These examples would make the difference more apparent:

//echo 4 -s one $+($chr(3),$color(normal),$chr(44),8two,$chr(3)) three

//echo 4 -s one $+($chr(3),99,$chr(44),8two,$chr(3)) three

/.timerQ 1 0 echo /.timerQ 1 0 $timer(Q).com