This Timex Atelier Chronograph Is An Upscale Take On An Affordable Sport Watch

The venerable American watch brand introduces a stylish chronograph that’s worth considering for your collection.

It’s somewhat of a wonder that in the world of watchmaking these days, you needn’t have to sacrifice too much to get a minimal, stylish and yet fairly affordable chronograph. At least, that’s one of the pillars behind the expanding Timex Atelier line and the new Timex Atelier Chronograph Automatic.

The staggering amount of variety within the American watchmaker’s lineup these days is both jaw-dropping and enviable at the right price, from the ’90s-era Timex Intrepid famously worn by JFK Jr. to designer-approved and runway-ready Timex watches endorsed by the prolific menswear designer Todd Snyder. The Timex Atelier line charts its own course, playing off the refined and considerably more expensive luxury mindset developed by game-changing Timex design director Giorgio Galli.

The long-running American watch brand has considerably bolstered its wares in utterly impressive fashion across the past decade and change, including the late 2024 introduction of the most expensive Timex watch ever (at the time).

The Timex Atelier line speaks to that shift while bearing the designer Galli’s hallmarks, if not his name in the title specifically. A blend of the remarkably sleek and chic meets sporty in exceptionally luxe fashion, a continued change of pace for a brand long known for its sub-$100 timepieces.

The Timex Atelier Chronograph Automatic M1a Ti is joined by its 40mm, ever-versatile Atelier Chronograph Quartz M1q, priced at $800. The flagship automatic timepiece, the fourth to join the ever-growing and fast-selling Atelier line, is yet another outliner for Timex on the heels of its Giorgi Galli offerings, which pushed the brand into four-figure territory. Of its latest launch, Gear Patrol notes that the automatic chronograph “some stiff competition from brands that have been making entry-level luxury chronographs a lot longer.”

The Atelier collection at large, with its Swiss-made construction and a distinct sense of refinement compared to more easygoing models like the Timex Easy Reader and the Timex Weekender, pushes the watchmaker into new territory with each release, the company noted. “Timex Atelier is defined by modernity, where proportion, material integrity, and restraint shape every decision,” Timex said, with the Chronograph Automatic M1a priced at $2,250 on its titanium bracelet or $2,100 on its rubber bracelet.

Boasting what watch collectors commonly call an “evil panda” dial, with two white chronograph sub-dials popping against a textured black dial, the latest from the iconic American watchmaker speaks to refinement and eye-catching good looks. Indeed, some might say the latest Timex Atelier Chronograph Automatic (or its quartz counterpart) compare favorably in the looks to department to other watchmakers that favor the “panda dial,” and in a lightweight titanium build, the blend of accessibility and fashionable looks shines through.