# Question about the Galaxy Watch from a skeptic



## Sonic Death Monkey (Aug 8, 2019)

Hi all,


So I picked this watch up in late 2018, motivation being it was cool and also for simplicity having a everything in one-solution. Tho I have to say, I'm one of those people that find tech to be more overwhelming than liberating.

Basically I'm a guy who's looking into buying my first automatic, I wanna cut down on my smartphone and I generally enjoy wearing a notebook and a quality pen to write stuff down.

Anyway


I returned it after a weak for multiple reasons.


1. Realizing that on all matters where this could do what my phone (Note 9 btw) did, I much rather prefered the 1-2 seconds it took me to pick up my phone.
Though this might just be a habit and I would quickly consider it nice to not have to pick up my phone to check stuff. 
I just realized there's also the additional risk of starting to fiddle with my phone when I have it in my hands.


2. On the rare occasions I did not have access to my phone, it was mostly because I didn't need it. If I'm out jogging I might come across an accident and having to call 911, but... come on, what level of paranoia-thinking is that.


3. On the features on the watch that my phone didn't have, like heart-rate monitor and other stuff I'm not too familiar with, it seemed like it wasn't trustworthy enough by reviews, and that if I cared about that stuff I would be better off getting a dedicated activity-bracelet with the band around the waist and all that stuff.
Also, when I'm lifting weights and all that, my mind is more than capable to actually remember each set, and noting it down in my trusty notepad instead of fiddling around with my smartwatch.

4. Samsung Pay is still not a thing in my Country. I never cared about paying with my phone, I just as well pick up my wallet and take out my card, but if I should embrace the idea of a tech watch, it would annoy me that a watch intended to cover most aspects of every day life, would not be able to do a basic one


And finally, and this is a big one for me (I've propably forgotten something), the watch faces... I can't be the only one that find the analogue watch faces hideous, as they lack any depth to them and look as fake as they are...Though, obviously I realize I can't expect them to look real.
Again, maybe only a habit.




I've been fascinated by old automatic timekeepers the last year, like the cogs and wheels of it feels more personal, soulfull and timeless, rather than some technology that's gonna be outdated within a few years, but anything but a automatic would give me accuracy, and buying a watch you'd want to control every week seems a bit... absurd to me.




Having said all this, it's only my subjective experience for the very short time I had it, but I'm still drawn to the coolness of it, and would love for anyone to give me their pros/cons and also adress my grievances with this watch.

And then there's the question of if Samsung is gonna drop the sequel soon or if it's only the active models, because I hate to buy one and a week later see that they're dropping a improved new version.


Thank you in advance for any replies.


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## Black5 (Nov 17, 2012)

Samsung works on a 2 year lifecycle for their smartwatches and the Active/sport variants are each alternate year so a new one is typically about a year away.

Don't disagree with anything you say, they are by their very nature a feature/function driven device, and this often influences the purchase decision, whereas Automatic watches are very much a fashion/statement decision.

There is some crossover of course, but one generally doesn't replace the other.



Gunnar_917 said:


> ^^ tells the truth on Internet forums


So many watches, So little time...


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## Rocket1991 (Mar 15, 2018)

I don't think anything physically new inside will turn out soon.
Samsung Galaxy line will be supplemented with may be new fitness band but internals and functionality will be mostly same.
Smartwatch is smart watch with all goods and bads and it's really upfront. 
I have one, wear constantly and it one of the most comfortable watches ever. My gripes are literally hard to see in direct sunlight and not always on screen, but these are part of the watch i knew what i am getting right off the bat.
It like complain why it has flat screen and hands on the screen don't have same 3D quality as one in fine watch... they don't because they pixels on the screen.
On same level i can complain why regular watch don't have ability to change dial design at push of the button. Cool feature why Rolex don't have it? Go out of the water push button and Submariner turns into Explorer, go to the event push button- Cellini, work - date just .... damn !


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## utzelu (Aug 17, 2015)

Can I assume you are new to the watch world and still in the honey moon with mechanical watches? I had similar feelings years ago but lately I changed my mind. After a while you realize that mechanical watches are mostly unchanged in the last 200 years, yet new stories are invented to make us buy “new” versions. I still like mechanical watches, I’m just not buying them anymore.

