Updated:
Readtime: 5 min
Every product is carefully selected by our editors and experts. If you buy from a link, we may earn a commission. Learn more. For more information on how we test products, click here.
- Matt Hranek, author of A Man & His Watch and founder of WM Brown, has teamed up with Timex on a vintage-inspired rectangular dress watch.
- The 27mm stainless-steel watch features an Art Deco-inspired dial, a Miyota quartz movement and two interchangeable straps.
- Priced at AUD $625, the WM Brown x Timex Rectangle is already listed as out of stock on Timex’s US website.
Matt Hranek knows a thing or two about watches. He wrote A Man & His Watch, after all. As I write this article, it sits proudly on my coffee table, showcasing iconic watches and the stories of the men who wore them. Now the founder of WM Brown has teamed up with Timex to create a rather handsome rectangular dress watch, complete with a vintage-inspired dial, a sharply finished steel case and two interchangeable straps. Altogether, this collaboration wouldn’t look out of place in the pages of his own book alongside the other marvellous timepieces Hranek has seen first-hand over the years.
It all began as a personal blog before Hranek’s WM Brown grew into a men’s lifestyle magazine and a broader creative platform. No stranger to the intricacies of watch design, he previously collaborated with French watchmaker Serica on its military-inspired W.W.W. William Brown Edition back in 2019.
In his first venture with Timex, Hranek has taken things in a decidedly dressier direction with the new WM Brown x Timex Rectangle. At AUD$625, it’s not cheap, but hardly an expensive purchase either; it may be a quartz-powered Timex, but if the decadent design caught your eye as it did mine, then we’ve fallen for the phrase “blink, and you’ll miss it”. The watch is already listed as out of stock on Timex’s US website, following its 27 October announcement.
1/7A Man & His Little Rectangle Watch
The stainless-steel case measures 27 mm wide, 41.5 mm lug-to-lug and 10 mm thick, giving it an elongated profile despite its relatively narrow width.
Take a gander at the edges, and you’ll see Timex has given the upper surfaces a vertical brushed finish, with horizontal brushing along the sides. A polished, diamond-cut edge separates the two, catching the light and adding definition to the angular case. Sharply inclined lugs finish off the look.
On the silver-tone dial, the railway-style minute track surrounds a full set of stylised Arabic numerals, with two pointed hands and a small-seconds display at six o’clock. Look closer, and you’ll discover WM Brown’s concentric sundial motif worked into the seconds display.
Beyond that, branding stays subtle, befitting a Hranek-designed dress watch, with the Timex logo below 12 o’clock and a small WM Brown signature at the bottom.
1/5Two Straps, One Quartz Movement
Beneath the vintage-inspired dial sits a Miyota 1L40 quartz movement, protected by a mineral crystal. It’s rated to 50 metres, ideal for swim-up bars and paddling in the waves; I wouldn’t trust it in the coral reefs, but the Rectangle isn’t entirely restricted to showing off under a suit cuff.
Timex also includes two interchangeable options, giving the Rectangle two distinct ways to wear it. The brown leather strap clearly leans into the traditional dress-watch aesthetic, while the stainless-steel bracelet, with its broad rectangular links and butterfly clasp, can chaperone your wrist for a sportier look.
Thanks to the quick-release spring bars, you can swap those straps on the go without tools.
WM Brown x Timex Rectangle – Key Specs
- Model: WM Brown x Timex Rectangle
- Reference: TWG069000
- Case: Stainless steel, 27mm wide, 41.5mm lug-to-lug, 10mm thick
- Dial: Silver-tone, Arabic numerals, small seconds at 6 o’clock
- Movement: Miyota 1L40 quartz
- Crystal: Mineral glass
- Water Resistance: 50 metres
- Lug Width: 20mm
- Straps: Brown leather strap and stainless-steel bracelet, both with quick-release spring bars
- Clasps: Pin buckle (leather), butterfly deployant (bracelet)
- Price: AUD $625
How Much Will It Cost?
At AUD $625, the WM Brown x Timex Rectangle is a pricey proposition for a quartz Timex. But the attraction lies in Hranek’s design, the unusual case detailing and the convenience of having two different looks straight out of the box.
If you want this on your wrist, good luck. Timex hasn’t confirmed when more stock might become available. For now, it’s out of stock on the US site. So for anyone who didn’t get in quick enough, enjoy the FOMO.
Comments
We love hearing from you. or to leave a comment.