Timex’s $199 Japanese Stunner Looks Like Its Coolest Affordable Sports Watch Yet

That bezel is a dream.

Silver metal Timex wristwatch with a light blue dial featuring a globe design and silver hour markers on an orange background.Timex

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Pretty much every time Timex revisits its twentieth-century catalog for a new reissue, the brand knocks it out of the park. But its latest effort takes things to another level.

Timex has teamed up with British streetwear giant End Clothing for an all-new retro reissue called the 1981. Rather than End simply putting its own stylish touch on an existing Timex silhouette, the retailer found inspiration in Timex’s back catalog when designing this piece, which also counts summer tennis tournaments and classic menswear as its muses.

The End x Timex 1981 Reissue is one of the key pieces of the former’s sprawling Summer of Sport collection of collabs. Here’s what makes it so damn cool.

Silver wristwatch with a blue dial worn on a wrist, paired with white shorts featuring a black "END." logo.
The watch is part of End Clothing’s larger Summer of Sport collection.
Sophie Robinson for Timex

Tennis, anyone?

While a growing number of pro tennis players wear watches on the court, End had its eyes on the wrists of the well-heeled spectators in the stands at pro tennis tournaments when crafting this shaped sports watch.

The vintage-approved stainless steel case has a TV shape and a brushed finish, and it measures a period-correct 35mm across and just 8.5mm thick. Its mineral crystal is surrounded by a beautiful octagonal bezel, but this is no Royal Oak ripoff. The bezel has softened edges that are slightly reminiscent of the Patek Philippe Aquanaut, but it features a stepped design and polished finish to contrast with the brushed case.

Silver Timex wristwatch with a blue globe-patterned dial and metal link band resting on white tennis balls.
The watch takes inspiration from the world of summer tennis.
Sophie Robinson for Timex

The dial is ice blue with a pearlized finish and features an etched globe pattern as a retro-inspired detail that reminds me of the classic Pan-Am logo. Applied polished baton indices appear at all 12 markers, with a double index at 12:00 and a shortened one at 3:00 to accommodate the date window.

Timex’s and End’s logos appear printed in black at 12:00 and 6:00, and the hour and minute hands are crafted in a unique and attractive skeleontized alpha style. Flip the watch around, and you’ll find a surprisingly ornate engraved caseback featuring another globe being prowled by a pair of stylized tigers, a calligraphic “E” and a banner that reads “Globally Sourced.”

Back of a stainless steel Timex watch with engraved globe, tigers, and text "Globally Sourced.
End contributed the ornate caseback engraving.
Sophie Robinson for Timex

The vertically brushed, single-row bracelet has a very retro style with a nice taper and a faux-integrated design. Though due to its tiny 16mm lug width, I don’t think this watch will look very good on a strap. Luckily, the bracelet is quite cool. Its narrow links ensure a silky feel, and the foldover clasp, which is engraved with the End wordmark in cursive, can be set in any position for a custom fit.

Powering the watch is a nondescript analog quartz movement, which I have reason to believe is a Miyota. For one, Timex uses Miyota for its movement supplier pretty often these days. Secondly, End describes the watch as being made in Japan on its product page. I see no markings indicating that on the watch itself, so I’m wondering if End actually meant to refer to the movement as being made in Japan, which would again point to Miyota.

Brushed stainless steel watch clasp engraved with the word "End." on a metal link bracelet.
The British retailer’s logo also appears in script on the clasp.
Timex

I’ve reached out to Timex for comment on whether or not the watch was actually assembled in Japan and will update this story once I hear back.

Availability and pricing

This thing is just cool. The vintage size, the shaped bezel and TV case, the icy blue color, beautiful engraved dial and caseback, the unique handset, the retro bracelet … everything just works. Timex and End really knocked this out of the park, and I can’t wait to see these two brands collab again.

Oh, and I haven’t even gotten to the best part yet. The 1981 Reissue is priced at just $199. $199! I don’t know how Timex does it. The watch went live today and is sure to sell out quickly, so I recommend scooping one up while you still can.

Silver metal wristwatch with a light blue dial featuring a globe design and date display.Timex

Timex x End 1981 Reissue

Specs

Case Size 35mm
Movement Quartz
Water Resistance 50m

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