Smart watches are mostly sold on features and less on look. I think manufacturers should invest more in case design and materials in order to address the aesthetics also. They should put more effort into face design with emphasis on 3D. I am pretty much sure that with today’s technology a watch face with the right 3D depth and simulated light reflection can be achieved.


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## kramer5150 (Nov 15, 2007)

*1. Realizing that on all matters where this could do what my phone (Note 9 btw) did, I much rather prefered the 1-2 seconds it took me to pick up my phone.
Though this might just be a habit and I would quickly consider it nice to not have to pick up my phone to check stuff. 
I just realized there's also the additional risk of starting to fiddle with my phone when I have it in my hands.*
Nothing wrong with this line of thinking. Majority dont even wear a watch of any kind now days. 15 years ago I used to see watch kiosks and mall shops a lot... not anymore. I think its because most people today use their smart phones instead.

*2. On the rare occasions I did not have access to my phone, it was mostly because I didn't need it. If I'm out jogging I might come across an accident and having to call 911, but... come on, what level of paranoia-thinking is that.*
Living off grid and disconnected is nice. Leave the connected world behind and engage with the real world... I do that too and find it refreshing. On those days I wear a seiko, g-shock or eco-drive. But I never go out without a cell phone. Accidents can and do happen. In my mind its better to have and not need than to need and not have.

*3. On the features on the watch that my phone didn't have, like heart-rate monitor and other stuff I'm not too familiar with, it seemed like it wasn't trustworthy enough by reviews, and that if I cared about that stuff I would be better off getting a dedicated activity-bracelet with the band around the waist and all that stuff.
Also, when I'm lifting weights and all that, my mind is more than capable to actually remember each set, and noting it down in my trusty notepad instead of fiddling around with my smartwatch.*
Wrist worn heart rate sensors are iffy, and inaccurate many times. The exception would be the apple watch. I really dont use mine that much. If I need to grab an accurate pulse, I do it the old fashioned way.

_*4. Samsung Pay is still not a thing in my Country. I never cared about paying with my phone, I just as well pick up my wallet and take out my card, but if I should embrace the idea of a tech watch, it would annoy me that a watch intended to cover most aspects of every day life, would not be able to do a basic one*_
I never cared to use NFC payment methods either. On ether a watch or my phone.... shrug.

*And finally, and this is a big one for me (I've propably forgotten something), the watch faces... I can't be the only one that find the analogue watch faces hideous, as they lack any depth to them and look as fake as they are...Though, obviously I realize I can't expect them to look real.
Again, maybe only a habit.*
Yeah cosmetic appearance is not a smart watch strong suit and certainly illuminated pixels can not replace actual physical materials.

*I've been fascinated by old automatic timekeepers the last year, like the cogs and wheels of it feels more personal, soulfull and timeless, rather than some technology that's gonna be outdated within a few years, but anything but a automatic would give me accuracy, and buying a watch you'd want to control every week seems a bit... absurd to me.*
A smart watch is a wrist worn computer. A mechanical watch is a wrist watch. Two totally different technologies... both tell time, but go about it different ways. Thats why I own both. Variety is a spice of life.

*Having said all this, it's only my subjective experience for the very short time I had it, but I'm still drawn to the coolness of it, and would love for anyone to give me their pros/cons and also adress my grievances with this watch.*
I'm not about to try and change your views on the matter. I will say this though... the one reason I wear a smart watch is so I can mute my phone and get wrist vibration alerts for notifications. I work in an open office environment so I dont want to disturb others, and it helps prevent those "I missed your text / call" moments.

*And then there's the question of if Samsung is gonna drop the sequel soon or if it's only the active models, because I hate to buy one and a week later see that they're dropping a improved new version.*
I wouldn't worry about that. Samsung does a great job supporting their older generation watches... they get old, but not obsolete.


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## Meatshield the Yeti (Jun 18, 2019)

Hey, SDM. Can't argue with any of your points above, and they're very similar to the ones I had for not having a smartwatch previously (not needing a lot of the features, ugly watch faces, etc.).

