The welcome, impressive expansion of the Timex catalog this last decade+ hasn’t come without a price. That price being… price. No longer is Timex a brand that only does cheap quartz watches that have the look and feel of a school cafeteria spork. That’s great! Yet $289+ for a dive-style automatic (the M79 line) or half a grand for a USA made Swiss quartz powered dress watch (American Documents) doesn’t fit into the mental box most have put the Timex brand in. But the new Timex Harborside Coast Auto is priced at $189, which is significantly cheaper than the other dive-styles in the Timex catalog. And while it is gonna be as “spendy for a Timex,” it checks enough boxes that it’ll find an audience.
The Harborside Coast, at a harborside coast.
It’s not small. It’s not “classically” sized. It’s every bit of its 43mm in diameter. And with a lug width of 20mm (instead of 22mm), from some angles it can look a little like a plate resting on a stick. But for those with bigger frames or just flat out bigger arms, not drowning a smaller classically sized diver in tha gunz showwwww is appreciated.
For the sake of size comparison.
Left: 40mm. Right: 43mm
Movement is a Seiko made automatic that hacks and hand winds. The exhibition caseback is welcome, although the black printed “THE HARBORSIDE COAST COLLECTION” feels like an unnecessary bit of clutter. It looks like a sticker you forgot to peel off (*literally stops typing review and picks watch back up…takes fingernail to it… scratch scratch scratch*)… nope, it’s not a sticker. At least it’s on the back, and not a gigantic Q on the dial.
Powered by a Seiko produced 24-jewel automatic movement.
The dial, case, and bracelet are handsomely uncluttered. The dial is a classic dive-watch dial. Easy to read hands and indices, a bit of lume for when it’s dark, and a magnifier over the date window. For the case and bracelet, the top sides of the metal are brushed (excluding the polished crown guards), while the sides of the bracelet and case are polished.
Topside surface of the case and links are brushed. Not shiny.
It’s ignorable and unobtrusive. No unnecessary gleaming, cheesy extra bits. Just brushed, matte, classic dive-watch-looking links. The double push button clasp operates great, and makes it feel like a well designed product. The otherwise awesome Invicta 1953’s lousy, tin-can feeling pressure clasp should take note.
Double push button clasp works great.
The 120-click bezel is a half-and-half blue and red job, and it looks much better in person than it does in the oddly inaccurate stock product photo on the Timex site. For whatever reason that image makes the blue half of the bezel look almost periwinkle. It’s not a super-dark shade of midnight navy, but whatever is going on with that Timex website picture, it’s not helping them sell the watch.
Blue and red bezel. “Action” of said bezel is just okay.
There’s some wobble in and around each click.
The action of the bezel is okay at best. There’s a lot of play in each “click.” Reminds me of the steering on my old rust-bucket ’91 K5 blazer. You could wobble that wheel 50 degrees either way while rumbling down a road and you’d never so much as stray an inch off line. It had the precise dexterity of a baby giraffe. Thank you for indulging the first-person story there. You get the point. The bezel won’t slide around uncontrollably. Once it clicks, it’ll stay, but it doesn’t exactly inspire confidence.
TX Branding on the crown… which doesn’t screw down.
Thus, water resistance is a somewhat comparatively shallow 50m. Should be fine though.
The crown has an etched TX branding on it and does not screw down. Water resistance is “just” 5om. But that’s going to be plenty for most of us. It should (key word: should) do fine in the water.
It’s a good watch. It’s a fun watch. But there is stiff competition in the sub $200 market. You can still get an Orient with an in-house automatic for a little more or a little less. For those looking to take part in the warm gilt-y heritage diver trend, Invicta’s 1953 is a clear winner.
But if you want some red and blue and to spend under two (hundred)… the new automatic Timex Harborside Coast, could just be for you.
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