Timex's new stainless-steel automatic divers come with Japanese movements, sapphire crystal
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 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.
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