Timex Takes Its Floating Dial Watch into Deep Space

In our digital age, analog illusions are especially captivating.

Engineering the physical world to deceive the mind will always feel more genuine than digital manipulation. Movie fans almost universally prefer practical effects to CGI and watch fans like a good trick dial more than a digital screen.

Timex

Therein lies the appeal of the floating hands on the Q Timex 1975 Enigma’s mystery dial. Two white rectangles and a colored dot appear to float in concentric circles around a blank void.

Timex reissued the 1975 Enigma in 2024 with a blue dial and a steel flat-link bracelet. It is a faithful recreation of a Timex design from, you guessed it, 1975.

The pale blue dot second hand on the black dial feels like an homage to the “Pale Blue Dot” image taken of Earth by the Voyager 1 probe in 1991 — and the subsequent observation made by Carl Sagan.

Timex

The concave cushion-shaped steel case remains unchanged, but two new dial options are available. Both retain the same white rectangles on the hour and minute hands. The second hand dot is yellow on the green dial and pale blue on the black dial.

Sleight of hands

Even for the 1970s, the illusion at play on the mystery dial is quite simple. The base of the hands are painted the same color as the dial, as is a dot applied to the inside of the domed acrylic that conceals the central column.

Timex

Unfortunately, the desired effect is lost in certain light and when viewed up close. But that doesn’t detract from the fact that the 1975 Engima is a sleek and stylish watch that costs just over $200.

I own the original blue version, and I’ve found that the case shape is just as visually appealing as the dial. The concave upper surface plays tricks with the light, so you can’t tell in which direction it bends.

Timex

The high-domed acrylic adds to the light trickery and enhances the dial’s illusion when viewed at arm’s length from an angle, which is how both the wearer and admirers most often view a watch.

New strap, new look

It is remarkable how much a strap change can affect the overall look of a watch. The blue 1975 Enigma comes on a metal flat-link bracelet typical of the mid-1970s.

The new black dial reference comes on a black leather strap, which makes the watch look less dated, or a nylon NATO strap that adds a sporty modern feel.

Timex

The green dial is only available with a green and black NATO strap, making it the most colorful reference in the 1975 Enigma line.

There aren’t many watches in the $200 range that pair an intriguing dial with a respectable daily-wear look like the 1975 Enigma. The dial is simultaneously retro and novel because there aren’t many floating dial options outside of the luxury tier.

Availability and pricing

The new dial colors for the Q Timex 1975 Enigma were slated for release on June 17, but they have not yet appeared on the Timex website.

All three of the new references will be available for $209.

Timex

Q Timex 1975 Enigma

Specs

Case Size	37mm
Movement	Quartz
Water Resistance	50m

• $209 at Timex

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