# Apple Watch review 4 months later.



## Chibatastic

Hello all,

Let me first start of by saying that I have always loved the digital watch. Their precision and value of having multiple complications at your command has always appealed to me. It wasn't until my teenage years that I developed an appreciation for analogue watches. I have worn many Casio and Timex watches as well as Seiko, Omega and Rolex. It's all great.
On March 5[SUP]th[/SUP] 2012, Omega announced the Spacemaster z33. This was what I perceived to be a near perfect combination of analogue and digital. I looked at it in awe and wondered if I should just push the button, sight unseen. In the back of my mind I thought perhaps I'll wait to see what happens with smart watches. Was it worth the wait?










I was one of those who stayed up until 3 am the day preorder began. This was so I could get it on launch day. No try on appointments were available at the time. Just a guess of which version, size and strap I would like and a 30 day window to return if I didn't. After wearing Apple watch every single day since, I have much to say.










You may be here asking yourself "where does the apple watch fit and would I benefit from having one"? If you just want a nice timepiece to reflect your style, read no further. There are droves of more deserving options that would suit you much better. I see it more as a multi tool. Yes, the AW is a veritable Swiss army knife of complications with a whole ecosystem of apps, options and accessories ready to grow around it. Some of them can be life changing while others are fun, mindless and silly. Decide what's important to you and pass over the rest. Here are some features that stand out for me.










One thing I find useful is the ability to ping my phone when I can't find it. Just a quick swipe from the bottom screen up and I get this screen (bottom button). Even if my iphone is on silent it will make a loud BING and there it is. I use it all the time and wish I had this for my for wallet and keys.

The weather app is nice to have. Touching the temperature on AW's screen will give me an hourly readout as well as extended forecast. Since it gets it's data from the phone it may sometimes lag depending on your data connection.

If I'm nowhere near my phone and someone calls, I can still answer and speak to them on the watch. You may think it sounds gimmicky but I have to tell you that it has come in handy many times. It's not nearly as loud as the speaker on my iphone but still very useful in that scenario.










Whenever I get a text, email, Facebook notification or call, I'll look @ my AW and the info is there immediately regardless of where my phone may be tucked away. So I'll know whether or not I need to stop what I'm doing and deal with a client or Monoprice is having a sale on toner (in that case role eyes and continue whatever it is that I'm doing). This is invaluable to me. Smart phones are getting larger and perhaps more awkward to use. Most people I know with phablets like the screen real estate but complain about how difficult they are to use with one hand. The Apple watch does not need to be picked up, thumb scanned and swiped to get that info. It's much faster and more efficient. Perhaps smart watches will become larger too and replace smart phones. You can't forget your phone at work if it's strapped to your wrist. (by now you must have a clear picture of how craptastic my memory is) A large comfortable screen on your wrist that does everything your laptop and smartphone can. How great would that be? Perhaps this is where things are headed but that's enough digression for now.

I haven't had a chance to try out apple pay. I'm in Canada and haven't come across anyone that uses it. That said, I can't wait to do away with cupping my hand over the debit keypad as I enter in my password. From what I understand from those of you who use it, it works really well.

Unfortunately, and understandably, the beautifully bright screen must be turned off the majority of the time. When you need to interact with the Apple watch, raise your wrist and the screen lights up. This works the majority of the time. I was worried it would be a similar experience to Casio's auto backlight. Thankfully it's more sensitive. If I'm in a weird position and it won't work I can still tap the face to activate.










Activity is by far the most important feature of the Apple watch and I never saw that coming. Here's how it works. You get 3 progress circles to try and fill each day. *Move*, *Exercise*, and *Stand*.
The Move is a # of calories you must reach while moving. This can be readjusted if you find it to easy to complete.
Exercise counts only the minutes that you are working out. This uses the built in heart rate monitor and Phone's GPS. 30 minutes per day is what you start out with but that doesn't necessarily mean you get it complete in 30 minutes. I normally choose the "outdoor walk". It usually takes closer to 45 minutes for the green bar to reach 100%. On a rainy day I decided to go on the treadmill and select indoor walk. I set the incline to max and maintained a brisk speed, definitely tougher than one of my outdoor walks. After 12 minutes of sweating I looked down at my watch and it said I had only completed 2 minutes. I grabbed my raincoat and dog and finished outside. Not entirely sure why that happened and need to try again at some point. My dog isn't complaining however.










