While collaborations in the world of streetwear are nothing new, the meeting of the fashion space to the world of watches is one of growing relevance. Last month, we saw one of the latest works in this hybrid space, with esteemed and affordable Timex working with Brooklyn-based apparel brand Adsum to offer the new Timex X Adsum MK1.
The collaborative edition opts for the base design of the Timex MK1, the design itself drawn from a vintage mil-spec timepiece produced for the US military around the Vietnam War era. The base design made its way into the Adsum creative vision by way of its utilitarian simplicity. The goal of the collaboration, according to the brands, is to create a timepiece that truly focuses on time, eliminating the hundreds of distractions that interfere with checking the time on a smart device.
The Adsum MK1 maintains a similar case design to preceding watches in the collection from Timex, as such featuring a 36mm diameter in steel. The caseback has the brand name and information of both Adsum and Timex engraved into the steel along with the phrase “I AM PRESENT.” The messaging is symbolic of the ethos of the entire collaboration and derives from the meaning of the Latin word ‘Adsum.’
Presenting itself as a champion of simplicity, the watch features a black dial with painted indices in white and luminant seafoam green. A white outer ring of indices marks the first 12 hours, while an inner 13 to 24 ring channels military influences and helps the wearer quickly determine the 24-hour time. The dial is completed by luminant pencil hands and the painted Adsum and Timex brand names on either side of the 6 o’clock index. A quartz caliber powers the display, with the watch as a whole featuring a simple 30m of water resistance.
The Timex X Adsum MK1 was originally released in August retailing for $140 online on both brands’ websites, though it has since sold out. It is currently retailing in secondary markets for double or more that original MSRP.
