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Timex Watches For Fun Gifts On A Budget

admin — Wed, 07 Dec 2011 08:06:26 +0000

Timex is a brand that most all watches lovers know about, but we tend to not think about Timex watches that often. That might be a shame because Timex has an important history in the American watch industry, and is also a brand that today offers a lot of watches. Timex sort of shot themselves in the foot by making too many budget watches for people with bad vision or the elderly. Not that anything is wrong with that, but style and quality conscious people typecasted the brand as boring. Those watches do exist, but in the last few years Timex has been offering more fun timepieces that focus on fashion as well as their history.

Most Timex watches are $200 and under, with the majority of watches in this article being priced at under $100. Many of these are part of the Timex Originals collection or other lines that offer contemporary timepieces with a very of a retro flair. Even the ubiquitous Timex Easy Reader is getting more treatment as Timex has celebrated the king of dorky watches by offering them in new colors and materials. I never thought I'd enjoy wearing a sub-$100 watch with a name called "Easy Reader" as much. My favorite is at the top of this post with the black case and tan leather strap.

Timex makes a lot of watches, and because of their volume they can offer a pretty decent watch for even $75. You can get a lot of bang for your buck, but these are not what you would consider high-end pieces. The watches have quartz movements and mineral crystals, with steel and plastic cases. Overall they make for excellent fashion accessories, gifts, or watches for people who "keep breaking their watches."

I was pretty impressed with Timex's focus on handsome styling and colors. They did a good job at reinventing classic watches in terms of feel and proportions. While you can get a camper style Timex in purple plastic - aside from some interesting colors - there isn't really anything dorky about these watches. This is me making an appeal to fellow watch snobs that a Timex can be on your radar when looking to make a sensible budget buy.

Part of many Timex watches is their special Indiglo night-light feature. These helpful backlights are usually operated by pressing in the crown which lights up the dial. Watches with Indiglo are great and I would love to see more high-end pieces offer stuff like that. It is a feature that is easy to miss on watches that don't have it. You can get a lot of these watches on Timex's website or at a range of stores. Certainly something to look at during the holiday gift buying season.

See Timex Originals watches on eBay here.

See Timex Originals watches on Amazon here.

Timex Originals Watch T2N409 RRP £7999 SALE

US $62.99

Timex Originals Watch T2N350 RRP £6999 SALE

US $62.99

76 Timex Originals Unisex T Series Pearl Dial Watch T2N401 $121 DISPLAY

US $75.00

TIMEX ORIGINALS GENTS CHRONOGRAPH BLUE DIAL BLACK LEATHER STRAP WATCH T2N391

US $151.20

Timex Originals T2N492 Mens Originals Watch £375

US $53.16

NEW Unisex Timex Originals 1900s MOTHER OF PEARL Retro WATCH T2N410 $9500

US $39.99

Written by Mr. Ariel Adams - aBlogtoRead.com, trusted independent watch media.

Timex T-Series Automatic Watches

admin — Wed, 02 Dec 2009 08:25:19 +0000

This is new to me, and I am not sure if you can get these in the US (but similar Timex watches in the US are available). These are Timex T-Series automatic mechanical watches. Pretty decent lookingÂ mechanical watches from the brand known for quartz, quartz, and more quartz. Movements are 22 jewel automatics with a power reserve indicator and 24 hour hand. There is of course the time and the date. I believe the movements are Timex exclusives and have a 36 hour power reserve. The watches are in steel with sunburst decorated dials - in a few colors in addition to the black (such as white and blue dial colors). Along with the metal bracelet, there is a crocodile patterned black or brown leather strap.

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The T-Series Automatic watches take the legibility and practicality that Timex is known for, and gives it a bit of a higher-end push. Style is contained in the functional, no nonsense exterior. While very characteristically Timex, they are rarities compared with what you see mostly in the US. Apparently the original T-Series watches were released in 2007, and these are the follow up watches. I think they are mostly for Europe though.

Look closely at the counterweight on the seconds hand, and you'll see the little "T" in the circle which is a Timex logo. Nice little touch. The watches are also water resistant to 50 meters. I sort of like the watches in a nostalgic way. I've been rather hostile to many Timex watches. Admittedly, many of them are quite ugly. But when I see a watch like this, it makes me want to rethink the brand. Prices aren't too bad. 199-219 euros. Though I have versions of Timex automatic watches with same movement in them for under $100 here in the US.

See automatic Timex watches on eBay here.

See automatic Timex watches on Amazon here.

VINTAGE BIG TIMEX AUTOMATIC DUSTPROOF WATCH RUNS 4U2FIX

US $199.99

VINTAGE WATCH TIMEX AUTOMATIC WATEPROOF MADE IN GT BRITAIN

US $1.56

VINTAGE THICK TIMEX MENS WATCH AUTOMATIC

US $3.99

Timex Mens Automatic Watch T2M513 Black Strap

US $40.00

Old timex watch AUTOMATIC From early 70s late 60s needs work

US $3.00

Vintage Watch Timex Indiglo Day Date Automatic Working

US $5.24

Written by Mr. Ariel Adams - aBlogtoRead.com, trusted independent watch media.

