Timex Men's MK1 Aluminum Chronograph 40mm Analog Quartz Nylon Strap

Product Information

From their design studio in Milan, Timex has reached time and time again into their history for inspiration that’s authentic, affordable, and aesthetically pleasing. I honestly thought I was pretty well familiar (at a high level) with most of Timex’s offerings. But then I learned about the MK1 collection. The aluminum material has a natural matte and subdued finish that (again) reinforces the functional history of the design by not appearing to be a piece of jewelry. This is something that many “reissued” timepieces make the mistake of doing. The case profile is classic for the design as well. No sharp angles or unnecessary design flourishes.

The most characteristic aspect of the MK1 Chronograph’s aluminum case is the side profile where the chronograph pushers are present. Since being a chronograph isn’t really part of the history of the design legacy, I’m not that concerned that these aspects “pop” more than the watch’s core design elements. The chrono pushers and crown are high polished, which adds a refreshing sense of dynamism to the otherwise “one notey” nature of the aluminum case’s matte-like finish.The movement in the Timex MK1 Chronograph is listed as the W-91, which seems to be further clarified as a “Japanese quartz movement.” Timex doesn’t make their own movements, so after some sleuthing, my best deduction is that this MK1 Chrono is operating on a Miyota cal.6s20 with some modifications.

However if you want a timepiece that pays homage to its own place in US Military Watch history for an affordable price and one that’s offered in many different styles to suite your tastes, then let’s do this thing.

The quality, finishing and obvious military heritage that these pieces bring to the table, will make them a good staple in any collection. For sure, they are keepers on mine and will be cherished for years to come. Over at Timex’s headquarters in Connecticut, the powers that be know the prices and values customers expect. So for the time being we have this interesting mixture of design talent and affordability that doesn’t exist at too many other brands. In my opinion the attention to detail and quality of this watch make it feel like something much more expensive. My initial take on this fact is simply that other companies are charging way too much. That may or may not be a fair statement to make because few companies have Timex’s manufacturing strength and ability to enjoy an economy of scale. Most of the parts in this watch are produced in-house, such as the chronograph quartz movement which is produced by Timex at their in-house manufacturing facility in Cebu, Philippines. Yes, that means you can say that this modestly priced watch even has a “prestigious” in-house made caliber. For our purposes, it’s important to know that the original Timex issued to the US Marines was focused on functionality first as well as being designed to be disposable (they were resin cases). With that in mind, please don’t think that the modern Timex MK1 collection in any way meets any sort of Mil-Spec designation. They don’t – and I don’t care. Neither should you. If you want something that’s actually designed to Mil-Spec you have plenty of options elsewhere. However, on the Timex MK1 Chronograph, that 1/20th sub-register has been modified to not spin at all on the activation of the chrono. Rather, it shoots to the appointed spot on the 1/20th scale after the chronograph has been stopped. As far as guesses as to why Timex has potentially modified the Miyota cal.6s20 in this way – I’m not sure. It’s possibly an energy saving measure since I’m sure the running 1/20th second counter eats a lot of battery life, which they probably need to conserve for the function of the dial’s INDIGLO. This watch isn’t trying to be something its not, which may be confounded by the fact that it’s technically designed to be something it’s not. It’s not a Mil-spec piece while clearly being designed to look like one. The caveat here is that Timex isn’t overemphasizing it’s Mil-speciness in marketing or consumer outreach. It’s a design notion that’s evoked elegantly by the dial design, utilitarian nature of the aluminum case, and unapologetic usage of the crazy high acrylic dome.