In Review: The Timex Deepwater Reef 200 41mm Quartz Watch

Timex Deepwater Reef Quartz – $219

• model: TW2W95200
• size: 41mm width x 12mm thickness x 22mm lug width
• movement: Quartz (battery)
• does it make the loud Timex “TICK“? No. While it does make a “tick” because it’s quartz, it’s much quieter than their obnoxiously loud cheap watches.
• water resistance: 200m
• crystal: Sapphire
• etc: Quick release bracelet for easy strap swap outs. 120-click bezel. Super-Luminova hands and hour markers. Wave pattern dial. Double Push button clasp. No date.

A few of the new Deepwater Reef line.
Quartz, GMT Quartz, and even an automatic.
Price varies by movement, case, bracelet, and/or strap material.

The new Deepwater Reef line from Timex has to be the most exciting debut Timex has released in a while. There are quartz models, quartz GMT models, and even an automatic driven model with a titanium case. All of them have good specs, classic case and dial designs, and straps or bracelets with quick release pins. Timex continues to try to evolve past their long-time rep as being a super-budget brand. And while sometimes they swing and miss with their relatively more expensive offerings, this isn’t one of those times.

Wave pattern dial. Skeleton-like hands with super luminova.

This particular quartz-powered Deepwater Reef 200m 41mm has to be the flagship. With an almost but not totally brushed H-link bracelet, black bezel, and black dial, it’s no wonder it’s the model (along with the automatic movement option) which is often sold out. With short lugs and a burly looking case, it looks more like a tool watch and less like jewelry. The only polished surfaces on the bracelet are on the mostly-hidden flat edges of the pieces which run between each “H.” They’re barely noticeable, and when they are, they catch the light nicely, quickly, and quietly, and then disappear again as you move your wrist and the bracelet articulates. Think less “disco ball” and more subtle hi-diddly-ho-wave of acknowledgement.

Noted above = the only polished bits of the bracelet are
the mostly hidden flat edges of the connector/inset links.

Speaking of waves, the etched wave texture on the dial feels a lot like it was lifted from Omega’s Seamaster Diver 300M. The Omega may also have inspired the skeleton hands, which sport Super-Luminova for when the lights go out (under water or above). The two-tone seconds hand is orange on the business side and white on the counter balance, and no date graces the dial. Some people hate date windows on watch dials. But then there are those of us who work in daily-deadline businesses which require scheduling stuff, and a date window is an absolute must for our over-worked, feeble brains.

41mm diameter and 12mm thick. Shown on a 7.5″ wrist.
Wears a little larger than that, but still accommodating for a diver.

The action of the bezel is great. Nice and crisp with no wobble. Brands like Vaer and even Seiko could learn a lot from this bezel. The crystal is flat sapphire, and with that lack of dome you end up with a relatively athletic but not bulky 12mm case height. With short lugs and a case diameter of 41mm, you’d think it’d be thoroughly mid-sized, but it wears a touch larger than its case specs. Probably because the lug width/strap width is a wider-than-average 22mm. The watch has presence on the wrist, but it’s certainly not a brick. And it’s super comfortable… as long as you can get the sizing right.

Bracelet has quick release pins for easier change-outs.

And therein lies the one significant drawback. This thing doesn’t have an on-the-fly micro adjuster, which isn’t surprising at this price point. But it also doesn’t have any micro-adjustment holes in the clasp:

No micro adjustment holes. So you better hope you like how it fits. 

That’s a real problem. Because with most other watch purchases (with an on-the-fly micro adjuster in the clasp or micro-adjustment holes) you can be reasonably sure it’ll fit decent enough before you start removing links. Because you’ll have that micro-adjusting option in the end. But with this Deepwater Timex, once you start taking off links by removing the basic cotter/split-style pins (not screw in pins)… good luck sending it back in case it doesn’t fit or feel right on your wrist.

And it comes with a lot of links. My 7.5″ wrist required a full four links to be removed. But once that happened, to its credit, this thing fits and wears incredibly comfortably. Perhaps that’s because of the H-link design, dumb luck that it happens to fit my wrist just-right, or a combination of both of those factors.

A lot of the more recent Timex designs have been hyper-niche (if not flat out odd.)
This one is “just” a very, very solid dive watch.

While the larger-than-average 22mm bracelet/strap width and lack of micro-adjustment options may be deal breakers for some, this Deepwater Reef line is one of the better releases from Timex in the last… decade? Yeah, probably the last ten years.

The classic sporty style, not-obnoxious bracelet, and quick-release pins for easy strap changes all combine for a hugely versatile watch you can wear with just about anything. It’s a hell of an evolution for the brand, which has come a long way from the dirty-cheap Easy-Readers and Ironman Digitals of the 90’s and early aughts. The Deepwater Reef is a watch for adults. It doesn’t feel flimsy, and it doesn’t look kitschy or trendy.

And as it’s a Timex and not some flashy luxury brand, you can wear it just about anywhere while being less afraid someone will rob you for it.