26
Jan 12
Timex Global Trainer Heart Rate and GPS Watch
Excellent Timex watch :
Get pace, speed, distance, and more on your wrist. With SiRFstarIII GPS technology and ANT+ compatibility, this Ironman Global Trainer GPS watch from Timex records your performance across several dimensions–including pace, speed, distance, and more–providing real-time data on a customizable screen. The watch measures your location with altitude ascent and descent distances and rates, records up to 100 location waypoints to track back and create routes, and recalls up to 50 custom routes for pace tracking. The device offers six modes of operation including performance and multisport modes. The SiRFstarIII GPS technology requires no calibration.
Features:
- Customizable screen display show up to four windows of information
- 20-workout memory with dated summary records up to 1,000 laps of information
- Chronograph with interval and countdown timers measures performance
- Records elapsed time, calories burned, and performance data for each lap
- Hands-free option automatically starts and stops data capture functions
- Compatible with Windows XP or newer and with Mac OS X10.6 (Snow Leopard) or newer
- Battery recharges when connected to USB port or to any electrical outlet with included AC adaptor
- English, Spanish, Portuguese, French, German and Italian language support
- Indiglo night-light
- Durable, lightweight resin case
- Top pusher for easy operation
- Durable resin strap
- Water-resistant to 50 meters
Manufacturer’s Warranty
This Timex watch (but not any battery, crystal, band, or strap) is warranted to the owner for a period of one year from the date of purchase against defects in manufacture by Timex Corporation–not by the dealer from whom the watch was purchased. If this watch develops such a defect within the one year period, it will be repaired or replaced at the company’s option. Timex will not provide any warranty service if your watch shows evidence that it has been tampered with, misused, abused, or altered.
About Timex
Timex Group designs, manufactures, and markets innovative timepieces and jewelry globally. Timex, founded in 1854, has expanded to become Timex Group, a privately held company, with several operating units and over 5,000 employees worldwide. One of the largest watch makers in the world, Timex Group companies include the Timex Business Unit (Timex, Timex Ironman, Opex, TX, Nautica, Marc Ecko); Timex Group Luxury Watches (Valentino, Salvatore Ferragamo); Sequel (Guess, Gc); Vertime (Versace, Versus); and Vincent Bérard.
$ 360.00 
List Price: $ 360.00
Price:
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No Go: Very weak GPS and Proprietary Workout Software is an Issue,
The specs of the watch are really good, but it is when you start using it that one realizes that the Timex Global Trainer does not perform to expectations.
Firstly, the GPS in the watch, although it uses the same chip as that of the Garmin Forerunner, the performance in the Timex Global Trainer is extremely inaccurate. i.e. it takes an average of 5-7min to lock the satellites, unlike other devices, which can lock satellites in matter of seconds. Also, once a session is recorded and loaded onto a map (such as Google Maps), one can appreciate that the tracking of the device is very inaccurate. I have seen distance reading erros of up to 12% (e.g. you run 10miles and the watch says you have run 8.8miles!!) , which is very very bad. Other GPS watches only have a 2% error max accuracy (i.e. Garmin). I have checked this issue on the internet and other user reviews on Timex’s Global Trainer GPS show this same issue. I have sent the watch to Timex, got it replaced for a new one, and the same issue persists. TIMEX HASN’T GOT A SOLUTION TO THIS PROBLEM even with their latest FIRMWARE release (v. 3.14) made on August 2011.
Secondly, the workout data downloaded from the watch to the PC is proprietary and can only be used on the TrainingPeaks website. Forget about exporting you data to other better and cheaper websites such as MapMyRun or WorkOutLog. This wouldn’t be a problem if TrainingPeaks had a good system, but it is slow and in many occasions it won’t load 100% of the workout information (plenty of software improvement is needed on their side). TrainingPeaks has a cost of c. $20/month, while other websites only cost $20/year. The Free version of TrainingPeaks won’t show you all of the information from your watch (e.g. HR zones, Cadence Zones, Power Zones, etc).
Conclusion: The GPS is a no go. On a spec basis the watch is not that expensive against competitors but if you include the cost of the software to visualize your workouts you need to add $+120/year, and thats another no go. I have bought the Garmin Forerunner 310xt, Garmin is better value for money and you are not stuck with proprietary software that doesn’t work!
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|Bummer,
The watch standing alone is a great item. I love the customization and all the great things this watch is able to do. However, knowing now that it’ll cost me $120/year just to view the data from my workouts I would not have purchased this watch. When you upload the data to the website Training Peaks, it is clunky and difficult to navigate. The lack of customization in your personal account completely contrasts with the way in which this watch works. You are able to use a free account to view your data, but this is almost useless because any of the important data you would want to track is only available in the premium account for $120/year. I had owned the Suunto T6C and even though it was not GPS it had a much better interface and way more data I could track – there was no website to go to. All in all I am very disappointed that I spent all this money just to have a mileage counter on my wrist.
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|Buy a Garmin,
First let me say that I’m a seasoned triathlete (3 IM’s) and I also have the Garmin 405. While the 405 has been a great watch, the shortcomings it has is that I can’t swim with it, and when I work out and it’s humid, sweat can find it’s way to the bezel and it’ll start beeping like mad. That is what prompted me to get the Global Trainer. I can swim with the watch, and don’t have to worry about it going beeping crazy.
Few points on each watch:
Global Trainer:
-The functionality is great, and I can set up each sport with a variety of data, ultimately splitting the screen into 1,2,3, or 4 pieces of data like heart rate, pace, distance…
-It’s fairly easy to use on the fly. Tracking splits, or going from a bike to a run is very easy
-It’s comfortable for being such a huge watch
-Acquiring the satellites was relatively quick
-The display doesn’t look very polished. When in time mode (non-gps) it’s like looking at a stop watch.
-Downloading data to a PC is a joke. It’s fickle, and even when you have the device agent up, and the watch connected, it’s a trial in patience. This is where the 405 beats the Global Trainer hands down. The Garmin will transfer data automatically, and do it without having to connect the watch to a cable.
-Included software with the Timex is functionally minimal. You can pay $19.99 a month for a “enhanced” version of the training center, where Garmin will give you much of the same functionality for free.
Overall, the Timex is a huge disappointment. My recommendation would be wait for a future version where they have the kinks worked out, and don’t nickle and dime you to see your training data after you’ve already plopped down a few hundred dollars.
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