The case is fully polished, with smooth, rounded contours. The polished finish gives the watch a more dressy appearance and provides plenty of opportunities to shine when it catches the light. The cushion case is sleek, but it also gives the watch a more commanding presence on the wrist. It’s an uncommon yet sophisticated look with a strong 70s vibe that feels vintage but not out-of-place today. And it feels substantial and well-made while remaining thin. You could even call it svelte. 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. You then have polished stainless steel hour and minute hands that are surprisingly well finished, and contain a good amount of lume application. In Timex’s own words, the hour markers are fashioned after the towers and skyscrapers of New York City.

We had the chance to speak with Timex Group's Chief Design Director, Giorgio Galli, once again to discuss the Q line, the new model, and what the future holds for this wildly successful model that's popular with newbies, aficionados, and everyone in between. But things changed further with 2019's introduction of the wildly popular Q Timex. Based on a model dating to the 1970s and featuring a blue dial with day-date display, a colorful, Rolex-inspired 12-hour bezel and a fun, lightweight mesh bracelet, the Q was an instant smash hit, and sold out several times over. Its easily accessible battery hatch celebrated rather than derided quartz, and people loved it.Where does this new model fit into the collection — do you imagine customers owning both the Marmont and something in steel, more for everyday wear? 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. 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

Turning the watch over, we get a glimpse of the iconic battery hatch present in all quartz Timex watches. Are each of the models fairly faithful to their inspiration, or have you upgraded or improved the designs to suit the modern wearer? With the quartz crisis well underway in the late 1970s, many watch brands were threatened by this new technology and felt it would affect the sales of mechanical watches. Timex was different. They knew quartz had numerous benefits over traditional mechanical movements and they wanted to help it go mainstream. Although not their first quartz watch, the Q Timex was one of their most popular models because of its pleasing design and “Pepsi” rotating bezel. Originally released in 1979, Timex wanted everyone to know this was a quartz watch by branding it “Q” and proudly printing “QUARTZ” in bold font on the dial. They were not ashamed or embarrassed about this new technology, a stance that has made them a highly successful watch brand today. Covering the dial is a domed acrylic crystal that just exudes the perfect vintage feeling. Sure, you’re more likely to get scratches, but there is just something about the distortion on the dial when looking at it from a different angle. Below the hands is “Quartz” in all caps, making sure you don’t forget that this watch is a battery-powered movement.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. 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 entire case is made of stainless steel and is given a polished surface. The lugs extend out in a slight slant from the case and are designed to resemble old art deco lugs from watches of years ago. So, should you get the Timex Q 1978 Reissue Date? I think that’s a definite yes. It just exudes class and vintage looks, all for an attainable price.

We have tried to replicate the aesthetic values of the original watches as closely as possible. The case designs and measurements are per the original watches and the movements have been selected to replicate the original functions (or recreated in the case of the Q Timex Reissue Digital LCA). However, we have upgraded the case materials to stainless steel and in the case of some functions, such as the lighting system on the LCA, we have replicated the look of the single bulb to the side of the display as used decades ago, only this time using a single LED bulb. 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. The bracelet has a significant taper from 21.5mm where it meets the case to 16mm at the ends. This taper creates an aesthetically pleasing bracelet profile that improves comfort while looking good. The actual lug width is 18mm and could accommodate aftermarket straps of this size. However, the factory bracelet is a perfect match for this piece.To be entirely honest, I was pretty surprised that this watch had any lume at all. And while it isn’t great lume, it is decent and should last at least an hour or two in the dark. 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. 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. Of course, the mechanical watch never really went away. Now, we live in a world in which hand-wound and automatic timepieces are once again appreciated, to the point where now-vintage examples of classic references can command prices in the seven or eight figures at auction. And with an incredible variety of quartz watches (and now, smartwatches) available, both the watch enthusiast and casual consumer have never been more spoiled for choice. If you ignore the hair pulling from the bracelet, the dimensions of the watch are very comfortable. This fits perfectly on my 6.25″ wrist, with it’s 38mm diameter and 44.25mm lug-to-lug width. The bracelet articulates great, so the lug to lug width is an accurate representation of how wide it will wear.

The success of their labeled Timex watches pushed the company to finally rename itself the Timex Corporation in 1969. Case The dial is simple and effective, with a dull blue base finish that matches the “ Pepsi” bezel perfectly. The height of 11.75 mm includes the boxed plexiglass and the bump for the battery cover, so the actual height on the wrist feels closer to 9mm watch.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. 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. Who would I recommend the Q Timex 1978 Reissue to? If you are a fan of vintage 1970s or even early 1980s style, I think you’ll dig this watch. If you want a watch that will stand out on the wrist and get noticed, something with a unique look and a touch of sleek sophistication and class, the 1978 won’t disappoint. It would be a great, easy daily wear watch for someone with the right sense of style. Or a solid occasional-wear dress watch for most everyone else. The longevity of the movement is inherent in its accessible design. You can expect this movement and watch to last a long time. Strap You then have large printed indices that are entirely covered with a faux patina lume material. I’m usually not a fan, but I think it works here and the faux vintage color isn’t obnoxiously yellow or orange.