Timex unveils new Marlin Neo Chronograph with 1930s-inspired styling and tachymeter and telemeter scales

Timex already offers a wide selection of Marlin watches inspired by 1960s aesthetics. But for its new Marlin, the Waterbury watchmaker is going even further back in time to deliver a delightfully complex, niche dial design rooted in the navigational tool watches of the 1930s

The new Marlin Neo Classic Chronograph is offered in three variants with a choice of two dials—two models on leather straps and a third on a stainless steel bracelet. All three use a newly designed 40mm brushed stainless steel case with angled lugs, curved pushers, a fluted crown, and a domed acrylic crystal that helps sell the vintage look.

The dial is as busy as it can get. A central snail-style tachymeter scale takes center stage, while a blue telemeter scale runs around the outer edge. The chronograph also gets two subdials: a 24-hour register at 3 o’clock and a sub-seconds dial at 9 o’clock.

The TW3A00200 with a brown leather strap offers a more colorful take. It has a white center surrounded by a silver-tone hour track with matching lumed hands and hour markers, and a sky-blue telemeter scale with eye-catching orange and yellow sections. The other two references use a cream dial with blue, black, and red detailing paired with metallic blue hands.

Dual scales

For those wondering what the two scales do, the tachymeter can be used with the chronograph to calculate average speed, while the telemeter scale measures distance based on the time between seeing and hearing an event — say, lightning and thunder. You start the chronograph when you see a lightning flash, and stop it when you hear the sound of thunder, and the value at which the chronograph hand points tells you roughly how far away the storm is. It’s an unusual bit of old-school functionality that also gives the dial much of its character.

The watch is offered on a brown or black leather strap from the Leather Working Group with quick-release spring bars, or a stainless steel bracelet with a butterfly clasp.

Pricing & Availability

The Timex Marlin Neo Classic Chronograph is now available in the US, UK, and Europe. The leather strap variants (TW3A00200 / TW6A01200) are priced at $279 / £230 / €269, while the stainless steel bracelet version (TW3A00300) with a cream dial will set you back $319 / £265 / €309.

Specifications

• Models: TW3A00200, TW6A01200, TW3A00300
• Movement: Quartz
• Case diameter: 40mm
• Lug-to-lug: 48.5mm
• Lug width: 20mm
• Case thickness: 13mm
• Weight: 59.4g (TW3A00200), 58.91g (TW6A01200), or 134.06g (TW3A00300)
• Case material: Stainless steel
• Case finish: Brushed and polished
• Crystal: Domed acrylic
• Water resistance: 50 meters
• Dial: Silver-tone/cream, depending on variant
• Scales: Tachymeter and telemeter
• Subdials: 24-hour and sub-seconds
• Hands: Luminous-filled
• Lug width: 20mm
• Strap options: Brown or black leather; stainless steel bracelet
• Bracelet clasp: Butterfly deployant