More Information
 On: 2006-05-20
This watch features one of Timexs largest digital displays -- its bigger than their "full size" models. The hours and minutes digits are about 10 mm high by 4 mm wide, and the smaller digits half as big in each dimension. This is just what the doctor ordered if you want to go running without wearing your glasses. And for a product thats mass-produced in China the quality is quite reasonable. Still the watch description here, and even the information you get from Timexs web site, doesnt tell you everything you might want to know.
In the first place, the background isnt the near-white thats shown; its the standard light gray of most LCD displays. Second, this watch design (with different model numbers, of course -- Timex has thousands of them) is only available in three options if you dont want a metal ring around the display: this one, 5B561, is mostly black/gray/white except for one (upper right) yellow button and some yellow lettering; theres one, 5B551, that has a black band and is blue around the display and on the upper right button (the Indiglo button); and finally theres a "high contrast" model, 5F781, with a white-on-black display, black surround and most buttons, gray band, and a silver start/lap button. It would be nice if Timex just designated a basic model and then let you choose colors, but thats not the way they do things.
The most important thing you need to know is the band setup. Because of the way the picture is cut off you cant really tell, but theres not a separate band. Instead the soft plastic around the steel watch guts continues in each direction to form the band. So if any part of this breaks you will no longer have a wearable watch. I e-mailed Timex customer service; they dont offer a replacement for this band. Treat the band carefully since it may wear out before your first battery, especially because the large watch face means theres a fair amount of weight tugging on the band. Theres one other thing to note about this band: because its one piece and curved to go around your wrist the watch cant lie flat on its back.
I wont go into great detail about the features; you can get a list of them at Timexs web site. Ill just list one other thing that doesnt show up in their documentation: the Indiglo lighting lights up the black LCD segments to bright blue-green briefly, with the background remaining unchanged. (I had been expecting the background to light up in white, as was the case with my old Timex watch.)
I havent owned this new watch too long, but thus far its behaved like my older Timex. It keeps good time, is tolerant of the occasional bump, and has no problem when I wear it in the shower. (As with all their "water resistant" watches, its NOT safe to push the buttons while under water; that breaks the moisture seal.) If -- and thats a *BIG* IF -- the band holds up, the watch should last a long time.
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