More 200m Divers Into the Mix
I was surprised to see a new diver added to Timex’s broad offerings so soon after the release of the Deepwater Reefs. Before I could even get used to the 41mm Reef line, I was befuddled by the Meridian models. They are like an upgraded Tiburón? I hadn’t even seen the carbon fiber case 43mm Reef yet. It’s all a bit confusing. To make things even more interesting, at this writing, Timex has already started a new higher-end line, Atelier line, which starts off with a $1000 diver! I guess they don’t do focus groups, instead just releasing models then getting feedback. Trial by fire.
Timex, never a company to let the grass grow under their collective feet, is constantly changing lines and adding new models or variants with little advance notice? Maybe I’m just not in the social media loop? New watches just suddenly appear and then disappear just as fast. In today’s instant media environment only the new gets a passing mention and not in depth, or not for long. In the watch market it seems every release is limited. If you think about it, every product made is limited to some duration, but I wish things would stay around long enough to be considered regular or standard, before they are changed. Maybe a two years?
Every Timex release seems to be a test watch. If it sells well, more are made (with changes). If it does not set the world on fire, it is dropped. Repeat. If you miss something interesting to you, you will probably have to look at grey market in a year or two to find it again. Nothing stays around long enough to become a classic. As such, potential for repair decreases with each passing day. Timex pretends to operate a repair business, but with so many models/styles being released there is no way to maintain spare parts. Every time I send a watch in its a new experience. They can’t keep track of anything, frequently losing watches. Repair and Customer Service don’t seem to be able to communicate. They are much more apt to replace what you send in with a similar, newer watch.
So, before I get this Deepwater Meridian post done, there will be changes to the line, or parts of it gone forever. This is why I prefer writing about older, discontinued watches rather than new or current offerings. They are what they are without the pressure of being trending. An example of the here-and-gone is the Deepwater Reef TW2W74600, 41 mm quartz diver with brushed stainless case and blue dial. Just released one year ago, it is not even searchable on the Timex site. It’s as if it never existed.
I think this short lifespan of models devalues all the work that went into developing them. Models are gone before most people know they exist. If Timex does not think something is worth continuing, then consumers will, in turn, regard Timex products as something not worthy of investing time and money into. Throw-away watches.
At this moment, there are seven Deepwater Meridians available(I think!). Trying to find things on the Timex site can be confusing. I don’t know if they arrange their site purposely or they have lost control of the constant changes, but, rarely can you see all of a line together? They seem to have Three blue dials; maybe that’s why Timex quit with the blue Reef? Four have black dials. There are five 44mm and two 38mm. There is one auto variant and one bracelet variant.
The automatic variant has a different dial. It is a matte nvay blue with no waves, and a white line surround on the date window. Another thought that comes to mind is that the auto 44mm Meridians look a lot like the Tiburón auto? It’s as if the odd 43mm Reef, the Meridian and the Tiburón are one big family? The Tiburón’s parts are being used in the Meridians and it is just being absorbed into the Meridian as it is dropped.
Meridian Variant Breakdown:
TW2Y39900-44mm, auto, date, brushed stainless, navy dial, blue rubber. TW2W82000-44mm, qrtz, date, brushed stainless, black dial, bracelet. TW2W81500-44mm, qrtz, date, brushed stainless, navy dial, blue rubber. TW2W81600-44mm, qrtz, date, brushed stainless, black dial, black rubber. TW2W81700-44mm, qrtz, date, gunmetal coated stainless, black dial, yellow rubber. TW2Y40300-38mm, qrtz, brushed stainless, navy dial, blue rubber. TW2Y40400-38mm, qrtz, brushed stainless, royal blue dial, blue rubber
I wrote about the Reefs as a milestone in that Timex was getting back into what the market considers an entry level 200m diver. With the Meridian, what Timex has done is add a similar but different design with a bigger size than the 41m Reef and also a smaller size, a 38mm in two colors. Here is the shotgun approach of Timex in plain sight; With no information release that covers background or development of concept, or relating the two, the Meridians pop up right after the Reefs, but in different sizes and a slightly different design.
Why Another Diver?
Why not just do these sizes in the Reef Line? Did Timex get feedback that the Reef design was not appealing and that people were thinking more along the lines of the Meridian looks? Why did they later add a 43mm Reef? It’s bringing the Tiberón back to the fore. Are they fishing, testing, to see which gets better response before moving on? Did the Reef and the Meridian get developed concurrently? As you can see, the release of the Meridian makes me think more about the Reef than the Meridian! I can’t really talk about the Meridian without comparing it to the Reef or Tiburón.
At first glance, the overall case shape and crown guards are the things that distinguish the Meridian from the Reef. I myself prefer the more vintage skin diver shape of the Reef to the more generic diver look of the Meridian. Still, the Reef seems a bit awkward of proportion, visually bulky? In Timex speak, the Meridian looks more like the Navi XL shape. That said, the dial and hands of the newer Meridians as well as overall fit and finish seems to be more refined. The fatter hands and hour markers provide a means to up the lume that was a weak point of some of the Reefs. I don’t have a Meridian on hand to compare side by side at this point.
