Timex Expedition Pioneer Titanium Automatic
Contents
- Timex Expedition Pioneer Titanium Automatic
- When I think of Timex, or maybe when you think of Timex, Indiglo comes to mind. Or possibly Quartz. Or even cheap. Well, that was the old Timex. This Timex Expedition Pioneer titanium automatic is one of many new Timex watches that really puts Timex in a whole new category, one that watch enthusiasts are now looking at. This Timex is grade 2 titanium, 200m water resistant, has a sapphire crystal, and an automatic movement. It’s definitely not your father’s Timex, that’s for sure.
- And this isn’t the Timex I remember either. Timex when I was growing up was the department store watch. Quartz watches that were extremely affordable, with the patented Indiglo light system and especially digital watches like the Timex Ironman. All that is still available, but Timex is now making watches for us, watches that can compete with microbrands and even other mainstream brands, and watches we watch collectors and enthusiasts actually want but wear.
- The case of the Timex Expedition Pioneer Titanium Automatic is barrel-shaped, all Grade 2 Titanium, bead-blasted, and with a screw-down crown and case back, rated for 200m of water resistance. Now, this case was first offered as a GMT, with a 24-hour bezel and a GMT hand, using the Seiko NH34 movement. They then decided to use this case to make a stainless version, with a 60-minute bezel, and then finally more of a true dive watch version, with a 120-click unidirectional bezel, with the elapsed time aluminum bezel insert.
- This dive model in titanium only comes with a black dial currently, with the matching black bezel insert, matte black to match the black dial, and you can get it with either a black or green HNBR rubber strap (Hydrogenated Nitrile Butadiene Rubber), which offers more abrasion resistance and higher tear strength, as well as being more flexible in colder temps, over an FKM rubber strap, though I will admit it does attract more lint and debris than FKM, though nowhere near as much as a silicone strap. It’s also available on a titanium H-link bracelet, very similar to Sinn.
- And that’s where things do get a little muddled, as the overall design is not a 1:1 copy of anything, but certain elements are heavily inspired by others, most notably Tudor and the aforementioned Sinn. The bezel insert is clearly from a Tudor Pelagos, as are most of the applied indices, like the little pillow or Chiclet indices, and the crown somewhat reminiscent of the older Black Bay style crown, minus the aluminum crown tube. I also find the crown to be rather small at 6.2mm, in comparison to the case. It doesn’t jet out much from the case, and looks tiny.
- The dial is pretty straightforward though, not overly cluttered, as the text is rather small on the bottom half of the dial, and I do like the pops of fluorescent green here along with the second hand. The hour and minute hands are a little thinner than most dive watches, but they are also pretty long, a bonus in my opinion, and I really like the white outline on them against the black dial. A color-matched date at 3 o’clock completes the dial. On top is a sapphire crystal with an AR coating, and while many brands use sapphire these days, even Citizen at this price point, it’s nice to see that Timex did as well.
- I was really hoping the lume would be great on a watch like this; unfortunately, that is not the case. It’s average at best, and really below average considering that the hands and the pip glow the brightest and will last the longest, so you can still read it in the dark, but the indices start to fade rapidly (within a few minutes).
- Around the back, there’s a glass case back, also sapphire, though I hesitate to call it an exhibition case back as Timex decided to paint this Expedition logo on it. I don’t really care to see a naked Seiko NH35 movement in the first place, but if you’re going to do a glass case back, why cover it up? Timex, for the 2.0 version of this watch, go with a nicely engraved titanium case back.
- On my 7 1/2 inch (19.05 cm) wrist, it fits me perfectly. The 41mm barrel-shaped case has no sharp edges anywhere; everything is rounded off and smoothed out, and of course it’s titanium, so it’s very lightweight, and the rubber strap is only adding a few grams. The strap is very comfortable, and the keepers stay in place and hold the strap in place, unlike a lot of rubber straps I use that I always find myself adjusting the keepers. At 115mm x 75mm, I do find the strap a little short, especially if you have a bigger wrist than mine, as this wouldn’t fit an 8-inch wrist.
- And because I really like the color of the green strap, I was curious if you could purchase it separately, as some may want to be more subtle at times with the black strap but still want to have the bright green for the summer or beach days, but it seems they do not sell it separately, at least not on the website. I think this is a mistake. I also do not see the bracelet for sale by itself either, which, again, maybe down the road you decide you want the bracelet as well.
- As usual, I am critiquing pretty heavily here, but I do really love the look and feel of this Timex Expedition Pioneer Titanium Automatic. It’s a fantastic-looking watch, and I don’t have a problem with the likeness to Tudor; honestly, that is part of the appeal, and yet even with that, Timex did create something that, while not original, is uniquely their own, especially with that barrel-shaped case combined with all the other elements.
- Both the bezel and crown have great action, though I still would prefer a beefier crown, and for me, the rubber strap is the way to go, as I think the shrouded or semi-hooded lugs just don’t look great with the H-link bracelet. And most of all, this is a Timex! It’s a Timex, and under $500 (and can be had way under $500 with codes and offers found on their website and online), and is all titanium and automatic! As humans, we seem to push back on change a lot, but in this case, change is good! This is not your old Timex; no, this is the all-new Timex, and I am excited to see what they continue to produce.
