IntroducingTimex Launches A New Evolution In Brand Design With The Atelier Series Marine M1a

Timex recently said goodbye to the "Giorgio Galli" series of upmarket and creative eponymous series from the brand's Italian watch designer and Chief Creative Director. We covered the first, second, and third examples of that series. Now, Timex is continuing its evolution in what they call luxury done the Timex way. That means the watches still have slightly higher prices, but feature higher-end touches in the new Timex Atelier line, which is starting with its first new model, a diver called the Atelier Marine M1a.

The new dive-oriented Marine M1a features a 41mm by 13mm semi-skeletonized stainless steel case that is water resistant to 200 meters. That means the lugs and midcase are slightly carved out, with a black IP-Coated midcase. Inside the case is a Catena SA100 automatic movement, visible through a display caseback, featuring machined Geneva stripes and perlage. The movement is a competitor to the ETA 2824 and the Sellita SW200 and features an approximate 36-hour power reserve and operates at a frequency of 4 Hz. The full specs for the watch and the movement are included below. 

The watch has a unidirectional dive bezel with a lumed ceramic insert. The silvered hands and indices are also filled with Super-LumiNova. The minute track and the subdivision for seconds are shown on a scale printed on the rehaut at the edge of the dial, the center of which is actually made of polished black enamel surrounded by a brushed silver ring. The watch is delivered on an artificial rubber strap with a deployant buckle or a three-link stainless steel bracelet.

The new Timex Atelier Marine M1a is available today and retails for $950 on a rubber strap and $1050 on a bracelet. For more information, please visit the Timex Atelier website.

This is an interesting move for Timex. The watch looks very nice and has a lot of noteworthy touches, especially the polished black enamel dial and semi-skeletonized midcase (quite rare at this price point). However, it also represents a move upmarket, though still relatively affordable in the grand scheme of things. Compare the price to the Timex Harborside, a quartz-powered, non-Swiss-made watch, which retails for around $140. While it's not nearly as on-the-nose as the Harborside is to the inspiration of the Rolex Submariner, it still has a touch of the same feeling. The M1a's power reserve is also somewhat lacking compared to modern specifications that we have come to expect at this price point.

Don't get me wrong, I think the watch looks good, but I assume it will likely find stronger success outside of the value-driven enthusiast space where Timex's entry-level offerings remain popular. It has all the elements to be an attractive offering, but for enthusiasts, I think the last Giorgio Galli watch is still the ticket (and is still available).

Brand: Timex
Model: Atelier Marine M1a
Reference Number: TW2Y72500

Diameter: 41mm
Thickness: 13mm
Case Material: Stainless-Steel with black IP-Coated mid-case
Dial Color: Black Enamel Dial
Indexes: Silver Printing and Applied Indices
Lume: Super-LumiNova
Water Resistance: 200m
Strap/Bracelet: Stainless-steel bracelet with custom-designed stainless-steel deployant buckle and self-adjustable removable links; or NBR Strap (Synthetic Rubber) with Custom-Designed Stainless-Steel Deployant Buckle

Caliber: Catena SA 100
Functions: 27.6mm
Diameter: 27.6mm
Thickness: 5.15mm
Power Reserve: 36
Winding: Automatic
Frequency: 28,800 bph / 4Hz
Jewels: 29
Chronometer Certified: No

Price: $950 on a rubber strap, $1050 on a bracelet
Availability: Today
Limited Edition: No

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