-knit watch community who spend part of each day on the Pride & Pinion watch subreddits, use the pros and cons of quartz and automatic movements as a conversation starter, or wear an original 1970s Q Timex to an event simply boasting "IYKYK."
But I’m getting ahead of myself. As you can probably guess, we’re going to dive deeper into this highly coveted watch drop that continues to sell out quicker than a pair of Wales Bonner adidas. To understand this watch collaboration, we should spend some time with the artist, seconde/seconde/.
Part prankster, part rebellious horological mad scientist, the French artist Romaric André has built a name for himself by revamping vintage time watches without trampling over the heritage while adding some much-needed fun to the often stern world of watchmaking.
His method? Seconde/seconde artistically swaps out the second hands or dial of each watch he touches. "I started with let's customize…I don't like this word, but, let's add a twist to vintage watches", he explains in an interview with Time & Tide. "I'm not a photographer; I'm not a designer. I don't have the background to make myself comfortable saying that it was my objective to become an artist, and now I am. I'm cautious when I try to define myself, so I like to say I'm creative."
This simple but calculated tweak has the power to change the complexion of a watch radically. The changes André makes are often cheeky references to a brand's history, smart connections to the watch with a cultural moment, or are referential to the watch's design itself. He might take a Rolex Air King and throw a pair of Air Jordans on the hour hands.
Or, switch out the hour hand of H. Moser & Cie Endeavour for a pixelated eraser, nodding to Moser's signature "concept" dials that famously skip the brand's logo. You might even catch seconde/seconde/ vandalizing a watch by the legendary Philippe Dufour with a winter mitten.
That’s the thing about seconde/seconde/, like the Dr. Frankenstein of watches, you don't necessarily know what will come out of his lab. The French artist even prides himself on this. "I'm not super comfortable doing what people are expecting me to do," he explains in Time&Tide. Regardless of what he creates, it tends to be a monster hit among the watch community and those looking for a "pièce unique" to add to their wrist and watch collection.
After collaborating with brands like H. Moser & Cie, like Isotope Watches and Furlan Marri, seconde/seconde/ linked up with Timex to give us one of the most collectible watches of the year.
IYKYK Timex + seconde/seconde/
Everyone knows about Timex. Long before we get into the realms of watch minutiae or learn to recite the reference number of our favorite Pateks and Rolexes, we learn about Timex. The legendary watch brand is the go-to for both veterans and noobs because of its commitment to accessibility, quality, and playfulness. The brand's long history in horology and referential watches were the perfect canvas for seconde/seconde/.
Using the iconic Q Timex and the newly released classic, M79, as his medium, seconde/seconde/ is up to his usual tricks. If you’re deep into the watch world, you probably know that color combos found on watch bezels have coined their own nicknames over the years.
Timex's TW2W23000 green dial with a green bezel has lent the watch the nickname The Hulk by the watch community. So, seconde/seconde/ added the Marvel hero's green fist to the second hands. Or, being that TW2V92100's blue and red bezel has been given the nickname "Pepsi" among collectors, André added a red bendy straw in place of the second hand.
"The icon that is the Timex Q always stroke me by the diversity of his bezel variations. Some of those bezels showing "famous color combinations," the idea of playing with the nicknames of those combinations came quickly to my mind", Andre explained.
I am sure you can figure out the rest in Timex's six-watch collection, but it's ok if you don't. It's not that deep. And that's kind of the point.
"Then I was interested to bring in the #IYKYK because this hashtag is really multi-layered. It embodies lots of our society contradictions (and mine too)...I wanted to involve this #IYKYK and at the same time, mock it, suggesting that, in all seriousness, "even if you don't know, that's not a big deal, you'll still do great in life, most likely", says Andre.
Watch collectors, sometimes annoyingly so, love to be in "the know" — to have a new exclusive timepiece that, through its curious details, invites a bit of exposition. It's a badge of honor when dawning a new watch that even I’m guilty of at times. We love using "If You Know You Know."
Timex + seconde/seconde/ have playfully turned that notion on its head, giving us the most exclusive yet inclusive watch drop in years. It's a nod to the watch community and to some of the most beloved watches in Swiss watchmaking.
As for the specs, both the M79 and Q Timex come with a stainless-steel case and bracelet, rotating bezel, luminous dial markings, 50 meters of water resistance, and a slightly domed acrylic crystal.
Under the hood, the M79 variants of the watches are equipped with a Japanese 21-jewel automatic movement, while a quartz movement powers the Q Timex.
Dropping this past October, the watches sold out quickly, so getting your hands on one at retail might be a little tricky. The good news is that it could be dropping again next year. We'll be sure to keep you in the know.