My Timex Classic Camper Watch Article On AskMen.com

admin — Sun, 02 Aug 2009 23:00:34 +0000

To be perfectly honest it is hard to write about a $35 watch after you have been writing about $35,000 watches. On the one hand, it is hard to be fair to the $35 watch, and on the other hand it is hard to make a case to the $35 watch market for a $35,000 watch that itself may just tell the time. In writing this review I needed to metaphorically step back a few paces and review the Timex Classic Camper as though it were in a vacuum. I actually like the watch for what it is - a dead simply, sort of retro themed, basic timepiece. No frills, nothing fancy, and easily disposable if need be. Cheap, not very big, and a watch. Exactly what you need many circumstances. See what I mean?

See my Timex Classic Camper watch article on AskMen.com here.

Timex Mens Expedition T49672 Camper Watch Khaki Fabric Strap

US $25.00

Timex Unisex T42591 Camper Expedition Classic Watch NEW

US $35.00

Timex Unisex T42591 Camper Expedition Classic Watch NEW

US $35.00

Timex Unisex T42591 Camper Expedition Classic Watch NEW

US $35.00

Timex EXPEDITION CAMPER BROWN CANVAS GENTS Watch

US $44.09

18MM SOLID Nylon NATO WATCH BAND Strap Military G 10 fits TIMEX CAMPER

US $11.95

Written by Mr. Ariel Adams - aBlogtoRead.com, trusted independent watch media.

My Timex Expedition WS4 Watch Article On AskMen.com

admin — Fri, 22 May 2009 23:42:13 +0000

Yes, I know, I have review this watch before, but that was the full-length Timex Expedition WS4 watch review, not this special version for the AskMen.com audience. You'll get another angle on the watch there. The Expedition WS4 is actually proving to be quite the popular timepiece, no joke. With the cool looks, and reasonable price, it is a strong offering from America's own. Check out my Timex Expedition Ws4 article on AskMen.com here.

Written by Mr. Ariel Adams - aBlogtoRead.com, trusted independent watch media.

Timex Expedition WS4 Watch Review: A Bit Of Wrist Adventure

admin — Mon, 04 May 2009 08:15:48 +0000

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My first Timex watch is this Expedition WS4 ("wide screen," "4" sensors). That gives me some handicap as I am not able to compare the watch with other Timex models, but I like to think that instead I am able to evaluate the watch with a fresh perspective on the popular brand. Timex is one of the most important watch brands in the world, and is certainly the king of US watch brands in terms of volume. The company has lots of sub-brands or departments, and they consider the "Timex Expedition"Â line to be its own mini entity. This watch is the result of some interesting development, and is one of the most appealing male watch designs that I've seen in a while. While the watch is unique looking, it is trying to be familiar. Let me explain. It basically strives to resemble that world of wrist-borne gadgets and instruments that we've been seeing in movies and video games for years... finally ready for us real people! The best part is that the Expedition WS4 is more than just looks, the user interface is genuinely well-designed to be easy to operate and useful. All this needs to be taken in consideration with the reasonable price of the watch, as well as it's pedigree.

The best watches to compare this with are the Casio Pathfinder watches (one of which I reviewed recently). The watches both share the desire to go outside and rough it, are products are large high volume companies,as well as offer a bevy of major functions that include:

Time with full calendar
Compass
Altimeter
Barometer (with mini-weather station readout)
Thermometer
Logs for all major functions
Stopwatch
Timer
Alarm
Two easy-view timezones

Aside from the major functions, there are lots of little functions included to enhance the user experience; chimes that can be turned on and off, a useful night mode for the Indiglo backlight, among lots of other features which are nice to have around. The best part is that the interface is friendly and relatively intuitive. If you recall, I praised the Casio Pathfinder watches for doing so much, but complained that you need to be well trained in learning how to use them all. Timex really put a lot of effort in the UI (user interface) design and it shows. The biggest effect of that work was the large informative display screen. A lot of good information is just a glance away - rather than having to cycle through display screens. The default screen gives you the time in two ways (digital and [digital] analog), the temperature, the weather estimate (an image for sun, clouds, rain), and a switchable area that indicates the date and month, altimeter reading, or barometric pressure. Having this information right there is really helpful and nice to have. Timex has some graphics (sort of orange colored) on the back of the crystal that attempt to visually separate the areas on the LCD screen or add visuals. These aren't exactly necessary, but don't distract too much (though I wouldn't mind if most of it wasn't there), and add to the techie look of the watch.

