Timex Atelier Breaks $2,000 With Its First Titanium Chronograph

When Timex stood up its Atelier sub-brand last year, it was quite a surprise for watch enthusiasts. A four-figure Timex, from the same outfit that built its name on $40 Weekenders? Although it’s early, we think the bet is paying off, with the debut diver and GMT both clearing their first runs in short order. We reviewed both of them, and felt like Timex did a stellar job with both releases.

Now Atelier is back with its most ambitious swing yet: a pair of chronographs that split into two price tiers. There’s an approachable quartz model in steel for anyone testing the waters, and then the titanium flagship we’re really here for, which becomes the first watch in the line to push past $2,000.

Built From the Skeleton Up

The Chronograph Automatic M1a Ti carries over the semi-skeletonized case and bracelet from the diver and GMT, then swaps steel for titanium and tucks a black IP-coated stainless inner core into the middle. Those hollowed-out links and mid-case give it a structural, almost architectural look the earlier Atelier models pulled off nicely.

At 42mm across and a genuinely chunky 15.75mm thick, this is no svelte dress watch, though titanium does its part to keep the weight in check. A fixed tachymeter bezel and a double-domed sapphire with triple-layer AR coating round out the build.

A Reverse Panda With an Offbeat Heart

The matte black dial plays against two silver subdials in a reverse-panda layout, with a 30-minute counter at 3:00 and running seconds at 9:00. It’s the first two-register chronograph Atelier has built, and the faceted dauphine hands read dressier than the sporty case would suggest.

Behind the sapphire caseback sits the Swiss Landeron L72 automatic, a 4Hz movement good for 43 hours of reserve and an uncommon pick that fits Atelier’s habit of chasing offbeat calibers.

The Bracelet Earns Its Keep

The most useful feature here isn’t on the dial at all. Both the bracelet and the integrated rubber strap get quick-release spring bars, but the bracelet’s real party trick is a tool-free link-removal system that sizes it by hand, no spring-bar tool or watchmaker visit required.

Spec Sheet

Pricing & Availability

The M1a Ti is available now, going for $2,100 on the NBR rubber strap and $2,250 on the titanium bracelet. If two grand is a bridge too far, Timex also dropped a quartz sibling, the 40mm steel M1q, with a guilloché dial and a date window, priced at $700 on rubber and $800 on bracelet.

Recap

Timex Atelier Chronograph Automatic M1a Ti

Timex Atelier’s first chronograph is a 42mm titanium reverse-panda with a Swiss Landeron automatic, and at $2,250 it’s the priciest piece the young luxury line has put out yet.

Learn More: Timex