Timex just gave its high-end Atelier line a serious growth spurt. The Swiss-made sub-brand, which launched with the Marine M1a diver and later added the GMT24, has now doubled in size with the arrival of its first two chronographs: the Chronograph Automatic M1a Ti in titanium and the more accessible Chronograph Quartz M1q in stainless steel. It is Atelier’s first chronograph complication, and the timing makes sense. The collection has built enough momentum over the last year to justify a more complicated movement, and a chronograph is the natural next move for a brand that wants to be taken seriously by enthusiasts.
Price: From $2,100 | From $700
Where to Buy: Timex 1, 2
Both watches lean into the skeletonized case architecture that has become Atelier’s calling card, with the same Giorgio Galli design language carried over from the Marine and GMT. What is new is how Timex is splitting the audience. The M1a Ti goes after the buyer who wants a Swiss automatic chronograph at a premium price, while the M1q targets the buyer who loves the look but wants quartz reliability and a friendlier sticker. Same DNA, two very different buyers, and a much wider net than Atelier has cast before.
What is Timex Atelier?
Atelier is the upmarket arm of Timex, built around designs by chief creative director Giorgio Galli and assembled in Switzerland with sapphire crystals, premium movements, and finishing that you would not normally associate with the brand behind the Weekender. The Marine M1a opened the line at $1,050, the GMT24 M1a Automatic landed last October at $1,450, and these new chronographs now sit at the top and the middle of the family, bringing the total Atelier lineup to six references.
Chronograph Automatic M1a Ti: The new flagship
The M1a Ti is the headline act and the most expensive Atelier yet. It carries over the semi-skeletonized case architecture from the Marine and GMT, but the outer case is now titanium wrapped around a stainless-steel middle case with a black IP coating. The result is a 42mm watch with a 20mm lug width that wears lighter than its size suggests. The lugs continue the cutaway architecture, the double-domed sapphire crystal (with triple-layer AR coating) sits proud of the bezel, and a fixed tachymeter scale frames the dial. An exhibition caseback shows off the movement.
The dial reads as a restrained take on the classic “evil panda.” Against a flat matte black backdrop, two silver subdials hold down the chronograph duties: running seconds quietly tick away at 9 o’clock, and the 30-minute totalizer sits opposite at 3. The silver hands are mirror-polished, which gives an otherwise sporty chronograph a slightly dressy edge.
Inside is a Swiss-made Landeron L72 automatic chronograph beating at 4 Hz, with 28 jewels and a 43-hour power reserve. Timex quotes accuracy of +10 / -18 seconds per day, which is in line with what most non-COSC Swiss movements deliver out of the box. Water resistance is rated at 50 meters, which is fine for daily wear and light swimming but a clear step down from the Marine’s 200m.
Pricing puts the M1a Ti firmly into enthusiast territory. The titanium bracelet version lists at $2,250, while the NBR rubber strap option comes in at $2,100. That is uncharted ground for Timex, and the brand clearly knows it. This watch is being positioned as proof that Atelier can play in the same sandbox as microbrand favorites and entry-level Swiss chronographs.
Chronograph Quartz M1q: The accessible sibling
If the M1a Ti is the show piece, the M1q is the volume play. It shrinks the case to 40mm, sticks with stainless steel (also with a black IP middle case), and uses a Swiss-made Ronda 5021D quartz chronograph movement instead of an automatic. The result is a watch that lands at $700 on the NBR rubber strap and $800 on the steel bracelet, slotting in below the Marine M1a and giving newcomers an entry point into Atelier.
The M1q keeps the family resemblance intact. Case dimensions come in at 40mm wide, 12.7mm thick, and 48.11mm lug to lug, with the same skeletonized lug work, 20mm lug width, fixed tachymeter bezel, and double-domed sapphire crystal as its bigger sibling. Where the two diverge is the dial: the M1q swaps the M1a Ti’s flat matte black for a textured guilloché finish and adds a date window at 6 o’clock, making it the more visually busy of the pair. It is also rated to 100 meters of water resistance, actually beating the M1a Ti’s 50m.
Quartz often gets a cold reception in enthusiast circles, but it earns its place on the M1q for a few reasons. The Ronda 5021D is more accurate than the Landeron, it allows for a slimmer overall package, and it keeps the price within reach for buyers who like the Atelier look but do not want to spend two grand on their first one. For a daily-wear chronograph, that trade is easy to justify.
Timex Atelier M1a Ti vs M1q: Shared design and features
Despite their different price tiers, the M1a Ti and M1q share a clear design language. Both watches are built around Giorgio Galli’s skeletonized case and bracelet architecture, and both wear two-register chronograph dials with a 30-minute counter and a running-seconds register. They also share fixed tachymeter bezels for measuring average speed, double-domed sapphire crystals, and the same Swiss assembly with Swiss-made movements inside. Buyers can pick between titanium or stainless-steel bracelets and NBR synthetic rubber straps depending on the reference, which keeps the styling options consistent across the lineup.
That consistency is part of the point. Atelier is meant to feel like a coherent collection, not a scattered set of one-offs, and these two chronographs slot in cleanly alongside the Marine and the GMT24.
Why this launch matters
For years, the Timex conversation has been about value under $200. Atelier is a deliberate attempt to change that, and the chronograph release pushes the experiment further. The M1a Ti asks buyers to spend more than $2,000 on a Timex for the first time, while the M1q offers the same design language at a price that competes with mid-tier microbrands.
Whether enthusiasts accept a $2,250 Timex is the most interesting subplot. Early reactions are split between people who love the skeleton case work and finishing, and people who think the brand equity is not there yet to support the price. Either way, Timex is betting that the Atelier name, the Galli design pedigree, and Swiss assembly are enough to justify the climb.
Price: From $2,100 | From $700
Where to Buy: Timex 1, 2
Availability
Both watches are available now through Timex’s website. The Chronograph Automatic M1a Ti retails for $2,100 on rubber and $2,250 on the titanium bracelet. The Chronograph Quartz M1q starts at $700 on rubber and $800 on the steel bracelet.
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(as of June 5, 2026 04:42 GMT -05:00 - More infoProduct prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on [relevant Amazon Site(s), as applicable] at the time of purchase will apply to the purchase of this product.)
