Timex Doubles Down on the ’70s Swagger With This Racing Watch Revamp

Timex’s hot streak of archival reissues continues with a revamp of a 1970s racing watch the brand first revisited last year.

The 1971 Velocity is a time and date quartz watch, with a dial inspired by dashboard panels from the golden age of muscle cars and Le Mans. It is also equipped with a bi-directional rotating bezel for quick time tracking.

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Reissued initially with a black dial and tropical rubber pin-buckle strap, this update has a vibrant blue dial and bezel with orange and white detailing.

However, the bigger upgrade is the stainless steel five-link “jubilee-style” bracelet. Rolex created this design in 1945, but it really came into fashion in the 1970s on the wrists of icons like Harrison Ford and Robert Redford.

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Combined with the ideally proportioned 36mm stainless steel case, the new bracelet amplifies the 1971 Velocity’s retro swagger. It also blends perfectly with the blue and orange dial, making it one of the best daily watches in Timex’s catalog.

That ’70s whoa!

The definitive attribute of the 71 Velocity is the intricately stylized minutes and seconds track, which is inspired by checkered racing flags.

The dial’s outer rim contains the seconds markers, which are broken up with black squares in a checkerboard pattern and separated by the minutes markers.

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To enhance legibility, the minute markers extend through an orange track along the inside of the seconds track. Chamfered applied hour markers run along the orange track with lume dots inside each one.

The hands on the new 1971 Velocity are identical to the first reissue, with a tapered second hand modeled after car instrument panels from the era. The minute and hour hands are black at the base and have lume inserts.

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Upgrading the 1971 Velocity with a five-link “jubilee-style” bracelet is a nod to the era and dramatically increases the watch’s visual appeal. The diversity of surface angles and polishes plays with the light as the watch moves on your wrist, creating a shimmering effect, which is why it is my favorite steel bracelet style.

Hold me closer, tiny racer

There is a strong case that Timex started the shrinking case movement in 2017 when it released the disruptively small 34mm Marlin. Almost a decade later, the average men’s watch size is below 40mm, and I think we’re all better off for it.

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Timex stayed true to watch proportions from the early 1970s with a 36mm case size, which lands right in the “Goldilocks” zone that the market appears to prefer in 2025.

The cushion case shape expands the area it covers and creates a slightly bigger feel. But the gentle curve of the case conforms to the wrist and makes it very comfortable.

Five-link bracelets are very flexible, even compared to fabric and leather, making them the most comfortable steel option after Milanese mesh bracelets.

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Despite adding much more steel to the package, Timex has only increased the price of the new 1971 Velocity by $20, keeping it well within the $200 price range.

You can stick this one in Timex’s trophy case of impeccable daily watches for an incredibly affordable price.

Availability and pricing

The Timex 1971 Velocity, with its updated blue dial and five-link bracelet, will be available on June 17 for $219.

Unfortunately, the first reissue with a black dial and rubber strap is sold out, with no indication Timex will bring it back.

Timex

Timex 1971 Velocity Reissue

Specs

Case Size	36mm
Movement	Quartz
Water Resistance	50m

• $219 at Timex

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