Timex Watches Review – Affordable and Reliable

Timex Watches – Affordable Style

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Timex watches - Men's chronograph blackIf you’ve ever owned more than one timepiece in your life, chances are you’re familiar with Timex watches.  Originally founded in 1854 as the Waterbury Clock Company,  Timex watches are now owned by a Dutch company that also owns a number of other brands, including Guess, Salvatore Ferragamo and Versace brands, among others.

As the company now owns a number of brands that target specific demographic groups, their namesake brand is now an entry-level brand in the world of designer watches.  That doesn’t mean they’re poorly made; they’re simply inexpensive.  That aside, their current product line includes literally hundreds of models in a variety of styles.

Read on for the full Timex watches review.


Build Quality
Movements
Innovation
Styling and Features
Care and Maintenance
Warranty
Prices
Where to Buy
Summary

Timex Watches Build Quality

Given their relatively low price point, these watches are reasonably well built, with stainless steel cases and reliable quartz movements.  We haven’t been able to determine the origin of the movements; we suspect they’re made in China.  That said, most of their models offer reasonable water resistance and some are water resistant to 500 meters, which is fairly significant.  That shouldn’t be surprising, as their product line includes a number of sports models.

Movements

In their long history, the brand has traditionally used mechanical movements, but these days, as near as we can tell, the entire product line is based on highly accurate quartz crystal movements.  These are battery powered, which means you won’t have to worry too much about maintenance, aside from replacing the battery every year or two.

Innovation

Timex watches were among the first wristwatches ever made, coming into popularity during World War I.  The company includes quite a few interesting features in their models, which is surprising, given their price point.

That said, you’re not going to find cutting edge innovation here; these are relatively inexpensive timepieces and as such, they’re not going to include such gadgets as atomic clock synchronization or phases of the moon.

Click here to buy Timex watches at Amazon.com.

Styling and Features

Timex watches - white dial baby blueThe styling is all over the map; they make lots of watches for casual wear, many sports models, numerous timepieces that would look great for business wear, and even a few fancier styles for evening wear.

You won’t find diamonds on Timex watches, but you will find Swarovski crystals, and they’re both pretty and affordable.  They have a nice mixture of both analog displays and digital displays with a few models offering both.  Sports models include a number of features to allow you to monitor such things as heart rate, speed, altitude and even distance traveled.

Other models include GPS capability, a compass, temperature gauges, depth gauges and various chronometer features.  Models are available with stainless steel bracelets, leather bands, and rubber bands for the sports models.  Colors include black, silver, gold for the evening wear models and plenty of bright, flashy colors for the casual daily wear.

The company currently offers several hundred models with an equal number for both men and women.  There’s probably something for everyone in the Timex watches product line.

Care and Maintenance

You’ll find the brand is pretty friendly when it comes to maintenance.  They all have quartz movements, so you’ll just need to change the battery every couple of years.  Be sure to keep it away from strong magnetic fields and extremes of temperature, and store it properly when not in use.  If you have a sports model and you spend a lot of time in or near the water, you may wish to have it checked out every couple of years by a jeweler to ensure that the watch remains watertight.

Timex Watches Warranty

Your purchase is warranted for one year from the date of purchase against defects in materials and workmanship.  This is quite a short warranty as designer watch warranties go, but the company does offer an extension of the warranty for four additional years at a reasonable price (it was $5 when we last checked.)  We don’t usually recommend extended warranties, but if you can buy one for that price, you should probably go ahead and get it.

Prices

Timex watches - women's multi function black rubberAs designer watch brands go, you’ll find that these are priced quite affordably.  List price on their watches starts at $30 and tops out at under $500 for their most expensive models.  There’s a lot in between, but you can find plenty of attractive and functional timepieces for sale in the $100 range.

There’s a bit of interest in older models on the collector’s market, but we can’t recommend buying for their investment potential.  On the other hand, there simply isn’t another reliable brand of wristwatch on the market that offers the selection and pricing that you can get here. Their products are priced so that anyone can afford them.

Where to Buy

You’ll find that this brand pretty ubiquitous in the marketplace.  You can buy them at jewelry shops, department stores, and many discount stores.  You can also buy them from a variety of online locations.

The product line is large, so don’t be surprised if few retailers stock all of it.  We’re not aware of any limited edition products from this company, so you won’t have to worry about running all over town to find some super-limited item, as you might with some other brands.

Timex Watches Summary

If you’re looking for a good selection of products, decent, if not flashy, styling, and pricing that simply cannot be beaten, you may want to look at Timex watches when you’re shopping for a wristwatch.  We’ll admit that you’re not going to draw gasps from your friends if you’re seen wearing one, but on the other hand, they do make a number of very attractive timepieces that are offered for sale at an equally attractive price point.

They also offer a wide variety of sports models that offer a surprising number of features, given their price.  They’re accurate, reliable, attractive, and so affordable that if you lose yours, you’ll likely just go out and buy another one.  We do recommend the extended warranty, as it’s almost too cheap to pass up.  All in all, Timex watches offer incredible value.

Click here to buy Timex watches at Amazon.com.