Timex Just Revived One Of Its Coolest (And Most Affordable) Dive Watches From The '90s

Timex and Casio are indisputably the reigning kings of affordable, nostalgia-inducing watches. While Casio might have its grip on quirky digital pieces that call to the ‘80s, Timex is taking aim at bringing back ‘90s-era style with its newly revamped take on its bold Intrepid diver, with a little help from the powerhouse duo of Dimepiece and Foundwell, who undeniably helped to bring a certain cool-factor to this heritage reissue.  

The Intrepid of the 1990s was initially geared towards divers and sailors, and its contemporary take stays true to its origins with its 100 meters of water resistance. I will warn you that this is a piece that leads with boldness, especially in the amount of real estate it takes up. Yep, its steel case is a whopping 46mm in diameter and 11mm thick. But sometimes, you gotta lean into the chunk of it all in pursuit of good '90s-reissue fun. But, given its cushion shape and the short, angled lugs, I imagine that this piece will wear comfortably even with its large size. 

To my chagrin, Timex hasn’t yet provided images of one of the watch's main selling points, diving functionality aside: the Indiglo. With a press of the teal pusher on the left side of the case, the entirety of the white dial becomes illuminated. Timex introduced Indiglo in 1993, so this detail really brings the '90s spirit home. Unfortunately, the brand has yet to provide images of the watch with the Iindiglo function, so we will have to use our imagination here in this department. 

The design of the new Intrepid feels true to the vibe of the original, but with some updates and streamlining to its various dive-oriented functions to make actually using them more straightforward. The black slide-rule bezel has been paired with a sloped, fixed rehaut around the dial’s perimeter to make calculations a bit easier. The minutes track at the center of the dial is a new addition to the design, and the black hour markers look somewhat bolder and more legible than the intrepid of the '90s. Additionally, the skeletonized hands help prevent any obscuring of the minutes scale underneath. The pops of teal green on the Indiglo pusher, on the bezel, and on the dial really work for me, and make this piece feel a little more alive and fresh without being too overwhelming, or overdoing it on the funkiness. Adding a touch of asymmetry, the crown has been moved to 4 o’clock, whereas the original model had it at 3 o'clock.

The new Intrepid reissue is paired with a black synthetic rubber strap, is quartz-powered, and is priced at $199. For those looking for a waterfront-ready beater for warmer weather that won’t break the bank, I think this is a strong contender for anyone’s summer watch wishlist — if you’re not afraid of something with a bold wrist presence. 

For more information, visit the brand’s website here.