Timex MK1 Automatic, a Faithful and Truly Accessible Take on the Military Watch Genre

Timex has been on a roll in the last few years, returning to mechanical watches after a decades-long hiatus. Quartz watches still dominate the portfolio, of course, ever since the brand first ceased mechanical production in 1982. A renewed focus on mechanical collections at lower and mid-tier levels began in 2017 after the 1960s-era hand-wound Marlin was reissued. The latest MK1 automatic is a faithful military-inspired field watch, a modern and affordable take on the MIL-W-46374 military watch issued to US soldiers after World War II, with a contemporary size and movement. And it brings a fit and finish that belies the accessible price. A decade ago, this would be unthinkable, but here we are with another Timex that can rival Seiko, Bulova and even Hamilton counterparts today.

I vaguely remember a 1970s hand-wound Timex Mercury that I got as a hand-me-down in the early 1980s, but my memory of Timex is otherwise quartz. From the iconic digital Ironman to the introduction of Indiglo in 1992, Timex and quartz are basically synonymous. As mentioned in the recent ABCs of Time article, mechanical watches returning to a quartz-focused brand like Timex emphasise how consumer preferences have shifted in the last decade – so much so that Timex and Casio are making mechanical watches! The Timex Atelier and Giorgio Galli are accessible luxury collections with decorated Swiss movements, sapphire crystals, partially skeletonised stainless steel or titanium cases, tool-free adjustable bracelets (no separate pins or screws) and Super-LumiNova, priced between USD 1,000 and 2,000. The latest MK1 Automatic follows an earlier 36mm MK1 that used the hand-wound Seagull movement from the manual Marlins, but the new model has a better Japanese automatic and more refined finishing. Both models are evolutions of the Timex Camper from the 1980s (as worn by MacGyver, if you’re old enough to remember).

Case and Design

The stainless steel case of the Timex MK1 Automatic is 40mm in diameter and 13.6mm in height (47mm lug-to-lug), which is an ideal size for most wrists today. Note that the height was measured with a calliper – 13.6mm with the crystal and 9.3mm without – so I’m not sure why 12mm is listed in the official specs. The tall box-style acrylic crystal has a vintage warmth and nice distortions at angles, and while I usually prefer sapphire, it works well in this case with a retro vibe that won’t shatter. It’s a bit reflective with such a high dome, but a worthwhile tradeoff for the look. It is definitely making the watch quite thick, but it has undeniable charm, too.

The caseback is mostly solid, but there’s a nifty tinted blue porthole at the bottom for a glimpse at the movement (a rather surprising choice considering the vintage style of the watch…). The brushed finish is nice and a step above the older 36mm hand-wound model, and it looks and feels every bit as good as a Hamilton Khaki. There’s a push/pull crown, and water-resistance is 50 metres – a screw-down crown and 100 metres would’ve been great, but 50 metres is perfectly fine for a field watch. The case comes fitted with a 20mm green Cordura fabric strap with a leather backing and quick-release levers. It’s comfortable right out of the box, and a tan counterpart is also available.

Classic Military Dial

The black dial contrasts well against oversized white Arabic numerals with a smaller 24-hour scale circling just inside. A detailed white minute/seconds track spans the perimeter with Arabic numerals every five minutes and triangular marks underneath. Syringe-style hour and minute hands have Super-LumiNova, along with the triangular marks and lollipop seconds hand aperture. It’s all very legible and has a classic military aesthetic as if straight from the 1960s. A minor nitpick would be the water-resistance rating printed at the bottom, just above the track. It’s broken up into two lines on either side of the 6 o’clock marker, which are then centred between the markers. It looks a bit uneven and out of place, and I could’ve done without it (although it’s admittedly small). Everything else is very well executed.

Japanese Engine

Powering the Timex MK1 is a Miyota 8215 automatic with 21 jewels, a beat rate of 21,600vph (3Hz) and a power reserve of 42 hours. It has Citizen’s Parashock shock resistance, hacking seconds and is hand-windable (older variants of this movement lacked the latter two). Functions include central hours, minutes, seconds and date (although the date isn’t utilised here). Accuracy is rated at -20/+40 seconds per day, but it’s generally well within those parameters in practice. This particular movement’s seconds hand is sometimes prone to “stuttering” due to the indirect-drive system for the central seconds. It could appear to hesitate for a second at times and then catch up, which is completely normal and fortunately rare. The Miyota 8215 is a step above a Seagull equivalent and really completes this well-rounded field watch, especially for the price.

Final Thoughts

I’m a big fan of military-inspired field watches, and Timex nailed this one. The dial is exactly what you’d expect for such a piece, and what’s cool about these field watches is the similarities across various brands – it’s a common formula and small tweaks here and there differentiate them. After all, specs for a MIL-W-46374 watch were the same regardless of brand back in the day. A few close competitors for the Timex MK1 are the Bulova VW1 Hack, Seiko 5 SRPJ85 and Praesidus Field Watch, showing that well-rounded mechanical military/field watches can be had for less than a Hamilton Khaki Field Auto or Vaer A5 Field Auto (as examples). The Timex looks as good and feels almost as good as those more expensive counterparts, and the tall box-style crystal really complements it. Acrylic is a bit prone to scratches, but most can be easily polished out. If you’re not hung up on something Swiss-made, the Timex provides everything you need from a robust field watch or just a nice daily driver, and for about half the price.

Availability & Price

The Timex MK1 retails for only EUR 279 or USD 299, which is quite a bargain for what you’re getting – excellent fit and finish, tall box-style acrylic crystal, Miyota automatic under a partial exhibition case back and classic aesthetics. For more information and to place an order, please visit the Timex website.