A Week on the Wrist with the Q Timex 1975 SSQ Reissue, or why I've fallen for a watch that barely does anything

When I took my Q Timex 1975 SSQ Digital Reissue to a local Timpson to have a few bracelet links removed, I wasn't expecting the person adjusting it to be particularly impressed by a £155 watch.

To my surprise, he told me it had one of the nicest bracelet link mechanisms he'd ever seen, adding, "Timex certainly improved their bracelets!"

It's not every day someone who handles watches for a living gets excited about a relatively affordable Timex, but after wearing the SSQ for over a week, I can see exactly what he meant.

In fact, I'd go so far as to say the bracelet is one of my favourite things about this delightfully retro timepiece, though there's plenty more to appreciate in its refreshingly simple approach to timekeeping.

Less technology, more personality

The Q Timex 1975 SSQ Digital Reissue is a modern take on one of the brand's earliest digital watches, with a distinctive oval stainless steel case and a beautiful navy blue acrylic surround that gives it a wonderfully retro-futuristic look.

Measuring 38mm across and weighing only 92g, it's more compact than many of the watches I usually wear, and despite the all-metal construction, I barely notice it on my wrist all day.

The bracelet deserves another mention because the links sit close enough together to feel reassuringly solid without being so tightly packed that they catch my arm hair, which can make certain metal watches unpleasant to wear.

Although I had mine adjusted professionally, you can remove the links at home with the right tool, and the overall quality feels excellent for a watch at this price.

Minimalist approach

What I love most about the SSQ the most, though, is how little it tries to do. It tells you the time and date, with a small seconds counter, and that's pretty much it.

It has no step tracking, notifications, heart rate monitoring, or anything else that makes you check your wrist every few minutes, which makes this digital watch feel surprisingly liberating after spending so much time testing modern smartwatches.

It's also a reminder of how different things were in the 1970s, when having a digital display on your wrist was exciting enough. There was a time when we didn’t need an entire ecosystem of connected features to justify buying a new watch. Bring back the simplicity of the 70s, I say!

A few compromises worth making

Of course, the simplicity comes with a couple of drawbacks, most notably the lack of a backlight, which makes checking the time in the dark difficult (or, more like, impossible).

Adjusting the time and date is also unnecessarily fiddly, requiring you to rotate a tiny button on the left side of the case using your fingernail before navigating the settings through multiple button presses.

Thankfully, most people only need to do this twice a year when the clocks change, unless they regularly travel between time zones, so I wouldn't consider it a particularly serious issue.

Fuss-free but full of character

That's the beauty of the Q Timex 1975 SSQ Reissue: it doesn't pretend to be anything more than a stylish, straightforward digital watch, and its unusual design and surprisingly excellent bracelet make it a pleasure to wear.

Timex has never been a brand associated with outrageously inflated prices (bar Timex Atelier models), but the SSQ feels like particularly good value for how much personality it offers for relatively little money.

If anything, wearing it for the past week has reminded me that a watch doesn't need dozens of functions, expensive materials or an impressive specification sheet to make you want to keep it on your wrist.

The Q Timex 1975 SSQ Digital Reissue is available now at Timex UK, Timex US and Timex EU for £155 / $169 / €149. AU price and availability TBC.