Hands-On: Timex Deepwater Meridian 200 Dive Watch

Launched last year in 2024, the Timex Deepwater collection is the American brand’s lineup of purpose-built dive watches that offer extra-robust cases with ample 200-meter depth ratings. Among the recent additions to the collection for 2025 is the Timex Deepwater Meridian 200, which is a durable quartz diver that features a stainless steel case and an anti-reflective sapphire crystal. While the Deepwater Meridian 200 costs more than three times the price of the industry’s absolute bottom-dollar dive watches, it also represents a tangibly more substantial creation than what we typically expect from Timex, and it still manages to come in at less than the price of a standard MoonSwatch.

For those looking for a traditional analog dive watch with 200 meters of water resistance, the absolute least expensive viable option is the venerable Casio MDV106 “Duro” that I previously featured in my monthly column, Actually Affordable. Despite being an entirely competent diver and representing a tremendous value proposition for its humble double-digit price, the Casio “Duro” does leave a bit to be desired, and this is especially true for those who have experience with more expensive watches. However, many of the big-name Japanese brands like Seiko and Citizen that have historically catered to the affordable dive watch market have started turning their attention to a more enthusiast-oriented audience, and the entry-price for their divers has subsequently increased past the meaningless (yet mentally relevant) sub-MoonSwatch threshold.

At the time of writing, the Timex Deepwater Meridian 200 is available in three different colorways, with the version featured here being the most unique among the trio. Alongside a pair of stainless steel models that are fitted with components in either black (ref. TW2W81600) or dark blue (ref. TW2W81500) is the version featured in this article (ref. TW2W81700), which showcases a gunmetal PVD finish paired with a black dial, a tone-on-tone black bezel insert, and a bright yellow rubber strap. Aside from the colors and finishing of their components, the three Timex Deepwater Meridian 200 models are otherwise identical, and all of them adhere to the blueprint of a classic analog dive watch with materials that are a step above what Timex uses for its various entry-level models.

Unlike Timex’s entry-level watches that are made from resin or plated brass, the case of the Deepwater Meridian 200 is crafted from stainless steel, and on the ref. TW2W81700 featured here, the middle case, bezel, and crown are given a dark gunmetal PVD finish. Similarly, rather than having a crystal made from acrylic or mineral glass, the Deepwater Meridian 200 has a flat anti-reflective sapphire crystal with a magnification bubble above its date display, and surrounding the crystal is a unidirectional timing bezel that is fitted with a 60-minute anodized aluminum insert. Rotating with a 120-click motion, the bezel action is a solid step above what you normally find on budget-friendly divers, and while it is hardly within the same realm as what you get from a Swiss luxury brand, the tactile experience is crisp and snappy with enough tension to eliminate all perceptible back-play.

To help guarantee its 200-meter depth rating, the reverse side of the Timex Deepwater Meridian 200 is furnished with a solid screw-down caseback, and sitting between two guards on the 3 o’clock side of the case is a screw-down crown that is engraved with a circular arrow to indicate the direction of its threads. Similar to the bezel, operating the crown also provides a surprisingly reassuring tactile experience, and unlike the screw-down crowns on many affordable dive watches that are often characterized by a somewhat of a stiff or gritty motion, the crown on the Deepwater Meridian 200 moves along the entirety of its threads with a precise and buttery smooth action. Given that you will only be interacting with the crown on the rare occasions that you need to set the time or date, this isn’t a detail that will play a significant role in the day-to-day user experience, although it still inspires confidence in the overall build quality of the case.

As for the dimensions of the Deepwater Meridian 200, Timex lists an official case height of 11mm; however, I’m fairly certain that the brand’s on-paper measurements of the watch do not include its caseback. When I measured the Deepwater Meridian 200 with digital calipers, the values I received were a diameter of 44mm with an overall height of 12.5mm, while the lugs are set 20mm apart and extend to create an overall lug-to-lug profile of 50.5mm. Including its rather thick and chunky rubber strap, the total weight of the Timex Deepwater Meridian 200 comes in at approximately 103 grams, and due to the relatively flat profile of its caseback, the entire watch maintains a low profile on the wrist, with its curved lugs further mitigating its objectively sizable proportions.

