INTRODUCING: The Timex M79 Automatic, the Batman of the people?

James Robinson

Timex have kicked off their 2020 novelty releases with an exciting – for those with no signs of Batman fatigue – but fairly unadventurous move. A Batman to wash down their wildly popular Pepsi model. But this time automatic for the people. And this time potentially attainable at the drop, rather than months later. Put your name down here to register your interest. 

The thought that Timex was ever a pejorative term, or shorthand for a poor watch – and it certainly was in days of yore in Australia – is now amusing. In 2020 the brand is red hot. Todd Snyder’s Marlin. The aforementioned Pepsi.  And now this. Called the Timex M79 Automatic, the three-hander timepiece is a continuation of the American watchmaker’s cult release of 2019, the Q Timex 1979 Reissue Pepsi. And while the new M79 retains the same case design, there are a fair few changes to this watch compared to last year’s iteration, some obvious, others not so much.

For a start, and perhaps most notably, the iconic red and blue Pepsi bezel is gone, and in its a familiar black and blue bezel has found its way onto the stainless steel case. Timex is also keen to point out that the bezel of the M79, unlike the Q, is unidirectional and ratcheting in nature. Another big change is that the case is well … bigger — up by 2mm compared to the Q, to be precise. That means that the distinctive case now measures in at an arguably more crowd-pleasing 40mm across.

The increased size of the case is largely because of the other major change to this vogue timepiece. Gone is the quartz movement of the old Q, and in its place we find a “Japanese-sourced” automatic movement with display case back, hence the watch’s name, with “M” denoting mechanical movement. It’s a handsome looking watch front and back. In saying that, there’s no word from Timex as to when it will be released, nor how much it will cost.

However, you can register your interest with Timex directly at their website. 2020 is set to be a massive year for watch releases, and it’s great to see that the hits are already rolling in thick and fast. Oh, and expect this watch to command massive premiums on the secondhand market … just like the first one did.