Sentiments like “history is bound to repeat itself” tend to have a negative connotation, but when it comes to watches, a little repetition seems to be welcome… heck, one might argue the last decade of watch design has been fueled by looking back, and not forward. But now is not the time for cultural critique, we’re here to launch a watch. While most brands have been resurrecting their mechanical triumphs of bygone eras, Timex has not shied from their quartz and digital heritage (while also dabbling in mechanicals). In an age of smart watches and phones-in-name-only that can do just about everything, the appeal of classic digital watches, with their silvery gray dials and simplistic displays, is undeniable. Enter the Q Timex Reissue LCA, now available at the Windup Watch Shop.
Not to be confused with their line of fun, colorful, ‘70s-inspired Q Timex analog watches, the LCA is born of the ‘80s. Mechanical watches were on life support, quartz ruled the day, and digital was emerging as the next great thing. Able to perform an incredible variety of tasks, all in a small package, the versatility of digital was, and still is, hard to compete with. Perfect time, alarm, stop watch, day, calendars, and more, all on the wrist. Amazing. Timex was at the forefront of this new wave with their sports oriented Iron Man series, and, though a bit lesser known, their nerdy and wonderful Liquid Crystal Analog watches.
Though fully digital, the LCA utilizes a tall rectangular screen to feature two displays, one a digital representation of a three hand dial, and the other a typical digital. Crammed with functions, the upper dial can show the current time, a second time, a timer, and be used to set the alarm. The lower display shows the time, and also functions as a stopwatch. The day and date are shown as well. This all takes place in a delightful blocky 32.5 x 40mm steel case that is attached to the wrist with a rolled link bracelet for some jangly-goodness.
With aesthetics that bring a mix of Knight Rider and Weird Science to mind, the Q Timex Reissue LCA is a refreshing throwback to an era of watches that likely would not have gotten the spotlight had a brand like Timex not decided to point a spotlight on it. Available in brushed and polished steel, or the same finish with a full yellow gold treatment, for $149, the LCAs are fun, novel watches that in 2020, really stand out in a collection.
But wait, there’s more!
The M79 is Timex’ automatic answer for the Q Timex analog watches. A bit bigger, and beefier, in lieu of the quartz heart is a Miyota automatic, giving the M79 the heft and sweeping seconds hand mechanical watch fans seek. Today, we’re adding a second variety of M79 to the shop, now in black with aged lume. Not terribly different from its blue/black bezeled brother, this version has a more classic, vintage sport feel. Mixed the funky barrel-case design, this new colorway is a great option for something subtle, but still adventurous. Grab one today for $279.
