Timex Ironman Global Trainer with GPS Technology (Read 2683 times)

I would love to see some competition for Garmin, but Timex seems a little late to the party here.  The only real big plus that I see is the battery life.

Rumor has it that years ago Timex and Garmin had a partnership and were collaborating on a GPS enabled watch.  Then Garmin released the Forerunner and knocked them out of the market.

Kinda similar to what Microsoft did to IBM with OS/2 and Windows 95(for those geeky enough and old enough to remember that)

I have been wearing Timex Ironman watches for probably 20 years.  I also owned the 2-piece original Timex GPS running unit.  While I like the functionality of the Ironman watches I hate the lack of Timex quality.  Once the watch batteries go dead, you might as well throw them away because whether you replace the battery yourself or have it done professionally the integrity of the unit is shot and the next time you sweat the watch will fail.  Had this happen 6-8 times.  My 2-piece GPS product died in under a year and a half.

I replaced it with a Garmin 201.  I bought it not long after they came out, it must be close to 5 years old and has logged 7,000+ miles on the odometer.  It's locked up a couple times but responded to reset.  Within the past year I can get some water under the screen in a heavy rain but it dries out.  Through it all, it has kept on plugging away reliably and holds a 10+ hr charge still.

Timex Ironmans have their place, I wear one in races and take it places I don't need GPS.  But if I want to run with GPS, it sure as heck won't be a Timex product.

Love my Garmin for GPS, but I've always been a fan of Timex Triathlons for non-GPS running eatches. I remember getting my first one over 25 years ago and being wowed by the fact that it could record 8 laps.  They're pretty rugged, but I've found that slamming them into the concrete after a disappointing 5k is more than enough to kill one.

 That will teach you to run those short races.