It is a rare occasion that I am sent a dress watch amid the bevy of divers that swim through my collection. I have had the opportunity to review two previous TX models and both were multifunction chronographs with busy dials and many duties beyond date and time. The 400 Series is a different piece altogether: an attractive and simple dress watch that matches its understated look with a simple and functional perpetual calendar quartz movement. TX supplied a stainless steel version on a black leather strap. Here are the details:
- 46mm case.
- German made quartz movement.
- Perpetual weekly calendar.
- Sapphire crystal.
- Separate day/month hand.
- 20mm lugs.
- Signed butterfly deployment clasp.
- Water Resistant to 10 ATM (330ft).
- Available with leather or stainless steel bracelet.
The TX 400 may be a departure from TX’s standard aesthetics, but like their other models, the 400 is designed around usable and handy features. The entire dial is focused toward the date and time. The hands are large and the contrast of the black dial makes reading the time easy. The chapter ring carries the dial markers and surrounds another ring that outlines the month as it corresponds with the perpetual calendar. The quartz movement is powered by a 4-year battery and once set, the perpetual calendar is accurate until the year 2100 and will automatically adjust for leap years and short months like February. The orange tipped date/month hand is windowed to show the day of the week initial and points directly to the date number in the curved windows which shows the dates numbers for the entire week. This watch has continued to get wrist time because with a cabinet full of automatics, it was always set, even on the 1st of the month.
The case is always important on a dress watch because the watch needs to fit well on your wrist to be worn under sleeves and cuffs. The TX 400 is great in this area; its thin case and nicely sculpted lugs sit tight with the included leather strap. The dial has an embossed design, and the entire look comes together well making the 400 easily the most understated watch in the TX lineup. The overall design is reminiscent of the Hamilton Jazzmaster series as the 400 remains classy but has a modern 46mm case. It is light, easy to read, and the perpetual calendar is a nice feature that blends into the functionality of this relatively simple looking watch. In a market that is seemingly pushing towards more bling, logo’s, a shiny bits on every watch, it’s nice to see TX looking back at successful designs of the past and building a look that is simple in a complete positive sense. This is a nice watch that offers a simple but highly usable quartz movement, an attractive and elegant design, and a competitive price point of $495.00.
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By James Stacey
