Customer Reviews
Only as a Watch 
2007-07-12
It did work for three days... After that I never got a reading from the belt. I changed the battery twice just to try everything.
A disappointment.
Search in Internet there are many complaint about the watch.
Great while it lasted 
2007-03-31
I had this Timex for about four years, during which I used it on all my runs. The functionality was awesome, and not only did having a heart rate monitor add a new dimension to my running and increase my motivation, but it also made me more cognizant of the need to monitor my peak heart rate.
The chest strap unit worked perfectly throughout and there was never any noticeable wear and tear.
However, the watch itself was a bit less satisfactory. The design was user-friendly and good-looking, but I had three problems:
1) there is a thin rubber surround on the display that worked itself off. This was a purely cosmetic problem, and while it made my watch less appealing to wear, it never affected its performance.
2) The buttons became hard to the point of becoming almost dysfunctional after the third year or so. However, they had been recently improving.
3) The strap, which is an integral part of the watch, became detached one day, so I can no longer wear my watch on my wrist. This is why I no longer use it.
While it lasted, I used my Timex as a watch every day for four years, and as a Heart Rate Monitor for all my runs. The Time Zone feature helped me learn how to pace my runs and I increased my maximum distance from 5k to 12.5k in this time. All in all, I was very satisfied, and heart-broken that the strap would break. I liked it so much I'm thinking of buying another one, which is what brought me to Amazon in the first place today...
Great Way To Track Your Progress 
2007-03-24
Replete with lots of data and enough bells and whistles to launch a space shuttle, it was a little intimidating at first getting it set up. Despite having read all 3 manuals several times, I was still a little confused on a couple of points. That's when I called the people at Timex. They walked me through all of my questions and showed me how to make it do what I wanted. They were helpful, prompt and very efficient. Now I use it whenever I workout and find it to be an absolutely invaluable tool. It keeps track of my heartrate and elapsed time during the workout. At the end of the workout, it displays peak heart rate, average heart rate, time in zone (there are several user selectable zones) and total calories burned. Since I use different machines every time I workout, the machine read out varies much more widely. The Ironman allows me to keep much better track of my actual progress. The Ironman has been essential in my quest to loose weight. I've been using it for 5 weeks and I've lost 8.5 pounds. You'll love using it once you get it set up and you'll wonder what you ever did without it. Well, that's all for now. Time to put another hour in on the eliptical...Enjoy!!!
"Excellent item" 2007-01-11
Excellent as a heart rate monitor, you don't need to buy an expensive (polar) one for all modes that the IRONMAN HR has it
Not as advertised 2006-04-03
the watch features are great, but I could not get it to read my heart rate. I have contacted Timex and they have sent me another watch, still no heart rate. Now they are sendind me another chest strap, this is two weeks after I purchased it. I don't think tha I shoudl be having this many problems with a new product. havein said that the customer service is great and they offer a cheap 5 year warranty for an additional $5. If the new strap does not work I am going to buy a Polar RS 100
Great watch...so-so HRM 
2008-06-06
I love the watch... I wear it everyday and I think the features, the comfort, and the style are all exceptional.
The HRM function makes me sad... I really wanted this to work better to be able to use to train with. Problem is, that the wireless connection "drops" too frequently and if you don't notice it and reset it, you lose that data.. so it really doesn't work for it's intended purpose.
I too have replaced the transmitter battery, but it didn't help.
Love the watch.... but it is just not a reliable HRM....
If you need a watch by a watch... if you need a reliable HRM look elsewhere.
Started out as a good watch, but keep it out of the water 2008-03-01
One would think that a watch for an Ironman would function reasonably well in water. After just two months, the watch had condensation inside, which made it difficult to read, then finally stopped working altogther. I would recommend this watch for use on dry land only.
Feature set exceeds the price point. 2008-02-09
Just got the watch, so these are initial impressions, not a test of long-term durability. I had a Nike Triax C5 which was $90+ and it didn't have 25% of the features that this watch has. Two time zones, night mode, chrono, timer, recover, and review modes are all useful. The review for a workout includes time in zone, avg hr, peak hr, min hr, calories burned, and lap times. And there are several different display modes for each mode. I'm extremely impressed with the ergonomics overall. The watch itself is not extremely comfortable right out of the box, but I think it will get better as it forms to my wrist, like most. The signal is strong and I haven't lost a connection or had interference issues. The watch seems like it blocks out other signals once it is connected. Overall, I would definitely recommend this watch for the price, I don't know of a better value.
So Far So Good 2008-01-29
I have only had this heart rate monitor for 3 weeks but it has worked like a charm. This is my first heart rate monitor and I have been using it for running and spinning 4 times a week. When I first used the heart rate monitor, it was not receiving the heart rate signal. I said to myself, "Oh no, what kind of piece of junk did I get?". The manual for the watch suggested adding moisture to the chest transmitter contact. However, the manual for the chest transmitter did not indicate where the contact was, so I assumed that it was directly behind the case that contains the electronics. Adding moisture to the back of the case did not do anything. I finally realized that the contacts are on both sides of case along the strap. They are rubberized with ridges going along the strap. Adding water to both contacts did the trick. The signal is picked up within a second or two.
Compared to the Polar monitors, the Timex ones, IMO, are more stylish, function packed and better value. Plus the battery is user replaceable.
We will see how it does on the long haul.
Love it so far 2008-01-19
I love this product thus far. Now, take into account that this is my first HRM and I have only used it for three weeks, about 15 workouts (running and road bicycle).
Having said that, I can't believe I have been training without one of these. On runs and rides, I no longer pay any attention to speed, I focus solely on heart rate.
One of the reasons I did not buy a monitor earlier is that I heard the straps were a pain. I have been very pleased with the comfort of this strap. Doesn't bother me at all, even on long runs. I can see how the fabric / elastic strap might not hold up over the long haul but I also can't really imagine what would hold up to 4 or 5 workouts per week over months and months.
The watch has found the signal from the strap immediately every time I've worn it. I just wet my chest and the strap a little and it works right away. As for watch functions, I rarely used the timing functions (lap, etc) on any Ironman I've worn before this. On this watch, either because I took the time to learn them to use the heart rate function or because this watch is simpler,I've used the lap, heart rate alarm, and especially review function extensively. One bonus that I really didn't think about (and I know all the HRMs have this) is the calorie count. I have no idea whether it's accurate but it's nice to get off the bike and know that you've just burned off 1000 calories. The only drawback to the watch is that it is just a bit clunkier than other workout watches (I am assuming due to the HRM electronics) so I personally don't plan to wear this watch casually.
