Timex Weekender Review: The Best Budget Watch?

If you’re in the market for a cheap casual watch, the Weekender is hard to beat.

It’s a sturdily built, easy to read timepiece that has the versatility to be worn by any age group. The brand has a pedigree of producing simple, robust timepieces that have a surprisingly good build quality given the low price point.

Add to that some super handy features and the ability to obtain one for under $100AUD, and you’ll start to see why I’m asking the question of whether the Weekender is the best budget watch.

However, as with any product there are always pros and cons so let’s dive into the nuts and bolts of things…

Presentation

The watch presents in a robust almost-cubic Timex branded box, with a canvas surfaced watch pillow. It comes on one strap, which is usually determined at point of purchase as a variety of strap colour options are available. The majority are sold on a Zulu strap, mine being blue with a cream coloured stripe.

The dial is fairly busy owing to the inclusion of 13-24 hour markers on the inner ring, corresponding to the normal 12 hour markers. The font is clean, minimal and easy to read. Case material is stainless steel, and a single crown rounds out the mostly minimalist design aesthetic.

Specs and Performance

The Weekender is powered by a quartz movement – using a ? battery – with a standard three hand configuration on a twelve hour dial. It’s no luxe piece, but again it’s a budget watch so you’re not going to expect an elegant mechanical movement here. It’s a sturdy casual piece with a sturdy, mass-produced movement.

This watch does have one standout feature that you wouldn’t expect to be included at this price point though, and that’s the Indiglo light-up dial.

When you press down on the crown, the entire dial will light up with a clear, bright blue light that allows you to read it with ease in the dark. It’s a fantastic feature and at this price point I think that makes it worth it alone.

There is one principal downside to the standard Weekender, and it could be enough to dissuade a potential buyer. What is it? The noise.

That’s right, this thing ticks at the volume of a quartz wall clock. It’s bloody loud. I keep mine stored in its box, inside a drawer. If you – or your partner – are a light sleeper, this one might give you some trouble. It could be a source of frustration in a quiet office too; though it’s stylistically probably better suited to casual wear anyway, hence the name.

On the plus side, the chronograph model is reputed to be nice and quiet, not sharing the projecting staccato tick of the standard Weekender.

Variations

The Weekender comes in two sizes, 38mm and 40mm. Both sit quite nicely on the wrist.

The majority of variations of this watch simply come down to dial colour and OEM strap choice; a number of fabric strap colour combinations are available, as well as some leathers. There are also a few Snoopy themed releases which feature different illustrations of the famous Peanuts character.

There is also a chronograph model available, which is reputed not to have a quieter tick than its standard, sonic eruption emitting counterpart.

Images courtesy of Timex‘s official website.

Concluding Thoughts: Is it worth it?

Considering these watches can be had for as low as $60AUD, they are certainly within the grasp of everyone. I think they’re quite versatile given the simplistic design of the dial, and could easily be dressed up a bit with a leather strap. With the Indiglo feature, it’s got plenty of bang for your buck if you’re in the market for a low-cost timepiece.

The only real downside is the loud ticking. Also, if you’re looking for something really unique you’ll possibly find this one a bit pedestrian for your tastes. Like I said, given the price point this watch is available to everybody. Pedestrian is exactly the Weekender’s target market, and it nails it in a good way.

If you’re after something to be a unique, carefree statement piece on a budget you’re probably better off going for something like the Luch One Hand.

However, should you be seeking a reliable, dependable, versatile and respectable looking timepiece – the Timex Weekender should be right up there on your list of prospects, and a quick eBay search will get you some solid bargains.