# Apple engineer's confessions on the Apple Watch



## pook187 (May 29, 2016)

Let me preface this by saying I won't be talking about anything confidential about the Watch. These are my own feelings and observations. 

That said, I was never a watch guy. I never had an appreciation for watches, period. 

When the Watch was announced I was excited. I wanted one. I didn't know why exactly but I did. So I got one. The most expensive one outside of the Edition. I got the Space Black DLC version. 

When it (finally) arrived I was over the moon. I couldn't stop wearing it and looking at it. There was something about the bracelet and clasp that was fascinating to me. It was extremely well designed. 

I wore it on its DLC bracelet for a long while, proudly showing it to anyone that would listen. 

Naturally I started buying more bands for it. Mainly exercise bands because I was using it more often as an exercise tracker. 

Then, out of nowhere I got mollywhopped by the automatic watch bug. I don't know if the Apple Watch triggered something deep inside me but out of nowhere I had an addiction. 

Next a Pelagos. Next a Submariner 114060. Now to full-on WIS. 

While this was happening my Apple Watch sat unused, unless I was running. It felt 'dead' to me compared to a living, breathing mechanical. My $1200 Watch sat dormant. Rarely charged and given life. 

This lasted for about 6 months. During this time I'd given up on 'computer watches.' 

Until today. I dusted off the Space Black DLC band and clasp. I replaced the exercise strap with it, snapped the clasp shut and appreciated it for what it was. A unique and extremely well-engineered time piece. 

For the first time I was appreciating it as a lover of watches, not as a lover of trendy technology. It started to make sense. I felt like I could justify its place in my watch box along with my Rolex and G-Shock. 

It it felt like it belonged - for the first time. 

Anyhoo, I hope I didn't misspell any words or butcher grammar too impressively. 

It was was a story I felt compelled to share given my laying here appreciating my Apple Watch in a new way.

cheers!


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## Wolfsatz (Jun 27, 2016)

Similar to you I was very interested in Smartwatches about a year and a half ago. I got a Moto360 and I wore it a lot for about 6months until the Huawei came around. I alternated this 2 for about 8 months.

Thanks to the work and countless designers of the 'WatchMaker' app, I learned a lot about other watches. And these 2 made me first try them on as virtual replicas, and then buy some watches that I really liked. But my 2 smart watches are having a hard time finding any wrist time now.

I do think they are very convenient; but they miss that essence of a time piece. But thanks to the smartwatches I have a deeper appreciation of a good time piece.

20160327_152243 by Wolfsatz, on Flickr

20160827_185739 by Wolfsatz, on Flickr

20151229_192127 by Wolfsatz, on Flickr


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## Tomatoes11 (Feb 17, 2015)

I like and tried a bunch of different smart watches as well before settling on one and selling the rest. 

I loved watches as a kid but grew out of them and only had a few Quartz pieces. One casual and one dress. Hardly wore them but Android wear smart watches got me back into watch collecting.

I hated the Apple Watch though. And putting smart watches in your watch box makes very little sense since the good ones come with charging docks that turn it into a desk clock. Just put it on there instead of the watch box. The Apple Watch disk charging thing is crappy though.


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## codeture (Oct 12, 2014)

pook187 said:


> Let me preface this by saying I won't be talking about anything confidential about the Watch. These are my own feelings and observations.
> 
> That said, I was never a watch guy. I never had an appreciation for watches, period.
> 
> ...


Interesting story.

So, wearing an Apple watch actually awakens your love toward watches. Then, instead of wearing a smartwatch, you wear more automatics (classic) dive watches...

Thank you for sharing and may you wear the watches in good health.

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## SwilsonFL (Jun 2, 2016)

I work in software and watched as most of my coworkers bought and proudly wore their Apple watches. I was hoping some of them would sell me their mechanicals and I dreamed of building a collection from the discarded watches of the new smart watch crowd. Sadly, 90% of them are over the phase and I rarely see the Apple watches in the offices. Two of them have sited stress issues caused by the Apple Watch keeping them too connected. Maybe the next version will loosen their trips on their mechanicals.


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## dinodays (May 8, 2016)

Interesting. Not a big fan of smart watches. I have a Garmin I use when running. I try using it for Kettlebells but I need to be mindful not to smash it by accident. My wife wears hers almost all the time but she is out biking, swimming, running all the time. Big blue honking machine. 


Issue are date nights-but then again she can get text messages without taking her phone out from the sitter. 
I just don't want to be that connected as I write this on a plane 


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## canuckfan33 (Sep 4, 2015)

Similar story. Went from the Pebble to Motor 360 and now automatic watches with a Garmin Vivosmart on my other wrist so I still have the "smart" aspect. I've pre-ordered a Chronos disc that slides under your regular watch and gives you everything a smart watches does but with vibration and light. I drive a lot so taking out my phone is not an option. 

