Timex Indiglo-- It's time for me to move on!

June 17, 2016 1:36 PM

I've been wearing a black leather band, Timex Indiglo watch pretty much forever. I'd like get a newer, prettier watch, but I really like being able to push a button and illuminate the watch face. Any words of wisdom?

I'm looking to spend under $300. I want to have actual numbers on the watch face. I have a small preference for a leather band but am open to metal. I'm a woman but not especially into watches that look like bracelets and the watch looking traditionally feminine is neither a plus nor a drawback for me.

The most important factor, and the one that is tripping me up, is that I really like the push button watch face illumination on my current Timex, and while I can find lots of watches that I like where the watch hands glow in the dark for some period of time, I've had not luck finding non-timex watches with push button illumination.

So to recap:
* Sub 300 dollars
* Actual numbers on the watch face
* Some degree of water proof/resistant
* Push Button illumination
* Nice to look at! (Subjective though that may be...)

Thanks in advance for any help!

posted by jeszac to Clothing, Beauty, & Fashion (14 answers total)

Does "actual numbers on the watch face" mean you want a digital watch, or just that you want an analog watch with a face like this instead of like this?
posted by brainmouse at 1:41 PM on June 17, 2016

My Casio Illuminator watch has mechanical hands, a small digital display, and push button illumination. They come in more than one style.
posted by Flexagon at 1:54 PM on June 17, 2016 [1 favorite]

Casio has lots of watches with light up faces. They call the feature "Illuminator."

Boo, Flexagon! Stealing my ideas!

Anyway, I am a lady, too, and wear a Casio men's style watch, and I think it looks pretty great. (It's actually my second, because I broke my first one--totally my fault.) They have tons and tons of different models with different features, so you can sort by the features that you want, and they'll usually have something to fit the bill.
posted by ernielundquist at 2:01 PM on June 17, 2016 [1 favorite]

This Timex Indiglo is more sophisticated than the standard model.
posted by essexjan at 2:07 PM on June 17, 2016

Essejan beat me. Timex has literally a hundred variations of watches with different face band and clasp options with indiglo.
posted by chasles at 4:31 PM on June 17, 2016

Response by poster: A few more details:

I am indeed looking for an analogue watch.

As much as I love Timex, I excited to try something different.

Also although my interests are not exclusively watches like this one https://www.fossil.com/us/en/women/watches/view-all/vintage-muse-three-hand-date-dark-brown-leather-watch-sku-es3975p.html
It definitely strikes my fancy. But the face can't be illuminated so foiled again. Thanks for all the suggestions so far!
posted by jeszac at 4:39 PM on June 17, 2016

Oddly enough, about two years ago, my wife was tasked with trying to find a watch like my old Indiglo for my birthday.

I liked the Indiglo for two reasons:

1. The whole face lit up
2. An analog watch is readable with and without glasses

Like you, I wanted something somewhat more sophisticated than the Timex. She found out that criterion 1 is effectively unmeetable without it being an Indiglo. She got me a very fine watch which I enjoyed, but couldn't read in the dark.

When my company was running a "we'll reimburse you for fitness trackers" program, I got a FitBit Surge, which can be read in the dark (the back light lights up) and it has an analog face (albeit an ugly one).
posted by plinth at 5:19 PM on June 17, 2016

I say this half (but only half) in jest: if you have an iPhone, have you considered an Apple Watch?

It checks off your boxes:
- 300 bucks (or less if you're willing to go third party or gently used).
- Advertised as water resistant but apparently waterproof.
- Illumination when you raise your wrist.
- Choice of watch faces, including ones with numbers (or go wild and put on Minnie Mouse for the weekend).
- Not particularly traditionally feminine or masculine, but really high quality bands and clasps to choose from.

On the plus side, it does a *lot* more than a regular watch, some of which you might find rather useful. On the minus side, you need to place it on the charger every night.

Of course, if you don't use an iPhone this entire answer is moot - oh well. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
posted by RedOrGreen at 5:28 PM on June 17, 2016

Along the same lines as the semi-serious Apple Watch suggestion, the Pebble Time Round looks pretty nice. I have a regular 1st generation Pebble and I like that the backlight comes on when you shake your wrist, as it allows me to see the time hands-free. But if you don't actually need/want the smartwatch aspects, then you'll just grow to resent having to charge it more often, I'd wager. Unfortunately, I can't think of anyone besides Timex that makes analog backlit watches.
posted by Aleyn at 8:01 PM on June 17, 2016

The numerals of Luminox watches glow without the need to push a button.
posted by artdrectr at 1:26 AM on June 18, 2016

As an FYI, I went through three or four Timex Ironman watches (I'm a runner) and then switched over to CASIO, My CASIO was one third the price of the Ironman and better made in my opinion.
posted by qsysopr at 4:01 PM on June 18, 2016

Dakota Watch Company has glow faces very similar to the Indiglo/Illuminator. They call theirs Moonglow.
posted by Mister Moofoo at 12:03 AM on June 19, 2016

Best answer: Another possibility are tritium watches, which have small vials of tritium to mark the hands and hours. Radioactive decay allows them to glow evenly for over 20 years!

Here's an example of lady's watches with tritium tubes:
http://www.deepbluewatches.com/labldtlatrwa.html

You can find more on google: "women's tritium watches"
posted by Don_K at 8:08 AM on June 20, 2016

Best answer: Apparently Todd Snyder has a branding deal with Timex to market some slightly upscale men's Indiglo watches in the $90-$160 range. I like the range of sizes, too, starting at 38mm.
posted by nicwolff at 11:46 AM on June 24, 2016