Welcome to the weekend and your weekly delivery of watch content! In the first-ever trelet article, we want to know if Timex still holds the throne as one of the leading budget-friendly timepiece manufacturers.

With almost two centuries of horological heritage backing a reputation of quality construction and reasonable pricing, Timex has repeatedly created essential icons that almost anyone can put on their wrist. The company prides itself on that accomplishment, claiming on its website that “since 1854, no other watchmaker has ever been able to match our ability to put a well-crafted watch on your wrist, while leaving money in your pocket.”

Is that still the case today?

In this week’s newsletter, check out:

This Week in Watches

• Seiko announced the release of a new timepiece that will hit the market this month: the 5 Sports SNXS series. Priced at $395, these pieces are based on the SNXS sports watch and “developed with the concept of EDC (Everyday Carry), something you carry every day.”

• Timex is celebrating its 170th anniversary this year! Originally founded in 1854 as the Waterbury Clock Company in Waterbury, Connecticut, Timex continues to grow and evolve while maintaining the belief that “time belongs to everyone.”

• To celebrate soccer club Inter Milan’s second star in the Italian Serie A league, Tudor released a limited-edition Black Bay 58 bearing the team’s color and logo at the six o’clock position. Interested buyers can special-order the piece while supplies last for USD ~4,250.

Clock Ticking for Timex?

Cheap watches are a fast, easy way to level up your style. Watches that cost as little as $100 can dramatically improve how people perceive you, making budget-friendly watches great investments for students and young professionals.

The question is: which one should you choose?

The market for affordable timepieces seems more plentiful today than ever, spoiling budget-restricted shoppers for choice. Almost any watch style can be found for under $100, including some from renowned brands like Fossil, Swatch, Guess, and MVMT.

Factoring in mass-produced pieces from Amazon and other retailers, questionable knock-offs, and pre-owned examples, there’s almost no doubt that a potential buyer can find the exact timepiece they want for a price they can comfortably stomach.

But before so many affordable watches entered the mainstream watch market, Timex was one of the few go-to manufacturers of quality, reasonably-priced timepieces. In over a century of doing business, the brand has consistently envisioned essential pieces that remain classics decades after their initial launch.

The brand is so successful that over one billion watches have been sold by the company since its inception in 1854.

The watchmaker hardly seems to be slowing down. In an interview conducted by Mint, Timex CEO Tobias Reiss-Schmidt alluded to the company’s ongoing growth efforts, noting North America and India amongst the company’s primary markets. He identified the latter as a “critical driver” for growth outside the North American market, as Timex possesses “strong brand awareness and appreciation” in India for its value-oriented lineup.

Despite the growing global demand for smartwatches, Timex's growth trajectory is not pulling the company away from its roots. Reiss-Schmidt plans to keep Timex focused on traditional watches, where he is “‘confident that [Timex] can continue to gain market share’” going forward.

Reiss-Schmidt’s goals are reflected in the company’s product offerings. For the budget-conscious customer, Timex has 149 distinct men’s and 106 women’s timepieces available for less than $100 as of this writing. Styles vary from durable digital products to elegant and sophisticated analog pieces – almost any of them would make for a quality starter piece for students, young professionals, or anyone interested in dipping their toe into watch ownership on a budget. Not one of them is a smartwatch.

Though the budget-friendly watch market may have been slightly disrupted by newcomers and recent innovations in smartwatch technology, Timex seems driven to innovate within the digital and analog watch spaces. With over a century of expertise in traditional watches and a legacy-driven CEO at the helm, Timex is almost certainly a sure buy for your next analog watch.

Wearable 🔥 This Week

Price: $65

Overview: In keeping with the Timex theme, there’s nothing better than a reliable go-to like this Timex Southview. An essential piece that features several classic elements, this minimalist piece features a 41mm case with 3 bar water resistance. The silver trimmings and sleek blue face make the watch easy to dress up or dress down for any occasion, and its reasonable price tag makes this a no-brainer for starting or expanding a watch collection at little cost.

Price: $280

Overview: This Fossil watch is a sleek piece that immediately caught my eye. Its transparent face and underside make the movement entirely visible, and intricate static details add a ‘steampunk’ element that breaks the traditional mold for most skeleton watches. Despite its artisan appearance, the Machine Automatic makes so sacrifices in terms of utility, with a stainless steel 45mm case and 5 bar capacity for water resistance. Priced at only USD 280, this watch is broadly affordable and can be purchased online or at most Fossil retailers.

Price: $9,350

Overview: I found this Chopard in a travel magazine while I was waiting in an office one morning, and I couldn’t tear my eyes from it. The Mille Miglia was a 1,000-mile endurance race that took place on the roads of Italy 24 times between 1927 and 1957. One of motorsport’s most famed events, the Mille Miglia has been revived as a parade of the vintage cars that once took place in the race before 1957. This chronograph pays homage to the legendary event and the relationship between Chopard and motor racing. Featuring a Rosso Amarena face, a 40.5mm case, and a stainless steel construction resistant to 5 bar of water pressure, the Mille Miglia Classic Chronograph captures the essence of the iconic race in every millimeter of its design. Interested buyers can purchase the watch from Chopard for USD ~9,350.

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