Wristwatch Review: Timex Men's Ironman Triathlon 30-Lap Oversize Digital Watch (T5K4139J)

Ironman. The name evokes images of powerful athletes, superheroes, and an awesome Black Sabbath song. Over the years, Timex Ironman watches have gained a reputation for being tough watches that amateur athletes can depend on. So, when you strap on the Timex Ironman Triathlon 30-Lap Oversize Digital Watch, you certainly feel ready for action. While you don't gain the ability to fire disruptor rays from your palms, this Ironman watch will allow you to time things, countdown, remember laptimes, and remember up to 15 dates.

The plastic watch case of this Ironman watch looks rugged and adventure ready. The bezel is deep blue on black. Yellow is used for the Timex Name and Ironman icon. The function button labels are white in a large, readable, no-nonsense font. The case is well-integrated into the band and extends around your wrist gauntlet style. I think the shape and taper of the case into the band subtly evokes the shape of the comic Ironman's suit or well-defined six-pack abs. But, sometimes a cigar is just a cigar. The band itself is blue canvas with black velcro extending along its entire length. The case measures about 1 3/4 inches across and is about 9/16-inches thick. The watch fits my 8 1/2-inch wrists with room to spare. The band measures 15/16-inches wide.

According to Timex.com, this Timex Ironman has an INDIGLO Night-Light with Night-Mode, a 100-Hour Chronograph with Lap and Split Times, a 30-lap memory recall, a 99-lap counter, a 24-hour countdown timer with stop and repeat, and fifteen date reminders. The watch also appears to have up to three alarms. In truth, as a bit of an analog guy, I find all of that just a little difficult to set up. Fortunately, the small print instructions found in the watch box can be difficult to read. Adobe acrobat versions of the manual are available at Timex.com. I was easily able to set reminders in the watch for birthdays, my anniversary, and holidays. That function alone may save many iron men. While there is an initial learning curve, it's nice to have a watch that offers a wide array of alarms and reminders. The stopwatch itself is actually very easy to start, stop, and reset.

Setting all the Ironman functions aside, I like this watch because it goes with my blue shirts. I also like the streamlined styling of the Timex Ironman a lot more than the clunky looks offered by its Casio-competitor the G Shock. While this watch won't provide any superpowers, it will support a lot of athletic activities and provide lots of useful reminders, alarms, and stopwatch functions. Overall, I like the Timex Ironman Tradition 30-Lap Oversize watch. At Walmart, this watch sold for considerably less than the Timex suggested retail price of $50.