We’re big fans of Timex watches here at Watch Report. They have a wide variety of styles, functions, and we think Timex represents excellent value. However, we’ve always wondered why they haven’t tried to compete more directly with Casio G-Shocks. G-Shocks have been extremely successful for Casio, and although Timex has a great line of Ironman watches, it seems they’ve been hesitant to encroach directly on G-Shock territory by adding features like solar power. Until now.
Timex recently introduced several new solar powered watches. You can see the entire Timex Solar lineup on their site, but here’s a breakdown:
- Three analog/digital combinations.
- Three shock-resistant digital models.
- Six in the Triathlon series.
- Two reverse LCD displays, which are white on black. (The conventional LCDs all seem to have the new high contrast displays we found in the Timex iControl.)
All the Timex Solar watches have the following in common:
- One-year warranty.
- Indiglo night light with the “FLIX” system (more below).
- Power (charge) indicator.
- Water resistant to either 50 or 100m (165 or 333ft).
Prices range from $80 to $110 USD which, in typical Timex fashion, is very reasonable for what you get. I like that they’ve added what they’re calling FLIX; like Casio, this is a feature that allows you to activate the electroluminescent backlight when its dark just by flicking your wrist. Very clever and useful when you’re in dim situations where your hands are full.
So let’s see: shock-resistant, automatic backlight, and solar powered. These are all things we’ve traditionally loved about G-Shocks, and hopefully we’ll love them just as much in the new Timex Solar watches.
By Paul Hubbard.
Special thanks to “Fizbi” for pointing out the Timex Solars on the Watch Report Forums.
