Timex’s Reissue of a 1970s Dress Watch Is Pure Smoking Lounge-Era Class
The 1979 Day Date Fumé Reissue shows why the Timex Q series has a knack for hitting homeruns for stylish pieces that won't break the bank.
by JV Ordoñez
Published on Oct 14, 2026
It's no secret that the Timex Q series has garnered a reputation among watch enthusiasts as a not-so-under-the-radar alternative to many stupendously expensive pieces from luxury Swiss counterparts that have otherworldly price tags for what you're getting.
The American watch brand does not fall short on heritage and its own iconic pieces, which is why its latest reissue of the Day Date Fumé may be the nostalgia-tinted piece you may have been yearning for.
Last year's Esquire Essentials for Watches, we sung our praises for the Timez Q Panda Chronograph that evokes lassic Daytona and Omega design elements at less than a fraction of a price. The Q diver is unabashedly inspired by the legendary motoring and speed-centric watches of Europe's most iconic races and features the staple tachymeter bezel found on the great chronographs of the past.
The Timex 1978 Reissue Day-Date Fumé Reissue is a sister release to the Red Vega that was worn by John Travolta in Quentin Tarantino's classic Pulp Fiction.
It comes in a 37 mm form factor that leans into the classy, smoking-lounge aesthetic that defined late 1970s watch design.
The Day Date dress watch also features a raised domed acrylic crystal providing that warm vintage distortion that can also be buffed at home, and hour indices and hands with beveled edges for better legibility.
On the strap side of things, it comes stamped with a crocodile-grain texture and built with a quick-release spring bar reminiscent of classic Cartier ergonomics.
The internals skip mechanical winding for practical, battery-powered analog quartz power with 50 meters of water resistance. This is fairly standard for watches at this price point of about $200.
With Timex online pricing, these are around $219; this means it will be available in Manila for about P13,500 when brought in physical shops, though we might have to wait for a while since it just launched globally.
Esquire PH's resident music scribe, wristwatch disciple, and essayist fluent in niche internet subcultures and Philippine politics.