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## Unsolved_Mistry (Mar 15, 2016)

I had an lg urbane and loved it for what it was but decided to go down the route or mechanicals, sold.it and made a £20 loss. I may get another smart watch one day when they get more features. But $1200 for an apple watch, dayum.

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## BarracksSi (Feb 13, 2013)

pook187 said:


> Until today. I dusted off the Space Black DLC band and clasp. I replaced the exercise strap with it, snapped the clasp shut and appreciated it for what it was. A unique and extremely well-engineered time piece.
> 
> For the first time I was appreciating it as a lover of watches, not as a lover of trendy technology. It started to make sense. I felt like I could justify its place in my watch box along with my Rolex and G-Shock.


Could you say it takes an understanding of nice watches to realize how well-done the AW is?

Gadget hounds say it's too expensive for a smartwatch when Android/Samsung watches cost so much less (some models are _given away for free_ with new smartphones, fer cryin' out loud). WISes dismiss it entirely because it doesn't run on 18th Century technology.

But it's built like a nicely-done traditional watch. It even improves upon the most aggravating thing about regular watches: the ability to quickly, and securely, change straps (people don't know how much springbars actually suck until the first time they try removing them). It also has possibly the tightest smartwatch-to-smartphone software integration out there.

I think manufacturers of both traditional watches and smartwatches can learn a thing or two from Apple.


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## pook187 (May 29, 2016)

Absolutely.



BarracksSi said:


> Could you say it takes an understanding of nice watches to realize how well-done the AW is?
> 
> Gadget hounds say it's too expensive for a smartwatch when Android/Samsung watches cost so much less (some models are _given away for free_ with new smartphones, fer cryin' out loud). WISes dismiss it entirely because it doesn't run on 18th Century technology.
> 
> ...


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## DougFNJ (May 23, 2007)

I am loving this thread, thank you for posting it.

My first watch was a Casio calculator touchpad type Databank in the 80's. Heh, I remember putting all my phone numbers in that thing and using it on tests when I wasn't supposed to. Wore that watch daily for over 10 years when the resin fell apart and touchpad began peeling off.

I also remember the Microsoft Spot Watch, the Fossil version was bad, but the Suunto was solid. I always found myself drawn to the g-shocks with the most features, and the Pathfinder blew me away.

I never understood automatics, thought they were overpriced and geez, only told time?

That was until I finally bought one and ended up with Japanese and Swiss. Then Apple Watch released. My wife TORTURED me when I got it. I told her, I love watches, I love Apple products. No brainer? I also have the all Space Black, and echo your sentiments. By the way, Guess who wanted the Rose Gold with lavender for Mother's Day this year? Hint...wasn't me. Heh heh.

The Apple Watch ended up shrinking my collection. I have worn it so much, I'm down from 20 to what you see in my signature.



Tomatoes11 said:


> The Apple Watch disk charging thing is crappy though.


For the bracelet, the disk is perfect. Protects the finish, and I could use my lightning cables to charge it.

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## garehaan (Jul 15, 2009)

The apple watch is great, but unlike my submariner it endend up in the safe after wearing it for 6 months. Got back to the Rolex and it has not left my wrist since.


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## Ron521 (Feb 20, 2014)

I don't own a smart watch, and don't plan on buying one anytime soon. My most "high tech" watch is my G-Shock GW 5000. But I appreciate what goes into smart watches, and what they can do. For me, my G, or a smart watch is much closer to a "living, breathing" organism than a collection of metal parts powered by a spring. Having said THAT, I own a number of automatic and hand-wind watches, and appreciate them, but in a different way. For a mechanical watch, what appeals to me is the aspect of being a MACHINE. I like the implied workmanship that went into its construction, even if much of the manufacture was by automatic machinery, and not by some guy making parts by hand on a lathe. But....the infinitely more complex circuitry in a digital watch, or even more so in a smart watch is even more impressive. The electrons whizzing around inside make me think very much of a nervous system, the connection with the outside world through sensors gives the watch a sense of awareness of its surroundings which no mechanical watch can possess. If you saw the movie "Her", about a self-aware operating system in a computer, then you have an idea of what a smart watch represents, in a very rudimentary form. For me, such watches represent a form of silicon life, which will evolve in time to more complex forms with ever greater capabilities.


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## lvt (Sep 15, 2009)

garehaan said:


> The apple watch is great, but unlike my submariner it endend up in the safe after wearing it for 6 months. Got back to the Rolex and it has not left my wrist since.


Does the Apple watch really needs a safe? 

_I'm a professional [desk] diver._


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## Cheekeh Munkeh (Jun 23, 2013)

Interesting, and timely.

