The New Timex T80 Hyperbrights are Both Hyper and Bright, Making them Perhaps the Most Perfectly Named Watches of the Year

Pardon the pun, but some things in the watch industry tend to happen like clockwork. Every spring, brands seem to understand that a selection of bright colors is going to put us in just the right mood heading into the warmer months, and we see releases from brands across the horological map opting for a rainbow of pastels and brighter tones that make you want to get outdoors, smell the flowers, fight your allergies, and all of the other springtime rituals we can’t get enough of. I’m not complaining: I love color, and I especially love thawing out of those long New Hampshire winters, so a release like the new Timex T80 Hyperbrights just puts a smile on my face.

The Hyperbrights collection takes the classic T80 format and puts it through what is almost a psychedelic lens. What we have here are a trio of watches, each featuring a multi-tone dial and gradient resin straps that shifts from the dominant color to adjacent hues as it wraps around the wrist. The Blue Haze features a stainless steel case and complementary tones of light blue and green, and the Purple Haze is the latest watch to include what I think is clearly the color of the moment, along with darker tones of blue. Rounding out the trio we get the Pink Haza, which matches elements of the strap to the gold tone case for a rich, warm look. 

Timex does a great job of introducing new concepts and themes through watches that are familiar, and that’s exactly what they’ve done here, taking an 80s classic like the T80 and making it something that’s completely of the moment with these striking colorways. For those of us who can remember the 80s (and certainly large chunks of the 90s as well), there’s also an element to these color combinations that reflect a previous generation, but there’s no denying that colorful watches are having their day in 2023, making these T80s feel remarkably contemporary. 

All of the standard T80 specs apply here, of course. These watches all feature chronographs, alarms, and Iniglo Back-Lights that come on at the touch of a button. The watches are water resistant to 30 meters, and the cases measure 36mm across. If that sounds small to you, I encourage you to try on a T80 if you get a chance. They don’t have an aggressive wrist presence (although the Hyperbrights might), but they are so comfortable, it’s not likely that you’ll mind. 

The T80 Hyperbrights collection is available now, with prices starting at $99. Timex