It’s been more than five years since Timex debuted the most “Timex” watch ever made. Designed by creative director Giorgio Galli, the S1 was a departure for the brand—a $450 piece with a 41mm skeletonized stainless steel case and an automatic movement chugging away within. Galli and the folks at Timex followed up with a 38mm riff on the S1 in 2021 before putting the style to bed in 2022 (but not before it shimmered in gold tone and got stealthy in all black).
The second iteration of Galli’s signature line—the S2, naturally—arrived in 2023, pushing the price up to just below a thousand dollars. Made in Timex’s atelier in Lugano, Switzerland, the look was sleek and minimal. The construction, however, was significantly more complicated than the S1, bringing titanium into the mix alongside stainless steel. As I said at the time, it felt like both an evolution of its predecessor and a design that could stand entirely on its own.
Well, about a year and a half later, the next step in the evolution of the S series has arrived. The S2tTi is now available, and as you may have guessed from its name, titanium is the star of the show. It comprises the bulk of the case—there’s a forged carbon fiber mid-case for even more strength and durability—as well as the entire bracelet. The subdued luster and superlight weight of the material give the entire watch a futuristic look and feel that’s complemented by the domed sapphire crystal that reaches all the way to the edges of the bezel-free design. (There’s also sapphire crystal on the case back, so you can see the Sellita SW200-1 automatic movement inside.)
It’s recognizably an S2, of course. Just, well…a little more so. In fact, if the S1 was the most “Timex” watch when it was first created, the S2Ti deserves the distinction of being the most “Giorgio Galli Timex” watch to come out of this years-long project. It feels like a distillation of all the ideas the Milan-based creative director has been toying with this past half a decade.
Which is to say: It feels really good. One hallmark of the S series is comfort, and the combination of the 38mm case and the full-titanium construction makes for a watch that’s incredibly easy to wear. Light enough that it never bothers, but never so insubstantial that it feels toy-like, the S2Ti sits naturally on the wrist (helped along in no small measure by the fact that you can resize the bracelet without tools). And aesthetically, the tonal color treatment and streamlined dial give the watch a chameleonic sort of effect. Worn casually, it delivers a vibe not dissimilar to a tool watch; with something more formal, it takes on a dressier air.
As with prior releases from the S series, this installment pushes the price even higher. If you thought you’d never see a Timex approach the two-grand mark, today’s the day you’re proven wrong. The $1,950 retail price may raise a few eyebrows, but this is Galli’s labor of love. And since it’s coming in a limited edition of just 500 pieces, it’s unlikely that the S2Ti will be sitting on shelves for long.
In fact, if you’re a fan of Galli’s perspective, you might want to snap this one up sooner than later. Though he has no plans to leave his current position—he’s adamant about that part—this is his final release from the S series. All good things, as they say. But don’t worry too much. The folks at Timex are already teasing something new in the not-too-distant future. What it’ll be, though, only time will tell.
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