Timex's new helium-valve Deepwater Meridian 200 HEV automatics officially go on sale
Timex has put the Deepwater Meridian 200 HEV Automatic on sale in the UK and EU, nearly eleven days after publishing and then deleting its announcement for the same two watches. The bracelet-equipped TW3A01600 is 425 pounds and the rubber-strapped TW3A01700 is 395 pounds. They are now both listed as new and orderable.
Timex posted a blog entry introducing them on 4 September, pulled it within a day, and said nothing else. Even multiple European and Indian retailers featured listings. Given that Timex cancelled the Huckberry Deepwater Reef 200 on its launch day in August, the silence was extra confusing. The UK and EU storefronts now have full product pages and official copy.
The selling point is the helium escape valve. It's visible beside 10 o'clock; it basically vents gas that works into the case during saturation decompression. It is an unusual feature at this money, and it's the same one as in the titanium Deepwater Meridian 300 HEV from August. Beneath it is a Miyota automatic with 21 jewels, hand-windable through a screw-down crown, behind a screw-on case back.
The steel case measures 44 mm across, 15.5 mm tall and 51 mm lug to lug, and the bracelet version weighs 195.78 g. Lug width is 20 mm, the bracelet closes on a fold-over clasp, and both attachments use quick-release spring bars. The crystal is sapphire with anti-reflective coating, and the unidirectional ratcheting top ring carries a ceramic inlay with Super-LumiNova fill (matching the hands and markers).
The main differences are between dial and strap. The TW3A01600 pairs a vertically brushed silver-white dial with a steel bracelet; the TW3A01700 uses a metallic blue dial on UV-resistant HNBR rubber.
Add as a preferred source on Google
