never attribute to planned obsolescence what can adequately be explained by not giving a dwaddle

[firecat]

This is incredibly minor in the grand scheme of things.

I really love a particular wristwatch, the Timex Ironman Traditional 30-Lap Full-Size with resin strap, model number T5H591. It has 3 alarms, a 30-lap stopwatch, and a countdown timer. It costs about $30 on the evil Internet superstore that shall not be named.

What I don't love is that the watch band breaks after 15-18 months. I'm on my second one of these watches and the band just broke in the exact same place that the first band broke.

Replacement watch bands for this model are theoretically available, but hard to find. Standard replacement bands don't work because these bands are sculpted in a special shape. I had to Google for quite a while before I found them (the Timex web site is happy to sell you a whole new watch but doesn't admit to having replacement watch bands). They are available at REI.com, but they cost more than 1/3 the price of a whole new watch, and since Timex makes similar watches in slightly different shapes, I don't know that the model offered at REI would even fit. And I hate using the phone so I'm not going to be calling Timex or REI to ask about it.

So now I have a perfectly usable watch face but no wristwatch, and I can't decide whether to order a new one of the same watch or try a different brand of watch that I might not like as well.

Like I said, really minor.

ETA: I use this watch for tracking my swimming workouts.

Comments

[amadi]

I've run into this with Timex watches, and then gave up on them. I gave one watchface to my mother who put it on her keychain, and it still works nicely. The other I threw in a drawer. Now I use my cellphone to check the time. :(

[eftychia]

Keychain or pocket fob would be my first course of action ... but then again, when I try to wear a watch on my wrist I discover just how close to things I normally move without noticing. #clunk# #smack# #clonk# (Mostly beating the watch against doorframes.)

[amadi]

I discover that regularly when I undress and say "how did I get that bruise?" The world is my obstacle course, and I'm also a big klutz. :)

[micheinnz.livejournal.com]

Want GAS about this? I have a suggestion, if you're interested.

[firecat]

Sure!

[micheinnz.livejournal.com]

Instead of a two-piece resin band, consider a one-piece webbing or fabric band, with either Velcro or a buckle. When the sculpted band came off my grey watch, I replaced it with a one-piece webbing band, and it works fine. They're cheap to replace if/when they wear out, too. Local mall jewellers should have a decent selection to try out.

[firecat]

Now that I've removed the broken band, there are sharp edges that stick out at the corners of the watch face and I'm not sure a fabric band would be thick enough to protect my skin against them.

But it would be an inexpensive experiment. Thanks!

[micheinnz.livejournal.com]

Dang, that sounds annoying. I hope you can find something that works for you!

[firecat]

Ultimately, whinging about it and then buying a new watch will work too. Sometimes it's "nice" to have an easy unimportant problem in the midst of hard important ones.

[micheinnz.livejournal.com]

Oh yes. Very much yes. And you've had more than your share of hard and important in the last little while.

[pir-anha.livejournal.com]

i have a slightly different timex watch, which also had the watch band problem. years ago i bought a fabric band with a spiffy haida design (which you can't see here). closeup of how the band protects the skin:



it has a layer below the watch; wide enough and thick enough so the sharp edges can't dig it. which also happens to soak up sweat (and the band can be washed). very handy, and way prettier than the original.

[e4q.livejournal.com]

swatch fixes buckles free, which i think is nice.

I was able to fix my band on my Ironman

[vixter.livejournal.com]

with gorilla glue. There's a little bit of tan showing over the black but I don't care. I did catch it before it was broken into two separate pieces.

I like my Timex because I can see the numbers without having my reading glasses on.