Brother, I hear you... my Vector is machine finished, I too prefer that understated matte look.It's beautiful as well, but I prefer the look of the Timeless Also (and I know I'm in the minority around here), I actually prefer the look of machined razors (matte finish) over polished razors (glossy finish). To me, a razor is primarily a tool. Polished razors look primarily like works of art. Now, if I were a collector with dozens of razors on stands, etc. that would be a different story. But, as a minimalist with just one razor hanging on a utility hook over my sink, I want my razor to look the part.
Being a minimalist myself, it was the only razor on my countertop, until this Timeless came along.
Now, the Vector is taking a break, while I'm having the Timeless as a sole razor in my bathroom.
As for glossiness, the availability of Timeless is quite limited in EU and there are no options, like "build your own". Basically, you can get a full kit and that's it. There were actually no matte ones, only polished. So that's what I've got. But, she is a looker, the more I look at it, the more appealing it has become