- Timex
When I think of Timex, or maybe when you think of Timex, Indiglo comes to mind. Or possibly Quartz. Or even cheap. Well, that was the old Timex. This Timex Expedition Pioneer titanium automatic is one of many new Timex watches that really puts Timex in a whole new category, one that watch enthusiasts are now looking at. This Timex is grade 2 titanium, 200m water resistant, has a sapphire crystal, and an automatic movement. It’s definitely not your father’s Timex, that’s for sure.
Specifications 41mm Width 48mm Lug to Lug 13.5mm Thick 20mm Lug Width 82.16 Grams Sapphire Crystal 200m Water Resistant Screw-Down Crown Seiko NH35 Movement Super-LumiNova® On Hands And Indices HNBR Rubber Strap 120/75mm Strap Length Price $479.00 https://timex.com/products/expedition-pioneer-titanium-automatic-41mm-hnbr-synthetic-rubber-strap-watch-tw2y63600
And this isn’t the Timex I remember either. Timex when I was growing up was the department store watch. Quartz watches that were extremely affordable, with the patented Indiglo light system and especially digital watches like the Timex Ironman. All that is still available, but Timex is now making watches for us, watches that can compete with microbrands and even other mainstream brands, and watches we watch collectors and enthusiasts actually want but wear.
The case of the Timex Expedition Pioneer Titanium Automatic is barrel-shaped, all Grade 2 Titanium, bead-blasted, and with a screw-down crown and case back, rated for 200m of water resistance. Now, this case was first offered as a GMT, with a 24-hour bezel and a GMT hand, using the Seiko NH34 movement. They then decided to use this case to make a stainless version, with a 60-minute bezel, and then finally more of a true dive watch version, with a 120-click unidirectional bezel, with the elapsed time aluminum bezel insert.
This dive model in titanium only comes with a black dial currently, with the matching black bezel insert, matte black to match the black dial, and you can get it with either a black or green HNBR rubber strap (Hydrogenated Nitrile Butadiene Rubber), which offers more abrasion resistance and higher tear strength, as well as being more flexible in colder temps, over an FKM rubber strap, though I will admit it does attract more lint and debris than FKM, though nowhere near as much as a silicone strap. It’s also available on a titanium H-link bracelet, very similar to Sinn.
And that’s where things do get a little muddled, as the overall design is not a 1:1 copy of anything, but certain elements are heavily inspired by others, most notably Tudor and the aforementioned Sinn. The bezel insert is clearly from a Tudor Pelagos, as are most of the applied indices, like the little pillow or Chiclet indices, and the crown somewhat reminiscent of the older Black Bay style crown, minus the aluminum crown tube. I also find the crown to be rather small at 6.2mm, in comparison to the case. It doesn’t jet out much from the case, and looks tiny.
The dial is pretty straightforward though, not overly cluttered, as the text is rather small on the bottom half of the dial, and I do like the pops of fluorescent green here along with the second hand. The hour and minute hands are a little thinner than most dive watches, but they are also pretty long, a bonus in my opinion, and I really like the white outline on them against the black dial. A color-matched date at 3 o’clock completes the dial. On top is a sapphire crystal with an AR coating, and while many brands use sapphire these days, even Citizen at this price point, it’s nice to see that Timex did as well.
I was really hoping the lume would be great on a watch like this; unfortunately, that is not the case. It’s average at best, and really below average considering that the hands and the pip glow the brightest and will last the longest, so you can still read it in the dark, but the indices start to fade rapidly (within a few minutes).
Around the back, there’s a glass case back, also sapphire, though I hesitate to call it an exhibition case back as Timex decided to paint this Expedition logo on it. I don’t really care to see a naked Seiko NH35 movement in the first place, but if you’re going to do a glass case back, why cover it up? Timex, for the 2.0 version of this watch, go with a nicely engraved titanium case back.
On my 7 1/2 inch (19.05 cm) wrist, it fits me perfectly. The 41mm barrel-shaped case has no sharp edges anywhere; everything is rounded off and smoothed out, and of course it’s titanium, so it’s very lightweight, and the rubber strap is only adding a few grams. The strap is very comfortable, and the keepers stay in place and hold the strap in place, unlike a lot of rubber straps I use that I always find myself adjusting the keepers. At 115mm x 75mm, I do find the strap a little short, especially if you have a bigger wrist than mine, as this wouldn’t fit an 8-inch wrist.
And because I really like the color of the green strap, I was curious if you could purchase it separately, as some may want to be more subtle at times with the black strap but still want to have the bright green for the summer or beach days, but it seems they do not sell it separately, at least not on the website. I think this is a mistake. I also do not see the bracelet for sale by itself either, which, again, maybe down the road you decide you want the bracelet as well.
As usual, I am critiquing pretty heavily here, but I do really love the look and feel of this Timex Expedition Pioneer Titanium Automatic. It’s a fantastic-looking watch, and I don’t have a problem with the likeness to Tudor; honestly, that is part of the appeal, and yet even with that, Timex did create something that, while not original, is uniquely their own, especially with that barrel-shaped case combined with all the other elements.
Both the bezel and crown have great action, though I still would prefer a beefier crown, and for me, the rubber strap is the way to go, as I think the shrouded or semi-hooded lugs just don’t look great with the H-link bracelet. And most of all, this is a Timex! It’s a Timex, and under $500 (and can be had way under $500 with codes and offers found on their website and online), and is all titanium and automatic! As humans, we seem to push back on change a lot, but in this case, change is good! This is not your old Timex; no, this is the all-new Timex, and I am excited to see what they continue to produce.
Timex
