Average Reviews:
(More customer reviews)I own 8 Citizen Eco-drives and they are great watches. I thought that Citizen (and Casio) had cornered the market on the solar technology -- until I received my Timex Ironman Solar T5J261. I did my homework, read the specs, user's manual, reviews, and looked at lots of images. Let me tell you why this not only a GOOD simple and basic digital watch, but a POTENTIALLY GREAT watch with one SERIOUS FLAW [SEE BELOW]:
1. It is skillfully constructed and thoughtfully designed; the fit and finish are excellent. There are no sharp corners, lugs, buttons or crowns to catch on clothes or whatever. It's sleek -- even aeordynamic.
2. It weighs a mere 1.6 ozs -- you don't know you have it on!
3. It is SOLAR, which means a photoelectric cell will keep the battery charged in the ambient room or daylight. You'll likely NEVER have to change the rechargeable battery. The graphic battery icon lets you know when you need to give it some light.
3. It came FULLY CHARGED. I touched one of the buttons and it sprang to life -- and the battery level indicator showed that it was fully charged.
4. It is EASY to set. I set all the modes in about 1 minute. The setting functions are similar to the earlier model Ironman series -- intuitive and direct.
5. The price is very reasonable -- about $50.
6. It is water resistant to 100 meters [assuming you don't use the buttons under water]. Although not a "professional diver" per se, you can shower, swim, and snorkel with it.
7. The flexible, synthetic strap is long enough for any wrist and could be worn over most coats or wetsuits. The buckle is a substantial, satin-finished alloy (probably aluminum) with a large tang. It should last many years. The strap loop on the band has a lug on the underside which engages with the slots in the strap to keep the loop in a fixed location -- which keeps the excess strap from flapping about [a really clever touch].
8. The bezel is stainless steel with a satin finish on the face surface and polished edges. There are 4 recessed screws that appear to hold the bezel to the watch body -- a nice "techie" touch. The ONLY negative aspect of the design is the highly-polished INNER edges of the bezel, which produces distracting glare. The inner bezel return should have a non-reflective, satin finish.
9. The DISPLAY is excellent. I own one other (3-yr old) Ironman with the "Flix" feature. This display is nearly as good as the Flix -- which doesn't come with solar technology and finished off its battery in about 3 years. I cannot tell if the mineral crystal lens has any anti-reflective coating on the inner surface.
10. The "Indiglo" feature is excellent and (with 1 push) provides several seconds of total illumination when you're in the dark. The contrast between the black digital display and the light dial face is good (but not exceptional) and permits the data to be read even in relatively poor lighting conditions.
11. The watch has a programmed PERPETUAL CALENDAR that displays the Day, Month and Date. The time (hrs-min-sec) is displayed in 12 or 24 hour military formats. You won't have to ever adjust for leap years or short months.
12. This model has the 50-lap feature, which I haven't experimented with and won't use.
HERE IS THE FLAW: The specifications on AMAZON.COM for this watch indicate that it has a "mineral" crystal lens. IT DOES NOT! It is soft plastic and scratches EASILY!
It's a GREAT VALUE and I highly recommend this model -- if you will not be abusing this watch and subjecting it to activities that will scratch the lens.
Louis
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Timex Men's T5J261 Ironman Solar Power 50-Lap Resin Strap WatchThe Timex Men's Ironman Solar Power 50-Lap Watch #T5J261 is a must-have for serious athletes who appreciate style as much as they value high performance. The sturdy resin and woven canvas strap complements a silver-tone metal bezel. The light gray dial features bold, easy-to-read digital numbers, which show time, day, and calendar. The watch's most unique feature is its rechargeable energy source that uses natural and artificial light, so no batteries are required. Among the laundry list of Ironman-worthy functions are: 100-hour chronograph with lap or split option in large digits, 50-lap memory recall, power conservation feature with Sleep Mode, 99-lap counter and a 24-hour countdown timer. The watch, which features Indiglo night light, is water resistant to 330 feet.
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