Introducing: Timex Brings Back The ‘Mystery Dial’ With The Q Timex 1975 Enigma Reissue
What We Know
There’s something particularly cool about a post-Space Age design that taps into the futuristic imagination that grew into a design movement well into the 1970s. These designs are so out there, sometimes so unnecessary, that they are instantly recognizable anachronisms. Well, today, Timex is bringing one of those designs back with its new Q Timex 1975 Enigma Reissue, a watch that (in certain, perfect conditions) makes it look like the time indications are just floating on the dial.
This is a new $199 quartz (hence the “Q”) watch with hours, minutes, seconds, day of the week, and date, all in a vintage-sized 37mm stainless steel case. The watch also comes with a stainless-steel bracelet and domed acrylic crystal for the retro feel. But the real “trick” here is a visual one. The dial is a dark navy blue, as are most of the hands, leaving white tips exposed on the hour and minute hand and a red dot on the seconds. Then, Timex has painted a blue dot on the underside of the crystal, matching the dial and hiding the center post. If you catch the watch in the right light (especially in the shadow), it should look like a “mystery dial” where the hands are just floating and moving without being attached to anything. The watch is available now and isn’t a limited edition.
What We Think
Mystery dials come in all shapes and sizes, and they’re often pretty complicated. We recently covered some rare Cartier mystery clocks that went up for sale at Phillips and got massive results. Clocks like this frequently hide the gearing in the base, which then turns two discs (at their edge) that fill the dial, giving the illusion that there’s no movement. There are similar designs in the modern age, like the Cartier Masse Mystérieuse. What I didn’t realize was that, back in 1975, Timex had figured out a much simpler way: a blue dot hiding the center post.
It’s fun and creative, but don’t expect the same effect. At different angles, you’ll be able to see more of the hands or the dial post. The same could be said for Patek’s 5330G World Time date indication, which has a similar floating effect but still can be seen at certain angles. But here, it’s just a fun reissue for an affordable price and it’s great to see Timex doing a lot of different and fun things with the Q line.
The Basics
Brand: Timex
Model: Q Timex 1975 Enigma Reissue
Diameter: 37mm
Thickness: Unknown
Case Material: Stainless steel
Dial Color: Navy blue
Indexes: Hours and minutes on the rehaut; “floating” hands
Lume: Unknown
Water Resistance: 50m
Strap/Bracelet: Stainless steel bracelet
The Movement
Caliber: Quartz
Functions: Hours, minutes, central seconds, day, and date
Pricing & Availability
Price: $199
Availability: Now
Limited Edition: No
For more, click here.
Shop this story
The Hodinkee Shop is an authorized retailer of Timex. To see our offerings, click here.
Hodinkee