Stand makes sure you get up and move around every hour. It gives you a little buzz if you don't move up to the 50 minute point of each hour. I really like this as it keeps me from being stagnant and forces a break.



















Upon completing circles, you'll eventually earn accolades. Rub these in your friend's faces (like I just did to you ;-)) and more importantly know you're contributing to your well being. There is some powerful psychology behind the circle system (for me at least). Maybe I'm a little OCD or perhaps it's the gamer in me (completionist syndrome?). I NEED to finish my circles each day. I received the apple watch April 24[SUP]th[/SUP] when it launched. I had just been through one of my worst winters, health wise, and was unable to start exercising until the 26[SUP]th[/SUP]. Since then not a day goes by where I don't fill all three circles. As a result I have toned up, got rid of my gut and have not been sick since. For me this is HUGE.










Having said that, the awards do need some work. For some reason it tells me that I have achieved the longest move streak ever, every single day. This is just wrong.
I think Apple should take the accolades further by offering incentives. Imagine getting the 100 move goal award and immediately receiving an email from apple congratulating your efforts and offering you a 5$ app store voucher or song on iTunes. How about some sort of discount code to use in store. People would love this imo.
I would also like the progress you make, while using activity, to be subscribable for others with an apple watch. This is something that Fitbit offers in real time and I think it motivates really well. My dog's vet has all her staff wearing fitbits. At any moment they can open an app and see who's winning and where they stand. They can also set group challenges. It's brilliant and I would like Apple to have this in future.

At the time of this review, third party apps are pretty sad. For the most part I don't use them. Most of the ones I checked out are slow and I'm better off pulling out my phone. We all know this will improve exponentially with new firmware / hardware down the road so I look forward to that. I desperately want to raise my wrist to launch my Harmony remote app and turn on my home theater. "Hey Siri, watch a movie" would be even better.

Speaking of Siri, I find the way she's integrated to be pretty useful. I'll occasionally use Siri to send text messages and it works well. I primarily use it to set alarms and timers though. The alarm sound with the haptic feedback is unmissable and comes in really handy!










Apple gives you a lot of choice with customizable watch faces. From Mickey mouse to the various planets and their position at any given time. Tons to play around with (although I want more!) I'm not crazy about any of the analog clock faces. They are a lot smaller than what I'm used to in a traditional watch. 98% of the time I end up on Modular. At a glance I get the time, date, activity circle progress, weather conditions and when the sun will rise/set. Really useful info to have on your wrist. So all of these amazing complications and I feel almost embarrassed to point out that we don't have seconds on any of the digital faces. Seriously? Apple puts out one of the most accurate timepiece and forgoes seconds? This needs to change ASAP. I would also like to be able to draw from a larger colour gamut while customizing the screen.




























Did I mention how sharp and vivid that screen is? I remember unboxing the watch and seeing that beautiful white graphic, thinking it looked more like a physical object than something rendered on a screen. Quite amazing.










The Apple watch has some interesting strap options. I pre ordered mine with the white fluoroelastomer band. At the time I felt it was a bit risky getting white but I wasn't sure if I would like the metal / leather options and have tons of black rubber bands. Turned out to be the best choice. Apple nailed their sports strap! It's the design of Marc Newson who made an almost identical strap for his Ikepod line. Simply put, it's worlds better than their other offerings and more comfortable than any rubber or resin strap I have tried on or own. It feels soft, smooth and it's so thin and flexible I forget I'm wearing it. The white also looks great and doesn't seem to collect dirt all that much. I had doubts about the way the end tucks into itself on the inside but that doesn't bother me at all. The way you swap out straps is brilliant. No more springbar tool scratching your lugs. All you need to do is use the edge of your finger nail to press the button while sliding the strap out. Takes 5 seconds! In future, I would like to see the sports strap in more colours. I'm not keen on the current pastel offerings. Red, navy and purple would be great.










