The bezel is friction fit and has pretty good grip, so the alignment is as good as you want it to me. Timex calls this bezel a top ring, which is an interesting way to describe a bezel, and is made of aluminum. The quality is pretty good, and I think the printing on it is well executed too. I don’t expect these bezels to age very well, but they sure look great.

To further the accurate reproduction of the Q Timex reissue, the brand used a nicely domed acrylic crystal that gives some period correct vintage charm. The domed crystal stands about 2.7mm proud of the bezel, which in turn makes for an impressive side profile not often seen in modern watches. Another standout design element of the Q Timex 1978 Reissue is the tall, generously domed acrylic crystal. The crystal probably makes up at least 40% of the overall height of the watch. All that curvy glass adds another touch of class to the Q Timex 1978, and adds to the vintage look. It should help the watch stand out a bit more on your wrist, too, while still easily sliding under a shirt cuff. The Leather Strap The dial is simple and effective, with a dull blue base finish that matches the “ Pepsi” bezel perfectly. Recognisable for its dual-coloured bezel, the Rolex Pepsi tends to hog this particular spotlight. “I bought my very first Timex in 2019 as I was looking for an affordable alternative for Rolex GMT II Pepsi,” shares watch expert of Chronondo, Danar Widanarto. “At that time, my daily companion was Tudor's GMT Pepsi and I thought the Timex Q Reissue Pepsi would be the perfect matching piece for double wristing. I was amazed by the features of this timepiece: rotating bezel, vintage lume, symmetry of day & date display, the harmony between the strap and the case.” Selling out in mere minutes, clearly there was thirst for the Diet Pepsi too. This watch just hits a lot of the boxes that one would find in an expensive dress watch, but for low price.

In true dress watch fashion, the watch’s water resistance is only rated at a shallow 50 meters. Yeah, it’s nothing to write home about, but it’s a dress watch with an accessible battery hatch so what more can you ask for? Dial There are now myriad iterations of the bi-color bezel Q. But are there many more available distinct quartz models within the archives to reimagine within this heritage collection? What’s the future of the Q line? This is where Timex fits in. Long champions of affordable watchmaking, the American firm has been in business since 1854, first producing mechanical timepieces, and then, in the 1970s, quartz. Most of their production is still quartz-based, though they've been introducing more and more mechanical wristwatches lately. The watch is measured at a proportional 35mm in diameter with a lug-to-lug of about 40mm. These dimensions make the watch perfect for just about any wrist, especially slender ones.

If you don’t follow watch news, you’ll have missed the 411 that every man and his dog, probably named Patek or Gerald, has been talking about. The jocular return of France’s horological joker, Romantic André. Renowned for spicing up a watch dial with a graphic witticism or two, this week, he took on Timex with two models, one an automatic M79 model, and the other a quartz. The hands have plenty of lume surface area as well. Overall, I can’t really fault this lume too much, even though the longevity isn’t great. The Q Times 1978 Reissue really impressed me. It’s a watch with a lot of class and a ton of vintage appeal. This Timex is both sporty and sophisticated, with a dial, case, and crystal combination that adds up to a uniquely stylish look. Overall, I like the dial design and I think the finishing is great too. The colors are great, and this dial is the reason why this watch is so much fun to wear. You then have polished stainless steel hour and minute hands that are surprisingly well finished, and contain a good amount of lume application.

Closing Thoughts

Such was the choice facing the watchmakers of the 1970s. Quartz technology— the regulation of a wristwatch via quartz crystal and a battery, rather than a hand-wound or automatically wound spring, had arrived, and it wasn't going anywhere. The future of the mechanical wristwatch looked grim, and those who weren't prepared to hop on the technological bandwagon faced extinction. Many firms indeed went extinct. So much so, in fact, that Timex continued to riff on the design and release numerous Qs throughout 2020: the original in myriad bezel and dial colors; the 1978-inspired Falcon Eye; and an outlier, the automatic M79, which retained the Q's looks but added a mechanical movement. People were hooked, it would seem, and Timex was happy to oblige its fan base.

The sizing is just perfect for a slender wrist, and the lugs and polished case just scream vintage. The amazing silver champagne dial just pulls the eye to the watch. Are each of the models fairly faithful to their inspiration, or have you upgraded or improved the designs to suit the modern wearer? In true 70s fashion, you have an angular case design with lots of flat surfaces. The lugs are hidden by the brushed case surface, with a flared bracelet joint from 18mm to 21mm. I measured the case to be 38mm in diameter, 44.25mm from lug-to-lug and 11.75mm tall. The 11.75mm includes the pretty tall boxed plexiglass, and the little bump of the battery compartment. So the actual perceived height is much shorter, and closer to 9mm.

The Woven Bracelet

Overall, if I were to condense this watch into a single statement, it would be “refinement for less.” The first Q reissue was an instant hit, selling out multiple times. Were you at all surprised by its incredible success, or did you anticipate its resonance with the Timex audience?