Watch Review: The Timex Ironman Solar Shock

Timex is perhaps the largest selling watch maker of all time. As their famous ad campaign long ago boasted, they do indeed keep on ticking. The Timex Triathlon has established itself as one of the most popular timepiece models at Walmart; the ultimate retail proving ground. The Timex Triathlon, one of the original “sport watches”, has graced the wrists of millions of satisfied urban adventurers. Timex has gone ahead and spruced up this new generation, The Ironman Solar Shock, with a new case style, an easy to read screen, solar power, and a robust, tough shock resistant exterior. It also retains the classic orange trim color signature of its predecessors . The Timex Ironman debuted with generally glowing reviews, as it represents a rare combination of affordability with durability. The watch has been dubbed “the quintessential beginner’s watch.” I can’t help but think the beginners are doing their homework. Let’s review the features:

• Plastic case with a stainless steel bezel.
• 200m/660ft water resistance.
• Indiglo back lighting technology.
• Solar charging ability with on screen charge indicator.
• Shock resistant to ISO standards.
• 5 alarms.
• 100 hour chronograph.
• Digital Display
• Black Resin Strap
• Designed To Be Worn On Inside Curve of Wrist
• Chronograph Training Log
• 75-Lap Recall
• 3-Alarm Feature
• 2-Interval Timers
• Dual Time Zones

What’s amazing about this industrial strength timepiece is that it simply never looks obsolete. Casio was successful in playing the kitsch card with the retro appeal of their classic digital watches of the eighties. The Ironman doesn’t try to be hip. It’s combination of functionality and aesthetic makes it a classic watch design. In the early nineties, the “Indiglo” glow in the dark features captured the appeal of young purchasers. As these Triathlon owners have grown up, the appeal of the new Ironman will be equally strong, as the listed features ( far beyond Indiglo ) and brand reputation speak for themselves . A college buddy of mine had one, raved about it, and never took it off.

The watch also has a 30 lap Chrono, Timer, and an Alarm. You can set two different times. The instructions say that is for two time zones, but I just put military time on one of them. The alarm is easy to use, and it can be set for daily, weekends, or weekdays. That’s ideal for me because I usually only wake up on weekdays. My one complaint would be that I would like the option to set a second alarm time.

The Ironman embodies new refinements of the tried and true design of Timex’s flagship Triathlon. The Timex Ironman Solar Shock is a purebred sports watch that may not have quite the pedigree of some offerings from Casio or the prestige of an automatic, but where it counts, it delivers in spades. This Timex is a great step forward because of its inclusion of a solar powered movement. The charge symbol is a battery that is displayed in the center of the screen between the date and the time.

All and all, the watch is really well made. It has a lot of functionality that you will actually use but lacks some of the fancy bells and whistles of a more expensive watch. It’s innovative and the rubber wristband is very comfortable. For an inexpensive watch, I definitely recommend this one.

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Why Solar G Shock Helps For Outdoor Activities

Casio’s Solar G Shock is a tough and practical line of watches that have long been favorites of uniformed personnel for their versatility and durability. Like most Casio watches, this watch has collateral under pressure. Although there is yet to be the perfect watch to endure under pressure, most of the watches nowadays have water resistance which is not powerful enough to handle heavy loads of water pressure. The Invicta watches, for example, have pressure resistant of over 50 ATM which makes it the perfect watch for that situation.

They are ideal for the tactical kinds of situations commonly encountered by military and police forces. Casio solar G shock wristwatches also make excellent companions on an outdoor adventure, with both shock and water resistance to ensure reliable operations no matter the field conditions involved. It’s no wonder that they are so popular, what with a corporate legacy of many important industry firsts under the Casio brand. But companies usually do not worry about their product being a failure on a certain angle, since it is us consumers that give the opportunity for the watch companies to fix the problem especially for the rest of the products they manufacture.

The solar G shock collection bears a proud lineage, going way back to the first-ever Casio watch that was made, in 1974, the Casiotron, among the first digital watches in the world at a time when the industry had just begun to incorporate digital technology into its designs. From humble beginnings as a successful manufacturer of cigarette lighter rings (yes, worn on a finger – this is Japan after all, the land of gizmos and gadgets galore), the company is now an established leader in consumer electronics worldwide. Case in point, the Solar G Shock line itself, representing “Timekeeping 3.0″ with a full complement of handy instruments on board, such as alitmeters and barometers to help discern oncoming weather, and atomic timekeeping for unmatched precision. Many models even run on solar energy for anytime-reliability and good old-fashioned peace of mind. G Shocks have become so popular that a “Baby G” line is targeting the youth market in particular with stylish colors and smaller more compact form factors that don’t compromise on the line’s core principles of durability and utility.

In fact, the solar G Shock was originally envisioned as a watch that would never break, epitomizing the “Triple 10″ philosophy of 10-bar water resistance, 10-meter freefall endurance, and a 10-year battery life at a time when it was believed that wristwatches were fashion accessories and that Japanese makes were especially cheap and nothing but throwaway novelties. With its G Shocks, Casio has redefined the wristwatch and created a new niche almost on its own, the tough and tactical wristwatch for action-oriented applications.

Thus the rich feature set previously mentioned so favored by uniformed personnel, many models offering abilities far beyond that commonly expected of a chronograph. When in the market for timepieces that are inexpensive but with a tough solid build.

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