I am 5'8" and 165 lbs... not a big guy, but this watch looks like a toy watch on me. The natural curve of the band isn't comfortable on my wrist and causes the dial to sit above my wrist. I think it is a solid state item and I would be more than tough enough for me, but it looks disproportionately small on my wrist. Either Chelsea Watches sent me the kiddie version or maybe I have a sensitive ego. I give it 5 stars for quality, but beware that it is smaller than you will expect. By way of comparison, I had the Timex Marathon 8 lap watch and it is smaller than many watches but fits me very well. Timex Midsize T53161 Ironman 30-Lap Resin Strap Sports Watch
I was looking for a digital watch that had a face that wouldn't catch on clothing, or anything else, and had a rubber (polyurethane) strap that wouldn't absorb smelly sweat after I went running. This Ironman has fulfilled both of those needs. Unlike my previous digital watch, this face is mid sized and does not snag on the wrists of jackets or on the carrying straps of book bags. The polyurethane wrist strap is smooth on the skin, doesn't absorb sweat, easy to rinse, and durable. The indiglo light is bright and the watch is easy to read. The watch's features include: two time zone clock, with options for a 12 or 24 hour time keeping; alarm; a stop watch with splits and 30 lap memory; and a count down clock. All of which are simple and intuitive to program.
This Ironman is a very good watch for general use or for those who need something that can handle the rigors of exercise.
I have this watch and it is great for exercise and general use. I had an old ironman watch for the longest time. I lifeguarded for four summers with it and wore it every time I went swimming. I used it to count laps while I was swimming. After 6 years it finally died and I got this one. I'm disappointed because the first time I wore it in the water it stopped working. Eventually it started working again when it dried out. The seal on it must not be any good. I only give it two stars because it hasn't lived up to the expectations I had for it based on my old ironman watch.
Overall, this watch is great. I wore it day-in day-out from 3/2005 to 5/2009 and it never let me down. I bought it at KMART for $35. I replaced that battery once (or was it 2x?) and it was strong as ever (indiglo is faint when battery is low). Took it to the pool many times for timed swims! Has the features everyone truely needs in a digital: daily alarm, two timers (count down and stopwatch), indiglo, date + day of week. Plus other fancy stuff I didn't know what to do with (split? chrono? lap?). I'm sure you athletes know what that's about. Anyway, never strached up the face, and I did plenty of outdoors stuff.
Definitely, a little room for improvement: I'm a tiny lady with tiny wrists, and this "mid sized" watch was big on me (1) visually, a bit butch (2)thickness. Band gets annoying after hours at the computer!!!. That's how I ended up losing it on campus this week. Also, I'm not a whiner, but for a unisex watch, it was definitely on the boyish side.
Since I've misplaced mine (drat!) I'm here looking on Amazon for a more lady-like but just as sturdy and with the digital features I require. I think I'll end up with the Timex Marathon, which seems to fit the bill. However, that one is notorious for the slim band breaking.
Come on Timex, get your materials engineers on this...I want a flexible unbreakable slim band to house your great watch.
I want to like this watch. The price is right.
However, I would agree with the other reviewers that this is a woman's watch.
1. It's slightly bigger than a woman's small, but not quite the size of a man's small watch.
2. The band is very narrow and would not fit most men well. I have thin wrists, and it's still very narrow for a man's wrist band.
There also are issues with the face of the watch:
1. The contrast between the face of the watch and the numbers isn't that good in low light, making the time hard to see. In normal light, it's actually pretty good, but in bright light the crystal has some glare.
2. Even though the watch is about 1 ½ inches, the actual LCD screen with the numbers is only about 1/3 of that size. Additionally, the LCD screen is sunken in about ¼ inch, meaning the frame of the watch casts a shadow on the date making it harder to read.
Lastly, it's ironic they call this an "Ironman" model. The Ironman is a race that combines swimming, cycling, and a marathon. But don't wear this watch while swimming. The instructions say this watch is water resistant only for the purpose of "everyday life", and not water resistant for "water related work", "swimming", or "surfing, snorkeling, water sports".
Nevertheless, the watch fits my needs and for the price I can live with the difficulty in seeing the time. Also, as far as multi-function watches, the functions on this one were well designed.
Dear Sirs:
I received my watch in time for Christmas; however, the watch had a dead battery in it when I received it. The instructions were so old they crumbled when I unfolded them, obviously this watch had been sitting in a warehouse for many years prior to shipment. Why didn't anyone check it before it left the warehouse? Bad timing for something like this.
Sincerely,
Phillip Masters - Sport Watch - Running Watch - Ironman Watch - Emerald'
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