The watch case is about 53mm wide and 40mm tall, while being 16mm thick. The textured rubber strap is a massive 30mm thick. The watch case itself is black IP (ion plated), or satin finished steel, for the front and rear between a plastic section where the buttons are located. Most of the colored buttons (olive green in this instance) are plastic. TheÂ rubber strap is quite snugly attached to the case with the now popular hex screws to help add style. The Expedition WS4 is available in 6 fun colors, which is a nice option. Pictured is the all black model - which will no doubt be the major seller as it is the most neutral - but other color options are pretty nice looking (with yellow and orange being the loudest). You can almost think of these watches as being functional toys for adults - kids too, but around $200 might be a bit much for your 12 year old. While the strap is big and looks very tool-like, is comfortable and thin in depth. The buckle is thin and wide making it easy to strap on. Even on my less-than-giant hands, the instrument look of the watch is pretty neat looking. There are going to be a lot of people who are smitten by the accessible geek allure of this timepiece.

The more I wear the watch, the more it makes me feel like a character in a video game - in a good way though. This emotional attachment to men's pop culture is likely an intended side effect of the design, and is part of a genius marketing strategy by Timex. Most other Timex watches are pretty ho-hum, even though they are functional. Even if those watches had the large amount of functions that this Timex Expedition had, they wouldn't be nearly as desirable without the cleverly designed case and strap that encourage you to go out and make use of the clearly functional utility this watch offers. The watch isn't for everyone, but for those who love it, you know who you are. It is certainly a fun escape from 'average' watches that are out there.

Digging deeper into the functionality of the watch you'll continue to appreciate how nicely designed the operating system of the watch is. On-screen instructions are incredibly helpful, and absent in competitor watches. It is nice to have the watch say "Hold To Reset," while pressing a button to let you know how to use the function. This is very welcome indeed, and like I said, something you really don't see in most watches. I typically gloss over a lot of the functionality when it comes to the logging functions, but the included graph combined with the easy to use metrics makes it a breeze to use. Play with it for a bit and you'll know what I mean. You will however need to calibrate some of the functions yourself - but the instructions on doing this are pretty simple, so expect to sit down with the watch for an hour or so when you first get it to figure it out and go over all the settings and calibration. In addition to the user manual, Timex throws in a larger quick reference guide with lots of pictures that helps make using the Expedition WS4 watch as simple as possible.

Living with the Expedition WS4 watch is pretty easy. While big, it is relatively comfortable (the wrap around strap helps this greatly. . The watch is easy to read, and Timex's Indiglo illumination makes it easy to read in the dark. On the back of the watch is an easy to use battery replacement compartment - which uses CR2430 batteries that can be bought at most drugstores, meaning you don't need to visit a watch repair place to get a new battery. I believe that the crystal over the screen is mineral crystal, while the watch is water resistant to 50 meters.

Timex doesn't intend on the Expedition WS4 being a big investment for watch and outdoor enthusiasts. With a retail price of $199 it will be a no brainer for some people, and is roughly half the cost of some of the competition. I appreciate Timex's understanding many people in this generation need a bit more incentive to wear a watch. Plus, the generation I am speaking of (which includes myself) are part of what I can the "screen" generation. The concept is that a basic watch won't have a lot of perceived value over the clock on a cell phone (etc...), but adding functions and connecting with the familiarity of a "screened" device makes it a much more attractive proposition. The layout of the dial itself communicates a data rich approach that will appeal to people in the information age. Timex is showing that they can evolve with a watch like this - which is a good sign. The Timex Expedition WS4 is due for release right about now as you are reading this.

Get your Timex Expedition WS4 here direct from Timex.

Timex WS4 Expedition Watch Orange

US $83.00

Timex T49759 White Expedition WS4 Digital Oversized Mens Watch

US $199.99

TIMEX 49760 Blue Expedition WS4 ALTIMETER Alarm T49760

US $122.95

Timex Expedition WS4 Watch Black White Orange Compass

US $179.99

Timex Expedition WS4 Gray Camo Black Face T49841 NEW

US $149.95

Timex WS4 Expedition T49759 Widescreen Watch WHITE NEW

US $141.75

Written by Mr. Ariel Adams - aBlogtoRead.com, trusted independent watch media.

J. Crew Military Watch By Timex Watch Review On AskMen.com

admin — Thu, 02 Apr 2009 06:28:54 +0000

This was honestly not the easiest watch to review. You think it would be simple, but you basically have a limited edition Timex that you are talking about - made for J. Crew of all places (watch style incarnate right?). Regardless of these surface level facts, is a lot more to this watch than meets the eye. You first need to understand a bit about it, and what went in to it. Timex was called upon by J. Crew to design a classic looking military watch that could fall smack-dab in the center of an Americana photo-mosaic. Like stylish jeans, the watch was meant to look pre-vintaged. Like your Vietnam veteran relative worn it during the last two months of their tour of duty, brought it home, put it in a tin box, and then handed it to you after all this time - in good condition by aged. The J. Crew Timex Military vintage style watch does have a value in today's America, especially because it is a product of today's America.

Read my limited edition J. Crew Military watch by Timex review on AskMen.com here.