Now on to the other options. Upon visiting the Apple store for a try-on session I soon realized that none of these additional bracelets / straps were for me. Please take this part with a grain of salt, I'm totally spoiled when it comes to straps and bracelets. (Actually that's more of a credit when it comes to the sports strap you just read about). These are being compared to the likes of Omega and Rolex. Companies that have had much more time to evolve and get it right. Everything offered seemed to have a few good ideas but missed the mark in one way or an other.

Take the Link band for instance. I applaud them for making a link that needs no tools to be adjusted but dislike it as a whole. The sharp edges of the link are uncomfortable. The narrow links are esthetically unpleasing to my eye. All surfaces are brushed steel with nothing polished. To me it felt almost sterile and it made the AW look like it's trying to hard to fit in fancy while not standing out too much. Definitely not worth the $600 price tag. I have spent less on Seiko's that came with nicer, more comfortable bracelets.

The Milanese Loop is much cheaper and has that cool magnetic clasp. When the AW was announced, this was the one I wanted. The product shots made it look beautiful and I have a positive association owning an Omega Mesh bracelet. However, I'm glad I didn't end up buying it. The mesh is much thinner/daintier than Apple's product shots had me believe. The magnet felt stable enough but does move around a bit. I'd be nervous exercising with it. Definitely wouldn't want to bang my wrist with it supporting my Apple watch. It also felt cheaper than my Omega. You could say "of course it's going to feel cheaper than Omega mesh". Except I paid the same price.

Leather Loop. Nope. Tried it on and didn't like the way it felt. Not soft as I would expect a leather strap to be. Every time my wrist moved I felt creaking like I was wearing an old dock on my wrist. I'm also told that said creaking gets in the way of heptic feedback.

Classic leather buckle. YES! I really like the idea of a classic buckle. Unfortunately, except for the actual buckle and keeper, this is far from classic. The nice part about the Classic is that it's lugs are potentially interchangeable with aftermarket straps. When I found out about this I ordered one straight away. Upon receiving the classic, it's merits were quickly overshadowed. It feels really soft yet uncharacteristic of leather More dry and plasticy. Perhaps they coated it in some sort of Teflon. It's not a good strap to work out in. My wrist felt itchy and sweaty. Perhaps it would feel better once the plastic layer wears down. The only problem with that happening is the leather may be to thin to last.
Actually, the way that this band feels is more of what I would have expected the sports strap to feel before I had one. In comparison, that sports strap ends up feeling much more organic and luxurious than Apple's leather version. Pretty Ironic. Another thing I wanted to comment on is the box it came in. Thick white rounded plastic that opens up to reveal a soft grey padded interior. This has an indent made to fit the strap perfectly. Really sleek and nicely made. However with apples sensitivity to the environment, why would they waste so much material on a box that only fits it's strap? I think they missed an opportunity here. Why not leave space to store the Apple with strap attached in the box. It would make a way more impressive travel watch box, don't you think?

Fortunately there are now much more cost effective ways of getting just the lugs without having to buy the Classic Leather Buckle. I ordered a couple of sets from ebay that never arrived from China. Oh the pangs of being an early adopter.. After I gave up waiting I ordered from Clockwork Synergy in the US. These ones shipped quick and work great. Now I can forget about using the other stuff and pick up quality straps!



















I ordered the Hirsch Rally Natural Leather Racing and a Hirsch Heritage from WUS sponsor Gary @ watchobsession. The width I settled on was 22mm @ the lugs. As you can see there's a bit of room on either side and the strap will shift. 23mm would probably work better in this regard but that's not a common size for aftermarket straps. It doesn't seem bug me however.




