For me, the Samsung Galaxy 46 mm was the first that came close enough to looking like a real watch to overcome my initial dislike, mainly due to its shape, size and the rotating bezel. The watch faces don't look like real watches, but I do appreciate the ability to see enough information at a glance (temperature, watch battery status) and that helps make up for it. My main reason for getting one was smart notifications -- half the time I can't feel my phone vibrate in my pocket when a notification goes off, so having the notifications on my wrist really helps. So, yeah, it's all about what's important and not important to you.

As for a Galaxy Watch update, I was hoping for one this year, but it looks like all we're getting is the Galaxy Watch Active this year. I wouldn't be surprised if they dropped the rotating bezel altogether after this.


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## Yukoner1 (Aug 26, 2019)

So my biggest issue with smartwatches are that they're, well, ugly.

Look, most (if not all) of us have smartphones in our pockets. Many of us sit in front of computers for a good portion of the day. We don't _NEED_ a wristwatch to tell time anymore..... So why do we still care about them ? Well, for many of us (and I'll certainly lump myself into this category), it's an aesthetics thing. I'm a male, and outside of my wedding ring, I don't really wear any "jewelry". I have no interest in a necklace. I have no interest in earrings. Other than my wedding ring, I have no interest in rings. So what's left ? A wristwatch ! I consider my wristwatch as much an "accessory" as a tool for telling time. I consider it a fashion accessory, part of my look. Just to be clear - I'm also interested in horology, the history of it, the mechanics of a finely, precisely made manual movement. But that doesn't detract from the fact that I also consider my wristwatch part of my fashion and style.

Smartwatches, in general and in the past, have been ugly. Most are plastic and rubber. Most have nothing but brightly lit LCD screens. Ever since the first generation, original Samsung Gear watches, I've been saying that there's a missed market (however small) when it comes to smartwatches and those who are horology hobbyists. My wife actually found me the perfect smartwatch - a fusion between the modern day LCD screen and the analog hands of a traditional wristwatch. It was originally a Kickstarter campaign by a company called ZeTime. And I have to say, when I got this watch (it was a birthday gift), I absolutely fell in love with it. It's _EXACTLY_ what I had been looking for in a smartwatch. See below for photos of it on my wrist - with the display off and with the display on.

That being said, I don't know if the market is THAT big for those who want the hybrid model (the modern LCD screen but with traditional hands). Honestly, I see a LOT of people walking around with the Apple Watch. And I'll admit, it's decently stylish and functions for what it's intended for. But I have no illusions that an Apple Watch would ever satisfy a true horology enthusiast.


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## Meatshield the Yeti (Jun 18, 2019)

I took a long hard look at the Garmin Vivomove HR for much the same reason -- it actually looks like a watch! I'd have gotten one instead of my 46mm Galaxy if the reviews weren't so terrible.



Yukoner1 said:


> So my biggest issue with smartwatches are that they're, well, ugly.
> 
> Look, most (if not all) of us have smartphones in our pockets. Many of us sit in front of computers for a good portion of the day. We don't _NEED_ a wristwatch to tell time anymore..... So why do we still care about them ? Well, for many of us (and I'll certainly lump myself into this category), it's an aesthetics thing. I'm a male, and outside of my wedding ring, I don't really wear any "jewelry". I have no interest in a necklace. I have no interest in earrings. Other than my wedding ring, I have no interest in rings. So what's left ? A wristwatch ! I consider my wristwatch as much an "accessory" as a tool for telling time. I consider it a fashion accessory, part of my look. Just to be clear - I'm also interested in horology, the history of it, the mechanics of a finely, precisely made manual movement. But that doesn't detract from the fact that I also consider my wristwatch part of my fashion and style.
> 
> ...


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## Yukoner1 (Aug 26, 2019)

Meatshield the Yeti said:


> I took a long hard look at the Garmin Vivomove HR for much the same reason -- it actually looks like a watch! I'd have gotten one instead of my 46mm Galaxy if the reviews weren't so terrible.


So the issue I see with brands like Garmin and such is that they're not really "watch" companies. Garmin, for example, is well known for GPS products (like handheld GPS and vehicle GPS), marine electronics, and, as of recently, wrist-worn fitness trackers. Honestly, they do really well with those products, and I've owned a few of them so I can say that from real-world experience. Now they're trying to get into the smartwatch space, I suspect, because it's a business vertical that makes sense if you consider their wrist-worn fitness trackers (which were designed to compete with Fitbit and the like). The problem you run into is that they're simply not a "watch" company. They're an electronics company trying to create a watch. That approach doesn't always result in a great product......

