By Gary Girdvainis
Giorgio Galli’s CV includes over thirty years in the watch industry with designs and collaborations with numerous brands we all recognize. Today, as the creative director at Timex, Galli has launched a design that is so pure and elegant that it demands our attention.
The eponymous release is called the GG(Giorgio Galli) S2 and it takes the Timex brand into new realms of movements, price-points, and unfettered design.
The black dial with the notched metal ring is subtly elegant without the clamor of ostentation or affectation. Upon closer inspection, the attention to detail comes to light in the multi-faceted hour and minute hands. 
To my eye the flat hands typical of so many affordable watches falls flat on me. When beveled, watch hands capture and reflect light, not only making the watches easier to read on a black background, but also adding a depth and panache to any watch in which they are installed.
Galli also made the right choice to eschew the date function on this watch. No-doubt the purity of this design would have been deflated by any distractions on this austere dial. 
From the back you’ll note that rather than a threaded case-back Galli opted for a back held in place with six-screws. While it is more difficult to get higher levels of water resistance in this type of construction, it does look good to the eye and has the advantage of always having the case back oriented in the vertical position. Still, the GGS2 is water resistant to 50 meters, which is more than sufficient for a dress watch of this type. 
The GGS2 also represents a new price point for Timex and is effectively double the cost of the nearest Timex I could find on the company’s website. Having said that, there is a lot of watch for the money embedded in this design.
The Swiss-made watch houses a Sellita SW 200 automatic winding mechanical movement, combines injection molded steel and titanium into the perfectly proportioned 38mm case, and features flat sapphire crystals front and back. Add to that a solid steel deployant buckle and a chemical resistant nitrile rubber strap and you end up with a lot of watch for $975.
To Timex and Giorgio Galli I say bravo for creating the Black Tie(mex), a watch retailing for under $1,000 that would look right at home at any black tie affair.
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