Hands-On: The Timex Expedition Freedive Solar Is A Colorful And Care-Free Sports Watch
The most enthusiast-driven Timex watches are typically positioned as premium offerings, but the American brand also produces a wealth of categorically affordable models that consistently appeal to watch nerds. While models like the Timex Atelier Marine M1a define the luxury-oriented side of the spectrum, Timex excels at providing collectors with budget-friendly horological enjoyment, and the Timex Expedition Freedive Solar is a colorful and eco-friendly sports watch that features a light-powered movement paired with a case and strap made from recycled #TIDE ocean-bound plastic.
Sustainability is crucial to the future of humanity, but I am also realistic about the impact of the watch industry. Whenever possible, brands should always opt for the most sustainable approach; however, given that wristwatches are relatively small items that are purchased on an occasional basis and last for many years, their total impact is negligible compared to the vast majority of other industries. That said, while some brands use eco-friendly materials for a single component, Timex has applied the concept of sustainability to an entire watch, and along with being crafted almost entirely from recycled plastic, the Timex Expedition Freedive Solar (ref. TW2Y61400) runs on a light-powered movement to eliminate replacement batteries.
The case of the Timex Expedition Freedive Solar appears in a chunky dive watch silhouette, and it is crafted from #TIDE recycled plastic that has been reclaimed from the world’s oceans. With that in mind, several different types of plastic are used in the watch’s construction, and its middle case consists of a white-colored inner core that is covered in a matte green transparent outer layer. Since the green transparent plastic is quite dark, the white internal layer serves as a background that makes the case’s vibrant green hue much more visible, and fitted to the top of the middle case is a 60-click unidirectional timing bezel that is made from a different type of non-transparent dark green plastic.
Protecting the dial on the Timex Expedition Freedive Solar is a flat mineral glass crystal, while the reverse side of the watch is furnished with a solid stainless steel caseback, and set between two large guards at the 3 o’clock location is a crown made from sandblasted stainless steel. Unlike the Timex Deepwater Meridian 200, which is a proper purpose-built dive watch with a screw-down crown and a 200-meter depth rating, the Expedition Freedive Solar features a standard push/pull-style crown, and it offers a fairly standard 50 meters of water resistance, which Timex states is suitable for “light swimming” on its official website.
As for its dimensions, the case of the Timex Expedition Freedive Solar measures 46mm in diameter by 14mm thick, with lugs that are set 22mm apart and extend to create an overall lug-to-lug profile of 53.6mm. Due to its predominantly plastic construction, the Expedition Freedive Solar is quite light on the wrist (especially for its size), and the total weight of the watch comes in at 43 grams, strap included. Personally, I would have preferred a slightly smaller case (maybe something in the 40mm to 42mm range), although the geometry of the lugs helps to mitigate what is objectively a rather sizable footprint, and the Expedition Freedive Solar ends up wearing slightly smaller than its on-paper dimensions might otherwise suggest.
The dial of the Timex Expedition Freedive Solar showcases a subtle wave motif that is similar to what can be observed on the Deepwater Meridian 200, but rather than having applied hour makers with its wave pattern engraved into its surface, the matte green dial opts for an entirely printed design. Additionally, rather than using geometric shapes for its indexes, the Expedition Freedive Solar features a full track of Arabic numeral hour markers, and its hands appear in a partially skeletonized design with bright yellow tips for added visibility. The hands and hour markers all receive an application of green-glowing luminous material; however, since the Expedition Freedive Solar is a diver-style watch (rather than an actual dive watch), its bezel lacks a luminous dot to denote the zero marker.
Framing the dial on the Timex Expedition Freedive Solar is an angled chapter ring that contains the minute track, and while the majority of the chapter ring is green to match the dial, the first 20 minutes are finished in bright yellow. From a visual perspective, I personally enjoy the splash of bright yellow; however, I always find it somewhat cheesy when brands choose to incorporate this type of “first 20 minutes” color-coding on a fixed element like the dial. On a movable component like a bezel, there is a case to be made that a different color helps provide at-a-glance orientation, but when it appears on the dial or minute track, all practicality goes out the window, and the contrasting color simply serves as an aesthetic flourish.
Powering the Timex Expedition Freedive Solar is the brand’s Caliber M01K movement, and the “M01K” label is essentially Timex’s internal code for a solar quartz caliber made by Seiko. Timex rarely provides details about the specific movements that are used in its watches, but the Cal. M01K typically corresponds with either the Seiko/Epson Caliber AS32A or Caliber AS42A (which can also be found inside the Vaer C4 Tactical). The only difference between these two Japanese solar-powered movements is their size, and both versions offer an accuracy rating of +/-20 seconds per month. Similarly, both sizes are capable of charging themselves with any light source (natural or artificial), and they offer a power reserve of approximately four months once fully charged.
Fitted to the lugs of the Timex Expedition Freedive Solar is a 22mm-wide green fabric strap that is also made from recycled #TIDE ocean plastic. The material used for the strap has a slightly elastic quality, and it secures with a velcro-style closure in a style that is somewhat similar to the Sport Loop band for the Apple Watch. With that in mind, the construction of the strap is different, and it features a two-piece wrap-around design, rather than having its connecting loop fitted directly to the lugs. While the strap itself is infinitely adjustable, it does have minimum/maximum lengths, and those who have wrists that are smaller than about 6.5 inches in circumference may find that the strap is a bit too long to comfortably wear daily.
Rarely do I find plastic to be an exciting case material, but the way that Timex has used multiple different types of #TIDE ocean-bound plastic on the Expedition Freedive Solar creates a unique aesthetic that simply isn’t possible with any other type of case material. The layered appearance of the case is somewhat reminiscent of a gummy candy (part of me wants to take a bite out of the lugs), and it is significantly less luxurious than the fully-transparent exterior of the Hublot Big Bang Unico Green SAXEM. With that in mind, the Timex Expedition Freedive Solar is also entirely unpretentious, and it allows collectors to enjoy a bold all-green sports watch in a care-free and eco-friendly manner.
Between its vibrant green colorway and comfortable lightweight construction, the Timex Expedition Freedive Solar is perfectly positioned to be a person’s colorful summer sports watch, and it offers a truly set-it-and-forget-it ownership experience, thanks to its solar-powered quartz movement. Additionally, with an official retail price of $159 USD, the Timex Expedition Freedive Solar (ref. TW2Y61400) costs less than a decent pair of running shoes, and since you don’t need to worry about routine battery replacements, you are free to indulge in the novelty of a bright green semi-transparent case and only wear it a handful of times each year as a dedicated vacation watch. For more information, please visit the Timex website.
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