Timex iControl Watch gear reviews

I received a demo unit in the mail just prior to the product launch and the time was perfect. I was getting really sick of being mocked by the overpriced armband I'd been using for my Nano that promised to allow me to control the unit without taking it out of the armband. Ha.

Enter the iControl. It consists of the watch and a small unit that plugs into the bottom of the iPod. They communicate by RF. No additional wires, which is always a plus. It's compatible with dockable iPods.

How easy is it to use? Somewhat. Plug the small RF unit into the iPod, put on the watch and go. There are buttons on the watch for Next Song, Prev Song, Play/Pause, Volume Up and Volume Down. There's no Fast Forwarding, scrolling or playlist switching via the watch.

I found the buttons to be responsive but not overly so. It's great not having to take the player out of the armband to switch songs or change the volume.

The watch is so convenient and intuitive that when listening to my iPod at times when I'm not training, I've come to use the watch control as the default.

It has the same training functions as most Timex Ironman sports watches:

* 50-lap memory recall chronograph
* 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
* 100m water resistance

If you're going to use the watch as a training tool, be ready to study the manual a bit. Most buttons serve 2 or more functions so you should know how to use it before heading out the door. Still, it's nothing too complex.

It doesn't have HRM compatibility which I'd like to see in a future version. Full integration with the Bodylink system wouldn't be a bad idea either.

On long runs I like to listen to music and I usually go by RPE. I also hate having to deal with taking the iPod out of the armband. The iControl is a perfect tool for those workouts.