Timex Metropolitan+ Review: Analog fitness watch with unbeatable battery life

You are basically buying Timex Metropolitan+ for its analog design. It looks exactly like what you have been wearing on your wrist all these days.

Timex is no ordinary name in the field of watches; the watchmaker has produced more innovative watch pieces than many others in the business. Thus it is no surprise that the company is trying its hands in the smartwatch space as well.

Timex Metropolitan+

Timex Metropolitan+ is the first in the series of smart connected watches from the company. It stays true to its legacy with an analog watch face and familiar aesthetics of a watch. But can Timex justify the need for it to build a smartwatch? Let’s find out in our review:

Price: Rs 9,995

Timex Metropolitan+ comes with an option of Nylon, Silicone or Leather straps. I definitely liked the Neon Orange Nylon strap that came with the watch.

What is good?

You are basically buying Timex Metropolitan+ for its analog design. It looks exactly like what you have been wearing on your wrist all these days. It doesn’t have a glass emitting light upfront, rather a glass covering the watch hands. It basically comes with a design that is simple and realistic. Something that would be called handsome and not futuristic – which in my opinion is a good thing for a watch.

Must Read: Titan Juxt #ExpressReview: Analog is the new digital, just about

Another interesting thing about Timex Metropolitan+ is its watch bands. The standard watch comes with an option of Nylon, Silicone or Leather straps. I definitely liked the Neon Orange Nylon strap that came with the watch, but black silicone strap will win you over in the longer term. I tried swapping the supplied band with another 20mm band, and it did fit effortlessly.

I have been wearing Timex Metropolitan+ for over a month now and trust me I have never had the need to charge it, thanks to the coin battery inside the watch.

I have been wearing Timex Metropolitan+ for over a month now and trust me I have never had the need to charge it, thanks to the coin battery inside the watch. Timex says the battery is good to last for over a year and I want to believe them. I have used many Android Wear watches in the past. I even reviewed Titan’s first analog smartwatch Juxt few days back. They all need to be charged and Timex Metropolitan+ ends that agony.

Timex Metropolitan+, of course, tells you time but it also tells you number of steps walked, distance walked in miles and percentage of the completion of goals.

Timex Metropolitan+, of course, tells you time but it also tells you number of steps walked, distance walked in miles and percentage of the completion of goals. It’s pretty basic when it comes to fitness metrics, but it accomplishes to display them very prudently. You need not swipe several screens to check these details because all are available right inside that circular dial.

Also Read: Fitbit Blaze #ExpressReview: A fitness watch, if you want one

Timex Metropolitan+ comes with a small dial at the upper left side for switching between modes while another one on the lower right shows goal percentage. Every detail is easily viewable with the help of push button placed at the 2’o clock hand — it’s the most beautiful implementation yet — on any analog smartwatch.

What is not good?

The biggest pain point with Timex Metropolitan+ is its app. It is a barebone app that does nothing much and proves Timex is weak with software. Firstly, all the activity data needs to be synced manually and the watch stores data only for a week.

Another problem is the design of the app itself. There is no way to see the activity data in a form of bar chart or any other physical representation. Even the data it represents really fails to convey the message. In fact, connecting the watch to the app takes way more time than Titan’s Juxt which has a clever app design.

The biggest pain point with Timex Metropolitan+ is its app. It is a barebone app that does nothing much and proves Timex is weak with software.

At this price point, I feel like losing out on few metrics like sleep and heart rate. Timex says sleep tracking is coming later this year but its lack thereof is a concern for me. Even the accuracy of fitness tracker is a mixed bag. In comparison to Fitbit Charge HR which comes in the similar price range, there is a healthy difference of 300 to 500 steps.

Should you buy?

At the end, I had a feeling that it may not be a great fitness activity device but it is an exceptionally good looking quartz watch. If your priorities are a fitness tracker that also shows time, Timex Metropolitan+ is definitely not for you. But if you are inclined towards a great looking analog watch with acceptable fitness tracking, this one would appeal to you.

Watch all our video reviews