Timex Breaks into a Whole New Tier of Watchmaking with a Gorgeous Diver

Seiko and Tissot have new competition.

Black dive watch with rotating bezel, luminous markers, and black textured rubber strap on green background.

Add Gear Patrol as a Preferred Source on Google

By Brad Lanphear

Published December 28, 2025

·

If you buy from a link, we may earn a commission. Learn more

Timex is known and loved for its bargain watches, which often come in at well below $500.

While mining its archives and duplicating established favorites at an affordable price has gained the Waterbury watchmaker great success over the past decade, it clearly has higher aspirations.

GP100: Gear Patrol’s annual roundup of the most important releases collects key watches, cars, outdoor gear and more. Browse the full list or catch up on last year’s winners.

Black Timex wristwatch with a round stainless steel case, luminous hour markers, and hands. The watch face features the text "TIMEX Atelier," "AUTOMATIC," and "200M/660FT." It has a black rotating bezel with minute markings and a textured black rubber strap. The crown is protected by a guard on the right side of the case. — The Atelier Marine M1a is a highly capable automatic dive watch.

Beginning in 2022, Giorgio Galli, Timex’s Creative Director, released a self-titled series of automatic watches with specs and price tags well above the brand’s typical offerings.

As it turns out, Galli was merely testing the waters before launching Timex Atelier, a sub-brand dedicated to creating sophisticated watches aimed at the mid-tier market. It is a bold venture, but if the debut reference is any indication, it is one of the most exciting new brands in the industry.

Close-up of a black dive watch with luminous markers and hands glowing green in the dark. The watch features a rotating bezel with minute markings, a textured rubber strap, and a brushed metal case. The time displayed is approximately 10:10. — The Marine M1a has a fully lumed bezel, including a horizontal stipe pattern on the pip.

Galli kicked off Timex’s new venture with the Marine M1a, a dive watch that blends familiar looks with inventive design. It has a unidirectional dive bezel, classic triangle-dot-dash hour markers and a lollipop seconds hand.

But the bezel is fully lumed, including a fun horizontal stripe pattern on the pip. It features a skeletonized case frame and lug design, which reduces weight. And it runs on an obscure but impressive Swiss-made automatic movement, which beats at 4Hz and has a 36-hour power reserve.

The Marine M1a runs on an obscure but respectable Swiss-made automatic movement.

Timex

Perhaps the most impressive aspect of the Marine M1a is its price. Despite being far and away the best dive watch Timex has ever produced, boasting a 200m water resistance, automatic movement and a ton of lume, it only costs $950 on a rubber strap and $1,050 on a steel three-link bracelet.

If Timex can consistently offer equivalent bargains in the $1,000 range to those we’ve been spoiled by at the $250 range, then the watch industry is on notice in 2026.