The Timex Man: Cool Is Quiet, and Style Is Timeless... By MinNefer "Mjayi" Mernahkem

Real style doesn’t beg for attention. It doesn’t follow trends or chase approval. True style is worn like second skin, natural, confident, and rooted in who you are.

And nothing captures that better than a Timex watch.

A Timex isn’t loud. It doesn’t need to be. It’s the watch of the man who shows up, on time, every time. Who knows the value of every second and doesn’t waste a single one trying to impress. Whether it’s a Weekender, Vintage, a Marlin, or a rugged Expedition, a Timex carries the kind of cool that can’t be bought, only earned.

There’s something powerful about its simplicity. Clean face. Classic lines. Nothing extra, nothing fake. It’s the same kind of energy that made jazz players, civil rights icons, and blue-collar fathers legends in their own right. It's proof that quiet confidence always outlasts the noise.

I grew up on the phrase: “Timex—Takes a licking and keeps on ticking.” It wasn’t just a slogan, it was a truth, a promise, and a badge of honor. My grandfather, a hard-working, no-nonsense man, swore by Timex. He used to say, “This is the working man’s watch,built for the masses, not the elite.”

He had three Timex watches:

• One for dressing up on Sundays for Church.

• One for special occasions.

• And an everyday Timex he wore until the band was nearly threadbare.

Timex:The working men

That everyday watch? I still have it. My grandmother gifted it to me when I graduated from undergrad. That watch saw him through decades of work, struggle, and pride.

When I was a kid, he’d wear that watch while shaving with his old-school butterfly razor, the same style razor I now offer in my own shaving line company. That morning ritual? It was sacred.

My father was cut from the same cloth. He used to say, “A Timex on your wrist and jazz in your ears, now that’s how a thinking, intelligent, chess playing, man lives his life.” That’s where I learned that style and intellect go hand in hand.

For my 13th birthday, I got my first digital Timex — the T78587 — and paired it with a Spider-Man T-shirt. Man, you would’ve thought I hit the lottery! That watch made me feel invincible! You couldn't tell me nothing. lol

And later, on my 16th birthday, my uncle, a jazz musician with soul in his fingertips, handed me my first Timex Marlin. He looked me in the eye and said, “You're on the doorstep of manhood. And every great man owns a Timex Marlin.”

Which is a watch that I still have to this very day, that is priceless and holds a deep, and special place in my heart!

Marlin Timex

By the time I turned 18, I received the Q Timex 1975 Enigma, a watch that felt like it had history pulsing through its gears. It reminded me of a futuristic feel“Every scratch on that Timex held a memory, and not one of them slows it down.” Too bad it was stolen and I haven't seem to come across other one.

I’ve owned Rolexes, and other expensive watches, sure there sleek, expensive, impressive on the outside. But nothing ever made me feel quite like a Timex. A Timex is light, honest, and familiar, like a handshake from your grandfather or a nod from a stranger who recognizes a kindred spirit. It reminds me of who I am, where I come from, and what it means to be solid.

And when I lace up a pair of Converse, I feel that same energy. Scuffed or brand new, they carry stories. They’ve walked through jazz clubs, job interviews, block parties, and broken hearts. Chucks don’t just say you’ve arrived, they say you’ve been there. On my wedding day, I wore converse, that I still have to this very day, that are 21 years old, the same time that I have been married.

Together, Timex and Converse represent something bigger than fashion. They represent a way of living with character, style, and grace. They remind you that being yourself is more than enough, in fact, it’s the only thing that ever really works.

So let the trends come and go. Let the loud ones shout.

You? Keep it timeless! Keep it true! And let every tick and every step speak for itself.

Because a Timex doesn’t just tell time, it tells the story of the man who wears it, steady, reliable, and built to last.

And when you wear a Timex you have to remember what the late great John Weatherspoon used to say "You got to coordinate!" lol

Happy is the Day!