I'll start with the Heritage. The gold brown flavor I ordered is a very thick and heavily padded strap. It makes the apple watch feel heftier, almost like I'm wearing a dive watch. Very rugged and well made. On one of the keepers it says "1765" which is the year the company started. I think this strap is the dressier of the two but would not hesitate to wear it with jeans.





































I have had Rally straps before but the black and red natural leather is by far my favorite. It's also a perfect counterpart for the apple watch. I say this because I have no problems working out with it on. It's a thick strap but has a much lower profile than the Heritage because it lacks the extra padding. I'm really happy with the red accents around the holes and stitches towards the lugs. Upon close inspection the grain pattern is organic and not stamped like it is on the Apple Classic Buckle. The Rally provides some much needed character and individuality. To put it simply, It's such a cool strap on the apple watch!!










"Cool" is a good way to describe the watch as a whole.
I have had more conversations with total strangers about the apple watch than all of my other watches, clothes, shoes combined. Love or hate, there is definitely a buzz going on about them.
Observing the emotional gambit, in regards to the Apple watch, has been interesting to say the least. The way I see it is - the Smart watch as a significant point in the evolution of digital watches. There will always be those who dislike a big change. Being someone who has spent thousands on timepieces over the years, I can definitely empathize. Some of you are familiar with the way I tend to gush about my Speedmaster or Frogman for example. These are emotional purchases and this release has struck a chord here. I notice members taking precious time out of their day to thumb their nose at the Apple watch. "It's not even a watch" ugh. Of course it's not going to be for everyone, but what possesses this type of reaction? Are they concerned about the potential impact this device could cause it's industry? Perhaps more specifically, the perceived value of their own timepieces? I'm not. I love my analogue watches and that won't ever change.

A while ago, I caught myself looking down at my Submarinar while swiping up the sapphire to ping my phone. That made me realize time is indeed changing. I will probably never again consider a digital watch over a smartwatch. Sure, this one is a far cry from the perfect analogue/digital. Nonetheless, it has has become an incredibly useful tool. One with ambitious prospects and so much room for growth.

Thanks for sticking around to the end.
Chibatastic


----------



## valmak

excellent review. thanks.


----------



## BarracksSi

Great pics. I agree with what you say about the straps and bracelets, too. I'm waiting for an equivalent to an Oyster or Jubilee style with a glidelock clasp so I can snug it down for workouts and loosen it a notch for the rest of the day. I still totally dig the sport strap, though.


----------



## zetaplus93

Very nice review, agreed on many of your points. 

I also thought the link bracelet wasn't worth the high price at the beginning (both in terms of style, quality, etc), but I've come around to it and have since purchased it. Personally I think it's a higher quality bracelet than many bracelets, and on par with the bracelet on my GS. Well worth it if you want a metal bracelet to swap out the rubber and leather. 

I think other styles don't match the AW's rounded square design. Oyster and other bracelets don't seem to match it either (the V-shaped Oyster links look really odd on the square shaped AW watch head, as does 5 link bracelets and other similar designs). I did a quick search on square watches (from the likes of Rado) and it seems that this type of bracelet is pretty common and IMHO looks best. Hexagon bracelets also look cool. Guess there's a reason for this particular design. 

It seems the smooth, rectangular link bracelet matches best... So it's the link bracelet for me now, along with the rubber. Also, the lack of a gap, and a taper from about 26mm down to 24mm (38mm AW), from the watch head to the bracelet, is a win.


----------



## scentedlead

Chibatastic said:


> The weather app is nice to have. Touching the temperature on AW's screen will give me an hourly readout as well as extended forecast. Since it gets it's data from the phone it may sometimes lag depending on your data connection.


Having the AW display weather for current location is so convenient. It's that little thing you've always done without but now that you have it, you'd really miss it if it went away.

If only the weather app did micro-climates. Anyone who's gone from the sunny Mission district to fog-shrouded Ocean Beach in San Francisco knows what I'm talking about.

But it actually did okay on the drive to and from Sacramento, going from 60°F fog to 90°F sun in 90 miles. There were a few areas where the weather didn't update, but otherwise no biggie. Mostly it's a matter of driving faster than your watch can pick up the weather changes.



