BackgroundI am an early adopter of technology and already own two smartwatches, a Pebble Steel and a Moto 360 (1st gen). I like and use the Moto 360 on a daily basis while at the office, but wanted to get a smartwatch I could use during my field work as a wildlife biologist that would at least track distance traveled and steps. The new watch had to have some or all of the following criteria:-Waterproof to a reasonable degree (I work in swamps and on rivers)-Visible in bright sunny conditions as well as at night-Not overly expensive, so if damaged or lost, it would not be a disaster-Track my movements in steps and/or distancesThe Pebble I have already fits those criteria, but the activity app has been horribly inaccurate in my experience and could also not be used easily at night. I also thought about the new Pebble Round, but that was pricey ($250) and not very waterproof. Thus, when I read about the Timex Metropolitan, I thought this might be the solution I was looking for. I would miss the notification features of the Pebble and Moto 360, but the low price, daylight visibility, and waterproof nature might make up for that.Unboxing and SetupThe Timex comes in a plain box, much less impressive then the presentation for the Pebble or the Moto 360. Sort of what you would expect from a Timex.Initial set up requires (a) removing a tiny piece of plastic from the main crown of the watch (try using a paperclip or pencil), setting the time of day using the crown, and then syncing with the Timex app on your phone. You will also need to read the incredibly tiny manual (about 2" wide) that comes in the box that tells you how to set the watch for a Bluetooth connection (press the upper button until the dial at the 10 o’clock position moves to the Bluetooth symbol).The app installation and first sync were easy enough, but then the app prompted me to download a firmware update for the watch, which took about 10 minutes on a fast wireless connection. This also wiped any activity you already logged, so be advised to do this right away.The Timex app is fairly easy to use and allows customization for age/gender/weight, a nice touch. The displays for daily activity include total steps, distance walked, and calories burned, and holds that information for at least 7 days on the watch. You thus only need to sync once per week, although I have done so daily. Having to put the watch into Bluetooth mode to do this is a little bit of a pain, but clearly saves on battery life.Appearance and Daily UseThe initial impression of the watchband (mine is the black version) was a little disappointing, but having worn it for two days, the band is quite comfortable and easy to get on and off. No idea of durability, but I believe the band can be replaced with a standard band as needed.The watch itself is a little on the thick side (about as thick as my Moto 360), but is fairly light and does not appear out of place on my average-sized wrists. It is by no means a fashion statement, but is functional and what I expected from a Timex. My family says it looks fine.The watch dial is pretty busy, with minute/hour/second hands, a separate pointer for steps, and two dials for (a) percent of your daily goals and (b) watch status (steps, distance, Bluetooth, off). It took a bit of getting used to in order to figure out what to look for, but that came pretty quickly.Bottom LineAlthough I like the Timex quite a bit so far, this is something of a niche product. The low price and basic activity app are good features, as is the waterproof nature and daylight visibility. However, you'll be giving up advanced smartwatch features such as notifications and custom watch faces. For me, this will not replace the Moto 360 (or a next generation smartwatch) for daily use, but will be the watch I wear while in the field, at a ballgame, or when battery life could be a question. All in all, a worthwhile investment for $140.