Those searching for affordable alternatives to popular luxury watches seldom find themselves coming up short on options. While Timex has doubtless occupied the consciousness of any watch buyer on a budget for decades, it’s only in the last few years that it appears to be leaning into its past, along with that of iconic brands like Rolex and Omega. However, if you’re interested in a sleek, simple, easy-to-read watch for under $100 and are okay with some lack of originality or charm, the Timex Standard 40 is worth your attention.
I own about 15 watches, almost all under $100, and over half with quartz movements. Growing up, I worked part-time at my father and grandfather’s jewelry store for over 10 years, where, among other things, I changed watch batteries and swapped or adjusted straps and bracelets, so I have considerable experience with inexpensive quartz watches.
In searching for an affordable watch that gave me vintage vibes and that I could wear to work, the grocery store, on a hike, or even at fancier functions, I became increasingly intrigued by the Standard—specifically, the TW2V44000 with its black dial and yellow indices. The watch offered several design elements I associated with Omega’s Railmaster and some vintage Seamaster models at an easy-to-digest $89.
Timex’s “Standard” line, as its name might suggest, comes with pretty basic features and designs, albeit often with more refined or fun aesthetics than the brand’s Easy Reader options. Standard 40mm or 41mm three-hand, dateless designs or 43mm chronographs with a date offer over 30 options in a variety of colors and designs, about 15 in collaboration with Peanuts, featuring Snoopy or, sometimes, the entire gang.
Case
The 40mm polished chrome-plated brass case feels smaller than it is with a 9.5mm listed height (although measured at an even 9mm when I checked) and rounded edges around the circumference. This watch truly disappears on the wrist, even with my 6-inch wrist. Its height, coupled with a flat glass crystal, all but guarantees it doesn’t snag on long sleeves. The rounded bezel is similarly simple, clean, and unobtrusive.
Lug-to-lug, the watch measures 48mm, so it does poke out a bit on the edges of my small wrist and could feel a bit larger than more modern-looking 40mm watches, which might sit closer to 46mm. The lack of integration into the rest of the case certainly makes the lugs stand out, but maybe too literally, depending on your wrist size and shape.
Its wire-style lugs and large onion crown are an overt nod to the 170-year-old company’s wrist and pocket watches. As a result, some straps and bracelets might not suit the Standard as well as others – trust me, I’ve tried and gotten some… curious results (I recommend NATOs, canvas, leather, or steel mesh and would avoid rubber, silicone, and more modern bracelet designs, especially with curved end-links. More on that further down).
I’m not sure I’d trust the 50m water resistance rating to carry me through a day at the beach or even the kiddie pool, but my stress test under kitchen and bathroom sinks of varying pressures hasn’t rusted the case or killed the movement yet.
Dial
While relatively straightforward, the dial has some interesting design elements, some of which were to my liking, others not so much.
The unraised, printed indices have yellow arrows – designed with a faux patina tone – and Arabic digits at 12, 3, 6, and 9, yellow batons at every other hour marker, and grayish-white sticks for each second/minute between the hour markers. The arrow and Arabic numerals seem redundant, whereas other watches might opt for fewer arrows or digits in some fashion or another, but that’s a small thing.
The three hands are perhaps where the nod to/rip off from Omega really stands out; the Standard features a broad arrow hour hand and dagger minute hand seen on several Omega models, including its Seamaster and Speedmaster “57” reissues, some Rail Masters models, and an inverse of the Aqua Terra hand layout. The second hand has a lollipop design, which is also seen on some Omegas, Rolexes, Tudors, and Seikos.
I don’t mind the appearance of the hands, in fact, I quite like it, they just remind me so much of the Omega look Timex was clearly going for that inspired some low-grade disappointment with the lack of originality.
The lume on the hands is strong enough to see if given enough light exposure and then quickly brought into the dark, but it isn’t anything to otherwise write home about. It does stand out from the Indiglo dial when activated, which is nice, but that Indiglo is characteristically grainy and looks out of place on this otherwise vintage-inspired watch. The indices are also not very legible when the watch is Indigloing (Indiglowing?), but that might not be the case on the cream dial version of the watch with its black indices and text.
The rest of the dial is relatively clean and straightforward; “TIMEX” is under the 12, and “STANDARD” and “WATER RESISTANT 50M/165FT” sit right above the 6.
Movement
As I mentioned, I own more quartz watches than automatics, and given the plethora of models to compare the Standard to, Timex certainly lives up to its reputation of making a loud analog quartz movement. Having gone to too many rock shows wearing no ear protection, my hearing is pretty abysmal, and still, this thing ticks like the steam engine trains its appearance is probably meant to evoke.
