As I was preparing to take our dog on a hike one morning, I was perusing my watch box and realized that I had nothing that I wanted to wear while wrangling said pup. Vintage divers didn’t seem quite the thing, more modern watches had sharp edges that I didn’t want to scratch while scrambling over rocks (despite literal decades of “watches are meant to be worn” being pounded into my head), and that kinda left me with zilch. But I had to have a watch.
Enter the Q Timex. Initially re-released in 2019, the Q Timex has been a vehicle of Timex’s creativity and a finger on the pulse of modern tastes. It exists in a variety of colorways, and there are even digital and GMT versions. For me, I finally decided to bite on one when Timex recently released the rainbow version. This is not Timex’s first foray into a rainbow color scheme; last year’s collaboration with Judith Lieber resulted in a sparkle-encrusted rainbow Q Timex that was any color fiend’s dream but at over $1000, not exactly the most budget-friendly. So when Timex casually dropped a much more affordable rainbow Q last month, I realized that it checked all of the boxes for my new summer dog walking watch.
The main requirement was that the watch had to be one that I didn’t mind knocking around. The Q Timex has an all stainless steel case, a mineral crystal, and is rated for 50m of water resistance, which is more than enough for moderate hiking and the average daily walk around the neighborhood. The $200 price tag, and the fact that it’s often on sale, meant that there would be no cringing if somehow it did turn up cracked.
A lot of watches, including many 1/10th the price, fulfill that requirement, so why did I pull the trigger on this one? Because it’s FUN. Seriously, how can you not smile when you look down and see a rainbow of colors on your wrist? Timex did a great job of keeping the colors on both the dial and bezel bright without overpowering the overall aesthetic. The color match is perfect between the dial markers and the bezel numerals. The white dial and minimal text let the colors pop, and the peppy nature of the watch shine through.
While the Mercedes hands wouldn’t have been my first choice, they’re legible and well-lumed for that last potty walk before bed. The 36mm case is slim and won’t get caught on the leash but is big enough that the design doesn’t feel crowded. The case shape is a nice interpretation of a cushion shape, the same as the other analog Qs. The matte-finished, smoothly rotating bezel is nice to grip, though I have no idea if I’ll ever use it for more than a fidget while waiting for the dog to sniff all the latest news from the light pole on the corner.
The fact that they list the required replacement battery on the outside of the case back was a real lightbulb moment. It’s plainly visible, and you don’t need a special tool to open the case to figure out what battery you need. Seriously, more brands making quartz watches, especially with the popularity of quartz chronographs, should be doing this. I don’t need to know that the crystal is double domed; I would like to know what size replacement battery to keep around.
Timex ships this watch on an expansion band, which is a divisive topic in The Time Bum writer’s room. According to some, they’re like putting on your favorite pair of PJs. According to me, a too-small expansion band is just as bad as a belt that’s just a hole too tight: uncomfortable and bound to be taken off at the first opportunity.
The expansion band on the Q Timex lasted all of 36 hours before I switched it out for a white rubber strap (because, summer). My wrist is a fairly averagely sized 6.5”, and I removed a single link from the expansion band so it wouldn’t slip halfway down my forearm. The links are very easy to remove and put back, but as the day wore on, my wrist started to swell, and off came the watch. If you have a bigger wrist, I’d strongly consider buying another strap to swap in.
Swapping out the strap was supposed to be a straightforward exercise. The holes for the spring bars are extremely close to the case, so fitting a rubber strap was a 5-minute struggle. With a fair amount of pressing, jiggling, and choice words, I did manage to compress the strap enough so that the spring bar could hit the hole. A flexible 18mm NATO will probably fit easier, but consider the thickness of your chosen strap if you’re looking to switch up the look. Timex did not use a quick-release connection on this band, and I think that’s something they should revisit. They’ve positioned themselves as the mainstream, fun watch brand with an emphasis on individuality and creativity, but haven’t yet adopted the widely available innovation that allows buyers to swap straps without a tool.
And finally, the elephant in the room: does the ticking of the Timex keep me (and the dog) up at night? The answer is a resounding no. I frankly don’t even hear it when it’s on my wrist. The movement does its job in telling me the day, date, and time with no frills and exactly as accurately as you can expect with a quartz movement – so, very accurate. Given the robust nature of the watch, I will not be worrying about drops, bangs, or the occasional foray into the local stream.
In short, if you need some rainbow-powered fun in the form of a watch this summer, this Q Timex knocks it out of the park. It’s bright, robust, and up for a good adventure. The Q Timex Rainbow is currently available on the Timex site. But Timex does tend to rotate through inventory quickly, so if you want to wear this rainbow, I’d act on the impulse sooner rather than later.
