News · Timex

Timex brings its 1990 calendar and moon-phase dial back for A$525

A 37mm gold-tone reissue tracks the weekday, date and lunar cycle with three separate controls, wrapped in brown leather.

Hen & Mills Editorial · 3 min read · 9 September 2026

• Timex has revived its 1990 Moon Phase and Calendar Dial as a 37mm quartz watch with two independently adjustable outer calendar rings and a crown-set date window.
• Two calendar rings circle a cream Arabic-numeral dial, while a 28-day lunar display and separate date window share the centre.
• The reissue is available now for US$299 or A$525, fitted to an 18mm brown quick-release natural leather strap.

Timex has gone back to 1990 for a watch that treats the calendar as part of the dial, not a small complication tucked into one corner. The new Timex 1990 Moon Phase Reissue pairs two adjustable calendar rings with a date window and a 28-day lunar display. It does all of that in a 37mm gold-tone case, on leather, for A$525.

A compact case for a busy display

The polished stainless-steel case measures 37mm across, 42.5mm from lug to lug and 10mm thick. Those dimensions keep the watch relatively compact, which suits a design built around several concentric scales. Its gold-tone finish also brings some warmth to the cream and white dial without burying the black printing. Timex lists the complete watch at 44.89 grams.

Nothing on the case tries to make the watch look larger. The bezel is narrow, the lugs turn down quickly and most of the available diameter belongs to the dial. That gives the two calendar tracks enough room to remain legible and keeps the scale markings separate from the central display.

Mineral glass covers the dial, while a conventional push-pull crown sits at three o'clock. The crown handles the hands and the date window at six. Two knobs flanking the crown independently set the two outer calendar rings, giving the case a slightly more technical outline than its dress-watch proportions suggest.

Three controls for one calendar

The outermost ring carries the days of the week. Inside it, another ring is numbered from one to 31. To set the full calendar, the wearer uses the two correctors to align the numeral one with the weekday on which the month begins. Reading the current day and date then becomes a matter of following the two rings around the dial.

That system is more involved than a conventional day-date display, but it preserves the look of the original 1990 model. It also makes the act of setting the watch visible. Timex's instructions require the two outer rings to be realigned at the start of each month. The separate date aperture remains the quickest reference at a glance and is set through the crown.

A lunar display with its own pace

At the centre, a blue disc shows the moon against a field of stars. Timex describes it as a 28-day moon-phase cycle. That wording matters because the astronomical lunar cycle is a little longer than 29.5 days, so this is best understood as a decorative calendar display rather than a claim of observatory precision.

The full Arabic numerals keep the main time display clear. A black minute hand is paired with gold-tone hour and seconds hands. The slender seconds hand reaches towards the calendar tracks, while the moon disc adds colour without taking over the dial. The result is dense, yet the information is arranged in layers instead of competing subdials.

There is a pleasing order to those layers. Minutes sit against the central numeral ring, the numbered calendar occupies the next track, and weekdays run along the perimeter. Gold stars sit on the blue moon-phase disc. None of this makes the calendar instant to read, but it gives the wearer a clear route from the hands outwards.

Quartz power behind the calendar

Timex uses a battery-powered quartz movement and specifies an SR920SW cell. Timex does not list a battery-life figure on the cited product or launch pages, so there is no sensible estimate to add. The crown and two neighbouring knobs leave each of the watch's adjustable displays accessible without a separate setting tool.

Water resistance is rated to 50 metres. Timex says that is suitable for light swimming or short swims, but not snorkelling or poolside diving. It also warns against pressing any buttons underwater. The supplied 18mm strap is brown natural leather with a crocodile-grain finish, a quick-release fitting and a conventional buckle. Its Leather Working Group description provides some sourcing context without turning the strap into the headline.

Timex 1990 Moon Phase and Calendar Dial Reissue pricing and availability

The Timex 1990 Moon Phase Reissue, reference TW2Y99000, is listed at US$299 in the United States and A$525 on Timex's Australian storefront. It is available through the brand's online shop now. Timex has announced no production limit, so the appeal rests on the unusual display and compact dimensions rather than scarcity.

This is a faithful sort of reissue: the calendar remains slightly fussy, the lunar disc remains playful, and quartz keeps the practical burden modest. At A$525, its strongest case is not mechanical complexity. It is the decision to revive the original watch's unusual dial architecture.