Timex Just Launched a Rolex Submariner Homage for Around $100

From the hands and hour markers to the bezel and cyclops date, the Harborside Coast is the spitting image of the iconic dive watch.

the dial, bezel and case of a watch laying on a map

By Brad Lanphear

Published April 10, 2025

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Updated April 10, 2025

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If you’ve ever had any interest in owning a Rolex Submariner Date but don’t for any of the numerous prohibitive reasons, there is almost no reason not to buy the new Timex Harborside Coast.

The old saying goes, “If you’re going to steal, steal from the best.” This is typically used in reference to art, but it holds true for watch design.

a man holding a Timex dive watch — The Harborside Coast is Timex’s most affordable and most accurate Submariner alternative.

Timex dominates the affordable watch market through original designs and alternative interpretations of coveted luxury pieces. No watch, let alone a dive watch, is more sought after than the Rolex Submariner.

Creating a Submariner Date alternative that is nearly identical to the untrained or unpicky eye for just over $100 is exactly the type of move that makes Timex so popular.

a Timex watch laying on a book — The watch also comes with a green dial, black bezel and gold-tone case.

The Timex Harborside Coast is a 44mm homage to the aquatic icon that mirrors the Sub’s hands, hour markers, bezel and cyclops hour window in a shockingly affordable fashion.

Beat for beat

Timex got as close as possible to the Rolex Submariner Date without running afoul of copyright law. The main visual difference is the size. Where most genuine examples are 40mm or 41mm, the Harborside Coast has a 44mm case.

a Timex dive watch laying on a map — The dial design has minor differences almost imperceptible at arm’s length.

Small differences in the hands are barely noticeable, like the “Mercedes” hour hand’s narrower framing. The minute hand is pointed but does not taper at the base. The seconds hand is lollipop-shaped, but the counterbalance is trapezoidal rather than a bar and dot.

While the applied hour markers follow the same geometric pattern, they are proportioned differently and have thicker framing. The minute track is printed on the dial of the Submariner, but it is on the rehaut of the Harborside Coast.

a Timex dive watch with a blue dial and rubber strap — The Harborside Coast has a 44mm case.

The bezels on both watches are nearly identical, with numerals every ten minutes and dashes marking five-minute intervals in between. Timex even replicated the smaller minute dashes for the first 15-minute segment.

A serviceable dive watch

Obviously, Timex had to make substantial cuts in materials and manufacturing compared to Rolex. But the resulting watch is still excellent for everyday wear and serviceable for aquatic sports.

a Timex watch on a man's wrist — The 44mm case size is noticeably larger than any Submariner.

To start with, the Harborside Coast runs on a quartz movement with a date complication. If you can get past the jumping seconds hand, it is reliable and accurate.

The case is made of silver-toned, low-lead brass, which is heavier than steel and more prone to tarnishing but still durable. It provides a 100m dive rating, but without a screw-down crown, the Harborside Coast shouldn’t be used for anything more than swimming and snorkeling.

The lume coating on the hands, indices and twelve o’clock bezel marker, enhanced by the dial’s large size, provides strong low-light visibility. The dial is topped with mineral glass instead of sapphire, naturally.

the strap and case back of a Timex watch — The rubber tropical strap is excellent for warm weather and aquatic sports.

It has a tropical rubber strap with perforations and a pin-buckle clasp, making it an excellent option for warm weather and athletic activities, aquatic or otherwise.

Overall, the Harborside Coast is an excellent everyday sports watch for people who enjoy the look of the Rolex Submariner but don’t need its top-tier performance or don’t want to pay handsomely for it. Add it to the long list of affordable alternative wins for Timex.

Availability and pricing

The Timex Harborside Coast 44mm is available now from Timex for $109. An older model, with a teal dial and black bezel, is still available for $99.

Two new colors are available: a blue dial and bezel with a silver-tone case and a blue rubber strap, and a green dial and black bezel with a gold-tone case and a black rubber strap.