After years of wearing the IM watch in various models (colors), it appears I have developed a hypersensitivity to the rubber band. This specific watch I have worn maybe 8 months, and it does have a more supple feel to the band and is two-toned (women’s model, in slate gray and light blue). The rash developed maybe 6-8 weeks ago, so I had been wearing it awhile before the problem started. It encircles most of my wrist, so is not just a rxn to the metal buckle. It is the type that the band cannot be changed out. At about $50 a pop for these watches I am hesitant to just go out and buy another one, only to have the same thing happen.
I also wondered if my increased swim yardage over the winter contributed-- chlorine reacting to this particular rubber. For now my controlled experiment is to wear it on my other wrist but not in the pool.
My point is, has anyone else had a recent problem with the bands? One hears about stuff from China having weird stuff in it. (Did anyone get the email warnings showing the pictures of feet from people who wore various flip flop brands and developed nasty blistery skin lesions where the straps contacted their feet?)
I’ve had a similar reaction after replacing a rubber watch band. It seemed to show up after wearing the watch for a long workout, showering with it on and not drying under it. After wearing it on the other wrist for about 2 weeks the same thing happened. I switched to a different band and haven’t had another problem.
My wife owns this watch with identical band (grey & blue) and had the exact same issue, also about 6-8 months out. She only runs, so can’t be chlorine reax for her. I assumed she had developed a reaction to the rubber in general, never thought about that particular band as the issue.
I’ve owned the black band version for years, wear it 24/7 and never had a reax - though band does get a light grey residue on webbing, from swimming?
My wife owns this watch with identical band (grey & blue) and had the exact same issue
…hmmm the plot thickens.
I gave up on the nylon bands awhile ago (the kind that are like a dog collar) coz they got smelly after awhile.
Think I am gonna politely ask Timex about this particular color band and see what they say. I had a Timex IM (the one right before this one) develop a leak soon after getting it and they kindly authorized a free replacement, but I ended up with a diff color band (thus the one I have now). Love their watches so hope I get this straightened out.
i’ve had similar issues with watches and basically I believe that since it gets wet so often and I never really take it off, it gets a little bacteria under there. I usually put a little rubbing alcohol on it every once in a while just to kill anything that might be growing there and when the rash gets bad I put the watch on the other wrist for a while for the skin to breathe/heal.
I had that happen with an old Nike watch I had. Oddly enough never with my ironman watches that appear to have the same vinyl material band. It just started one day after 2 years of use. Very odd I thought, but apparently not that odd.
I looked at the Timex Ironman watches at WalMart today, which is where I have bought them in the past. The one I am reacting to is a higher end model that I bought at a running store. WM had a couple of ugly-ish ones on sale for $20 with solid black band, not the sleek two-toned model like I had. Still want to alert Timex about this… I did not buy a new one yet. Since it took many month for the rash to come on, I may have to wear the one I have now on my right arm awhile to see what happens.
I do dry under it and wear it loosely. I take it off many times thru the day too, at work, on the days I do surgery.
My hunch is it is a different plastic/rubber/latex combo, in this particular model. (But I don’t react to latex gloves at work)
I’ve had some issues with similar bands if I don’t clean them thoroughly once in a while - scrub brush and soap to get into the grooves on the underside. However, I do have an allergy to the foam padding used in Nike shoes around the ankle. I develop a persistent rash, looks a bit like poison ivy, around my ankles from the shoes. Once I stop wearing them, rash disappears in a few days. So it’s not impossible that you’re allergic to some additive in the plastic/rubber.
I had a similar thing - in my case it was a topical fungal infection (tinea) - basically athletes foot under my watch. assume it came from sweat/pool and never drying out very well. just cleaned with rubbing alcohol and put some athletes foot stuff on my wrist. cleared up. more careful about it now.
consider yourself lucky - I’ve been racing for Timex for 4 years and now …
Seriously - my wife has pretty much same reaction, should we sue them? (I’m going to : )
Yeah I thought about fungal infection. But I was certainly wearing it loosely enough, so I thought, and as I said, removing it frequently. The rash did start on the medial aspect of my wrist and spread laterally. Did not seem itchy or gross enough to be fungal, but you could very well be right.
Don’t worry about it. The watch will fall apart before it does any real damage to your skin.
LOL, yeah, I’m on my third one, but I keep buying them! The little rubber doohicky that keeps the tail end of the band in place keeps breaking/wearing out on mine. Once that’s gone, the watch half-life is like 2 hours. Haven’t found a replacement watch that is as good in other features, so I stick with Timex.
I just had this same reaction, though I have the pink and gray version. I have used this watch for years, but I did start swimming regularly this year. I have zero history of any other allergic reactions and have scrubbed the band to make sure it wasn’t a reaction to some kind of microbial growth. It’s a shame because the watch is still going but I can no longer use it. =(
The little rubber doohicky that keeps the tail end of the band in place keeps breaking/wearing out on mine.
A rubber O-ring from Home Depot works just as well, if not better, than that stock strap retainer doohicky. If I remember correctly, they’re something like $2 for a pack of 10.
The little rubber doohicky that keeps the tail end of the band in place keeps breaking/wearing out on mine.
A rubber O-ring from Home Depot works just as well, if not better, than that stock strap retainer doohicky. If I remember correctly, they’re something like $2 for a pack of 10.
those little elastic pony tail hair thingies do just as well, and you get to color coordinate your outfit
– about $4 for a hundred or so
