Today, we’re bringing you another review of a Timex model, the Weekender (specific one reviewed: T2N647KW).  Let’s have a look-see, shall we?

For starters, this particular model is part of Timex’s affordable range of watches.  This model in particular has an MSRP $40, but I was able to track it down on Amazon for closer to $26.  What all do you get for that low entry price?

• Polished silver-tone brass case; 38mm wide, 10mm thick
• 20mm nylon strap
• Mineral crystal
• Quartz movement
• Indiglo backlight

All in all, a very competent watch.  I wore it for a few days over the weekend, and it just becomes unnoticeable on your wrist, due to it’s light weight.  If you sit in a quiet room, though, you’ll quickly realize the watch is there.

Why?  The quartz movement contained within is about the noisiest quartz watch I’ve run across.  I imagine this is due to a combination of factors, primarily the movement dictated by the pricepoint, and the very minimalistic case.  Not a dealbreaker, but something you should be aware of.

As with the other Timex we recently reviewed, this contains a very competent Indiglo backlight.  It’s a bit odd to see a fully-black dial light up, but I must say, it makes the watch plenty readable in the dark.  I wouldn’t have minded some lume on the hands as well, but, again, for this price?  Hard to complain.

This watch should work for just about anyone  - man or woman, adult or child.  The 38mm case is fairly unisex, and there are quite a few color combinations with the dial and strap.  Heck, for the price, might as well pick up a couple!

Earlier this month, we brought you news of Timex’s new Intelligent Quartz line, and today, we’re bringing you a hands-on review of their World Time Traveler.

The specific review model we were provided with is the T2N611, which has an MSRP of $150 (it can be found for less on Amazon.)  This particular variant has a cream dial, leather strap and polished case.  My initial take on this style is that they were going for a vintage feel.  Part of this, I think, is due to the narrow strap; of course, with a 43mm case, I’d prefer something a bit wider than the 20mm the lugs allow.

When I first received the watch, I pulled the crown out to adjust the time, and was greeted with something you might not expect – a digital beep.  Just a gentle reminder of the quartz heart, I suppose.  The crown itself is “signed” with the same globe graphic that the watch face has, and adjusts three of the functions on offer:

• In the normal operating position, when you press the crown in, it activates the Indiglo backlight
• Pull the crown out to the first position, you can adjust the time
• Once its in the second position,  you can adjust the time.

This brings us next to the pushers that flank the crown.  They are used to adjust the world city selection (indicated by the red crescent-tipped hand), which in turn adjusts both the 24-hour indicator in the upper-left of the dial, as well as the season (Winter – Summer) indicator in the lower right.

Add in the 100m water resistance, and you’ve got a complete picture of the features this watch offers.  Nothing flashy, but something a bit more interesting than a simple date and time watch.  The 43mm case brings the watch in line with current tastes, and is very light and comfortable on the wrist.  The strap, though narrow, is slightly padded, and I experienced no issues with the buckle digging into my wrist. And of course, literally underlying this is Timex’s proven alternative to lume, the Indiglo illumination.

While I’m sure many readers of this site would prefer to add a watch containing a mechanical movement to their collections, quartz watches like this Timex do have a place with their reliable and maintenance-free movements.  With this IQ line, Timex is adding some new and unique features, and interesting styles that you don’t normally see in quartz models.

Pros

• Generously-sized, but still lightweight, case
• Reliable Timex quartz movement with world-time functionality
• The Indiglo backlight

Cons

• The 20mm band really feels too narrow for this case
• At $150, the price feels a touch high with what we’re used to seeing for a quartz movement
• The seasons indicator seems more like a gimmick than a truly useful feature

Priced at a surprisingly sober $140 to $225, Timex’s Intelligent Quartz line offers a number of interesting features, including a perpetual calendar, flyback chrono, and compass, in an analog package. The watches are quite handsome – I saw some early models – and for the price they really can’t be beat.

The watches also support temperature sensors, altimeters, and world time readouts. As you well know, I’m not a big fan of quartz but I wouldn’t kick these out of bed for eating crackers.

Product Page

What’s that? Come here, sweetie. They didn’t mean it. What did they say exactly? Come here. Stop crying. Ok. Count to ten.

Deep breath. They called you “fattie?” You’re just bigger than the other sports watches, sweetie. Look at Suunto. Or look at Casio’s Pathfinder line. You’re about the same size but you have more features!

What? The T-Touch said that? Well the T-Touch doesn’t have a huge, extremely readable digital face with plenty of at-a-glance information. I mean look at you: you can tell if it will rain just by checking your wrist. And your compass is better than the T-Touch’s.

