“A Timex Weekender for every day of the week?”
Well, yes and no. That depends on what you do for a living and whether or not boardroom flexing is part of the game. If you answered yes to the latter, I suggest you stop reading now and go get yourself some fancy calling cards.
However, if your work environment is less toxic (and a lot less “executive”), here’s a great candidate for a grab and go timepiece. Ladies and gents, meet the Timex Weekender. For those who aren’t too familiar with the Weekender, it’s arguably one of the most popular budget watches to date. Also, try not to be fooled by its name, okay? The Weekender is nigh on perfect as an everyday option. So long as you’re fine with a time-only display.
“But isn’t a Seiko 5 a great everyday opti-“
I’ll stop us right there. As good as a Seiko 5 is, it’s a mechanical watch. To watch geeks, that’s a plus but to people who couldn’t care less, it may pose as an annoyance. I know for a fact that there are people out there who would never spend on a mechanical watch simply because they have no time to look out for its power reserve. Do they need a watch, though? Most certainly.
A quartz watch, for over 95% of the time, will keep better… err… time compared to a mechanical watch for as long as its battery lasts. Also, a quartz watch will no doubt outperform most mechanical watches in terms of accuracy over the long run. For those still insisting on wearing a watch today, I’m pretty sure these are the reasons why you’d pick a quartz over a mechanical one. So, aside from the obvious advantage and convenience, why else would the Timex Weekender be a suitable beater watch for almost anyone?
“The Weekender… It looks so… safe.”
While some quarters will inevitably accuse it of looking boring, there’s no denying that the Weekender is a handsomely styled watch that won’t offend. You could pair it with a T-shirt/jeans setup or a shirt/trousers combo and the Weekender will look right at home. Short of gunning for an executive outfit or something for the opera, the Weekender will fit most work (and play) settings.
The brass, polished silver-finished case is sized at 38 mm (double check figures) and lug to lug measurements stand at 46 mm. For those with small wrists, fret not for the Weekender’s lugs possess a subtle downward slope that should increase its wearability. My own wrists measure a twig-like 6 inches and I can safely say that the watch wears nicely.
Elsewhere, a mineral crystal is featured. Nothing spectacular and quite expected at this price point, honestly. Now, the 20 mm lugs are another plus point. Such a common size means a plethora of aftermarket straps to choose from. The Weekender comes with a slip-through fabric strap with my particular model getting a grey-blue one. While the quality is average at best, I find the colours complementary to the white dial-dark blue seconds hand pairing. Mind you, there are plenty of variants so one is bound to catch your attention.
Fans of field watches will also enjoy the 24-hour readout on the inner ring. Now, while I’m a huge fan of uncluttered dials, I find that the addition of it was a good move from Timex. Sans the 24-hour readout, the dial runs the risk of looking a little bland. The hour markers are styled in large Arabic numerals which should make legibility a boon.
“… and speaking of legibility and lume… “
The Timex Weekender has none of the latter. At all. Instead, it comes with the brand’s trademark Indiglo illumination. Holding down the crown, the user is treated to a green-blue backlit wash that completely lights up the dial, making it far more legible than any quantity of lume can amount to.
The printed numerals are large and clear enough for most owners, I reckon. No applied indices here, of course. Also, the only lines of text you see on the dial are of the brand and Indiglo badging. Moving on, the crown is fairly proportionate to the 38 mm case but lacks a fair bit of tactility. Pulling it to set the time, I felt that it was a tad vague in its action.
Turning the watch around, we see a snap off/on caseback with minimal (but essential) information etched into the surface. Written right in the middle is ‘CR2016’, the battery cell type. If you look close enough, you’ll be able to spot a small arrow that points in the direction of a notch at the edge of the caseback. Using a small, solid flat-ended object, you’ll be able to pry off the case from this point and replace the battery yourself.
Beneath the cell type text, the water resistance rating of 30 m is displayed. With that in mind, it’s fair to say this watch will not be joining you in the pool anytime soon. Best keep it to light splashes in the washroom when you scrub your hands down, then.
“Can I not swap straps?”
Sure, by all means stick with the stock strap if you want to. Truth be told, the stock strap isn’t that bad. It’s comfortable enough but lacks that final bit of polish. The steel buckle, with ‘Timex’ stamped into the surface, looks and feels rather low quality.
All in all, it’s an average strap setup at best. I highly suggest getting several strap options to suit different occasions. Feeling casual? How about a NATO or a perlon strap? Going to work with it? Perhaps a suede and leather combination will suit you better. Most of my aftermarket straps come from sellers such as DialsAndStraps, XY Straps and CheapestNATOstraps.
No, I was not paid a single cent to highlight these guys. I’m only pointing them out because I’ve personally bought and tried on straps from them. For the money, I can’t complain.
“This Weekender sounds like the perfect watch…”
Not so fast. There is one notable flaw with the Timex Weekender. The sheer volume of its ticking. Yes, close to all quartz watches will give off an audible tick every second but the sound coming off the Weekender is loud in comparison.
In fact, and I’m not exaggerating here, the Weekender would probably be the worst watch to wear if you’re going to spend some time in a library. Writing this review from the comfort of my room with no music and the windows shut, the ticking can be heard from one and a half feet away on my desk.
Next, the seconds hand almost never aligns with the minute markers as you watch perform its sweep around the dial. I know that this isn’t a deal breaker but the OCD ones are bound to suffer from a twitch or two every time they glance down.
“How much moolah are we talking about now?”
Ah, the million dollar question. Well, it’s obviously not anywhere near a million, far from it. Very, very far. Prices tend to vary depending on where you’re getting your Timex Weekender from but a quick check on Timex’s official Shopee store shows a price tag of RM164.45.
Let that figure sink in. For pretty much half the price of a new Seiko 5 from the SNXS/SNKL series, you’re getting a handsomely-styled, time-only watch with more than enough heritage to stand its ground against the pretenders.
*cough*WanielDellington*cough*
So, who would suit the Timex Weekender? As mentioned at the start, it’s perfect for those who need a fuss-free, grab-and-go watch to pair with a slightly less formal work outfit or a T-shirt and shorts combo. Throw it on a leather strap for the office grind and then swap it out for a playful NATO over the weekend. No matter the setting, the Weekender is bound to look right at home with the right strap attached.
The fact that it costs less than an expensive steak dinner is just the icing on top of a very affordable yet satisfying cake. Just remember to avoid wearing it if you’re trying to get into that librarian’s good books.
