I’ve drowned 4 Timex ironman watches (cases filled with water while swimming). I’ve had the buttons pop off of 2 different Polars, rendering them not safe for water.
I already have a Garmin, the big old clunky non-waterproof one, so I don’t want to invest in a whole new upgraded Garmin just yet. Is there a good, basic sports watch/hr monitor that is really, really waterproof?
Thx!
I have the ironman timex watch, the small yellow and black one. I do every swim workout with it and it is still going strong after 1.5 years of heavy use. Sorry i don’t know the specific name.
Really? I have worn 4 or 5 timex ironmans continuously (well, not at same time, but back-to-back) for 15? 20? years and have never had a water-related issue with any of them. I bet I could count on ten fingers the number of times I have NOT had one of these watches on. How many thousands of showers & swimming pools would that encompass? Not counting scuba diving, barefoot waterskiing, etc I can’t talk about the polars, but I am shocked you have had this problem with the timex ironman.
(I have zero affiliation with timex)
I know, it’s crazy! And I swear I’m not pushing buttons under the water or anything. On the most recent one, you can see that the seal around the crystal is messed up (couldn’t see it until the watch filled with water though 
Of course, I’ve just been buying the $40 30 lap ones from Target. Maybe that’s the problem? I’ve tried the regular & the sleek.
I have this one:
http://www.amazon.com/Timex-Womens-T5E511-Ironman-50-Lap/dp/B00093CZVU/ref=pd_sbs_watch_9
I never take it off and swim with it 2-3x’s/week. I’ve had it for two or three years with zero problems.
Jen
That’s the exact last one I just killed! It was totally fine in practice, but filled with water at an irongirl sprint race, maybe it got hit or something? It never recovered…
I’ve had the best luck with Freestyle watches. They design for the surfer crowd, so they stand up to water, even salt water. Some are a bit clunky, but they have some models that function well as basic chronos.
Any G-Shock is indestructible. Also, my SUUNTO T3C has been on my wrist through 5 Halfs, 1 Full and many many hours in the pool and ocean without any issues.
Are you swimming in pools with a high chlorine content? If so, are you rinsing off the watch afterward?
Chlorine will kill the rubber seals.
I would contact our Customer Service Dept, they can probably mail you buttons. Your watch may also be waterproof with the buttons off, but ask Customer Service that. The buttons are like the top of a mushroom, the base of the stem is SEALED