The Watch That Saved Timex Looks Better Than Ever

The 34mm hand-wound Timex Marlin reissue that sparked Timex’s revival has a handsome new color.

close up of a dial on a Timex Marlin hand wound dress watch

Published March 11, 2025

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In 2018, working with a long-time collaborator, Timex took a gamble by reissuing a little dress watch from the 1960s.

It paid off by sparking a Timex renaissance powered by affordable third-party movements and an abundantly rich archive. Within a year, the heritage American watchmaker was not only respected, but cool again.

a burgundy dial dress watch on a man's wrist — The Marlin’s 34-millimeter case size was a breath of fresh air in 2018.

The watch that started it all was a hand-wound 34-millimeter known simply as the Timex Marlin, based on the Marlin line from the 1960s. When it first launched, it came with a silver sunburst dial, topped with dark gray hands and indices, and a black faux-alligator strap.

It was an instant hit that came right as watch enthusiasm was shifting from a men’s style niche to a popular cultural force. Timex capitalized by expanding the Marlin line, then reviving the Q Timex line and revamping the Waterbury collection.

timex marlin timex guide — The original Timex Marlin reissue from 2018.

By the early 2020s, Timex moved on from the original Marlin reissue, keeping only the initial silver dial reference in regular production.

But the watch that saved Timex is coming back with a handsome new dark chocolate dial paired with an oxblood faux-crocodile embossed leather strap.

Big things have small beginnings

It is hard to believe now, but Timex did not have a good reputation among watch enthusiasts or the men’s style community in the early 2010s. America’s oldest surviving domestic watch brand hadn’t made a fully mechanical watch since the 1980s, and it was seen as cheap and decidedly not cool.

TImex-Marlin-Green-gear-patrol-feature — By 2020, the Timex Marlin came in a wide range of colors.

Affordable but respectable dress watches from the 1960s and 1970s had been pushed out in favor of cheap quartz mechanical watches and plastic digital watches. By the turn of the millennium, the only Timex watch with any clout was the Ironman line.

One man who recognized how cool Timex used to be and could be again was Todd Snyder. The renowned menswear designer has worked with Timex since running the men’s line at J.Crew in the early 2000s.

Snyder started his own brand in 2011, allowing him to do something new and unexpected with Timex. Given the mid-century suave aesthetic that influenced Snyder and men’s style in general at the time, the Marlin was a perfect fit for reissue.

Timex-Marlin-Mesh-gear-patrol-ambiance — One of the most popular references had a steel mesh bracelet.

In 2018, most men’s watch cases measured 40 millimeters and up, but a taste for smaller watches grew thanks to a rising appreciation for vintage references.

A 34-millimeter vintage-inspired dress watch with a hand-wound movement–which was practically unheard of at the time–was the perfect disruption to the watch market.

The Timex Marlin, initially sold exclusively by Todd Snyder, was an instant hit. The line soon expanded into multiple dial colors, case materials, and band options.

a steel Timex dress watch with a burgundy dial and a brown leather strap — A CGI rendering of the Dark Chocolate Timex Marlin.

However, each iteration of the original Marlin was limited in supply and sold out quickly. As Timex introduced automatic movements, new models, and more Todd Snyder exclusive designs, the original Marlin reissue fell by the wayside.

Still the best Marlin

It has been a few years since Timex updated the original Marlin reissue. Fans have been dazzled by the fancy automatic versions and the stunning Todd Snyder limited editions, but the first version may still be the best.

the burgundy dial of a Timex Marlin dress watch — The newest Marlin has a ich dark chocolate dial that appears burgundy in certain light.

The newest Timex Marlin reference has a sunburst dial that appears to be somewhere between chocolate brown and burgundy, depending on the light. It stands out from the silver, black, blue and green dials that have previously topped the Marlin.

It comes on an oxblood-colored leather strap embossed with a faux-crocodile texture and equipped with quick-release spring bars. Paired with the dial color, it creates an elegant monotone look.

a Timex Marlin dress watch with a burgundy dial and brown leather strap — The Dark Chocolate Timex Marlin Hand-Wound comes with a leather strap embossed with a faux-crocodile texture.

Everything else about this new Marlin remains pristinely untouched. The hands and dial counters are the same, and it runs on the same Seagull-produced hand-wound movement.

Timex has certainly moved up in the world since the Marlin was first reissued, but the watch that started that assent is arguably still the brand’s best. This new color reasserts the original Marlin as one of the best affordable dress watches on the market and one of Timex’s marquee designs.