Timex launches its higher-end Atelier line with the Marine M1a, emphasising proportion over spectacle
Jason Lee- Affordable timepiece titan Timex has unveiled Timex Atelier, a higher-end sub-brand.
- Timex is describing its inaugural Atelier model, the Marine M1a, as its first luxury watch.
- Designed by Giorgio Galli, it’s a capable mechanical dive watch with a surprisingly minimalist aesthetic.
My earliest memory of handling a watch that was truly my own reaches back to childhood, when—if memory serves—the first piece on my wrist was a Timex, and although I admittedly knew nothing about watches at the time, I treated that little timekeeper as nothing more than a straightforward tool to tell the time in the pre‑smartphone era of the early 2000s. That impression lingered for years, so that in my mind, Timex remained the maker of predominantly quartz, purpose‑built watches that did their job without fuss.
That’s why I find it somewhat surprising to see the brand now stepping into what it frames as the luxury category with the introduction of the Atelier Marine M1a—the brand’s first luxury watch—priced at US$1,050 on a steel bracelet, a figure that, considering the overall package, reads to me as a genuinely strong value proposition. According to the brand, this is not a break with its past but rather a continuation of the Giorgio Galli design lineage, one that emphasises proportion, clarity and modern detailing over overt spectacle, so with that context in mind, let’s dive in.
The brand describes the Atelier line of watches as pieces that don’t shout at first glance, instead rewarding attention over time. Designer Giorgio Galli talks about starting with proportion and then paring back, leaving only what serves the design, while CEO Tobias Reiss‑Schmidt calls the line a distillation of 170‑plus years of watchmaking into a forward statement about design that endures. The pitch is modernity over nostalgia, and detail over spectacle.
The Marine M1a gives that philosophy tangible form. The case is 41mm with a filleted architecture that reduces visual mass without resorting to unnecessary complication. A black IP‑coated middle case sits between stainless‑steel upper and lower structures, with a screw‑down crown and an exhibition caseback. It’s water‑resistant to 200 m, and the unidirectional rotating bezel carries a black ceramic insert. The bezel’s markers and numerals are filled with Swiss Super-LumiNova and include an elapsed‑time scale.
Up front, a double‑curved sapphire crystal with a triple‑layer anti‑reflective treatment aims to keep glare to a minimum. Beneath it sits a polished black enamel dial with silver printing, paired with applied indices and high‑polished silver hands, all filled with Super-LumiNova. In low light, the generous luminous fill should make the handset and markers easy to parse at a glance.
The movement signals another shift in what many expect from Timex. Inside is the Swiss‑made Catena SA 100 automatic running at 4 Hz with a 36‑hour power reserve. The finishing is not the story here; instead, the focus is on specification and reliability, which aligns with the broader brief of proportion and clarity. The exhibition back will allow owners to see the calibre, while the relatively conservative power reserve keeps the case from ballooning and helps maintain that emphasis on balanced dimensions.
Fit and wear are addressed with two distinct configurations. The stainless steel bracelet uses a custom stainless‑steel deployant buckle and, notably, self‑adjustable removable links that allow tool‑less sizing—a practical touch that many will appreciate. For those who prefer a more technical look and a lighter feel, the watch is also available a black NBR (synthetic rubber) strap. With a 20 mm lug width, strap changes should be straightforward for owners who like to experiment.
As a package, the Marine M1a lands in an interesting space. It borrows the vocabulary of a dive watch—200 m water resistance, a ceramic timing bezel, strong lume—while presenting those elements with a modernist restraint. There’s no surplus text on the dial, and the choice of polished black enamel over a matte or sunburst surface subtly shifts the character from overtly sporty to quietly formal. The double‑curved sapphire and filleted case architecture help the watch avoid feeling blocky, which should broaden its appeal across wrist sizes. None of this is radical, but it is coherent, and it reflects the brand’s stated aim to leave out whatever the design doesn’t need.
Closing thoughts
For someone whose earliest encounter with watch ownership involved a simple Timex that did one thing well, the Marine M1a reads like an evolution rather than a contradiction. It keeps the practical features that made the brand an everyday fixture and layers in a material and design ambition that the company says has always been part of its DNA. If Atelier is, as Timex suggests, a legacy of modernity rather than nostalgia, the Marine M1a is a measured opening statement—familiar enough to wear daily, refined enough to feel different, and priced to invite consideration beyond the brand’s loyal base.
Timex Atelier Marine M1a pricing and availability
The Timex Atelier Marine M1a is available now exclusively from Timex Atelier’s online boutique. Price: US$950 (on rubber), US$1,050 (on bracelet)
| Brand | Timex |
| Model | Atelier Marine M1a |
| Reference | TW2Y72500 (bracelet) TW2Y72600 (rubber) |
| Case Dimensions | 41mm (D) x 13mm (T) |
| Case Material | Stainless steel |
| Water Resistance | 200 meters, screw-down crown |
| Crystal(s) | Sapphire front and back |
| Dial | Black enamel dial |
| Lug Width | 20mm |
| Strap | Black rubber strap with folding clasp Steel three-link bracelet with butterfly clasp |
| Movement | Catena SA 100, automatic |
| Power Reserve | 36 hours |
| Functions | Hours, minutes, seconds, unidirectional diving bezel |
| Availability | From September 2025 |
| Price | US$950 (on rubber) US$1,050 (on bracelet) |