model HX380-04L04S

Today's review is a bit unusual in that it's a watch no one had heard of before at WatchReport. I bought it on a whim from a sale site for $58, and think you just might like it yourself. Say hello to the Helix Typhoon, model HX380-04L04S. It's an analog-digital quartz with surprisingly good specs:Domed sapphire crystal.I've been keeping my eye out for someone else to catch up, and I have to say that with some caveats, the Helix Typhoon is perhaps the closest yet:Clean, readable analog hands: check.Full EL backlight for the dial (also illuminates the hands).Second digital timezone (in addition to the analog for a total of three timezones).10-hour stopwatch/chronograph.Countdown timer.Conventional and "agenda" or programmable alarm meaning you can set it for a specific date and time in the future. (Wedding anniversary reminder, for example.)Available in various other color combinations.Optional display of week-of-year.Digital display can be completely blanked for a clean appearance.Stainless steel case.Integral polyurethane band with fin-shaped buckle.Unidirectional 120-click diver's bezel with lumed pip and two-color markings.Water resistant to 100m (330ft).SuperLuminova on hands, hour markers, and bezel pip.Water-resistant to 100 meters, or 330 feet.Please read on for the full review, and see why I'm calling this "the poor man's Omega X-33". As cool as the X-33 is, the two strikes against it of the high price and the fact that it's discontinued are enough to remove it from the wish list of many watch geeks. Curved LCD to utilize the screen area: check.Domed sapphire crystal: check.Clean dial: check (mostly).Of course, there are some negatives: integral band in a garish white and blue, and the crown-twisting operation of modes that's harder to use with gloves on. The alarm volume is normal also -- nowhere near the 80dB of the Omega.