Timex and Todd Snyder Team Up for the Art Deco Milano XL

Timex’s lengthy partnership with Todd Snyder continues with the new Art Deco Milano XL. For those who have been following the Todd Snyder collaborations, this new watch will make a lot of sense, as it continues the trend of sporty-casual that the Todd Snyder brand is known for. The color choices here, along with the leather strap, seem chosen specifically for the fall season, and the watch has just enough utilitarian appeal to draw in enthusiasts. 

With this watch, Timex and Todd Snyder have sought to strike a balance between elements of classic Art Deco and modern design influences. While I don’t think anyone would mistake this watch for a purely Deco influenced design, there are subtle nods to that style in the case shape and dial layout, particularly in the geometric patterns in the hour markers. The cushion case conveys a 70s throwback feel (as does the red and gray dial), but it carries a sleekness with it that could be interpreted as Deco inspired as well. 

According to Todd Snyder, the retro elements of this watch’s design had their genesis in a meeting with Giorgio Galli, Timex’s Milan-based head of design. The watch was conceived as a complement to Snyder’s fall collection of apparel, which includes retro sweater polos, patterned cardigans, and other items that are intended to make one think of an old fashioned, casual sportiness. While it’s no surprise that a fashion designer would create a watch to match his wardrobe, the explicit way in which Snyder has done it with the Art Deco Milano means that it’s tough to separate the concept of this watch from Snyder’s clothing.

That’s not a part of the equation, usually, when we consider a watch on Worn & Wound, but it’s worth noting here because of how this watch came to be, and how Timex and Todd Snyder are positioning it. Does this make the Art Deco Milano XL a “fashion watch”? I think it probably does – but that doesn’t mean we should dismiss it out of hand. Watches, after all, are things that we wear, and it seems to me to be a perfectly legitimate idea to choose a watch based on how it will look with other things that you wear.

What separates the Timex  and Todd Snyder collaborations from other so-called fashion watches is the thought that goes into their design. Someone who stumbles onto a Todd Snyder branded watch from Timex is going to be wearing an object that is clearly influenced by watches and design of the past, with small details being considered that you won’t find in other comparable fashion watches. That, I have to believe, has an impact on the consumer, even if they’re not immediately aware of it. 

The Art Deco Milano XL is 38mm in diameter and 11mm tall. It has a quartz movement and 50 meters of water resistance, so should stand up to your day to day routine, provided that routine doesn’t involve a lot of water sports. The crystal is mineral, and the strap is a rich brown leather with quick release spring bars for easy changing. The retail price is $128, and you check the watch out right here.