The dial of the Timex Deepwater Meridian 200 serves as its standout visual feature, and it showcases a radial sunburst finish with applied luminous hour markers and a linear wave motif engraved into its surface, which is rather reminiscent of what you will find on the Omega Seamaster Diver 300M. On the reference TW2W81700 featured here, the dial is black with gunmetal-finished frames for its hour markers, and all of the printing is executed in white with a small red diver’s flag placed directly below the hands. The handset on the watch appears a style that is near-identical to what exists on the Seiko 5 Sports series, and just like the hour markers, the trio of hands feature a gunmetal finish with Super-LumiNova inlays. Additionally, rarely do I praise Timex for its lume performance, although the Super-LumiNova on the Deepwater Meridian 200 is noticeably brighter and longer-lasting that what you will find on most of the brand’s watches.

The tip of the seconds hand on the Timex Deepwater Meridian 200 is finished orange to match the circular arrow that adorns the tip of the crown; however, this slightly clashes with the red diver’s flag on the dial, and I can’t help but feel that matching red-finished accents would have resulted in a slightly more cohesive overall design. Adding to my list of color-related quibbles, a black bezel insert with tone-on-tone black markings is hardly ideal for at-a-glance legibly, and while the numerals on the bezel are decently visible in the daylight, they more-or-less disappear entirely when viewing the watch in dark settings. With that in mind, this is a detail that is unique to the ref. TW2W81700, and since the other two versions of the Timex Deepwater Meridian 200 feature black or blue bezels with standard silver-colored markings, this is really just a quirk of this particular colorway, rather than an actual shortcoming of the model itself.

Powering the Timex Deepwater Meridian 200 TW2W81700 is the Seiko/Epson Caliber VX42E quartz movement, which runs on a single SR920SW power cell that provides it with a battery life of approximately three years. Offering standard time-and-date functionality with hacking seconds and quickset adjustment for its date display, the Cal. VX42E represents an incredibly proven design, although it is the definition of ubiquitous and entirely inauspicious from both a performance and construction standpoint. While the Caliber VX42E does include an end-of-life feature to provide owners with a warning before the battery dies completely, I would have personally loved to see Timex give the Deepwater Meridian 200 a solar-powered movement to entirely eliminate concerns about routine battery replacements.

Fitted to the lugs of the Timex Deepwater Meridian 200 TW2W81700 is a two-piece strap made from yellow synthetic rubber, and it maintains a constant 20mm width throughout the entirety of its structure to prevent it from feeling undersized relative to the 44mm case of the watch. Featuring a classic diver-style design with ample perforations and accordion-style segments near the lugs, the strap connects to the case with integrated quick-release spring-bars, and it is completed by a signed tang-style buckle that has been given a matching gunmetal PVD finish. Realistically speaking, the strap for the Deepwater Meridian 200 is a simple and familiar design, although it is also an entirely satisfactory option, and I imagine that most owners will be content with the included strap, unless they simply want a different style or material.

Occupying a price point that falls between the industry’s bottom-dollar offerings and the enthusiast-driven segment of the market, the Timex Deepwater Meridian 200 provides a level of attention to detail that is capable of appealing to more discerning collectors, yet it is hardly expensive to the point where it runs the risk of alienating the average non-enthusiast buyer. When held side-by-side with one of Timex’s entry-level models, it is immediately apparent why the Deepwater Meridian 200 costs nearly twice as much as its sibling, and the brand’s Deepwater watches are the first Timex divers that I could actually see being used for serious underwater applications. That said, the Deepwater Meridian 200 still qualifies as a categorically affordable watch purchase, and it costs roughly the same as what someone might otherwise spend on a decent jacket or a pair of premium sneakers.

Regardless of colorway, all three versions of the Timex Deepwater Meridian 200 have an official retail price of $229 USD, although Timex frequently offers sales and promotions, and I imagine that most buyers will be able to find a discount with a little bit of patience or internet searching. At more than three times the price of the Casio MDV106, directly comparing these two models is hardly a practical (or fair) exercise, and just as you would expect, the Deepwater Meridian 200 provides a noticeably more refined and elevated experience. That said, these two affordable quartz divers still exist within the same general segment of the market, and the Timex Deepwater Meridian 200 serves as the perfect solution for anyone who likes the concept of the Casio “Duro” but wouldn’t mind spending a bit more for a tangibly superior overall package. For more information, please visit the Timex website.