Timex Adds a GMT to the Q Lineup

It’s hard to believe, but we’re now a full three years removed from the reintroduction of the Timex Q, which dropped like a bomb on the affordable watch community back in the spring of 2019. Since then, we’ve seen a nearly endless parade of variations on the Q, not to mention the similar (but mechanical) M79, and a whole bunch of T80s to boot. It’s fair to say that the Q ushered in a resurgence in affordable, throwback watches for Timex, a brand that has never had any problem raiding its archives for new releases. But the Q hits different, and these watches have a certain charm to them that’s hard to capture – they just authentically feel like they’re from another era (in this case, the late 70s and early 80s). Now, Timex has introduced yet another Q, but this one with a GMT complication, adding a new layer to a product that most watch enthusiasts already know incredibly well. 

The three new Qs Timex is launching today will look awfully familiar to readers who are already well acquainted with the brand’s flagship throwback quartz sports watch. The angular, 40mm case remains, as does the acrylic crystal and the old-school battery hatch on the caseback (my personal favorite feature of these watches). At launch, Timex has one Q with a red and blue 24 hour bezel, another with a bezel in blue and black, and a third watch that’s completely blacked out with a bezel in black and gray. This blacked out Q is the only one of the three to come on a rubber strap – the other two are mounted on a thin stainless steel bracelet that perfectly matches the vibe of the case. 

Dials, as always with the Q, are straightforward and seem designed for legibility rather than to blow people away with fancy textures or eye popping detail. The hour plots and hands are lumed for easy reading in darker environments, and you can have these dials in any color you like, as long as it’s black. Branding is minimal, with the “Q” logo and Timex wordmark near 12:00, and “GMT Quartz” near 6:00. It’s balanced and straightforward, and doesn’t take anything from away from the retro case, which has always been the highlight of these watches. 

The GMT functionality comes via Swiss quartz movement, which includes a date (at 3:00) as well. Interestingly, the blacked out watch is the only variant to get a colored GMT hand. It’s white on both the red/blue and black/blue variants, although the “Pepsi” version has a red outline at the GMT hand’s tip. We haven’t seen these watches in the metal yet, but it will be an interesting comparison to see if any of the three present a major challenge in catching that GMT hand in certain lighting conditions. In the provided photos, they all appear to be easy enough to read, so this might just be an aesthetic choice by Timex. 

The new Q Timex GMT is available today, with a retail price of $199 for the blacked out version on a rubber strap, and $219 for the watches on a bracelet. Timex