That's what I find is different from MyKronoz (the manufacturer that makes the ZeTime, which is the watch pictured in my previous post). A quick blurb from their website:

_Founded in January 2013, MyKronoz is a Swiss company headquartered in Geneva that designs and develops wearable devices to expand and facilitate the connected experience of the smart generation. Bringing together the essence of watchmaking tradition and innovative technology, MyKronoz offers a full range of affordable and stylish wearables, spanning across 4 product categories: activity trackers, smartwatches, hybrid smartwatches and watch phones, all compatible with iOS and Android_

The difference is that MyKronoz is a _*watch company*_ first, and an electronics company second. At least that's how I perceive it. I've been wearing the ZeTime daily for almost 2 years now, and it's been on many long haul trips (car, boat, airplane, train, you name it). I can personally attest to its durability, resistance to scratching and wear / tear, functionality and aesthetics / style. Literally this morning I was having a meeting with someone and they commented that they thought my watch was very nice and asked if it was a Movado |>

Like I said, I do realize that the market for a traditional-looking smartwatch might be fairly small (well, maybe not so, I checked it out, see below), but we absolutely do exist. ZeTime was crowdfunded and here's the results from that:

_In 2017, MyKronoz ZeTime raised +$8M from over 40,000 backers in more than 100 countries. ZeTime has become the world's highest funded hybrid smartwatch, the largest crowdfunding campaign ever from a European company and the most backed product of 2017._

I think the next few years will be very interesting. I would not be surprised at all if we see more traditional-looking smartwatches (hybrid smartwatches) come onto the market from some of the more well known horology manufacturers.


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## utzelu (Aug 17, 2015)

I don’t think it matters anymore if it’s a watch company or electronics, as long as they have the right management. Garmin has quite a variety of smart and sports watches to offer, some with quite good design. But I think in this market, the feature set matters more than looks. IMO hybrid watches are kind of missing the point - their analog design is usually minimalist so it allows a screen for the smart part, and they lack in smart features and apps. It is better to have a mechanical watch and a smart watch separately and wear them on rotation, whenever you feel like it or need the features.


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## Yukoner1 (Aug 26, 2019)

utzelu said:


> I don't think it matters anymore if it's a watch company or electronics, as long as they have the right management. Garmin has quite a variety of smart and sports watches to offer, some with quite good design. But I think in this market, the feature set matters more than looks. IMO hybrid watches are kind of missing the point - their analog design is usually minimalist so it allows a screen for the smart part, and they lack in smart features and apps. It is better to have a mechanical watch and a smart watch separately and wear them on rotation, whenever you feel like it or need the features.


I definitely think it does matter, at least in the hybird world. If you're talking about digital (computerized) only, then yes, I would definitely agree, it doesn't matter.

I don't find that my ZeTime is missing any critical smart features. I get my calendar and message notifications and it tracks all the fitness activity (steps, calories, heart rate, etc) that other fitness trackers capture. I do hear what you're saying about having a mechanical watch and having a smart watch and rotating wearing them, but it is nice to have "the best of both worlds" in a single watch. Again, I want something that doesn't look like a cheap piece of rubberized plastic on my wrist. Actually, to be really clear, it's not so much that I don't want to rotate wearing different watches, it's that I _can't stand plastic junk_ on my wrist. The great thing about the ZeTime is that it's a really high quality built watch. Sapphire glass, full stainless steel case, high quality metal bracelet. I looked at the newest Fossil smartwatches just 2 weeks ago in one of their flagship locations, and....... Yeah..... Completely forgetting the whole smart vs non-smart vs quartz vs manual, the physical watch itself just isn't constructed the same. You pick up a Tissot, a Movado, a Rolex, an Omega, even a Citizen or Bulova, these watches _feel_ strong, tight, solid, like something of quality. These watches from manufacturers like Garmin, Fossil, Kate Spade, they're just not the same thing. And it's not the smart vs non-smart aspect, not at all. Again, that's where I feel the ZeTime has really excelled. It actually looks and feels like a higher end watch.

