Best of Both Worlds

Author's Rating:

Pros: Very nice looking, LOADS of functionality, Awesome Durability and Solid Construction typical of Timex.

Cons: Digital not as bright as pictured, resin strap reduces classiness; might replace with 56371 band.

The Bottom Line: 
I would highly recommend this watch. Time accuracy is not perfect, but definitely good enough for me. Solid construction and functionality out your ears make this a great watch.

Author's Review
This watch is fantastic. I thoroughly enjoy it.
I bought this watch to replace my old digital Ironman with a much classier version. Accordingly I was looking for a watch that looked good while maintaining the functionality of my old Ironman. This watch fits the bill perfectly. For the majority of the time I keep the digital display off and only turn it on to recall the date, or when using the timer/alarm functions.

It is true that this particular watch uses two separate systems for the digital and analog displays. Personally I think this is a huge advantage. As someone who is perpetually late, I keep my watch 5 minutes ahead of the actual time. This means I can set the analog (the more visible display) ahead while having the digital display set to the actual time.

As I just recently received the watch, I haven’t played around with the dual time zones. I anticipate using this feature for Daylight Saving Time, so I don’t have to remember “spring forward, fall back” anymore.

I like all the functionality of the watch, as well as the ability to pick and choose the appearance. I use the timers for baking or quick reminders and the alarms for waking up or for reminding myself to do something days or weeks in advance, since you can specify a date or use the normal daily alarm.

For me, keeping super accurate time is not a priority. My watch has lost a mere 1 second on the analog over 5 days, and a more-than-acceptable 2 seconds on the digital. By my calculations, I will only have to adjust the analog time once every 10 months and the digital once every 5 months to keep the time within 1 minute of the atomic clock. Or, if I’m feeling proactive, I can set it 1 minute ahead and have the watch within /- 1 minute for 1.5 years! (Afterthought: this doesn’t really matter as the analog time must be reset at the daylight saving’s transitions anyways…)

As for the physical construction, in general it is a very good everyday watch. I work on the weekends as a bike mechanic which usually butchers, scratches or oxidizes any ring or jewelry I wear, but so far it has held up really well. Timex seems to have a great warranty as well – while the most quickly worn components aren’t covered directly, it looks like it will only cost approximately $18.00 Canadian (including shipping and handling and tax) to replace the crystal within the first year.

The brightness of the digital display is dependant on lighting conditions, but is typically not as bright as the picture shows. The “dial” has a brushed finish which should hide minor scratches well. I tried removing the strap and had some trouble getting the pin back in. The buttons have a nice smooth action and are easily depressed when needed; I have yet to accidentally push one. The indiglo is most prominent on the digital display, but is useful as well with the analog if it’s really dark (after the glow-in-the-dark highlights on the hands dim). I love the incorporated nub on the strap-end-retainer which really helps to keep it in place. The strap has lots of adjustability, probably more than I’ve ever seen on a watch strap, so no matter your wrist size it should accommodate.