The Immortals – At $179, the Timex Q is a watch for the Budget Baller Hall of Fame

D.C. Hannay

Editor’s note: The Immortals is a new series that examines a watch that we believe deserves recognition as a bona fide modern classic. You’ll already be familiar with most of the watches, we imagine. But DC will delve a bit deeper into these timepieces to explain why they’ve quickly established themselves in the horological canon. Today, it’s the Timex Q.

Timex has long been known as the everyman’s watch, and if you’re looking for Rolex GMT-Master vibes on a shoestring, this retrolicious reissue is just the ticket. Quartz has been in the Timex catalogue since 1972, and in 1979, this sharply cased number with its “integrated bracelet” looks and colourful bezel hit the market. That shape, not unlike the hot-again Rolex Oysterquartz, has a timeless neo-vintage appeal, and its 38mm diameter means it wears extremely well on a wide variety of wrists. This new Q, first released in 2019, perfectly captures the red and blue “Pepsi” look, but for a whole new generation. And being a Timex, the value proposition is off the charts at $179 USD. Recipe for a smash hit, indeed.

And a smash it was upon release, selling out almost everywhere. The case, even though it’s based on a 40-plus-year-old design, still looks fantastically modern, with dramatic edges and a nice variety of brushed and polished finishes. Water-resistance is a ho-hum 50 metres, but certainly not a dealbreaker. The lugs are 18mm wide (not that you’d ever take it off the standard mesh strap bracelet), and are hooded, giving the whole affair the quasi-integrated look that’s decidedly back in vogue. Lug-to-lug is a comfy 43.4mm, and the height is a trim 12.4mm, and that’s including the dramatically domed acrylic crystal. Your mileage may vary, but I’m a huge fan of the domed acrylic look, as evidenced by the Speedmasters and Vostok Amphibias littering my own collection. Even in sapphire, the look of acrylic is impossible to replicate, and the way it plays with light without the sometimes bluish reflections of sapphire really nails that whole vintage aesthetic. And yes, that’ll buff right out.

The bi-directional friction bezel is probably the Q’s biggest story. It’s marked with 12 hours instead of the GMT-Master’s 24, but no matter, because the Pepsi red/blue motif is still there, and a 12-hour bezel is still a very useful thing.

Easily the biggest selling point of the watch, its success has spawned a host of variations, including Rolex-adjacent two-tone, “Coke”, and “Root Beer” versions, along with some tasty original flavours (“Sprite”, anyone?).

The Pepsi version’s dial is a fetching blue to match the top half of the bezel, and features lumed lollipop hour and sword minute hands, along with a bright red second hand which pops quite nicely against the blue. Day/date windows lend a Seiko 5-level bit of functionality, and that “Q” near the top of the dial proudly trumpets the no-hassle Seiko quartz movement within. And this grab-and-go convenience is really hammered home with the implementation of the caseback battery hatch, a Timex calling card. It opens with the twist of a coin, making battery changes as quick as a Formula One pit stop, and nearly idiot-proof.

The mesh-look folded link stainless strap doesn’t scream “high-end”, but remember, this is a Timex, and it looks period-perfect, integrating nicely with the case. One nit common to a lot of Timex bracelets: taking links off is an utter drag, so be patient if you want to shorten it. Once sorted, however, the bracelet does have the advantage of near-infinite adjustability, and it all looks and feels properly vintage.

Such is the massive success of the Q Timex that it led to the subsequent release of the M79, an automatic version for those that just can’t abide quartz. It sports a basic Miyota autowinding movement, yes, but while it’s a great watch in its own right, I think it misses the original point of the Q. At $279 USD retail, it’s perhaps on the outer edges of its audience’s budget. The 40mm case, while perfectly reasonable, goes just beyond the retro perfection of the Q’s proportions, and the 14.5mm height also does no favors in the size department. True, you’re getting a display caseback, but honestly, is a non-hacking Miyota 8205 movement really worth gazing at?

On the plus side, it does come in a “Batman” version, or this luscious brown sun-ray dial/gold bezel variant that approximates the tropical look from a distance.

So unless you have particularly outsized wrists and hate accuracy, my money’s on the quartz version. It’s a fantastic-looking piece that wins respect from watch snobs and punters alike. Its vintage size, no-brainer specs, and huge array of colour choices seals the deal for me. Bottom line, the Q Timex, in whatever flavour you choose, is a mindbendingly great deal, and at $179 USD, this one’s in the Budget Baller Hall of Fame.