Humble Watchmaking at Its Peak
Everyone knows Timex. The American watchmaker is a stalwart fixture in everyday watchmaking, a behemoth in the world of humble, inexpensive, unfussy horology.
Timex’s approach to watchmaking hasn’t changed much over the decades, but recently, it’s captured a new kind of cool.
The new SSQ 1975 reissue, first launched in 1975 as Timex’s debut LCD watch, is a perfect example of the brand capturing the zeitgeist again. All brushed steel, blocky case, and retro-futurist charm, it’s the kind of watch that looks like a Stranger Things prop but wears like a design classic.
Sure, there’s nostalgia baiting here, but Timex’s appeal runs deeper. Beneath the retro gloss is genuinely good design, something recent years have proved.
Just look at the collaborations. The MM6 Maison Margiela T80 ring watch turned time into jewelry, a tiny avant-garde loop of brushed metal that questioned what a watch even is.
The Noah collection, with its moonphase and lighthouse dials, offered a dreamier coastal riff on Patek’s Golden Ellipse, while and wander added an outdoor edge that felt true to the brand’s roots. These partnerships don’t reinvent Timex, but they prove how adaptable good design can be.
Timex’s value proposition is hard to beat. The brand’s been around since 1854, long enough to share the timeline with the Swiss greats. But where others chased prestige, Timex chased practicality.
Its INDIGLO backlight changed how people actually used watches, letting them check the time in the dark. The Ironman series did the same for sport, giving runners, swimmers, and gym-goers a watch that could take a beating and still look good after.
That adaptability is the secret. Timex exists in both worlds: the collector who name-drops F.P. Journe and the person who just wants something simple.
It’s universal, cool enough that even the snobs can’t deny it. You can spot a Timex on JFK Jr sailing off Hyannis Port or on Bill Murray cracking jokes at Cannes. Two completely different icons, same watch. It’s like Andy Warhol’s Coca-Cola, no matter who you are, it just fits.
Sure, not every Timex is a grail. Some are more of an eye roll than a wrist roll. But when the brand gets it right, and lately it has, the results are quietly perfect.
Highsnobiety has affiliate marketing partnerships, which means we may receive a commission from your purchase. Want to shop the products our editors actually love? Visit the HS Style Guide for recs on all things fashion, footwear, and beauty.