Right off the bat, without even trying one on, I dismissed the 44mm Meridian as too big for me, as I did the Tiburón. Therefore I wouldn’t even consider buying one. I didn’t even want to read about it. Of course, there is always the possibility that it would fit just fine? I have written that the 41mm Reef seemed bigger and bulkier than its 41mm x 48mmm size would elicit. The 22mm lug width also makes the Reef seem bigger. Timex has dropped the 44mm Meridian to a 20mm lug with. It makes all the difference visually. I also wrote that I thought a 20mm Lug width on the 41mm Reef would have improved it. So, Timex is back to the 20mm that was on the Tiburón?
Smaller Size 38mm
When I saw that there was a 38mm Meridian with a 18mm lug width, my interest increased several steps. I like a smaller watch usually. Without saying it, as is the safer way in the current political/social environment, the smaller size is meant for women and/or any smaller wrist. Notice the bright blue TW2Y40400 variant is 38mm , not 44mm? Another interesting thing is the 38mm pair do not have the date complication? All the 44s do, with the cyclops magnifier.
From watch a video review on In The Loupe, the royal blue dial has an iridescent finish which is not to my liking. The interesting-looking modern style rubber straps look to be straight, non-tapering, too. So, 18mm the whole length. All in all I do like the compact size this watch provides for a 200m diver.
Just looking at the Meridian compared to the Reef, one quickly, subconsciously feels the differences in proportion created by the the more tapered lugs that are also closer together. The overall look is rounder than the more squared-off Reef look. It is somehow familiar while the Reef is different. The dial details and crown guards all seem comforting and familiar. All the Deepwaters now sport the pop of red on the dial in the form of a stylized diver down flag. This mark was left off the first run of the Reef release last year, but added later.
Closing Thoughts
I don’t know how the Meridians are selling but I think they may look more like what your average watch person expects from a diver than what the Reef or Tiburón delivered. The Reef was about the return of the 200m diver concept for Timex and some new looks while the Meridian is more about refinement and a return to familiar form. The Reef is maybe more interesting, the Meridian more refined. The Meridian feels like a retreat from the advance of the Reef.
Again, why couldn’t Timex refine the Reef instead of remaking the Tiburón so soon? Why not continue both? What does this mean for the Reef? I have a gut feeling it is gone for good. Could it return again with a different name? It’s sad because I think a refined Reef represents a potential to express the vintage skin diver heritage. It is also modern looking, or a different look? Maybe the Reef was not ready for release? Everything about the first 41mm line is a little ungraceful. The automatic 41mm in titanium, with insufficient lume on hands, seems to have flopped since they are still available…That was so disappointing because it was the best-looking of the bunch and auto to boot.
The shape/proportions, the dial, the hands, the strap have all changed in the Meridian. I still prefer the Reef to the Meridian, but, I have not experienced a Meridian yet in the metal. (Which reminds me. Hey, Timex! Start selling watches in stores again! Not just your cheapest commodity watches, but all your lines.) I can’t say I am very excited about the Meridian. It does not come across as anything new or particularly original. If I was to purchase a Timex diver now, it would probably be the Meridian 38mm navy blue TW2Y40300, because of the type of watch in that size.
I’m not rushing out to get another Timex diver since I have two 41 mm Reefs, and like I said, the Meridian does not motivate me enough to spend now. A good comparison is that I couldn’t get my wallet out fast enough for the new Caravelle Seahunter 39 auto. I am a retro junkie. It is another watch I don’t need either, but one I had to have. The Meridian is a better diver with better specs but does not have the same appeal. I think I was more excited about the Reef 41s than I am about the Meridian. I am trying to be excited by the last couple of Timex divers, but they are just not quite hitting the mark for me?
I have a sense that the Timex divers are stuck between a retro-inspired reissue and a new modern look? They are not successfully doing either. I don’t know what the brief for the Meridian was. Its hard for divers to break from vintage cues and do something new. Maybe a better built 200m WR reissue of one of their early 90s 40511, or a mechanical reissue of the 12571, would satisfy the retro crowd. The trouble is they don’t have an iconic 200m diver to reissue?
With hundreds of divers out there trying to do just that; be classic and new at the same time, its hard not to do something we are familiar with? It seems every diver is a combination of several divers before it. The Meridian hits all the necessary specs with sapphire and 200m, even an auto, but, is not that interesting.
At the same time maybe their “new” look is not new enough? The Timex Atelier Marine M1a still has the dots and bars dial but manages to look more modern and original than the Meridian. I think something like a Scurfa or Nodus would move into new territory? The Tag Heuer Solargraph or Hamilton Khaki Navy look with just triangular hour markers could work, too? Could some Arabic numbers be incorporated without looking like a field watch? You know, they could even look at some of their own older Allied Coastline or Standard designs that had a modern diver look?
I don’t know. It’s hard to stand out in the sub-$500 dive arena.
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