Timex might be the poster child for affordable quality in the watch world. As one of the biggest brands on the planet, the watchmaker gets by with models as cheap as $30 but typically operates in the sub-$300 range. That’s why, when it truly delivers a spectacular product like the Deepwater Reef Titanium — a titanium watch with an automatic movement and excellent execution (which we recently reviewed) for under $500 — it starts turning heads in a big way.
In 2023, however, Timex climbed to the proverbial mountaintop producing its first Swiss-made wristwatch in four decades with the Giorgio Galli S2, a $975 timepiece — the most expensive in the brand’s current range. Now, it’s readying a sequel that uses much more titanium and adds $1,000 to the price tag.
The Backstory
Prior to the S2, Timex released the Giorgio Galli S1 in 2019, a 38mm automatic dress watch that pays homage to the brand’s designer and chief director. It was called the most beautiful watch in Timex’s catalog, until the S2 came out, which blended the same minimalism of the S1 with vintage cues that justified any skeptical consumers spending nearly a grand on a Timex watch. But now there’s a whole new question to ask…
Timex Giorgio Galli S2Ti Basics
Just like the S2 nearly doubled the S1 in price, the S2Ti has done so again. And while Timex is renowned for its status as a “budget-friendly” watchmaker, can they really offer a watch worthy of a $2,000 price tag? I would say, “Why not?” What’s in a price tag anyway? Is it material? Movement? Visual appeal? Or all three?
For the S2Ti, it takes the steel and titanium case of the standard S2 and turns it into solid titanium, adding forged carbon to the mid-case. Needless to say, this thing should be incredibly lightweight. However, like the S2, the case and lugs are skeletonized, giving an intriguing appearance when looked at from the side.
As you can expect, this movement is Swiss-made like the S2 — a Sellita SW200-1 automatic with 41 hours of power reserve. You can see it through the see-through caseback.
But the Real Innovation Is the Strap
To match the case, the bracelet here is also constructed of full titanium. It also features a unique I-Size mechanism that makes resizing the bracelet a cinch. All you have to do is pull and turn the outer link to remove it, until you have the desired size for your wrist. And best of all, it’s tool-free! Pretty nifty.
Aside from its new bracelet and case material, the watch measures the same as the S2, meaning a 38mm diameter, 12mm thickness, and 46mm lug-to-lug. Even the dial sports a similar overall aesthetic, except the monochromatic color is titanium in material and color.
A $2,000 Timex
For a lot of people, $2,000 is a lot to justify spending on a watch. However, if you do happen to be willing to shell out a couple of G’s, is Timex the brand you’re going to be eyeing? Thus comes into question the meaning of value, the weight of brand heritage, and how the two interact. While there’s no cut-and-dried way to price watches, and few have done so in a way that actually makes sense, Timex certainly deserves its time to shine, especially with some 171 years under its belt.
Spec Sheet
Case Size: 38mm
Lug-to-Lug: 46mm
Case Thickness: 12mm
Case Material: Titanium with forged carbon mid-case
Water Resistance: 50m
Movement: Sellita SW200-1 automatic
Band: Titanium bracelet
Limited Edition?: Yes, 500
Pricing & Availability
Limited to just 500 pieces, the Giorgio Galli S2Ti is available now, priced at $1,950. Head over to Timex’s website to check it out for yourself.
Recap
Timex Giorgio Galli S2Ti
Timex follows up its Giorgio Galli S2 with the S2Ti, a $2,000 full-titanium version with a matching bracelet that features a cool resizing mechanism.
