Noah and Timex just released a watch that looks like it was found in a sea captain's desk drawer. It is called the Boatswain, after the officer who runs the deck on a ship, and it is small, oval and quietly strange in the best way. Both brands went live with it this week, and Noah says it is shipping immediately.
A rope on the dial
The face is where the nautical idea lives. A thin oval rope motif runs around the center of a cream dial, framed by black Roman numerals and a matching set of hands. Timex calls it a reference to life at sea that does not overwhelm the design, and that restraint is the point. From across a room it reads as a vintage dress watch. Up close, you see the rope and the little Noah signature on the dial, and it turns into something else.
The case is a soft cushioned oval, polished and compact. Noah lists it at 31 by 35 millimeters with 18mm lugs, which puts it squarely in the small watch lane that has been taking over wrists for a few years now. It runs on a quartz movement, sits under mineral glass and is rated to 30 meters of water resistance. Flip it over and the Noah logo is engraved on the caseback.
Two ways to wear it
There are two colorways. Black / Gold pairs a gold tone case with a black pebbled leather strap and looks like an heirloom. Brown / Steel puts a silver case on dark brown leather and feels more like a weekend watch. Timex describes the strap as natural pebbled leather that molds to your wrist the more you wear it, which suits a watch meant to feel lived in.
Timex lists them on its own site as the Boatswain 31mm Leather Strap Watch, and Noah notes that the watch was made exclusively for Noah by Timex. Its launch story leans into the idea of a watch for people who would rather measure a day in miles under sail than minutes on a clock.
Why this one works
Noah, founded by Brendon Babenzien and Estelle Bailey-Babenzien and based at its Mulberry Street flagship in New York, has always mixed surf, skate and music culture with old school menswear. A boat shaped watch with a rope dial is the most Noah object imaginable. Timex brings the part that makes it wearable every day: a simple quartz watch you can throw on with a cable knit and forget about.
Noah also dropped a matching Noah x Timex Corduroy 5-Panel alongside it, made in the USA from 8-wale cotton corduroy with an adjustable leather closure. If you want the full look, that is the pairing.
The watch is on the Noah product page and at Timex, with current pricing listed there. Noah says discounts do not apply to this collaboration, and small run collabs like this tend to thin out in the first week.
Want something tougher on the wrist? Our best field watches guide covers the rugged side of the watch world, and our microbrand watch picks dig into smaller makers. If the Boatswain has you thinking about the rest of the outfit, start with our raw denim beginners guide.
