I received a demo Timex Ironman iControl watch in the mail last week. The iControl is the latest in the Timex Ironman series of watches. What makes this one different is it controls your iPod.
I must admit it's pretty cool to control your iPod remotely from your watch. Most Apple products are incredibly intuitive and easy to use, the Timex watch follows suit. You just plug a small adapter into your iPod and presto, your watch now controls your iPod. The watch itself has several new buttons that control the iPod while in several of it's numerous modes. You can Play/Pause, Forward/Back Tracks, and control the Volume.
On my test uses I basically just selected a playlist, put the iPod in my back pocket and went off to do my training. Rather than pulling the iPod out to fiddler with volume or to replay and particularly motivating song, I just controlled it all from my wrist, while also tracking my workout duration. The watch comes with the standard features you find on the Timex middle line Ironman series. It only lacks the heart rate monitor function you find on some of their other models. A list of the watches additional functions follows:
- 50-lap memory recall chronograph
- Training log stores current workout with date, best lap and
average lap - Multi-mode countdown timer
- 2 interval timers for speed and endurance training
- 3 customizable alarms for daily, weekday and weekend settings
- INDIGLO(r) night-light with NIGHT-MODE(r) feature
- 3-year battery life
- 100m water resistance
I also find myself using the watch in my everyday routine. Being I work out of my backpack in coffee shops and libraries often, it's nice to keep the iPod in the pack and just manage it from my wrist. The watch itself is light and sleek, a must for me and my skinny wrists. I don't like wearing a small computer on my wrist with more functions than I know what to do with. I just use the basics so this watch works well for me, and the lap counter comes in handy when doing my pool swims. I'd probably swap between this unit and my Nike Triax (for HR data).
The Timex iControl retails for $125.
Website: http://www.timex.com