Like most quartz watches, the second hand ticks once per second with no sweep – something its decibel level never fails to remind me of. That wasn’t surprising or disappointing in itself, but upon watching that hand tick more closely, it doesn’t always align with the second indices. About half the time, it falls between those markers. Maybe that’s a lot to ask out of a $90 watch, but considering the otherwise simple design and function of the watch, that strikes me as something that would’ve benefited from an ounce of better quality control. And now that I’ve noticed it, I’m not sure I’ll be able to unsee it.
Another strike against the Standard is the lack of a date window. It’s one more reason it doesn’t see as much wrist time as some of my other watches, including even cheaper Casio quartz analogs. On weekeds or around the house, a date window is rarely needed, but I find that I constantly check my watch for the date at work and even on some vacations. While I could try to give Timex the benefit of the doubt and say this was a cost-saving measure, the company offers over two dozen models of Expeditions and Easy Readers that feature a date window and come in cheaper than the Standard. A more practical explanation could be the watch’s attempt at honoring older designs, but if that’s the case, I can’t help but wonder why Timex would also include lume hands and Indiglo.
A Word on Straps
The 20mm canvas-on-leather strap that came with the watch does feel to be of decent quality, especially considering the price of the entire watch and how cheap the case itself feels. The contrast stitch that matches the indices is a nice touch too. But it’s not for me.
That’s just a matter of taste though, and if you like changing straps often and don’t have a spring bar tool, the included strap includes quick-release spring bars.
So as soon as I received the watch, I ordered a BluShark “Bond 2021” NATO. As I waited for that to arrive, I threw on a cheap steel mesh bracelet. I enjoy the watch on both of those, and the BluShark, in particular, has that hint of yellow that I feel complements the dial better than the factory strap.
I’m currently enjoying the watch on a CNS ribbed mustard NATO and at the $6 price tag, I had to get a few other colors to mix and match with my several other watches with 20mm lug width.
This watch also looks great on a flat black or brown leather strap, in my opinion. Timex even offers a nearly identical model with a green dial and brown leather strap and a blue dial and black leather strap. It is pretty versatile, if in no other way than its appearance.
That said, I put a cheap steel oyster-style bracelet on this watch in an effort to get it closer to that Seamaster/Railmaster look, but it simply didn’t work aesthetically despite physically fitting into the lugs and on the case. I didn’t even attempt to put a rubber or silicone strap on it.
Final Thoughts and Alternatives
Timex made a fun, affordable, and handsome piece that works for several casual and dressy occasions with its 40mm Standard.
For the features, build quality, and specs you’re getting, this watch is far from the best value. In many ways, it’s been disappointing, especially considering how much I’d read about Timex’s recent improvement in quality. Maybe that pertains to some of their other models more than this.
If you want alternatives, there are tons of options from reliable brands, including other lines of Timex, as well as Casio, Citizen, and Seiko. Fans of Timex’s Indiglo will find that about half of their approximately 400 models of men’s watches have that feature, and another half of those are in the 38mm to 41mm size range. Fans of the brand and its legacy can find countless actual vintage offerings of the Timex “Marlin” on eBay for around $50 to $100 (sometimes way less).
Those who want a larger case will be pleased with the brand’s Easy Reader, Expedition, Harborside, Legacy, Tiburón, and Waterbury lines – all of which offer a number of models in 41mm to 43mm cases and with a variety of strap options, colors, and often with several more features like chronographs, increased water resistance, rotating bezels, day/date windows.
Casio’s analog watch selection has also been increasingly impressive and appealing to me. After having picked up an MDV-106 “Duro,” the MTP-1302 with the since-discontinued teal dial, and an international-market-only MTP-V002 – all for under $75 – the features, value, and fit and finish on their watches have me interested in several more Casios, (not to mention my years-long obsession with G-Shocks and their other digital models).
For premium fit and finishes with great quartz movements, people wanting a step up from Timex or Casio should look to Seiko’s “Essentials” and Citizen’s “Classic” and “Garrison” lines. Don’t let the MSRP on their websites discourage you; many of these can be found on Amazon, from certified dealers, on the gray market, or used on eBay or r/WatchExchange for much less than that.
However, if you like the look and vibe of this watch and are looking for something simple that works in a wide variety of casual situations with a wide variety of strap options for under $100, it might be worth adding to your collection, even if just for a few months.
And for the penny pinchers among us, the Standard can be picked up for $85 from Amazon, with same-day delivery available through Prime as of the date of this writing.
The son and grandson of watchmakers, Austen became interested in watches in high school, while working part-time at his father and grandfather’s shop in South Florida. After college and over a decade working in journalism, he developed a passion for watches, growing his collection from a G-Shock and a Seiko SKX173 to over a dozen watches. A sucker for simple and classic designs, dive watches, or the occasional unique dial, his collection is modest and budget-minded, save an Omega “Pre-Bond” Seamaster 200m his father gifted him. When he’s not working as a full-time journalist or playing drums in his band, he’s cuddling with his cat Sox or hiking the mountains of Colorado where he lives with his fiancé.