Timex debuts compact stainless-steel watches with enamel and mother-of-pearl dials

Timex recently made its cheapest women's watch line somewhat premium. The Cavatina Luxe arrived as five references between $199 and $269, against $79 for the standard Cavatina on the brand's own store.

Existing Cavatina references use brass cases at 18 mm and 19 mm; the Luxe uses polished stainless steel at 22 mm in the same curved oval shape. Timex covers it with a domed mineral crystal and leaves the dial almost bare. You get only two metallic markers at 12 and 6 and nothing else.

There are three dial materials between the range. TW2Y86400 gets a mother-of-pearl dial with a silver-tone case and black leather at $199, while TW2Y86300 puts a glossy black enamel dial in a gold-tone case on the same strap at $209. Both straps are sourced through the Leather Working Group.

The bracelet versions are solid alternatives if you're not a fan of straps. TW2Y86000 keeps mother-of-pearl in silver-tone at $219, TW2Y86200 black enamel in gold-tone at $229, and TW2Y86100 natural malachite in gold-tone at $269. The bracelet uses curved links and adjusts without tools.

Enamel is the one specification worth looking at here. Timex describes a high-temperature firing process, the same technique behind the dial on its $950 Atelier Marine M1a (it just got restocked too — read more about that here). Fired enamel at $209 is extremely uncommon at any price, let alone this one.

Malachite would explain the $50 premium on the top reference. It and mother-of-pearl are cut from natural stone and shell. For that reason, striations and luster can vary between examples and no two dials are exactly the same. 

What Timex does not publish is a water resistance rating, a case thickness or a movement caliber. The line is quartz, and the company says nothing further.

Buy the Timex T20441 on Amazon.