Timex Expedition Capstone Review | GearJunkie Tested

It was one of those Minnesota days that tricks you into forgetting that the icy gales of winter and muggy oppression of summer exist. I lay on a pebble-strewn beach at the edge of Lake Superior, and the sun, cool air, and warm rocks felt divine.

In a moment of goofy reverie, I hopped up and dove into the crystal water to cool off. Boom! The frigid water exploded every nerve in my skin. I gasped for air. Shocked from my stupor, I remembered that I was wearing a Timex Expedition Capstone watch.

I didn’t really care about the time as I emerged from the icy water. But I didn’t have to worry about the watch either. I checked the time — yeah, I was due for lunch soon — but the watch glistened under the sun, ticking away dutifully. That’s the beauty of the Timex field watch. It just works, and at a price of $140, I could easily forget it existed and go about my long weekend of camping without worrying about damaging a pricey timepiece.

After a couple of months of use, abuse, and complete disregard, the Timex Expedition Capstone proves that once again, when it comes to value, Timex is darned near impossible to beat.

In short: Nothing fancy here; the Timex Expedition Capstone ($140) watch tells accurate time and date, and can handle reasonable abuse at a very fair price. It looks good, fits most wrists wonderfully, and packs enough water resistance (50 m) for all-around outdoor use. It isn’t fancy, has only OK lume, and will require periodic battery changes, but for a set-and-forget value quartz field watch, it’s perfect.

Compare the Timex Expedition Capstone with the best field watches.

Timex Expedition Capstone Watch Review

Hold the Timex Expedition Capstone in your hand, and the low-lead brass case feels substantial. At 39mm, it hits a fantastic size for many wearers. Strap it onto your wrist, and you’ll feel supple leather that easily adjusts to fit.

The leather looks nice, but it’s not as luxurious as more expensive models. It feels like top-grain leather, and while it should last a good long time, it’s thinner and more flexible than higher-end watches.

That’s OK. We’re talking about a $140 watch here. And while it won’t break the bank, it looks really nice. The deep blue dial oozes style behind the mineral glass crystal. Is it sapphire? No, and yes, it does matter a little.

In testing, I wore the watch while replacing a recessed light module. My wrist jammed against hard plaster during the process, and I noticed a few small scratches on the crystal after the abuse. Did I mind? Not really. This watch is meant to be worn, and the superficial scratches are small.

If this were a more expensive watch, I’d have taken it off before working on my house. But for a field watch that might take serious abuse, it is worth noting that the crystal, while certainly robust, doesn’t have the scratch-resistance of sapphire.

I’ve harped on the price a bit already, but it’s an important point. The Expedition Capstone really does stack up with much more costly competition. But to get here, Timex had to compromise.

For example, it does not have a screw-down crown; instead, it opts for a pull-out crown. The result is a watch that has just 50 m of water resistance. Now, ask yourself, when was the last time you were 50 m under the surface of the water? Unless you’re a very serious scuba diver, I’m going to guess it was never. It uses low-lead brass instead of more costly stainless steel for the case, too. It will scratch more easily, but should age with a nice patina and is less expensive.

The Expedition Capstone can handle the abuses most people will throw at it. Here’s how I tested it.

Testing

I tested the watch for about 2 months of regular wear. In this time, I wore it camping, hiking, swimming, and through daily tasks like driving and work. I found the watch incredibly comfortable. It is also unassuming and goes well with any type of clothing. Wear it to the beach in a T-shirt and shorts or under a dress shirt to the office. It’ll fit right in.

I also ran it through some basic bench tests, dropping it from 6 feet, monitoring its time accuracy over 4 weeks, submerging it in water for 3 hours, and storing it in a freezer for an hour. It passed with flying colors, keeping accurate time (it was within a minute after a month) and showing almost no signs of damage after my test period.

While shallow, the water submersion test proved that it can withstand the rigors of typical outdoor use, such as rain or a quick swim in Lake Superior. It handled the freezer, so if you’re in cold weather and take it off for the night, no need to worry.

Legibility

Field watches must be highly legible, and the Capstone measures up well in this regard. It’s easy to read the time at a quick glance, whether under bright sun or in low light.

It does, however, lack the high-performance lume of more expensive field watches. In testing, I was able to read the watch for an hour or two after exposure to light. But by the middle of the night, the lume had faded significantly, making early morning time checks tough.

Options

The Timex Expedition Capstone comes in several models. I tested a quartz model with a blue dial on a brown leather band. But you can also get it as a chronograph, or in several other colors and band combinations, including a bracelet. It is also available with an automatic movement — still a great value with a retail price of $340 on a steel bracelet.

Who Should Buy It?

The Timex Expedition Capstone isn’t the cheapest watch on the market. Timex itself offers many more affordable Expedition watches in its line, with many ringing up at or under $50. But the Expedition Capstone is somewhat elevated, with a wonderful, luxurious look that punches way above its $140 price tag.

It is perfect for anyone who wants one affordable quartz watch to do anything. It can handle dress duty or the rigors of the outdoors. It’s also a great choice for those who own multiple watches and want a beater for everyday wear or the outdoors. It’s a rugged, capable wristwatch and isn’t so precious that it requires caution at every turn.

Timex is hard to beat when it comes to value field watches. And with the Expedition Capstone, it proves that great-looking, capable field watches don’t need to cost an arm and a leg.