There’s something almost poetic about a watch brand that’s been around since 1854 launching a piece that looks straight out of a NASA operations room, and pricing it at €/$249(for steel bracelet and €/$229 for leather strap). After the reissue of Timex SSQ, this might be the best launch of 2026 for Timex
That’s exactly what Timex did with the Q Timex NASA, and the result is one of the more interesting affordable watches to be launched in recent time. Also, Timex didn’t make a big fuss about it, but this watch is a direct and powerful competitor for SwatchxOmega Moonswatch.
Where the Idea Comes From
The starting point is the Apollo 17 mission, the last time humans touched the moon, in December 1972. Timex chose that particular mission as its inspiration, and the timing is deliberate: the original Q Timex was born during the same decade, when quartz was hitting hard the entire watch industry.
Q Timex NASA resembles an Omega Speedmaster, with its dark dial, three-subdial layout, and black external bezel, but it’s a different watch. It’s not a chronograph at all. Those three registers are only calendar-driven, which actually makes the watch more useful on a daily basis than a stopwatch complication most people never use. At least I know I don’t use it!
What’s on the Dial
The dial is where the watch impresses me. A multifunction movement drives sub-dials tracking the day of the week, the date, and a day/night indicator showing the sun and moon illustrations.
The layout goes like this: at 3:00 is a tonal date indicator, at 6:00 is a sun/moon indicator featuring the NASA logo, and at 9:00 is a display showing the day of the week with a red hand.
The standout detail is the 9 o’clock subdial. A luminous moon graphic sits in the day of the week sub-dial, glowing with the same in-fill as the hands and markers so that it shines like the moon itself. It’s a small thing, but it’s the kind of detail that makes you stop and look twice and I love it!.
The Case and Bracelet of Q Timex NASA
The 40mm x 13.5mm stainless steel case comes with hooded lugs and a tapering, flat-link, faux-integrated bracelet. Everything is fully brushed, no polish, no mixed finishes, which gives it a clean, tool-watch personality.
The bracelet adjusts between 150 and 205mm, which covers most wrists without issue, and closes with a deployant clasp. The lug-to-lug is 46.3mm, and the lug width is 18mm.
Over the dial we have a domed acrylic crystal, the same material used on vintage pieces from that era. Acrylic is more prone to fine scratches than sapphire, but it’s very shatter-resistant, and any surface scratches can be buffed out. On a watch with retro DNA, it feels completely right for some people, but to me not really. I prefer the sapphire anytime.
The Detail That Steals the Show
Flip the watch over and you get a surprise. The caseback is covered in a full-color reproduction of the famous “Blue Marble” photograph of Earth taken from aboard the Apollo 17 vessel. It’s a nice touch, the kind of hidden easter egg that makes ownership feel slightly more fun. Personally I’m convinced and I will buy this watch.
The matte black dial gives the perfect background for the white NASA “worm” logo, a design that became an icon that has seen a massive comeback in recent years. The hands and indices are treated with luminescent material, and the subtle red hand in the day-of-the-week sub-dial adds a technical aesthetic often found in aerospace equipment.
A Word on the Competition
Naturally, the price comes a whole lot closer to the MoonSwatch’s $285 than it does to the Omega Speedmaster Moonwatch’s $7,800 price tag. So it’s a no brainer, Q Timex NASA is a fun watch that competes with MoonSwatch.
What the Q Timex NASA actually is, and what it does well, is the fact that it delivers a coherent, well-executed theme at a price that doesn’t require much justification.
It’s a piece that is suitable for NASA fans, or Q TImex fans as well.
Water resistance is rated to 50 meters which is bad in my opinion, suitable for light swimming. Don’t take it diving.
Q Timex NASA — Specifications
| Specification | Detail |
| Reference | TW2Y56700 |
| Case Diameter | 40 mm |
| Case Height | 13.5 mm |
| Lug-to-Lug | 46.3 mm |
| Case Material | Stainless Steel |
| Case Finish | Brushed |
| Case Color | Silver-Tone |
| Dial Color | Black |
| Crystal | Domed Acrylic |
| Movement | Quartz Analog |
| Functions | Hours, Minutes, Seconds, Date, Day of Week, Day/Night Indicator |
| Bezel | Black Aluminum, Tachymeter Scale (Ornamental) |
| Bracelet Material | Stainless Steel |
| Bracelet Finish | Brushed |
| Band/Lug Width | 18 mm |
| Bracelet Adjustment | 150 – 205 mm (5.9 – 8.1 in) |
| Clasp | Deployant |
| Water Resistance | 50 Meters |
| Battery | SR920SW |
| Caseback | “Blue Marble” Apollo 17 photograph |
| Price (EU) | €/$249 or €/$229 |
More info about the watch on Timex Official Website
