Catherine Deleon
I'm a woman and have very small wrists. I wanted a larger watch that I could easily read without squinting or putting on glasses as I don't like wearing glasses that much as I don't need them for my computer. But, I didn't want a huge watch. So, this watch was large without being huge. I knew that the band would not fit snugly, but this band was said by other reviewers to be a big small on them. I like bands to be loose so that they can sit down on my hand when I have long sleeves on or be pushed up a few inches on my arm when I'm doing something messy like cooking dinner. I also wanted an inexpensive but dependable and classic looking watch. Because it became fashionable for women to wear watches that looked like they'd borrowed them from the guy in their life, I felt this would be fine without seeming too odd.Also, I like to check the time when I wake up because I wake up so early and don't want to get up so early that I'll be exhausted later. So, the light was important to me. I've had a few Timex watches before, and I found the Indiglo feature very helpful.I was a little concerned about the stretch band pulling my arm hairs as I'd noticed on a watch a long time ago that that happened. This one very so slightly does that but mainly because it's loose and I move it around. If it were fit so it stayed put on my arm, I don't think it would do that throughout the day. It's not actually a problem as it's so slight. I don't really notice it much.As I said, I've had a few Timex watches in my life, and they tend to keep on ticking. My last one, honestly, didn't last more than 18 months, but that was an exception. Fortunately, I got that one very, very cheaply on a sale with points and so on at another retailer. I hope this one lasts for a few years as it has for others.While I like the dull metal stretch band, I am also considering getting silicone bands in different colors. They are pretty inexpensive, and you can get the quick release type that pop in and out easily to be worn with different outfits. I'm thinking of black, buff/pink (kind of like a white person's slightly tanned skin), and red. Maybe white too. For now, I'm just using the silver band. As another reviewer mentioned, the provided band is duller than the watch. However, it actually looks good that way. It's a more casual look than it would be with a shiny band. I also think it would look good with a shiny band, however.So, having read that some people had difficulty setting the day of the week, I handed this to my young adult son as he was just sitting around playing on his computer while to did all kinds of housework. He set everything but the day and didn't bother with the day of the week. Not intending to be his slave without any rewards, I looked up directions on the internet, sent them to him, and handed it back with just enough words to every so slightly shame him into doing it. I wasn't mean, but this kid got accepted to MIT. So, he did it. I also asked here for directions and got directions from the manufacturer and several other reviewers. So, look through the questions and the answers are there. Basically, you pull the knob out and turn it through as many 24-hour days as you need to to get to the day of the week you need. I think you go clockwise. The direction matters, so check that first. It's absolutely NOT a big deal once you know how to do it. I think the reason so many people have gotten confused is that these days were are used to clicking on things and having them set right away. It's the same reason many older people have trouble with digital things. They are used to mechanical things. Anyway, it's not a big deal and it's definitely not a reason not to buy the watch.As I said, I bought this watch because it had a big face and hands and would be easy to glance at without glasses AND because it had Indiglo lighting when you push the knob AND because it had both the day and the date. I do check my online calendar daily and schedule appointments every single day for my business and personal matters. However, I admit sometimes I forget what day it is and what the date is. One reason I didn't buy the women's version of this watch is that I wanted the DAY and the date, not just the date. The women's version must be too small to have both. What I've noticed is that in dim light, I have a harder time reading small print. Also, the day and date are much smaller than the numerals for the hours. That's normal, of course. But, I do have to work a little harder to read the day and date. Further, the day and date are not illuminated by the Indiglo light. I guess because this is a mechanical watch, they are turning on different disks and don't have that feature. However, when I check my watch in the dark, I only want to know what time it is and don't need to know the day of the week and date. So, it's not actually a problem. The only thing I would say about that is that because I can read it but it's harder to read and I rarely go without my phone, the day/date feature is probably not as important to me as I made it when I made the choice of the watch. I probably could have gotten the women's version and been happy with it.As for this man's watch on me, I had the idea that women's watches are frumpy looking and liked the idea of a bigger watch face, but I probably would like the utilitarian look of this watch in the women's size. I just got this so will think about this overnight. When I pinch about 5 of the links out, the watch actually looks pretty good and not like I borrowed a man's watch. So, removing some links is also an option. As I said, my wrist is tiny, and so many women would not need to remove any links to make this watch fit and some might have to add links. If I removed 8 links, it would be snug on me, but I wouldn't be able to dangle it down on my hand if I had long sleeves with snug cuffs or push it up on my arm if I were doing something messy. So, I do have options: loose if I do nothing, snug if I remove 8 links, and semi-fitted if I remove only 5 links.And, I can use quick release silicone bands to change the look to go with different outfits. I figured out that if I got the black band, that would work for business as it almost without looking closely would come off as a black leather band. It would also have a soft, comfortable feel (based on reviews and if you get the ones that are like that so read the reviews before buying). Although I don't mind the metal expansion band and didn't notice it when I wore this for an hour on an errand, I probably would love the soft silicone bands. I'm middle aged and healthy, but if you were older or had very