Is the World Ready for a $1,000 Swiss-Made Timex?

The most expensive Timex ever features a Swiss automatic movement, part-titanium construction and copious details. The man behind it, Timex global creative director Giorgio Galli, gives us the scoop.

black and white image of a watch on a table and a large steel ring

By Zen Love

Published September 1, 2023

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Updated September 1, 2023

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Are you ready for a Swiss-made Timex watch costing almost $1,000? As the brand is known and loved for its fun and casual watches often costing under $200, a “$975 Timex” might sound like an oxymoron.

But if the previous S1 watches in the Giorgio Galli collection are any indication, we can expect the new S2 to be more than worthy of its price — and, at the very least, worthy of your attention. Here’s what you should know about this bold move from Timex, which just launched this morning.

Timex Giorgio Galli S2 Automatic

$0.00 at Timex

The S2 is an evolution of the S1, but it’s also its own thing

Timex watches are typically rather affordable, yes, but solid design has seen even hardcore collectors increasingly won over in recent years. And that design comes from the mind of the Timex Group’s global creative director, Giorgio Galli.

man wearing watch in black and white — Designer Giorgio Galli wearing the S2 Automatic from his eponymously named collection.

His eponymously named collection first pushed the brand’s boundaries with 2019’s S1 watch, which featured a higher tier automatic movement from Miyota, a complicated case structure, original design and conscientious details. The smaller S1 38 variant then added more premium features like sapphire crystal. It’s priced just south of $500, but we’ve got hands-on experience to confirm that it’s an impressive value. The new S2 fits into the Giorgio Galli collection, but takes the concept to another level.

“It’s an evolution of the S1, but it has nothing to do with it,” Galli says. “Besides some design appearance, in reality the construction is completely different.”

The 38mm case structure combines a stainless steel core with a titanium midcase that uses an injection-molding technique to achieve a complicated architecture without the cost of traditional milling. The result doesn’t look like a compromise, either, offering a unique, modern feel to an otherwise relatively understated design.

hand in pocket wearing wristwatch — The Timex Giorgio Galli S2 Automatic measures 38mm wide and 11mm thick.

It’s Swiss-made

“Timex hasn’t made a Swiss watch in 50 years,” Galli points out. What does Swiss-made mean for a watch, exactly? A number of things, including that 60 percent of a watch’s value must be generated in Switzerland. Meeting those criteria, the Giorgio Galli S2 watch is assembled at the group’s facilities in Lugano and contains a Sellita SW-200 automatic movement. This movement can be found in watches around the S2’s price point as well as above and sometimes slightly below it.

The S2 is the most expensive serially produced Timex ever

With the exception of the occasional rare limited-edition collab, the S2 is Timex’s most expensive watch ever. It’s easily the most expensive serially produced Timex.

“I understand the Timex perception,” Galli says. “We had the same issue with the S1 when we launched. It was quite high-priced for Timex, but it worked well. Of course, this is a new ballgame, being Swiss-made, but it’s a bit detached from most of what we do at Timex, so we’re not too worried about the price point.”

timex watch on its side — The midcase’s complex shape is achieved by injection molding and then finished to a higher level than you’d expect from a typical Timex.

It’s a halo product

In other words, this release isn’t an indication that Timex is generally moving upmarket. You’ll still be able to get your Timex Qs and other fun, inexpensive watches.

“We’re not abandoning our soul,” Galli says. Rather, the Giorgio Galli collection helps show what the brand can do and generally elevates its image.

“It’s part of a process that took years, to take the brand from mass-market products into new categories, changing the perception of the brand and creating something for watch enthusiasts,” he says. “We’re trying to bring back some of the savoir faire of the brand from the ’60s and ’70s.”

Timex certainly now has the attention of enthusiasts who won’t find a $1,000 Swiss automatic watch to be particularly expensive.

watch on table with a large steel ring — “The dial inspiration came from a Kadinsky painting which was made of circles.”

Design philosophy? “Rich minimalism”

Galli was more interested in what gives the S2 value than in talking about its price, and part of that is in its design.

“What’s new is what I call the rich minimalism of the design,” he says. “It’s extending from the originality and clean design of the S1, but this is even cleaner. There’s a graphic starkness of the dial that is actually very communicative. I think it’s a completely different look, an evolution of the language that’s more classic. It’s new in the Timex design environment.”

Despite the big swing for Timex, I find it interesting that the S2’s design is reserved and requires closer inspection to appreciate its details.

“It’s a quiet luxury,” Galli says. “It represents more of what I am, my personality and the experience I’ve accumulated in watch design throughout the years. It’s impactful without screaming.”

“The dial inspiration came from a Kadinsky painting which was made of circles because I was trying to find a way not to use indexes, but also not to have a completely anti-dial, which has been done by many brands.”

closeup of a watch dial — Faceted hands and notches in the dial’s ring serving as indices help maintain legibility.

The S2 is more legible than the Easy Reader

One of the first things I notice about the S2 in pictures is its black dial and shiny hands without lume, a combination that often results in legibility issues. Faceted hands, however, are one way that brands have addressed this problem, and that’s what you’ll find on the S2 when you look closely.

“It’s difficult to photograph, but it’s absolutely legible,” says Galli, who is also a photographer and Leica brand ambassador. ” It’s the most legible watch I have, even more [so] than the [Timex] Easy Reader.”