Timex is continuing its experiment with higher-end horology with its latest release, the Timex Atelier Marine M1a, which the brand describes as a spiritual successor to the Giorgio Galli series and the first watch in the new Timex Atelier line.
The Galli series garnered attention for being “luxury Timex,” with minimalist design, higher-grade cases — like the titanium Giorgio Galli S2Ti — and, biggest of all, that prestigious “Swiss-made” label.
Timex says the Marine M1a is the “next chapter” in the brand’s history as it continues to build watches in Switzerland with higher-end materials and movements than typical Timex watches. In the case of the Marine M1a, that means a 41mm skeletonized stainless-steel case with an iron-plating coated midcase, a brushed-steel bracelet, a ceramic bezel, Superlominva-filled indices, and an enamel dial. The watch is powered by a Catena SA100 automatic movement finished with Geneva stripes and perlage that you can get an easy look at through the watch’s exhibition caseback.
It’s a bit more conservative in design than the retro-minimalism of the Galli watches, and, in the words of Timex’s chief creative director, Giorgio Galli himself, was “not designed to impress at a glance,” but to “be discovered, slowly, over time.”
There are many details to discover over time. A signed crown, silver-applied indices, a movement rotor engraved with “Timex Atelier.” But the watch isn’t just aesthetic-oriented — with a screw-down crown enabling 200 meters of water resistance, a sapphire crystal with triple-layer anti-reflective coating, and that aforementioned ceramic bezel, the Marine M1a is a dive watch with serious tool watch chops.
It’s available on a black Nitrile Butadiene Rubber strap with a butterfly clasp or a three-link bracelet. The bracelet features Timex’s self-adjustable system, which debuted in the Galli S2Ti. It’s an innovative method for bracelet resizing that can be done entirely by hand, with an internal elastic system that allows links to be removed and added without the need for tools.
Timex Group CEO Tobias Reiss-Schmidt called the Timex Atelier project “a defining moment for Timex.” The brand has promised the Marine M1a is the first in the Timex Atelier line “that will continue to showcase Timex’s modernist design vision.”
The Timex Atelier Marine M1a is available today at TimexAtelier.com. It costs $950 on the strap, $1050 on the bracelet.
Alec Dent
2025-09-25 14:00:00