> Smart phones are getting larger and perhaps more awkward to use. Most people I know with phablets like the screen real estate but complain about how difficult they are to use with one hand. The Apple watch does not need to be picked up, thumb scanned and swiped to get that info. It's much faster and more efficient. Perhaps smart watches will become larger too and replace smart phones. You can't forget your phone at work if it's strapped to your wrist. (by now you must have a clear picture of how craptastic my memory is) A large comfortable screen on your wrist that does everything your laptop and smartphone can. How great would that be? Perhaps this is where things are headed but that's enough digression for now.


When the iPhone 6 and 6+ were announced last year, I and a lot of people I know grumbled, "That can't fit into my backpocket!" But, unlike most people I knew, I paid attention to the AW. Once I saw what the AW could do, I minded less how big the new phones are. The way I see it, if your watch is small, your phone can be big and vice versa-if you keep the two of them nearby each other.

If your phone is for long SMS conversations, you don't need to do that on your watch. If your watch is for notifications, it can be small enough to keep on yourself, so that your phone can be somewhere else, say another room or inside your bag.

They're supposed to complement each other-not replace each other.

The way people are asking for a stand-alone smartwatch is like asking for smartwatch that's even smaller than the smaller of AW's two sizes. It's people asking for something not really realizing what they're asking for. A smaller smartwatch will have almost no battery life and will be difficult to read. A stand-alone smartwatch must be bigger to accomodate both the 3G radio and the bigger battery to power the radio. It will also need its own data plan and its own phone number. I honestly don't know anyone who would jump at the idea of having two phone numbers in their pocket.



> I haven't had a chance to try out apple pay. I'm in Canada and haven't come across anyone that uses it. That said, I can't wait to do away with cupping my hand over the debit keypad as I enter in my password. From what I understand from those of you who use it, it works really well.


I have three pieces of plastic and the one I use the most often is the one that isn't on Apple Pay yet. But of course.

But, I have a number of cards in my Passbook and it's been wonderful. All I have to do is pull up the Passbook app and all the cashier has to do is scan my watch. That means less bulking up my wallet. That means not saying out loud my phone number or email address. That means not pulling out my phone or wallet out of my pocket. This has been a godsend especially with Starbucks-it is literally, scan watch to pay.

I wish more vendors-and libraries-made their cards available in Passbook.

I just enter my passcode when I put on my watch in the morning and from then until evening when I take it off to recharge, Passbook is just there, ready to go. A part of me is annoyed at having to use a passcode just to use a watch, but yes, requiring that a passcode be turned on to use Passbook and Apple Pay was a smart decision.



> Unfortunately, and understandably, the beautifully bright screen must be turned off the majority of the time. When you need to interact with the Apple watch, raise your wrist and the screen lights up. This works the majority of the time. I was worried it would be a similar experience to Casio's auto backlight. Thankfully it's more sensitive. If I'm in a weird position and it won't work I can still tap the face to activate.


I have a habit of turning my wrist without raising it to see the time so I'm annoyed that I have to raise my wrist. And if my watch of the day isn't a chronograph, that doesn't stop me from timing something so it's annoying that the AW stays lit for only a few moments-unless you switch to the stopwatch or timer apps. And if you wear your watch to bed, forget about raise to activate.

That said, seeing your watch in the dark without having to push-like with my Timex Indiglos-a button is more nifty than I thought it would be. This was actually useful driving my parents around in their car one evening because they don't know how to adjust the time without the user manual.

The upshot is, there are some habits I'll have to let go. But there are some new habits I'll pick up.



> Activity is by far the most important feature of the Apple watch and I never saw that coming.
> . . .
> Stand makes sure you get up and move around every hour. It gives you a little buzz if you don't move up to the 50 minute point of each hour. I really like this as it keeps me from being stagnant and forces a break.


