Timex watches need little introduction, but the brand’s early Black Friday sale isn’t just an opportunity to score a new ticker for a great price—it’s a chance to delve into the greatest hits of one of the world’s most iconic watch brands. These days, you might associate Timex with much-hyped collabs from the likes of Noah, Margiela, and Todd Snyder, but there’s a lot more to the brand than those flex-worthy limited-editions.
Having spent the better part of two centuries cranking out one crowd-pleasing design after another, Timex has a back catalog full of certified bangers, from the world’s first Mickey Mouse watch to modernist masterpieces from the Mad Men era to swanky quartz pieces from the 1970s and 1980s.
In the 21st century, under the discerning eye of celebrated creative director Giorgio Galli, Timex has mined its archive for one gem after another, while pushing forward into new territory with higher-end models boasting top-shelf features like Swiss automatic movements and titanium cases. With a retrospective of the brand’s greatest hits at prices that are even more reasonable than usual, this might be the best week of the year to add a couple of classic Timex watches to your wrist. Here’s where to start.
Timex Marlin Hand-Wound Snoopy watch
Timex has been making watches featuring the colorful antics of Snoopy, Charlie Brown, and the rest of the Peanuts gang since the cartoon’s original heyday in the 1960s. This festive take—a direct throwback to that era, with a small 34mm case and an old-school hand-winding movement—looks best with an argyle sweater and a glass of eggnog.
Timex Marlin Sub-Dial Automatic watch
The Marlin line is named for the brand’s best-selling collection of the 1960s and is dedicated to pieces that embody the spirit and aesthetics of that era. This one takes things up a few notches by combining a retro case shape and sans-serif Arabic numerals with a modern automatic movement and a distinctive 24-hour subdial. The leaping marlin on the caseback is pretty sweet, too.
Timex Legacy Tonneau watch
The 1970s were a decade ruled by sports watches and unusual case shapes, and this throwback embodies both of those qualities with aplomb. Thanks to a very 1970s “tonneau” shaped case, an aviation-inspired chronograph dial, and a perfectly patinated leather strap, it’s a high-flying tribute to one of Timex’s most stylish eras.
Timex Easy Reader Watch
In 1977, Timex introduced a watch with a clean white dial, simple stick hands, and a set of oversized numerals, all of which made it exceptionally easy to read. The name “Easy Reader” doesn’t win any points for creativity, but the design is just about perfect. More than 40 years later, it still lives up to its name and looks great doing it.
Q Timex GMT Watch
Timex’s Q series is a celebration of the quartz era of the 1970s and ‘80s, during which the brand switched from old-school mechanical movements to cheaper and more reliable quartz (i.e. battery-powered) ones. The collection includes some real retro gems, but the style and dual-time functionality of this 38mm “Pepsi” bezel GMT is the clear winner.
Timex Expedition Camper Watch
The ‘90s were a booming decade for Timex thanks to a single word: Indiglo. Introduced in 1992, this vintage ad does a good job of illustrating how much of an improvement the brand’s patented green backlight was over the outgoing teeny tiny lightbulb technology, especially on era-defining digital watches like the Ironman and Expedition.
Timex Giorgio Galli S1 Automatic Watch
After more than a decade spent turning Timex into the hottest brand in the sub-$1,000 segment, creative director Giorgio Galli finally got to put his name on a watch in 2021. With its minimalist dial, architecture-inspired cutaway case, and sapphire case back, the GGS1 is an incredibly ambitious piece of watchmaking and one of the most stylish automatic watches you’ll find under $500.
Timex Deepwater Tiburon Automatic Watch
Timex has always been about providing maximum bang for your horological buck, and there’s no better illustration of this than their flagship diver’s watch, which offers top-shelf specs including 200m water resistance, sapphire crystals on the face and case back, Super- LumiNova on the dial, and an automatic Japanese movement.
