Super Timepieces

Timex Men's T18581 Classic Camper Watch Black

The design of this watch is good, in fact, it's great. The body is a simple circle, the arms that come out of the watch to attach to the band aren't ridiculous globs of weird, offensive curves. The face of it was designed to do a job, not stink up the room with clever fonts or idiotic features.

It isn't jewelry; it's a watch. A plain, black watch. And it's a tiny fraction of the price of anything else that offers the same level of design correctness. A huge minimalist win.

The only problem is that it's loud. I can hear the second hand clacking on my desk from across the room when I'm in bed, trying to pass out from alcohol and lack of sleep.

A normal level of ambient noise (air conditioning, people talking, etc.) will cancel the noise from this watch, but a seriously quiet room will turn it into an annoyance.

Four out of five. -- A good, minimalist thing.

I have owned my Timex for several years. I can't tell if it's a Timex Classic Camper or a nearly identical model (there are a couple). I bought this watch at Ft. Bragg, wore it in the army and later as a geologist. For the past two years, my 13 year old son wore it to school, baseball, scout camps, etc. It has been worn on my belt, on my Kevlar, on a clipboard. It's been in creeks, lakes, and has slid into home plate. Since it was only $20 I haven't exactly treated it with kid gloves.

Here's how it has held up:

MOVEMENT - still keeps perfect time, the batteries last a long time, and the knob - although heavily scratched - still works fine.
CASE/BEZEL: A few light scratches. Also, I somehow put a big dent in the back of the case but this does not seem to have affected performance.
CRYSTAL: Lots of scratches; however, the dial is still readable and the fact that the crystal has even survived is a testament to the quality of the watch.
STRAP/BUCKLE: The original strap is a bit discolored, but no fraying and the holes have held up very well. The buckle is scratched but still works like new.

DRAWBACKS: The buckle metal is very strong, but somewhat thin. So, if you like to wear your watch tight against your wrist the corners of the buckle tend to poke you a bit more than some other watches I have owned. Also, some people say the ticking is too audible, but I don't really notice it.

OVERALL OPINION: It's not the classiest or most versatile watch I've ever owned, but it is definitely built like a tank, keeps perfect time, and an outstanding value for 20 bucks. I'm buying a second one today for my 11 year old son. -- Best Budget Watch on the Planet

Accurate, durable, simple and tasteful. Smaller and thinner than most Timex's. Ticking is slightly audible when it's within 6" of your ear. Band dries quickly and is suitable for athletics. -- Timex T18581

Watch looks and works great, but is sized more for a woman than a man. Case is 35mm and the band is just barely large enough to fit my wrist (I am a man with a medium to large wrist). Easy to read and very lightweight. -- Very nice, but also rather small

I'll write all of the Cons first. The watch is kind of small, the tick can be loud and distracting if you are in a quiet room, the straps are flimsy. The Pro's: This watch keeps excellent time, it is extremely light( i often forget that im wearing it),it illuminates in the dark really well, it is rugged and durable( i do my construction work with it on), it's only twenty dollars, and this watch may last well over three years( i replace my watches every two years, haven't changed this one yet). So unless you have very thick wrists, and you work in a quite office, i would not recommend the watch for you. But if your wrist is around 7.5 inches in diameter, and you dont frequent deafeningly silent environments, this watch is a perfect buy for $20-$25 dollars. I haven't even had to replace the straps yet. -- Watch