I love this. I use it not only to remember to stand but I'm also developing a little routine of sretching out my arms, wrists and fingers; putting in some eye drops; getting some water; and, if need be, taking a restroom break.



> At the time of this review, third party apps are pretty sad. For the most part I don't use them. Most of the ones I checked out are slow and I'm better off pulling out my phone. We all know this will improve exponentially with new firmware / hardware down the road so I look forward to that. I desperately want to raise my wrist to launch my Harmony remote app and turn on my home theater. "Hey Siri, watch a movie" would be even better.


I can understand apps being slow being non-native and all and that should improve with native apps. But I think that doesn't excuse a poorly thought out app, the kind that can't be solved from without. For example: Groupon.

The app is basically a watch interface for shopping for groupons. I don't want to go shopping on my watch-that's a task better done on a computer or tablet, or a phone as a last resort.

What I want on my watch are the groupons I have waiting to be redeemed. If it was a matter of not being able to put a scannable bar code in, then okay. But Groupon would've been better off not releasing an app instead of releasing what they did.

Ditto Twitter. Do you really want your timeline and global trends on your wrist? Or, as Twitteriffic figured out, would you rather have just your direct messages and mentions?

No hardware or software upgrades to the watch are going to make those apps useful when they haven't even asked the basic question of, "What kind of info do I want on my wrist?"



> Apple gives you a lot of choice with customizable watch faces. From Mickey mouse to the various planets and their position at any given time. Tons to play around with (although I want more!) I'm not crazy about any of the analog clock faces. They are a lot smaller than what I'm used to in a traditional watch. 98% of the time I end up on Modular. At a glance I get the time, date, activity circle progress, weather conditions and when the sun will rise/set. Really useful info to have on your wrist. So all of these amazing complications and I feel almost embarrassed to point out that we don't have seconds on any of the digital faces. Seriously? Apple puts out one of the most accurate timepiece and forgoes seconds? This needs to change ASAP. I would also like to be able to draw from a larger colour gamut while customizing the screen.


I actually kinda like the analog faces but then again, I think the screen is sharp enough for them, especially their sweeping seconds hands. If I didn't feel the screen was sharp enough, the screen would bug me. That said, I use Modular most of the time as it has the most complications.

I think aesthetically, not having the seconds looks better but, that would be nice to have, complete with blinking separators.



> Apple nailed their sports strap! It's the design of Marc Newson who made an almost identical strap for his Ikepod line. Simply put, it's worlds better than their other offerings and more comfortable than any rubber or resin strap I have tried on or own. It feels soft, smooth and it's so thin and flexible I forget I'm wearing it. The white also looks great and doesn't seem to collect dirt all that much. I had doubts about the way the end tucks into itself on the inside but that doesn't bother me at all. The way you swap out straps is brilliant. No more springbar tool scratching your lugs. All you need to do is use the edge of your finger nail to press the button while sliding the strap out. Takes 5 seconds! In future, I would like to see the sports strap in more colours. I'm not keen on the current pastel offerings. Red, navy and purple would be great.


For the most part, the sport bands mostly correspond to the iPhone 5C colors. It would make sense to make the low end watches match the low end iPhones.

It's my fave strap so far. Not the easiest to put on, but omg, this is so comfy. I have never fallen asleep with a watch before this one.



> "Cool" is a good way to describe the watch as a whole.
> 
> I have had more conversations with total strangers about the apple watch than all of my other watches, clothes, shoes combined. Love or hate, there is definitely a buzz going on about them.
> 
> Observing the emotional gambit, in regards to the Apple watch, has been interesting to say the least. The way I see it is - the Smart watch as a significant point in the evolution of digital watches. There will always be those who dislike a big change. Being someone who has spent thousands on timepieces over the years, I can definitely empathize. Some of you are familiar with the way I tend to gush about my Speedmaster or Frogman for example. These are emotional purchases and this release has struck a chord here. I notice members taking precious time out of their day to thumb their nose at the Apple watch. "It's not even a watch" ugh. Of course it's not going to be for everyone, but what possesses this type of reaction? Are they concerned about the potential impact this device could cause it's industry? Perhaps more specifically, the perceived value of their own timepieces? I'm not. I love my analogue watches and that won't ever change.


