Timex Raids Its ’70s Archives and Digs Up a $149 Cartier-Killer

As of late, there are two things that Timex has been doing exceptionally well. One is reissuing cool watches from its mid-century archives, the other is crafting killer homages to some of today’s hottest luxury watches.

The budget brand’s latest offering combines these two threads into the 1976 Lexington Reissue, a new dress watch based on a mid-’70s Timex silhouette that draws obvious inspiration from one of the most iconic luxury watches of all time, the Cartier Tank.

And the best part? This new Timex stunner can be had for less than 150 bucks.

Timex

Tanks a lot

Timex doesn’t explicitly say what specific vintage watch the 1976 Lexington Reissue has resurrected, but some Reddit sleuthing shows that it’s inspired by the Cavatina from that year. The Cavatina was a hand-wound Timex with virtually the exact same design as the Lexington reissue, and it retailed for $15 or $16 at the time.

In any case, the new watch, like that original 1976 model, is heavily influenced by the Tank. It has a similar rectangular case in stainless steel measuring 21mm across, 35mm long and just 8mm thick, making this one wear very elegantly. The case is fully polished with a gold-tone finish, and the nicely proportioned crown has a fluted edge.

The dial is silver-colored and vertically brushed, making it more visually interesting than I’d expect at this price point. The layout mimics the one found on the Cavatina, with elongated Roman numeral indices printed in black surrounding a black printed railroad minute track.

Timex

A vintage Timex wordmark appears below 12:00 as the only dial text above the diminutive alpha handset. There are just two hands here, masking the fact that this is a quartz watch rather than a mechanical one like the 1976 original. That helps keep the cost of the watch down, and the lack of a seconds hand means no one will be the wiser (Cartier uses the same trick on its quartz Tank models).

The watch features a mineral crystal that’s raised above the case and flat across the top, making it resemble plexiglass crystals you’d find on similar vintage watches. It also adds a more premium look than if Timex had just gone with a flat, flush crystal.

The watch is mounted on a black leather strap featuring a stamped crocodile skin pattern. I’m generally not a fan of faux croc skin straps, but this one actually doesn’t look too bad, at least in pictures. In any case, Timex makes it extremely easy to swap out the strap thanks to its built-in quick-release system.

Timex

Availability and pricing

The Tank is arguably the most timeless watch in existence, and it’s one of the key drivers behind Cartier’s hot streak over the past half-decade, which has seen it rise to become the second most valuable Swiss watch brand after Rolex.

But the Tank is decidedly a luxury watch, and the only quartz-powered version on leather currently available is in yellow gold and retails for $13,100. Not everyone has that kind of dough, so if you want a similarly classic and classy vibe, then I don’t think you’ll find a better option on the market for less than what Timex is asking for the 1976 Lexington Reissue, which can be had for the ludicrously low SRP of $149.

Timex

Timex 1976 Lexington Reissue

Specs

Case Size	21mm x 35 mm
Movement	Quartz
Water Resistance	30mm

• $149 at Timex

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