 "Timex Yacht Racer: Ready for the water")
Sailing, yachting, scuba diving, Formula 1 - besides signifying the adrenaline rush, these activities are also associated with glamour and the good life. And watchmakers have long come up with lines specifically for or "inspired" by such pursuits. American watch maker Timex is known for its Ironman series of watches, specifically targeted at triathlon enthusiasts. The Timex Yacht Racer, however, is targeted at connoisseurs of analogue watches who are also serious about the water sport.
First, a disclosure: I have been using Timex watches since 1992 and still count the company's Expedition line among my favourites. The Yacht Racer, however, was new to me.
The review sample came in a smart black and yellow combination - a black case with yellow buttons and a bright yellow silicon strap. While the combination works well outdoors, it may look out of place in a boardroom. But perhaps one can replace the strap with a more conventional one. The watch feels heavy initially, but once strapped on, is quite comfortable. The silicon strap didn't react with my sensitive skin even while I was sweating profusely (I wore this while playing a game of football). It also felt tough, giving me the confidence to wear it while playing a contact sport.
For understanding its operations, I had to take recourse to the instruction manual, often a neglected piece of paper. I learnt that the calendar can function without intervention till 2060, with a few visits to the service centre thrown in (to replace the battery, when it needs to be recalibrated). After reading about the various ways to operate the countdown timers, I tried them against the stopwatch on my phone and found them to be quite accurate. Once the countdown timer ends, a one-hour chronograph starts in two 30-minute cycles. I tried those two, and they came out with flying colours as far as accuracy was concerned.
The audible alerts when each minute elapses on the countdown timer and for the last five seconds is an added bonus. I assume while you are racing yachts, you have more important things to do at the beginning of the race than stare at the watch face. Also, the watch buttons are big and easy to push, so using them with gloved hands or even pushing them with the teeth (I tried this and was successful) are easy enough.
Despite the black background, the watch face is easy to read in the sun. The radium hands glow in the dark, so reading the time at night is a cakewalk. The watch is water resistant up to 100m so it can easily deal with the splashes. While I didn't go swimming wearing the Yacht Racer, I did take a shower wearing it, and it's still working. However, be aware that you would have to frequently refer to the manual the first few days to find out how it works.
The all-important question is whether or not it makes sense to spend Rs 14,995 on the Timex Yacht Racer. The answer is not so simple. As a fashion accessory, this makes perfect sense due to its good looks and accurate time-keeping (not to mention the massive discount at which it is available online). As for its importance in a yacht race, this watch isn't lacking in accuracy or details. But will a professional athlete give up his/her trusted Swiss-made chronograph for this? That's a question I couldn't find the answer to.
First, a disclosure: I have been using Timex watches since 1992 and still count the company's Expedition line among my favourites. The Yacht Racer, however, was new to me.
The review sample came in a smart black and yellow combination - a black case with yellow buttons and a bright yellow silicon strap. While the combination works well outdoors, it may look out of place in a boardroom. But perhaps one can replace the strap with a more conventional one. The watch feels heavy initially, but once strapped on, is quite comfortable. The silicon strap didn't react with my sensitive skin even while I was sweating profusely (I wore this while playing a game of football). It also felt tough, giving me the confidence to wear it while playing a contact sport.
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The watch face, while providing a lot of information, doesn't look cluttered. Besides the radium-tipped minute and hour hands, the watch sports a second hand and a fourth yellow hand that points to the date when the crown is pressed. The dial also has a countdown timer (at 5-min, 3-min and 1-min intervals, which are necessities for yacht racers, as they signify the countdown to a race, Google tells me) and an analogue chronograph. Above and below the crown are the start/stop and reset buttons, while the left has the mode button. The outer ring sports a Perfect Date scale of 1 to 31 and a press of the crown shows the date with the fourth hand.
For understanding its operations, I had to take recourse to the instruction manual, often a neglected piece of paper. I learnt that the calendar can function without intervention till 2060, with a few visits to the service centre thrown in (to replace the battery, when it needs to be recalibrated). After reading about the various ways to operate the countdown timers, I tried them against the stopwatch on my phone and found them to be quite accurate. Once the countdown timer ends, a one-hour chronograph starts in two 30-minute cycles. I tried those two, and they came out with flying colours as far as accuracy was concerned.
The audible alerts when each minute elapses on the countdown timer and for the last five seconds is an added bonus. I assume while you are racing yachts, you have more important things to do at the beginning of the race than stare at the watch face. Also, the watch buttons are big and easy to push, so using them with gloved hands or even pushing them with the teeth (I tried this and was successful) are easy enough.
Despite the black background, the watch face is easy to read in the sun. The radium hands glow in the dark, so reading the time at night is a cakewalk. The watch is water resistant up to 100m so it can easily deal with the splashes. While I didn't go swimming wearing the Yacht Racer, I did take a shower wearing it, and it's still working. However, be aware that you would have to frequently refer to the manual the first few days to find out how it works.
The all-important question is whether or not it makes sense to spend Rs 14,995 on the Timex Yacht Racer. The answer is not so simple. As a fashion accessory, this makes perfect sense due to its good looks and accurate time-keeping (not to mention the massive discount at which it is available online). As for its importance in a yacht race, this watch isn't lacking in accuracy or details. But will a professional athlete give up his/her trusted Swiss-made chronograph for this? That's a question I couldn't find the answer to.