I don't know any mechanical watch users. Sometimes that makes me wonder about who I hang out with, and then I remember that mechanical watches, even though they make up 50% of watch profits, make up only 2% of the watch market. I point this out because reaction to my watch has only been positive curiosity-people might not be ready to plonk down the money to buy one and time to figure it out, but they see potential and want to know what it can do. It's only here on WUS and in the punditry that the reaction has been overwhelmingly negative.

"It's not a watch." Well duh, the smartphone isn't a phone either-it's a computer with a phone app. You say that people here feeling an assault on everything that goes into watch collecting from the money to the emotions. But I also see a lot of umbrage-how dare Apple make a watch that doesn't appeal to them. I see a lot of people here completely unable to comprehend the fact that the next step in watches was not made with them in mind. Henry Ford didn't go into the automobile industry to cater to people who wanted a faster horse. What makes these people think that Apple-a computer company-was going to cater to people who want a prettier set of gears and jewels?

I keep saying that the AW's competitor is not other watches but other cell phones. Owning a smartwatch has to be more compelling than owning a smart phone only. That's where the growth is in the smartwatch market.



> A while ago, I caught myself looking down at my Submarinar while swiping up the sapphire to ping my phone. That made me realize time is indeed changing. I will probably never again consider a digital watch over a smartwatch. Sure, this one is a far cry from the perfect analogue/digital. Nonetheless, it has has become an incredibly useful tool. One with ambitious prospects and so much room for growth.


I think, I still have an unfulfilled niche in my wardrobe for a digital G-Shock-in my watch box for everyday wear, I have a Timex Easy Reader I use as a casual dress watch; a Timex Expedition for bar hopping; a pair of Timex Weekender Chronos, because chronographs; a pair of Seiko 5, because mechanical watches, and yes, I did buy one on Ebay the same day I bought my AW. But other than that, I think I'll soon be done with adding to my own watch collection-at least, my everyday watches-except to buy the next AW.

Wearing one of my chronographs, I was kinda peeved it didn't tell me the sunrise/sunset, the moon phase, the weather, or even how much battery or power reserve it had left. Simply, the AW does too much and the only way to to make another watch more compelling to me is to take function out of the equation.


----------



## zetaplus93

scentedlead said:


> For the most part, the sport bands mostly correspond to the iPhone 5C colors. It would make sense to make the low end watches match the low end iPhones.


I will say while the rubber straps are the least expensive, there's nothing cheap about them. These are the nicest rubber straps that I have--definitely better than Isofranes, and if you're a dive watch guy, you'll know how well regarded ISO's are.



scentedlead said:


> "It's not a watch." Well duh, the smartphone isn't a phone either-it's a computer with a phone app.


I've harped about this in the past, but I think it's worth pointing out that the meaning of words change over time.

Phone used to mean rotary phones from the 70s and 80s, but now mean any rectangular-looking block of glass and plastic/metal that also has a camera in it and can surf the web. The meaning of "watch" will also change as time goes on.



scentedlead said:


> I think, I still have an unfulfilled niche in my wardrobe for a digital G-Shock-in my watch box for everyday wear, I have a Timex Easy Reader I use as a casual dress watch; a Timex Expedition for bar hopping; a pair of Timex Weekender Chronos, because chronographs; a pair of Seiko 5, because mechanical watches, and yes, I did buy one on Ebay the same day I bought my AW. But other than that, I think I'll soon be done with adding to my own watch collection-at least, my everyday watches-except to buy the next AW.
> 
> Wearing one of my chronographs, I was kinda peeved it didn't tell me the sunrise/sunset, the moon phase, the weather, or even how much battery or power reserve it had left. Simply, the AW does too much and the only way to to make another watch more compelling to me is to take function out of the equation.


Which brings up an interesting question. For those of you wearing an AW (and sticking to it) and are fans of traditional watches, are you still planning to purchase a traditional watch in the near future, be it mechanical or quartz?

