Everything from the 1970s is having a serious moment right now. Wide-leg trousers are back. Earth tones are everywhere. And the kind of understated, sophisticated menswear that defined that era has made a full comeback on catwalks and street corners. It was only a matter of time before watchmakers started paying attention. Timex, one of America’s most legendary watch brands, has done just that. The result is the Todd Snyder x Timex 1976 Lexington watch, a collaboration that proves you don’t have to spend a fortune to wear something truly great on your wrist.
The Todd Snyder x Timex 1976 Lexington watch is the latest chapter in what has become one of the most compelling ongoing partnerships in accessible horology. This is not a brand new design created to follow a trend. It’s a true archival piece, a rectangular dress watch last seen during the disco era, now reissued with fresh colorways and thoughtful details that make it feel both nostalgic and completely current.
A catwalk debut that almost went unnoticed
The reissued Lexington made its first public appearance last September at the Todd Snyder Spring/Summer 2026 runway show, delicately styled on the wrists of models walking a collection inspired by 1950s Havana and 1980s Miami.
And the thing is, it worked almost too well. Sitting in the audience, more than a few people didn’t notice the watches at all. They simply read as part of the look, which is exactly the point of a great dress watch. It should feel unavoidable and unobtrusive.
The runway showed off salmon, Tiffany-esque blue and pale yellow dials, while the retail version comes in three equally attractive colorways: khaki, butter yellow and black. Each one feels straight out of the collection’s warm, sun-drenched aesthetic. The color reads as effortlessly sophisticated. The all-black is sharp and versatile. But the striking feature is the black strap in combination with the yellow dial. It captures something specific: the swagger of Miami’s heyday without veering into ostentation.
Shop here
The case for rectangular watches
For anyone who has been paying attention to men’s watches in recent years, the rectangular dress watch has quietly become one of the most interesting categories on the market.
There’s a reason for that. Round watches, especially the oversized ones, have turned into a kind of status signaling exercise: who owns the rarest reference, the biggest complication, the most talked-about limited edition. The rectangular dress watch rejects all that. It’s about refinement over noise.
Historically, however, the category has been dominated by designs that reflect the Cartier Tank formula: white dial, Roman numerals, leather strap. It is undeniably beautiful, but also overly familiar.
What makes the Todd Snyder x Timex 1976 Lexington watch different is that it doesn’t try to be that watch. Deco-inspired Arabic numerals give it a distinct personality, while the color-forward dials feel confident rather than imitative. This is a watch with its own point of view.
Inspired by two golden eras
Todd Snyder has been clear about the references behind this release. He points to 1950s Havana and 1980s Miami as key touchstones, describing the watch as having a “sartorial ease” that bridges the Art Deco period and the contemporary revival of the Ivy style. It’s a wide range of influences, but they come together convincingly on the wrist.
These aren’t the flashy, gold-heavy watches associated with excess. They are the kind worn by well-dressed men who lived in the more refined corners of the time, those who looked sharp without trying too hard. The Lexington reflects that spirit with genuine conviction.
Specifications worth knowing
The watch has a stainless steel case combined with a genuine leather strap: black for the yellow and black variants, and brown for the khaki. Arabic indexes, a pure quartz movement and water resistance up to 30 meters complete the package. Nothing superfluous. Everything you actually need.
Affordable, but not standard
It’s worth noting that Cartier doesn’t have a monopoly on the rectangular case shape, even though it sometimes feels that way. Seiko has been offering accessible rectangular options for years, and now Timex has entered the conversation in a more conscious way.
The Todd Snyder x Timex 1976 Lexington watch doesn’t try to approach a luxury watch. Instead, it makes a clear argument: good design, thoughtful colors and a real archival pedigree are more than enough.
For anyone looking for a dress watch that earns its place on the wrist without demanding the attention it doesn’t deserve, this is one of the strongest options available today.
Featured image: Todd Snyder
—Read also
