This watch works great and is very easy to read, even in direct sunlight. I have washed it under cool running water and it handled it well. The indiglo backlight is not like the old ones in this watch. The indiglo actually lights up all the digits individually so they are illuminated instead of the background. The face on this watch IS "transreflective" so, it is readable in direct sunlight. This is a feature I desperately wanted and TIMEX delivered. The wristband can accumulate dirt but nothing a light wash with a toothbrush can't resolve. The watch has been pretty durable. I have banged it on some hard surfaces by accident and have seen no blemishes on it. The watch also seems to keep time well after you set it and doesn't run behind.

Really cool timepiece, been loving timex a lot recently, this is me coming over Casio/G-shocks. Although it is a bit smaller on the wrist it still looks very nice and I really love the gray and like green color contrast. Really easy to read the time as well.

After my old Timex Ironman finally died after 21 years of reliable service (may it rest in peace after 4 replacement bands and 5 replacement batteries!!), I decided Timex deserved another sale from me! So I went surfing on the Timex website. So many Timex Ironman watches to choose from! But this one stood out for two reasons. 1) It has a nice simple design without a lot of "noise". 2) A nice large readable display. So I took the plunge! Indeed, Timex has definitely improved on their Ironman watches in the last 21 years. Most notably, the Indiglo light has greatly improved. It used to just light up the background. Now, it brightly lights up the actual digits which makes it undeniably readable without any eye strain. Another great improvement are in the set features. While the older models could only be set forward (in other words, if you went past your set point, you would need to go all the way around), this model lets you set forward and backward (so if you go too far, you can step back without going around). I don't understand one of the reviewers saying that the watch is too small. The face is quite large. The band may seem narrow in proportion to the watch face, but not excessively so. The band is 19mm wide and fits me just fine. Highly recommended!!

on foredeck of a sailboat, lines and sails love to snag on stuff, especially wrist watches. Have had three torn from my wrist in 18 months. Two went overboard. I even tried to purchase super-strong spring-bars (pins that secure the band), but it was torn off again. PRO: great (intuitive, quick) interface for setting the countdown starting time, and option to repeat or count up. easy to read display CON: No sync feature: in countdown timer mode, would allow adjusting the running countdown to the nearest minute. Delay in switching modes: had left it in time-of-day mode and heard a starting signal, immediately switched to Timer mode and pressed start button, but it did not start the timer. On switching modes, it takes nearly a second for Timer mode to be operational, so need to wait until display comes on before trying to use it. Time-of-day is not visible in Timer Mode, if it was, previous issue would rarely occur. No Power down feature: my previous watch had an option to shut off the LCD display (and any audible alarms). Since I only use the watch about 100 hours (1%) of the year, this greatly extended the battery life. All that said, the dedicated sailing watches all cost two to ten times as much with the lower cost options having poor reviews on quality. For now, I'll buy these (Timex Ironman Essential 30) and just expect to loose one on average once a year.

I'm not a big fan of digital watches but this is a great all-around casual watch with a clean design that is not too busy like so many others. It doesn't have a bunch of bumps and contours and labels. It is a good size too and the sizing of the numbers is perfect. Good job Timex.

This is a solid watch for the money. I think if you are looking for a training watch that doesn't break the bank, this is a good option. I looked at a ton of options, and I know there are some even cheaper entry level options, but this Ironman was a little bit of a step up in appearance and quality. To me it's worth it to get this over something in that $20 to $30 range. The Ironman was more stylish and less bulky than a lot of those options. This watch has a nice sized face that makes it easy to see without being so large that it's too much. There are some of these entry level sports/military watches that are just enormous. I'm not a huge guy so this was a much better option. One thing I am really liking is how flexible the strap is. The material has a nice give to it making it a very comfortable watch to wear. I've had some watches in the past where the bands were just too stiff and made the watch very uncomfortable. It's easy to understand and operate. I didn't even read the manual and had everything figured out after 5 or so minutes. Unless you are really going to step up and get a GPS smart watch in the $200 and up range, this watch is a great option.

This watch simply gave up after one month. I had approximately the same thing happen with another Timex, different model. I believe I'm through with Timex for the foreseeable future. I suppose I could go through the rigamarole of trying to return it to Timex, but I have neither the time or inclination.

I wanted a watch that simply told me the time, the date and could light up at night. This fits the bill. Easy to read in direct sunlight. Easy to navigate through the functions and simple to light up if needed to read it at night with the push of one button

I have had this watch for about three months now and wear almost every day at least part fo the day. It is my go to running and PT watch. Ironman has a reputation that this watch is so far living up to. Not a particular flashy watch, the selling points for me were Ironman's repotation and my own experiece with it being functional, durable, dependable and affordable. It is utlitarian, but that is what I like most about it. I just want it to tell time and log my run times and splits. I also like the larger display that allows me to read it without reading glasses, something I never take with me on a run. I have couched this review as "so far so good" becasue I bought a Timex weekender just a few months earlier and after only 9 months of lite and occassional wear it has already begun to malfunction and will need to be returned to be repaired or replaced before the warranty expires in December. I am hoping this is an annomoly and not an over-all trend in Timex quality. So I will update this review if problems come up before the warrently expires in this Ironman watch.

I’ve bought several of these. Caution if you have battery replaced, mine fogs up now. Might have been rookie jeweler who didn’t tighten things up properly. But I love so much I bought a new one.