I'm still undecided at the moment. I'm culling my collection, but could see myself with a nice white dial dressy GS as my "last mechanical" (at least for a few more years). So perhaps I'll keep a AW, a nice dressy mechanical, a diver, and perhaps an old Ironman from my youth. What about you?


----------



## BarracksSi

zetaplus93 said:


> Which brings up an interesting question. For those of you wearing an AW (and sticking to it) and are fans of traditional watches, are you still planning to purchase a traditional watch in the near future, be it mechanical or quartz?


No, but not because of whether or not I like traditional watches. It's because we spent the most yet on the AW, plus I received two other watches as gifts in the past nine months -- so I've got more watches than I can realistically use.

And, frankly, if the AW takes up most of my wrist time, what's the point of spending even more money on a traditional watch that'll mostly live on a shelf? I'm not running a museum here.


----------



## Fer Guzman

Awesome review. Curious to know if you use a GW-5000 still? I find the AW much more useful than the GW-5000 and therefore no longer use it.

The strap I think looks the best and is the coolest is the leather loop. But I use the rubber 90% of the time and it's the best rubber I have ever used.


----------



## Chibatastic

Fer Guzman said:


> Awesome review. Curious to know if you use a GW-5000 still? I find the AW much more useful than the GW-5000 and therefore no longer use it.
> 
> The strap I think looks the best and is the coolest is the leather loop. But I use the rubber 90% of the time and it's the best rubber I have ever used.


Thanks Fer,

My GW-5000 hasn't been even touched in months. The same goes for my other G-shocks. My automatics only get put on once I have completed all three progress circles.
Sounds like you feel the same way. Just don't go driving over that Apple watch with your Hummer. It won't take that abuse and survive ;-)

Chibatastic


----------



## Chibatastic

In my OP I mentioned that I have been completing my circles every day.
Here's proof!







































Unfortunately I was to sick 24th and 25th to exercise. Fortunately I haven't missed a day since!
Just about to watch today's keynote. Hopefully they announce a red and navy sports strap 

Chibatastic


----------



## utzelu

Thanks for the comprehensive review. I am still undecided whether to go for the AW or stick with my mechanical watches until the 2nd generation arrives. I am very tempted in the SS version of the AW due to its look, versatility (dress, casual or even sporty) and material quality. But the prices are too high so I guess a better approach is to buy it used in few months. I think the 2nd hand prices would drop to around $300 in 6 months - that's from $600-$700 new.
For me the AW is about its useful features (especially health related) combined with good looks. And once I would get it I am afraid I won't need the classic watches...


----------



## tknospdr

> If only the weather app did micro-climates. Anyone who's gone from the sunny Mission district to fog-shrouded Ocean Beach in San Francisco knows what I'm talking about.


Buy Dark Sky for iOS, it does very localized weather. I love it. And with WatchOS 2 out and 3rd party complications...
watchaware . com /watch-apps/517329357 Just remove the spaces to check it out.


----------



## ccm123

Great review and photos!


----------



## zkennedy

Man, that movement feature is pretty damned sweet. I'm not crazy about smartwatches but they do have some pretty neat features. Wearing that one watch everyday would be tough for me though.. Besides, I own a Samsung phone..


----------



## BarracksSi

zkennedy said:


> Besides, I own a Samsung phone..


Try the new Gear S2 (the one with the rotating bezel). One of the other guys here (or was it MacForums?) has both an AW and an S2, and he says the S2 works pretty well.


----------



## Deck

The watch exceeded my expectations...I purchased the stainless steel 42mm model and after using it for a few months, purchased the gold aluminum 42mm model with the dark blue band... what a beauty...
Deck


----------



## VR16710

Deck said:


> The watch exceeded my expectations...I purchased the stainless steel 42mm model and after using it for a few months, purchased the gold aluminum 42mm model with the dark blue band... what a beauty...
> Deck


Very nice, one for each wrist!


----------