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Timex makes nice work-out watches. I wore an Ironman for years and the bugger never gave out on me – I basically abandoned it. I also owned an earlier Expedition that I really enjoyed for running. Now, there’s a new monster on the block.

When I originally saw the WS4 online I was kind of put off by the size and screen. It looked way too big – and it is – but do I really need a little storm cloud to tell me that it’s going to rain? I kind of got the sense that this was a one-off by Timex just to get a little attention. I was wrong.

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I received a TX World Time for review last week. Wow. This is definitely not your dad’s Timex. I think it is fair to say that TX is to Timex what Tissot is to Swatch. Yes, Swatch group makes Tissot, but a Tissot is not a Swatch, and a TX is not Timex. It’s big, it’s dramatic, and it’s a little too much for me.

The first thing that jumps out at me is that the TX is big. 45mm on my slim wrists is a little much. But for its size, it is light, but feels solid. I know this sounds like a contradiction, but watches this size are either rocks, or feel like they’ll snap between your fingers. The TX feels remarkably well made for being so light. Fit and finish were immaculate. All edges and corners are clean and sharp. Surfaces had mirror finishes and flats are flat. The black finish is beautiful. The element I liked best was the use of rose gold for the hands and hour markings. The rose gold added a touch of class that the usual yellow gold finish does not. The TX logo is enamelled on the crown and worked into the end of the second hand. The hands and hour markings are luminescent, as are the retrograde hands. The retrograde hands threw me for a loop the first time I saw them in the dark, as there are no reference markings, just mysterious glowing hands floating on the dial. Once you know to look for them, they’ll stop distracting. What I mistook for a blur in the finish was a nicely executed little world map on the dial. This adds up to a rich and dramatic appearance.

The dial is busy, but that is a reflection of the functionality and this adds to its charm. In addition to the customary HH:mm:ss, and date, you have a second time zone. The time zone is indicated by the hand with the crescent at the end, and it points to cities, and countries named along the inside of the bezel for each time zone, and is controlled with the two buttons flanking the crown. Time in the second time zone is indicated on a retrograde hand in the upper right of the dial. The other retrograde style hand indicates standard or daylight savings time, and is controlled by the button on the left side of the dial.

I really like the functionality, I get a lot of use out of a second time zone, and the zone markings relieve me of the need to think through which way is which and how many hours. Put an alarm on this puppy, and it would be a dream come true.

The TX World Time is a beautiful watch, but a bit much for a guy like me, who usually wears an Ollech & Wajs M-65. For what it is, an initial entry into the luxury watch market, it is great. It would be an excellent first up-scale watch for a young man, and a great watch for someone who enjoys the dramatic appearance.

Just got a chance to pay with the iControl. Don’t buy it if you’re looking for a sports watch. Buy it if you want to control your iPod from your wrist.

The Timex iControl is a watch/dongle combination that lets you control your iPod from your Timex Ironman. The watch itself is quite small and thin — very lightweight — and it has five iPod control buttons as well as a complete set of watch functions including a 50-lap memory, timer, and two alarms. Dongle itself is much larger than the Nike+iPod kit and takes up the iPod’s docking port, which is kind of upsetting since you can no longer use the pedometer if you have both.

Timex iControl Review [CrunchGear]

A Seiko&Citizen Forum poster has slammed this watch into the pavement, dives with reckless abandon, and treats this 1991 watch like a red-headed stepchild. The result? A cracked crystal and flawless operation on the original battery. Cute story.
Seiko & Citizen Forum

I wrote a review for my “day job” site, CrunchGear.com, of the Timex TX 730. Head on over and check it out.

Timex has long been the butt of countless jokes. A brand that used to take a licking and keep on ticking has been reduced to bargain bin quartz pieces with a few bright lights like the Ironman series to keep it afloat. Well, Timex has pulled a complete 180 and released a watch that I can honestly say is a step forward for the brand and, dare I say it, everyday horology.

Timex TX 730 Hands On [CrunchGear]

It looks like the lure of the complicated watch is digging deep into the substrata of watch buyers. The TX line is looking hot so far, with mechanical movements, lots of retrograde hands, and enough quality to make us think twice about Timex.

There are three series of TX watches right now: the 300 perpetual calendar (which doesn’t require adjustments on months with less than 31 days), the 500-series with a second time zone display, and 700-series with a stopwatch, second time zone, and an electronic compass. The picture is from the 730 model.

Timex TX Watches [WatchReport]