Timex’s Sold-Out Dimepiece Collab Returns With a $269 Blackout Makeover

The $269 Intrepid Blackout keeps the small case and purple accents of last year’s sellout, with a tougher new look.

Timex’s first Dimepiece collaboration sold out over its launch weekend. The follow-up makes a persuasive case for anyone who missed it: the same wonderfully compact sports-watch shape, now dressed in black, with a cream dial and a few sharp hits of purple.

The Timex Intrepid x Dimepiece Blackout Edition reunites the watchmaker with Dimepiece founder Brynn Wallner and vintage specialist Alan Bedwell of Foundwell. At $269, it’s one of the more tempting little watches to land this fall. There’s proper design thought here, right down to the button you’ll probably find yourself pressing just to watch the dial light up.

A big ’90s watch, brought down to size

Timex has plenty of good material in its archives, as the Q Timex Reissue already demonstrated. This collaboration traces its roots to the 1995 Intrepid, a watch worn by JFK Jr. The original had a substantial 46mm case. Wallner and Bedwell took that down to 36mm for their first Dimepiece edition in 2025, and the Blackout keeps those smaller proportions.

That was the right call. At 36mm across, 10mm thick and 40mm from lug to lug, this is an appealing option for anyone who likes the look of a sports watch but finds most of them a bit much. The rotating bezel and unusual crown position still give it plenty of character.

As Wallner explained when the first edition launched, she wanted a sporty watch that more people could wear. That thinking comes through in the styling, too. This would look terrific with an Oxford shirt and worn-in jeans, and just as good with a faded black tee and olive fatigues. You can enjoy the Kennedy connection without having to dress for a weekend in Nantucket.

The purple makes it

The black stainless-steel case gives the Intrepid a tougher look, while the cream dial keeps some warmth in the design. Then come the purple details: the seconds hand, the marker at 12 and the dedicated Indiglo pusher. They’re small touches, but they give the watch its personality.

Timex even cites Lara Croft: Tomb Raider as an inspiration for this edition. There’s a pleasing bit of action-hero attitude in the dark case, offset by that almost custardy dial. The skeletonized hour and minute hands add another little piece of visual interest, and the crown sits down beside four o’clock.

The practical details are reassuringly straightforward. A battery-powered quartz movement handles the timekeeping, mineral glass covers the dial, and a screw-down crown accompanies 100 meters of water resistance. The rotating bezel can track elapsed time, while Indiglo lights the dial at the push of a button. Sapphire glass would have been a welcome upgrade at this price.

The black synthetic rubber strap has quick-release spring bars and an 18mm lug width, so swapping it out is simple. The supplied strap looks right here, though. Its tonal Timex Indiglo branding leaves the dial to do the talking.

There are cheaper ways to buy a Timex. What makes this one worth a closer look is how well the decisions hang together: the modest size, warm dial, black case and odd little flashes of purple. It has enough personality to make choosing a watch in the morning more fun.