Timex’s affordable new GMT dive watch seems like a missed opportunity

At under $500, it’s one hell of a value, as evidenced by the fact that the watch is already sold out.

When I saw that Timex had made a GMT version of the watch with the same basic design, I was initially excited…until I saw the price. At just $249 for a rubber strap and $269 for a bracelet, it quickly became clear that the Deepwater Reef 200 GMT was neither titanium nor automatic, and that’s a shame.

Timex

Instead, the watch has a stainless steel case and an inconspicuous quartz movement. Technically speaking, there’s nothing wrong with either spec. Stainless steel is cheaper and heavier than titanium, but some people also prefer its heaviness, plus it is more scratch-resistant and has more shine. And of course, quartz movements are cheaper than automatic movements, but also more precise.

So what’s the problem? Well, for me, Timex had a chance here to make a very special GMT dive watch, something that could serve as the brand’s flagship and compete with Seiko in this category, just as the Deepwater Reef 200 Titanium Automatic does in the dive watch space.