I've been an Apple user longer than I care to remember (predating the Jobs II era and since, but I am neither a cultist nor bandwagon hopper--I just appreciate the well-designed stuff that the Apple of today seems to be losing its grip on, but that's another topic altogether), but didn't feel compelled by the Apple Watch at all, even as a gadget lover. I still don't, really, and in fact, I had made a personal pledge to never buy another watch that required a battery again. Nor do I feel a need to be constantly notified, or have yet another thing to be charged every day or two.

But that has changed, as I've been gifted an AW. It didn't cost me anything, and I'm aware it came with a hefty discount. Based on the feeling above, it has sat unopened, while I've debated whether to return it.

However, with the return period ticking away, I've opened it up, and it's charging as I type this, in preparation for an update to WOS3. (something else my other watches will never require).

I'll give it a shot, and see how it turns out. Every watch in a collection scratches a different itch. If I keep it, I suspect it will be more out of gadget love than watch love.

With this, I expect it will bring me back to the time when my Casios were such neat devices, and a watch! The AW will just be the 21st century equivalent.

I'm not sure if it will ever be the first, or the thing I most frequently reach for, but I don't think I'd regret having another choice in the collection.


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## scentedlead (May 11, 2015)

Cheekeh Munkeh said:


> With this, I expect it will bring me back to the time when my Casios were such neat devices, and a watch! The AW will just be the 21st century equivalent.


Are you going to install a calculator into your AW? ;-)

I had a Polar fitness watch that I bought a decade ago which I rarely use because I thought it was too cumbersome-I had to memorize different combinations of buttons to use its functions and the heart rate sensor's strap had to be moist which is hard to maintain on light workout days in air-conditioned rooms. Whereas, with the AW, I just strap it on and it's ready to go and using an app is as simple as swiping and tapping. For me, it doesn't replace dress watches, or watches with very specialized features (like G-Shocks or Suuntos), but for me, it's basically replaced the low-end fitness watch.


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## dantan (Dec 16, 2014)

My experience is very different. I have always been a Watch person, and refused to own a Smartwatch.

The reason why I purchased an Apple Watch Series 2 Nike+ is because my TomTom Runner GPS Watch has been playing-up in recent months.

I am pretty happy with my Apple Watch now, actually.


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## sebii (Sep 23, 2016)

dinodays said:


> Issue are date nights-but then again she can get text messages without taking her phone out from the sitter.
> I just don't want to be that connected as I write this on a plane


I think this is a great observation. The first time I noticed someone I was with flicking their watch in the middle of a conversation, I almost through my plate at them! Haha! Of course, there is no accounting for bad manners, no matter what the tech. Those message alerts do make it hard, though...


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## Marconelly (Feb 8, 2017)

pook187's experience matches mine quite a bit. I used to love watches, but then for a long time just stopped wearing them. Apple Watch brought me back into the fold, it made me want to learn everything I could about horology, manufacturing, artistry behind watchmaking. I grew an appreciation for it all that I didn't have before, and started buying interesting and high quality watches I never even knew existed before. Unlike him however, I never lost interest in AW. In fact, with that newfound knowledge, I only gained an even bigger appreciation for the high quality of its manufacturing. The moment I realized that the steel curvature is more precise on my AW than it is on a similarly priced SARB065 - one of the prime examples of punching above the weight mechanicals - I knew they deserved my respect in an area I never even considered before. While I love all my watches, AW consistently gets the most wrist time, as I love the utility it provides - and also being a developer for it, I obviously want to use the things I am making.

One really nice thing about AW that's hard to explain until you get to see it in person - of all the smartwatches I've seen, AW is the one that actually feels the least like a gadget. This may sound absurd to some, as so many other watches look more like a traditional watch, but beyond that cursory observation, if you just look at how some other smartwatches feel to use, or how their screen has very visible ranibow-y pixelation where the screen stops and the case begins, whereas on the AW, the screen and the case feel like one compact whole, and you can't tell where the screen ends - or how nicely the ceramic caseback fits into the case, or the already mentioned smoothness of the steel curvature - it all showcases the kind of precision we come to expect from a quality timepiece, but that gadgets don't really have.


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## Taerid (Sep 28, 2016)

I do really like the engineering work that's been put into the AW. But even with this, there's just something about mechanical watches. Having a square screen on your wrist doesn't feel the same. However, it is very useful particularly as a fitness tracker.


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## rony_espana (Nov 30, 2007)

I absolutely love my Apple Watch, and it's the low end aluminum sports model. Bought it the day the apple watch was released. Upgraded the strap to the original leather strap and it is rotated around with my other mechanical and quartz watches! Nothing like knowing the weather just by glancing down at my wrist! Especially good when it's -35 degrees here lol.


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## Derekwd (Mar 16, 2012)

I like my apple watch but I love a mechanical watch more. I guess it's nostalgia of it...


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