There’s often a point of discussion around what watches should be classified as dive watches. If a watch has a case and bezel that pay homage to iconic dive watches of yore but can barely survive a dip in your local pool, is that a dive watch? Aesthetically it fits the description but on a practical level certainly not. Fortunately we have the International Organisation for Standardisation (ISO) who publish globally recognised standards for the parameters a dive watch should meet. And for the first time ever Timex have met those standards with the launch of the Deepwater Reef 200 collection.
Timex Deepwater Reef 200 and Timex Deepwater Reef 200 GMT
The collection consists of three new models. There’s a steel edition with a quartz movement, a GMT edition with a quartz movement and a titanium model with an automatic movement. If you’re looking for a hyper accessible watch with a price tag around £200 or less, then certainly check out the quartz models, but for now we’re going to focus on the mechanical edition. It also happens to be the version made from more advanced materials.
Starting with the case, the Deepwater Reef 200 Titanium Automatic measures 41mm in diameter with a thickness of 13mm, which is well proportioned for a diver. Large enough to make the dial and display nice and legible but not so large that it becomes problematic to wear day to day outside the water. On top of that its lightweight titanium construction off-sets some to the mass, making it easier to wear.
As the name Deepwater Reef 200 suggests, the watch has attained a water resistance rating of 200m. However, simply being water resistant isn’t enough to achieve ISO dive watch status. According to ISO standards, a dive watch must also be resistant to condensation, thermal-shock, shock-resistant, anti-magnetic and maintain excellent visibility in both light and dark conditions. In order to adhere to these specifications Timex have equipped the watch with a screw-down caseback and crown, lumed hands and hour markers, and a scratch-resistant sapphire glass with anti-reflective coating.
Zooming in on the dial, it’s a very traditional dive watch display. The black base makes for a very clean appearance with zero visual interference for the hour markers, making them as easy to read as possible. As noted, they’re coated with lume, specifically Super-LumiNova, in order to emit a glowing radiance in low light conditions such as when you’re deep underwater.
The exception is at 3 o’clock is a date window beneath a cyclops lens on the sapphire glass above. I’m personally not a fan of cyclops lenses, to me they create an oddly lopsided appearance and interrupt the smooth flow of glass. Also, the benefit they actually give is pretty small in the grand scheme of things, enhancing a date window that is already easy to read. However, stylistically it’s become a part of the dive watch aesthetic, mainly due to historic models like the Rolex Submariner.
Beneath the dial is housed the Miyota 8215 automatic movement with 42-hour power reserve. There’s not too much to say about this movement other than it’s widely used across the industry, which has the benefit of making it more affordable and also meaning any service or repair centre worth their salt should be able to handle it. It’s protected by the solid caseback of the watch, no exhibition window here – not unexpected of a dive watch.
That brings us to the Deepwater Reef 200 Titanium Automatic’s price, £415. As an entry-level dive watch that meets ISO standards, that’s really good. If you’re looking for a watch with the quintessential properties of a diver while on a budget, it’s a really solid option. If your budget is a little more extensive, check out our guide to the best dive watches of 2024 here.
Price and Specs:
More details at Timex.
I just got my Reef Titanium 200 automatic a couple of days ago and the watch has a major flaw nobody is telling you about. The lume is completely useless despite all that hype.Whatever they’ve used on the hour and minute hands is different from the rest and doesn’t glow at all. These two hands become invisible and impossible to read after a while in the dark, so all you will be able to see is the hour markers and the bezel on an empty dial with no hands. Surprisingly, the seconds hand does glow with great intensity, so I don’t know what Timex did differently here. This is utterly illogical and a huge blunder considering the watch seems to be built and advertised around the he lume feature. I’m actually sending it back.
Sadly the date models do not fulfill the ISO standard (2018 edition) due to the missing lume plot at 3 o’clock.
An astute observation, thank you for the clarification!
Best,
Michael Sonsino
That strap is disappointing. I appreciate it’s a dive watch, but it’s not going to go near the sea let’s be honest. From a marketing point of view they could include something a bit more substantial looking and in a nicer colour that complements the dial, then charge a straight £500 and still make a bit when they inevitably discount it to £300.
Always interested in accurate and clear watch reviews…Thanks JVK
Finally a good looking Timex Dive Watch 😄. To me it’s still priced to high for a Timex but it is what it is.