Timex’s New Q Watch Offers an Unexpected Combination of Features

Most Timex watches are pretty simple, three-hand, basic time-telling affairs. Rarely are they complicated and feature-laden. A chronograph or GMT? Sure, we’ve seen those, but the new member of the brand’s popular Q family combines functionality in ways rarely seen before from the brand. And it does so with the kind of design and dimensions that has recently won over so many fans.

The name of this new model, Three Time Zone Chronograph, says a lot — if not quite all you need to know about it. It’s got a chronograph, that’s plain enough with the familiar subdials and pushers (and from the name), but you’ll also notice a red (depending on the model) arrow-shaped hand. Looks like a GMT hand, right? But note that the term “GMT” isn’t in that name.

GMT-Like Functionality

And this is where some of the quirkiness and interest of the watch comes in. A GMT watch tracks a second time zone via a fourth hand in 24-hour format (in addition to the main time displayed by the standard three hands). For this Timex Q, however, that GMT-like fourth hand tracks another time zone only in 12-hour format, so if you’re just looking at this hand you’d have to make sure to remember whether it’s, for example, displaying 4am or 4pm so you don’t accidentally call someone at some ungodly hour.

But wait, there’s more. That subdial at 12 o’clock on the dial does offer the time in 24-hour format, and the brand has confirmed with us (it wasn’t clear in the watch’s description) that it’s actually linked to the arrow-shaped GMT-like hand. That essentially gives this watch GMT-equivalent functionality — even if you can’t technically call it one since it functions a bit differently. This means you can quickly check the second time zone with the arrow hand and confirm am or pm in the 24-hour subdial. It’s a pretty cool and novel feature set that’s genuinely useful and even a bit charmingly quirky.

Timex

A Bezel-Based Third Time Zone

But wait, there’s even more, still: so far we’ve only mentioned two time zones being tracked, so what’s this third that so prominently featured in the name? It’s in the bezel, of course. As we’ve noted previously, a rotating 12-hour bezel can be a rudimentary but affordable and useful way to be able to track another time zone.

It’s not uncommon, but it’s a feature we tend to appreciate. In this watch, you can choose whether to line it up with the main hour hand or the arrow hand (you just have to remember which).

Value and Collector Appeal

There you have it: three time zones with GMT-like functionality and a chronograph all packed into one accurate quartz watch. It’s a lot of useful features, especially for Timex, and it looks pretty good, too, in any of its multiple variations of black, white or green dials which will run you $219 on a strap or $239 for the black dial on a steel bracelet. And here’s the cherry on top of it all: Timex got the sizing right, as they have often done in recent years, especially in their retro Q collection. We’re talking a welcome 40mm wide that should wear easily on many wrist sizes.

A Timex will often make for the perfect everyman watch, but the brand has also increasingly courted collectors with the likes of restrained design, thoughtful details and retro styles. Those collectors also often tend to like complications (time-telling features), and this new Q offers all of that, too. At typical Timex Q pricing, it’ll be an easy decision for cash-strapped or even well-heeled watch fans.

Timex

Timex Q Three Time Zone Chronograph

• $132 at Timex
  $219 (40% off)

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