Key Takeaways
1. Heritage and Brand Identity: Timex, established in 1854, is recognized for its “quality watches at a fair price” and is viewed as an American heritage brand.
2. Competitive Landscape: Timex competes with brands like Casio, known for digital innovations, and Citizen, famous for solar technology and durable sports watches.
3. Diverse Offerings: Timex provides a wide range of styles under $100, including field, dress, and sporty digital models, appealing to various consumer preferences.
4. Highlighted Models: Notable models include the Weekender Chronograph, Timex T80, Ironman, Expedition Scout, and Standard Sub-Second, all showcasing unique features and value.
5. Timeless Design and Functionality: Timex watches combine classic design aesthetics with practical features, offering reliable performance at an affordable price point.
Timex has been a well-known name in the budget-watch industry for quite some time. Established in 1854 as the Waterbury Clock Company, Timex has evolved into a global brand recognized for providing “quality watches at a fair price.” Their iconic slogan, “It takes a licking and keeps on ticking,” perfectly sums up their reputation. In today’s market of watches priced under $100, Timex faces competition from brands like Casio and Citizen, each offering unique advantages. Casio is famous for its affordable digital innovations, like the 1974 Casiotron, one of the earliest LCD-wristwatch calculators, along with a loyal following for their G-Shock series. Citizen is known for its Eco-Drive solar technology and robust sports and diver watches, such as the Promaster diver, often regarded as one of the best budget dive watches available.
Timex’s Unique Appeal
On the other hand, Timex leans towards a more classic and analog style. The brand focuses on clear dials, easy-to-read Indiglo night-light features, and dependable quartz movements housed in designs inspired by heritage. Many consumers view Timex as an “American heritage” brand, offering a wide range of styles and reliability for the price. The models listed below illustrate the diversity within Timex’s offerings—from field and dress watches to sporty digital models—all providing great value at under $100.
Highlighted Models
The Weekender Chronograph (currently priced at $80 on Amazon) is a relaxed, field-style analog watch that includes a stopwatch. Its ivory dial has three subdials (for seconds, minutes, and 1/20th seconds) located at 2, 6, and 10 o’clock. The bold Arabic hour markers are set against a 24-hour scale, with the date cleverly placed at 4:30. Uniquely for its price range, the dial is fully illuminated with Timex’s Indiglo night-light feature. The watch sports a tan leather NATO-style strap and a brushed-brass case, adding to its rugged appearance. At about $80, the Weekender Chronograph offers a lot of features—date, chronograph, and Indiglo—making it a strong contender under $100.
The Timex T80 (currently available for $59 on Amazon) is a digital watch inspired by Timex’s original 1980s LCD designs. Its nostalgic vibe comes from the sleek stainless-steel case and seven-link bracelet. The LCD display shows time, date, and a simple animated design. Inside, it houses a modern quartz digital mechanism: four buttons control a 1/1000-second chronograph (stopwatch), customizable alarms, and a month/day/date calendar, all visible on a green Indiglo backlit screen. (There are even special editions featuring Pac-Man graphics.) The standout quality of the T80 is its vintage design paired with practical functionality. For around $70, it combines the appeal of a classic Casio-style digital watch with Timex’s reliability—great value for a low price.
Sporty Options
The Timex Ironman (priced between $50 and $70, currently $48 on Amazon) is a sport watch designed for serious athletes. Encased in resin, it is water-resistant up to 200 meters and features a large digital display with large numbers for easy reading. The Ironman includes all the necessary tools for runners and triathletes: a stopwatch with lap/split timing, countdown timer, daily/weekday/weekend alarms, and a 99-lap counter with a 30-lap memory recall. Its Indiglo backlight ensures visibility in dim conditions, and the front buttons are clearly marked “Start/Split” and “Stop/Reset” for user-friendliness. Endorsed for its resilience and famously worn by President Clinton, the Ironman’s features (including the impressive 200m water resistance) were even certified by NASA for space missions. All in all, for around $70, you can own a comprehensive athletic digital watch—quite a deal compared to high-priced fitness trackers.
The Expedition Scout (currently $50 on Amazon) represents Timex’s classic field-watch style, refreshed for modern tastes. At first glance, it resembles a more robust Weekender: a 40mm brass case with a matte finish and a traditional 12/24-hour military-style dial. Upon closer look, it features vintage-style syringe hands (filled with lume) and a practical date window at 3 o’clock. The Scout’s case and bezel are broader, with shorter lugs for a more contemporary appearance. Most importantly, the dial is clean and easy to read, glowing a bright blue-green under Indiglo light. A durable fabric or leather strap completes the look. With a 50m water resistance rating and Timex reliability, the Expedition Scout offers essential functionality of a legitimate field watch for just about $70.
Timeless Design
The Standard Sub-Second (approximately $99) showcases Timex’s version of a stylish dress watch with a timeless design. It features a polished brass case and a silver-white dial framed with an old-style railroad-track minute marker. The hours are shown with slender baton hands and clear Arabic numerals. Uniquely, rather than a standard second hand, this watch has a small seconds subdial at 6 o’clock (hence the name) which has a contrasting sunray finish. This model often comes fitted with a honey-brown leather strap made from apple-leather material. In terms of style, the Standard Sub-Second exceeds expectations—at just under $100, it presents a watch that appears far more luxurious, boasting classic design and solid craftsmanship within this price range.