Inexpensive and fun, there is something else that this Timex Easy Reader x Keith Haring watch (reference TW2W25400) does well: It isn’t just another collaboration watch with random art on the dial. Rather, this is a wristwatch interpretation of a timepiece dial created by an artist. Keith Haring is deceased, but during his life, a recurring theme in his art was a flying clock that featured a distinctive dial. Now, for the first time (as far as I know), that clock dial has been turned into a wristwatch. This is somewhat surprising to me because there have been many Keith Haring timepieces both from Timex and other brands (such as Swatch) over the years. Many of them are spirited and capture the still-relevant essence of the artist’s Pop Art, but this is the first one that feels like more than a souvenir.
The base watch is the 38mm-wide version of Timex’s longstanding Easy Reader, which had a facelift a few years ago. For years, many people associated the Easy Reader with entirely too practical watches sold at drugstores and other places where people needed a legible timepiece more than something with style. You’d never see an enthusiast wear an Easy Reader since they were not designed to have much personality, but in my opinion, there is a lot that Timex did extremely well with this series, including making it effective and highly affordable. Perhaps the best thing about Easy Reader watches (which is included in this Keith Haring model) is the Indiglo backlight system. If you press in the crown, the entire dial lights up for easy reading in the dark. This technology is at least 30 years old, but it still works well and hasn’t been supplanted by any other system that does the same thing.
The base watch is 38mm wide in brass, which has a polished steel tone applied over it, along with a mineral crystal over the dial. The case is water resistant to 50 meters and is powered by a proprietary caliber 904 quartz movement, which offers only the hour and minute to promote a more elegant face design. With longer lugs and a roughly 9mm thick case, the watch doesn’t wear too small. Attached to the case is a simple black leather strap, which has the Keith Haring foundation logo on it. Aside from the markings on the caseback, those are the only visual cues that this is a collaboration watch, which I appreciate. For those who would like to enjoy this watch with a more spirited look, I imagine that a variety of interesting straps can be added to it. Timex even puts the 20mm-wide straps on easy-release spring bars that encourage owners of this Easy Reader x Keith Haring timepiece to experiment with new styles. I imagine that a NATO-style strap that has black and white Keith Haring squiggles on it would be very cool.
UPDATE: I wanted to show what the Timex Easy Reader x Keith Haring watch could look like on a more inspired strap. It didn’t take long for me to find something appropriate. So I added to this watch review article pictures of the watch on a 20mm wide black and white nylon and velcro strap from Zodiac. The strap was designed as part of a collaboration with Rowing Blazers and was originally paired with the Zodiac X Rowing Blazers Super Sea Wolf World Time GMT.
The black dial is simple and straightforward — and meant to evoke Keith Haring’s original art as closely as possible, including his rendition of the Timex logo. Timex was brilliantly restrained here, opting for just the 12, 3, 6, and 9 o’clock hour markers, as well as cartoonish hands that really look like Keith Haring’s art. Around the periphery of the dial is a circular sketch-style line in white, which completes the composition. I thought this was so fun and well done, especially at an under-$100 price point. This watch is probably sold out by now, but I believe that Timex will produce more of them given that it is both popular and not a limited edition.
Even though this is not a luxury timepiece, it has enthusiasts in mind given that it is a wristwatch before being an art watch. More so, anyone who is familiar with Keith Haring’s art will certainly appreciate the functional charm that this wristwatch presents. What do other timepiece enthusiasts make of it? The price for the reference TW2W25400 Timex Easy Reader x Keith Haring watch is $99 USD. Learn more at the Timex website.
