ⓘ Timex - edited

Nearly six months after putting a Seiko movement inside a titanium diver, Timex has issued the same watch in steel with a Miyota inside it. The Expedition Pioneer Automatic is available as two different references: TW2Y87400 on a steel bracelet at $459, and TW2Y87500 on brown leather at $429.

The 41 mm case is brushed and polished stainless-steel, and it's rated to 200 m. The watch is protected by a sapphire crystal with anti-glare coating. You also get sapphire in the caseback protecting the movement. Applied indices and the hands come with luminant in-fill, and there is a date window beside three o'clock. The leather strap is sourced through the Leather Working Group and rests on quick-release bars.

Inside, you get the Miyota 8215. It's the same Japanese automatic movement Timex has used for years. The titanium Expedition Pioneer that launched in April used a Seiko NH35a instead — it was a key departure that drove a big part of its coverage. These new steel references return to the older movement.

Titanium versions were priced at $449 on rubber and $549 on the bracelet; the steel bracelet reference TW2Y87400 is cheaper by almost $90 while the leather is $20 below the cheapest titanium. If you're choosing between the two, you are picking between a lighter case with a Seiko caliber and a heavier one with a Miyota.

Timex's feature badges confirm a bidirectional turning top ring, however, the product description on both references describes a unidirectional ratcheting top ring. The former is most likely true, but it might be worth checking this out in person if you plan to drop almost half a grand on a diver.

The case measures 48 mm lug to lug and is 14 mm tall. Timex hasn't published a power reserve figure; the 8215 is generally quoted at around 40 hours. Both watches are listed on Timex's US store now.

Buy the Timex TW2Y28700VQ on Amazon.

Anubhav Sharma - Senior Tech Writer - 1904 articles published on Notebookcheck since 2024

Most of my time goes into writing - and somehow it hasn’t stopped being fun yet. My work mainly revolves around everyday tech, gaming, watches, DIY modding, and the occasional piece on tech-policy chaos when companies and governments clash. I try to keep things simple and honest, without sounding like a product brochure. I have a Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science Engineering and an Associate Degree in English Studies from the College of New Caledonia in British Columbia, Canada. Away from articles and deadlines, life usually shifts to making music, taking photos, or trying to finish games that should have been completed months ago.