This isn’t a motorcycle product review other than you need a watch to tell you when you’re out after curfew and you need to stop to buy your wife some flowers. I did write a blog post about motorcycle watches a while back, though this wasn’t one of them.

I recently purchased a new Timex Atlantis from Amazon. It was in the original Expedition color scheme I remember from my youth.

The review is simple. This watch is terrible. It is a complete waste of $55. The face has a weird green tint and terrible viewing angles. It tells time, though. I have watches that cost significantly more and do a poorer job telling me what time it is. So why is it really so bad?

One word: Nostalgia

In order to explain why I dislike this watch so much, we have to go back to the beginning of digital watches produced by Timex.

1975-1983

Timex introduced SSQ (Solid State Quartz) with an LCD in 1975. It only displayed the time (HH:MM). Month, day, second and a backlight were added in 1976 (cycling through was required because of display limitations) and marketed as having 6 functions. The same SSQ module in redesigned watches were now referred to as Marathon for the first time in 1977.

1980 welcomed the arrival of more modern chronograph modules with additional information on the display at all times. “Q” logo showed up in 1982 on some models. A new module (462) was introduced in a watch in 1983 (Instructions for setting in 1982 catalog). Of particular note is model 61111.

1984

A slightly different, but visually identical module (463) debuted in model 70341 and others. 70341 was basically 61111 from 1983 but now has “Marathon” on the band for the first time and minor text difference on its face.

1985-1989

*The 70341 (left) is nearly identical to the 61111 from 1983 but now there is a new player, the 73551 (right).*

The 463 module was now in a new Marathon 100 model (73551) with a more robust case and increased water resistance (100m vs 25m previously). “Atlantis 100” first arrived in 1986 with the evolution of the 73551 to 77531, officially splitting off from the Marathon line. The module was now 468, another small evolution but visually similar to both predecessors. A metal band was now an option on the Atlantis in 1987 (model 77537). These models continued through 1989 unchanged.

1990-April 1992

*1992 was the last year of the MK1 Atlantis*

Assembly of the Atlantis moved to Philippines from Korea in 1990. Along with this change, a new module (718) was utilized (model numbers remain the same). Manufacturing continued through at least April of 1992.

September 1992 – 1995

No later than September of 1992, the now plastic MKII Atlantis (model continues 775xx designation) entered production. INDIGLO was introduced to these models in 1994 and the new module was identified as 734. A variation of the Atlantis in green/brown and a leather/polypropylene band was also introduced in 1994. It was called the Expedition (77601). The Atlantis remained unchanged in 1995 but two additional color schemes for the Expedition brown/brown (77641) and different green/brown (77621) were introduced.

1996-1998

A new module was introduced in 1996 (745). With this, the light/INDIGLO pusher moves from 4 o’clock (where it had been since the 462 module) to 10 o’clock. It is unclear whether 734 continued to be utilized with the introduction of the 745 or when exactly the transition occurred. There are rumors that 734 was used as late as 1997 but I have confirmed examples of 745 being used in watches assembled in May of 1996. 1996 also began to blur the lines between the Atlantis and Expedition lines color/strap choices.

1999 – Now

Another new module was introduced in 1999, also conveniently designated as 745. This is the module that is still found in production (or at least visually similar and still identified as 745). This is also the time when differentiation between Expedition and Atlantis began to occur beyond just different colors. The Atlantis maintained the style introduced in 1992 and the Expedition moved to softer and more rounded lines. I assume assembly moved to China in 2001 when Philippines disappeared from the case back.

The two left-most watches in this JDM release are the closet to what they were in the 90s. The rest have lost their identity. I quite like the top right ‘Mountain’ version since it isn’t confusing the different model lines.

These days, you can find what used to be called Atlantis labeled Expedition and vice versa directly on Timex’s website in addition to the other Expedition models.

Timex took it further for Japan’s market and just decided to mix it all up completely with Atlantis straps on Expedition-labeled watches.

Now that the history is out of the way, it is time for my thoughts.

I understand that a digital Expedition was just a different color Atlantis. I didn’t recognize this until I bought a new one. At the same time, current (or currently available) offerings give counterfeit vibes. I attribute this to the watch looking right at first but then you notice all the details that are ‘wrong.’ Not to mention, a modern 745 module isn’t as nice to look at/use as the 734 or first generation 745 from 30 years ago. I think I’d prefer an homage if one existed.

You can argue that the only real Atlantis 100 was the metal-bodied one from 1985-1992 and be picky about which module is best. I’d counter that point by saying that they are just different generations of the same product line. Whereas, since then, it has just been a mess. There’s been no evolution or thoughtful change in the product line in decades.

Sure, you can find what I consider appropriately marked Atlantis 100 models from Japan. Why do those of us in the US have to settle for something almost right or rely on offshore private sellers? It wouldn’t be that difficult to just ship some stateside or change the green Atlantis model to say Expedition. It wouldn’t be perfect but it would certainly help at least one buyer be more satisfied. I suppose we should just be grateful we can still buy any of them.

While I’m making a wishlist to a company who will never see it, bring back the metal one and put a module that isn’t terrible to look at in it. Maybe someone can do a proper homage.

FINAL THOUGHTS

This all started for me when I was 15 years old and the JCPenney Spring/Summer catalog arrived in 1997. There is irony in that the model in that catalog, which is so burned into my memory, would likely not have been the model that arrived had I $40 to spend back then. That model with that movement had ceased production two years earlier.

*The JCPenney Spring/Summer catalog when I was a freshman in high school sticks in my mind to this day.*

The first LCD Timex in 1975 was only 19 years before the Expedition I remember from my teenage years. In the 30 years since, I’ve gotten older but not much else has changed. Timex certainly hasn’t done anything with this 745 module in a long time.

If you like this style of watch, I recommend buying one from the 90s. There are quite a few 734 examples on eBay; fewer now than there was because I seem to be buying most of them.

TIMEX Atlantis 100

Black Widow Aluminum Folding Motorcycle Carrier