Timex T78587 Review - A Viable Casio Alternative? Timex T78587 vs Casio A168
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I've recently been on the hunt for an alternative to my favorite low-profile Casios. They are the cheap digital kings, and I was hoping to find something from another brand to dethrone them. The more options, the better, as far as I'm concerned.
I quickly landed on the highly-reviewed 34mm Timex T7 on Amazon. A big thanks to Amazon for covering the cost of this piece because, as we'll soon discover, it's certainly not a keeper!
The watch arrived in the regular low-end Timex packaging. It's a little better than most Casio watches and provides a touch of extra protection during shipping.
Case Design
Straight away, you can see this bears a striking resemblance to the Casio A168, both in terms of sizing and design. This Timex T78587 has the same style of high-shine resin case, with a darker inner portion and a digital display at the very center. For a digital, it's pretty minimalist, with far less text than most of the alternatives I've looked at before. It's supposedly a remake of a watch from the 1980s, though I've struggled to find images or information about the vintage original.
Digital Display
The digital display is broader than similarly-sized Casios, so it should give better visibility in theory. Unfortunately, that promise fails to materialize. When square-on, both are comparable to the human eye. However, when rotating the Timex even slightly, the display starts changing colors and fading, as if you were looking through a pair of polarised sunglasses.
It varies from orange to green, occasionally producing an iridescence that accentuates the ghosting of the digits. For the most part, it's okay, but it looks odd compared to the consistent matte finish boasted by most Casios.
Watch Crystal
You'll notice the acrylic over the surface is curved, which I've never seen on a digital, and I think it looks quite cool. The execution of this design has handicapped the visuals in other areas, though.
Not only is the crystal and black border raised substantially from the display, leaving a wide gap beneath, but you'll quickly notice the two white spacers towards the top and bottom. Perhaps cost is why these aren't black, though, in their current guise, they are hard to ignore once you see them.
I had a similar gripe with the Casio W217H, though luckily that model didn’t have these contrasting spacers.
Materials
Before we get onto the truly weird bracelet, let's touch on the rest of the build. Online product listings can't seem to agree on the case material used with this model. Some say brass, others claim steel, while Amazon US states resin. If it is metal, it is a very cheaply chromed one; to me, this feels like plastic.
The generic manual that comes with the watch fails to confirm this, though the black version, named the W116, definitely does have a resin case, leading me to believe that this could also be the same. I can't see why Timex would offer a metal version without a price increase.
Either way, don't expect this to hold up against scratches. Like the Casios, the T7 will scratch up over time and won't survive as well as more expensive steel watches.
Case Construction
The lugs follow the same curvature as the crystal, which looks surprisingly elegant, though the case finishing leaves much to be desired. For around $50 at the time of publishing, you'd expect it to be better than the A168, which retails for half the price. However, when side by side, it's clear the cheaper option has more refined lines. Sure, both have a glossy finish, but the Timex appears to have a more generous mold that results in scruffier, imprecise edges.
Nevertheless, both are close in size. This Timex comes in with a modest 34.5mm diameter, 10.5mm thickness, and a short 43mm lug to lug length, making it a viable choice for average to slim wrists; or those just after a smaller watch.
Water Resistance
To the rear is the screwed steel case back, which is very similar to those on most Casios. It has the same 3-bar splash-resistance rating as many Casios, though I can't say this piece has any sort of a reputation for outdoing its designation, as is well-known among variants of the popular Casio F-91W. It may be submergible, though I'd hang fire, especially for $50 a pop!
Within is an unnamed movement with a sticker over the cell and the text 'Philippines BZ9 M555' atop. I can't find a module under that name online, and the manual also has no further information so let's just run through the performance.
Display & Functions
The display is segmented with time at the bottom, date at the top-right, and day of the week in the center. All the pushers have labeled arrows indicating their function. The module provides a basic stopwatch and alarm alongside a capable Indiglo backlight that effectively illuminates the display in the dark.
While the functions are essentially identical to the Casios, unfortunately, the interface is clunkier, despite the additional button. Setting the alarm, in particular, is the opposite of intuitive. I'd consider myself very clued up with technology in general, and even I have struggled to work out how it operates. It's much faster to set on the Casio with one less button required. One handy feature of this Timex module is that you can put the pushers into 'silent mode' by pressing the start/stop button while on the main screen. In certain situations, this could be helpful.
Watch Bracelet
Something less useful is the bracelet. This watch comes with an expanding bracelet by default, and I thought this would be perfect as it could adapt to my wrist size, you know…like expanding bracelets are designed to do.
Unfortunately, though, even at its smallest, there's still two finger widths of excess space! I could understand this on a 40 or 42mm watch, but this Timex is just 34mm! My wife even commented that it looked like a unisex piece, yet, it's been paired with a bracelet that only fits big wrists. True, my wrists are thin, but such a combination makes no sense. I've never had an issue with similarly-sized watches in the past, so I'm baffled at this choice.
Technically, it is possible to adjust bracelets like these, though they aren't designed for it, meaning it's a tedious process. When the most-viewed link removal video for expansion bracelets is over 15 minutes long, you know the system is flawed. The idea of the stretchiness is that adjustments shouldn't be necessary in the first place, not to mention you'll probably void your warranty by attempting these alterations.
It's a shame, too, because the physical quality of this bracelet is much better than the cheap Casios I've come across. Sure, you often get pulled hairs, but these expandables are the fastest on-off bands you can get your hands on. The one I reviewed on the Festina dress watch last year came with a special adjustment system that worked very nicely; something like that would have been welcome here. Additionally, like with the Casios, the brushed bracelet doesn't match the high-shine case whatsoever, but that's of little concern at this price.
Final Thoughts
For double the price of the A168, I don't see a reason to buy this at retail cost. Sure, it's got good reviews from buyers, but I can't see any advantages over the Casio to justify the increased cost. If you have a small wrist and are thinking about this 34mm watch, don't waste your time, as the strap probably won't fit. I've also seen several reports of the lugs snapping off upon attempted replacement of said bracelet due to poor quality case materials.
The origins of the watch are also mysterious. Nowhere on the product is the place of manufacture evident, nor can I find it online. I suppose there's a chance the whole product could be made in the Philippines, given the label over the battery in the module, which would probably be better than the product being produced under questionable labor practices in China. There's no available evidence, either way, thanks to Timex's approach with their movements.
I'll affiliate link the Casio A158, as it's the better choice, in my opinion.
