Your Next Beater Watch Should Be a Solar-Powered, Affordable Timex

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Field watches aren't strictly defined, but they're often smallish, practical, affordable, military in style, with only basic features, and they're made to live outside. Sure, Timex offers such cheap and cheerful watches with quartz or mechanical movements in severa; collections, but what could be more carefree and pragmatic than one that's solar-powered? The new Timex Expedition North Solar collection delivers just that, and at these prices, you just might want to grab a few.

 

As a watch made for the outdoors — as the entire Expedition collection is — a solar-powered field watch should feel right at home actually being used as it was intended. Getting outside will help keep its battery charged, and a quartz movement means it's going to be accurate and robust. Go ahead and take it camping: you don't need to worry about the likes of rain or even jumping in a lake given its 100m of water resistance — and it's affordable enough you don't even have to worry about banging it around, though it should be able to handle a bit of that as well.

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The Timex Expedition North’s matte case finishing offers the toolish look you should expect of a field watch.
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Further promising its durability is a sapphire crystal (which you don't necessarily expect on watches at this price) and a steel case with a fitting matte finish. Available in a few color coatings as well as bare steel, the Expedition North Solar watches also come in two sizes: 41mm or 36mm. Unless you've got large wrists or generally like large watches, the smaller diameter is going to offer the more classic field watch experience.

Depending on the variation, the watches come matched to either fabric straps made from recycled materials or leather straps made with eco-friendly methods that conserve water use in the tanning process. Regardless of the strap, version or size, all have the same price of $159 and are available directly from Timex.