delicate skin for other reasons, a soft silicone band would be a great option for you. You can get soft leather bands that would feel nice, but silicone is easier to clean, can be gotten wet without staining or swelling, and is sturdy. As it is, my skin is healthy, but I have sensitive skin, not thick or rough. I can't wear pierced earrings with nickle in them. I don't think that will be an issue for this watch as it never has been for a Timex before. but I did notice that one reviewer had removed the band but left the little bars in and looped a one-piece leather band through the bars so that there was almost no skin contact with the metal. If you want to look DIY or artsy, you can even make padded fabric watchbands that have snaps to hold the watch face or use thick grosgrain ribbon to make bands to your color preference. I would even sew velvet ribbon to grosgrain ribbon or sew lace to grosgrain ribbon to make a cute band for certain casual fun outfits or a slightly dressed up event where casual touches would look cute. Because this is so inexpensive and supplies for making watch bands would be cheap due to the size needed, you could give one of these to a teen and help them come up with lots of different bands for it. You can buy band hardware (buckles, etc.) easily online.The other thing to consider if you're very small boned is that larger watch will be heavier. My son, who is 6 feet tall and energetic, walking miles fast rather than driving, and fairly strong, also has small wrists and pointed out to me that a larger watch might feel heavy. He'd been given one years ago and took it off regularly as a result. He took it off in the orchestra room while playing his cello, and someone stole it. Having said that, this is smaller than many large-faced men's watches. It's not one of those huge watches. It covers about 2/3 of my wrist width, not all of it like many men's watches would. Although I noticed the weight when I put it on because my son advised me to consider that, it didn't bother me. With a silicone, fabric, or leather band, it would be even lighter. Heavier than most women's watches, but not as heavy as those chunky men's watches.When considering how practical it is to have a men's watch, I also considered size related to the small cuffed long sleeve shirts and long sleeved sweaters one might wear to work. How much of a hassle would it be to dig under my sleeve to get to the watch in a meeting? Truth is that I could wear this watch over a long sleeved thin sweater and get away with it because my clothes are so classic and practical. Also, because I live in Los Angeles where it's hot a lot and I am a woman who prefers short sleeves and jackets or cardigans to long sleeves as my main layer to avoid hot flashes, this is really not an issue for me. I also have the option of giving this watch to my son if I decide I want a smaller one and never wear it. However, I don't think he's taken the watch I gave him five years ago off since I gave it to him. So, that's all theoretical.In conclusion, I would say that this watch is a realistic purchase for a woman, even if she has small wrists. If she has very delicate skin as elderly people often do or wants it to be lighter, you can find some very nice, very inexpensive silicone watchbands that are easily cleaned and easily interchangeable with quick release pins. If she needs something breathable due to the heat, you could go with a thin leather band, a ribbon band (a thick ribbon or two layers of ribbon due to the weight and width) or a fabric band that you make or get on a crafter sales site. Or, she could wear it over a washable wrist band or a long sleeve. I personally think this is a great watch for teenage girls and boys if they would enjoy an analog watch because they can have fun with different bands.Edited to add: I slept with this watch on, but to be comfortable doing so, I put the watch over my sleeve on my long sleeved pajama top. I'm a person who doesn't like rough feeling surfaces on my skin, and so this made it comfortable to sleep in, and I didn't notice it during the night. The weight didn't bother me either. I have a feeling that silicone bands are in my near future unless I figure out a clever way to line the band with something soft. This is not a criticism of the band as it's a normal expansion band. But, I like smooth, soft surfaces next to my skin.Also, for those who have not had the Indiglo watch face light before, the more you use it, the faster your battery dies. It's not a big deal as the battery will last long enough, but just remember that and don't give it to a kid to play with for hours unless you want to replace the battery soon.And, I already have enjoyed the day/date feature as I woke up wondering if it was Thursday or Friday and glance at it first thing after I turned the light on at 4:30 a.m.Some might wonder why you'd buy a watch with an expansion band if you really want something softer next to your skin. For me, this 35mm watch face was a better size than the 40 mm Weekender Unisex watch Timex sells AND it has both the day and date whereas the Weekender Unisex has neither the day nor date. You can spend upwards of $40 for the Weekender Unisex with a grosgrain ribbon band or you can buy this and then go get whatever band you want. The silicone bands I like are very well reviewed and go for less than $12 apiece, so it's about the same price to get a quick release band plus the watch at a slightly smaller size that is better for me than to buy the Weekender Unisex model that is a little too big, doesn't have the day/date, and also might not have the color I want. I like the grosgrain bands a lot as they are comfortable and you can get them in lots of colors. But, you do have to wash them regularly. To wash them, I mix a little laundry detergent in very hot water in a small container, like a cup--just about half a cup of water is fine--enough to cover. Then, let it sit for several hours in that and then rub so that all the loosened soil and oil from your skin comes off, rinse in running water while rubbing and soak again in hot water to rinse. If you have to do that regularly, it helps to have another band or another watch unless you don't mind not wearing the watch for several hours. They might be more comfortable than silicone because they breathe, but the silicone can be washed and dried within minutes. For this watch to use a slip through band like the grosgain bands you can buy or make, you need the posts and I assume but don't know that you can just use the posts provided with this band. You can also buy them to make this watch accept slip through bands.
