Digital Home Thoughts: Timex Ironman i-Control Watch

Timex recently sent over their Ironman i-Control watch. The i-Control is a sports watch which also integrates a remote control for your iPod. A small received attaches to the universal dock connector on the bottom of the iPod, and buttons on the face and sides of the watch all you to play, pause, increase or decrease the volume, and select the next or last track. The watch itself also includes a chronograph with recall function, timer, interval timer, and three alarm clocks.

The watch functions are numerous and complex, and you really do need to read the manual to understand them all. The iPod controls (fortunately) are much easier to understand. Just plug in the receiver and go. In theory, this sounds like a great idea. Who wouldn't want to control their iPod from their watch?



Unfortunately execution isn't so slick. The big problem is the buttons. They aren't that easy to manipulate, tend to stick a bit, and there's little to no tactile "click" to tell you when they've been pressed. I found myself skipping ahead two tracks, trying to figure out if the button had been pressed or not. The buttons are also very stiff, so you'll have to use several fingers to "grab" the body of the watch while you press the buttons on the side. In the process, you'll likely press the mode button and screw up whatever it is you were trying to do. Not the best design.



You also can't use it at the same time as the Nike+iPod kit. An even bigger sticking point in my mind is the price. MSRP is $125. That's a bit steep, for a sports watch OR an iPod remote. You could probably buy both separately for much less than that. On the plus side, the various watch functions work well, the band fits a wide variety of wrist sizes, and it's comfortable to wear. If you absolutely must have an iPod remote in your watch, this is really your only option, and it's not a bad one. Hopefully Timex will work on bringing down the price. But if this isn't a must have, I'd avoid it and look at other options.

Jeremy Charette is a Contributing Editor at Digital Media Thoughts, and also works in Procurement for one of the world’s largest banks. He enjoys reading, cooking, and racing in the SpecForza league. He lives in Brooklyn, NY, USA. The i-Control watch makes him feel like a modern day Dick Tracy.