Timex M79 Automatic

Heritage is an important notion in the watch world. Like watches, many opinions exist regarding heritage and its value, but in the realm of low-cost everyday watches with American roots, Timex is emblematic of the word. Timex found great success with the 2019 reissue of the 1979 Timex Q and to capitalize has followed up with the Timex M79 Automatic.

Vintage designs often strike a chord among watch enthusiasts for demographic reasons. Simultaneously, certain design concepts combine vintage and heritage into a packages such as “Pepsi” and “Batman” dive watches. No doubt Rolex comes to mind at the mention of those terms, but for people not playing the Rolex game Timex has brought them back to the masses.

As an aside, if you want a nice vintage-style Swiss Made automatic diver then I recommend taking a look at the Christopher Ward C65 GMT. It looks the part, is reasonably priced, and is accessible. The only con is the minimal lume.

Initial Thoughts

Ok so let’s be candid. The Timex Q was not my style and held zero interest for me, but it sold like hotcakes. The first round sold out within 24 hours and the second round also evaporated quickly. People scrambled to the second-hand market to pick-up the Q at well beyond retail. It’s like memes on the Internet, something goes viral and while many people hop on board for a variety of reasons some people stand back and internally scream “What is happening!?” and “Why is this a thing!?” (Read the first two sentences of this post again.)

I like Timex generally, they make great everyday watches and I have reviewed a couple for the Low-Cost Series like the Weekender Chronograph (gave away) and Expedition Chrono (still have). But…I’m not sure the Q warrants the retail cost, it has a hideous case back, and we all know the bracelet is an issue. I don’t care that the bracelet looks vintage. The reason most bracelets don’t follow such a design pattern anymore is because the sane among us desire our wrist hair and prefer we get our pain via other methods.

So, I was not signed up for any notifications regarding M79 Auto availability. On the day of the semi-exclusive release via a “special link” on Esquire I saw a post on Facebook that it was available with the suggestion to “get it while you can,” no doubt anticipating a repeat of the Q sellouts. I gave it a two-minute think and decided “meh I’ll pass.” On my drive to work I thought more and by the time I landed in my office had decided that 1) I know I won’t like it and will pass it along, 2) It will make a good review for the channel, and 3) I can make a viewer really happy if I do a giveaway or even sell at cost (see the Video details if you want this watch). A couple hours after the initial notice the M79 was still in stock, so I purchased one, and about two hours later they were sold out. The Q sold out within 24 hours, the M79 in the 4-6 hour range. Well played Timex.

The Review

https://youtu.be/Z4irGp5kwZc

Details:

• Model: Timex M79 Automatic
• Diameter: 40mm
• Height: 14.5mm
• Lug-to-lug: 46.2mm
• Weight: ~109g
• Case: Stainless steel
• Movement: Japanese Miyota 8205 Automatic
• Power Reserve: ~42 hours
• Accuracy: -20 ~ +40 sec/day
• Crystal: Acrylic, double-domed
• Water Resistance: 50m/150ft
• Bracelet/Strap Width: 18mm
• Retail Price: $279

Pros:

• Timex heritage
• The dial is the most pleasant surprise of the M79 as it is crisp and the markers the best I have seen on a Timex.
• Batman bezel insert appears to be aluminum and very well done with sharp colors and lines. I really like the bezel insert.
• The size wears well. The diameter is ideal and even though the 14.5mm height is significant, it has a slimmer appearance thanks to the sub-47mm lug-to-lug.
• Feels light on the wrist.
• Packaging is certainly beyond the Timex norm.

Is what it is…a Timex:

• Case quality and polishing
• Time setting action
• Lume, which is sharp but fades very quickly

Cons:

• Bracelet is abhorrent in both look and feel.
• Bezel action is unidirectional, but has a lot of give and I believe with a moderate smack would go flying off. It does click some when you push side-to-side.
• Case shape, mostly because I’m personally not a fan of cushion cases, but some people will like it. The design is retro and the brushed surfaces are nice, but the polished surfaces look cheap.
• The movement is an entry-level Miyota, so not much is expected with the finishing, but a little extra oomph on the rotor design would have been a nice touch.
• The Q was certainly a little high in price given the components and I think the M79 is as well. $199 is more appropriate with the specs. If you are around $300, up the materials a little (e.g., sapphire crystal).

Improvements beyond the Q:

• Automatic movement with exhibition case back
• Bezel pip
• Signed crown
• Complete Mercedes-style hour hand (albeit with a T)

The Watch

The Bracelet

The Case and Bezel

The Dial

On the Wrist

Final Thought

Timex certainly found success with the Q and now the M79 Automatic. The watch is generally likeable, with the dial and bezel insert being particularly nice. The M79 is a solid entry-level automatic offering and it is hard to argue with a low-cost day/date batman diver. However…the bracelet, polishing, luminescence, and cost are negatives. I knew that liking it enough to keep it was unlikely, but that means this particular watch will be off to a new home and happy owner. Timex likely has more retro models in the pipeline, so it will be interesting to see what’s up next for the series.