As for your comment that hybrid smartwatches are generally minimalist in the analog design in order to allow for the LCD screen, yes, you are correct. That being said, I compare my ZeTime to a Movado Museum Classic and I really don't think the ZeTime is missing anything ? But yes, if you're talking about complications like moon phase, perpetual calendar, chronograph, etc, those obviously won't be found on a hybird smartwatch.


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## utzelu (Aug 17, 2015)

Agree that most of smart watch cases do not compare favorable with those of traditional watches. Garmin is trying to enter in the higher end smartwatch market, so let's wait and see if there is such a market. Apple has the stainless case and is quite high quality. They will also release a Ti and ceramic case this year. 

The limited life of smartwatches kind of makes the manufacturers to cheap out on the materials and design. There are not many people that would pay over $1000 for a smartwatch.


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## Yukoner1 (Aug 26, 2019)

utzelu said:


> Agree that most of smart watch cases do not compare favorable with those of traditional watches. Garmin is trying to enter in the higher end smartwatch market, so let's wait and see if there is such a market. Apple has the stainless case and is quite high quality. They will also release a Ti and ceramic case this year.
> 
> The limited life of smartwatches kind of makes the manufacturers to cheap out on the materials and design. There are not many people that would pay over $1000 for a smartwatch.


Agreed that Apple has, for an all-screen smartwatch, a very elegant presentation. I just remember the Samsung Gear Fit (excuse me while I gag):









I wore this watch for.... 4 or 5 months ! It was absolutely _hideous_ <| For its time, it had some decent functionality (albeit by today's standards, it's terrible).

You are very correct also in that the smartwatch life-cycle is currently fairly short. And yes, for sure, you'll be hard pressed to find someone willing to shell out $1K+ for a smartwatch today.

That being said, I think the number one reason for this is because of LCD screen technology. Every year, more brilliant and higher resolution screens are being developed, which also means that cost is constantly going down in the screen world. In the hybrid world, it's just recently that we figured out how to get a full sized LCD screen, while still allowing for manual, traditional hour and minute hands to poke through. Realistically, we're only a few years away (probably even less) from getting to the point where screen maturity reaches its peak, and plateaus out. We saw this, for example, in the CPU world with desktop computers. Or RAM. Or hard drive storage capacity. Etc etc etc. Once we get to that point, I hope we'll see a lot more in the upper tier categories of smartwatches.

I don't believe functionality will be a factor at all in this development, because software is easily updated and enhanced (look at what Tesla does with their automobiles, for example). An LCD screen isn't. Once the smartwatch manufacturers can get to a point where the physical components become "timeless", that's when I think we'll see some of the higher end manufacturers get into the space. I'd love to see a TISSOT or Rolex or Omega smartwatch b-)

As I said - if it weren't for the ZeTime and what MyKronoz was able to pull off, I don't think I'd be daily wearing a smartwatch.


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## Black5 (Nov 17, 2012)

I can't recall his name but I believe Samsung actually got a watch designer to input into the design of the old Gear S3 as they wanted to try to attract traditional watch buyers.



Gunnar_917 said:


> ^^ tells the truth on Internet forums


So many watches, So little time...


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## Sonic Death Monkey (Aug 8, 2019)

First off, thanks to everybody for the replies. I don't have many thoughts to give on that, it was just nice to see what other peoples opinion was.

On the later posts here, a few thoughts.

Personally, even tho I see the joy of having a rotation of watches for different settings, moods etc, I'm a minimalist who enjoys something that can go for all settings.
I have one cheap pocketwatch for when I'm in a 3-piece, just adding that extra flavour, and one beater. But having a smartwatch with functions that I actually enjoyed having, and then rotating to a watch without these functions, seems a bit... off to me. 

I kinda get owning a smartwatch made from a company that is actually horology-based, it kinda makes it feel like the product is made with a passion, but at the same time, talking about smartwatches, it doesn't really matter to me what their philosophy is. If I'm looking for a smartwatch, I don't care what the philosophy of the company is, I just want a good a smartwatch as possible.


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## Yukoner1 (Aug 26, 2019)

Black5 said:


> I can't recall his name but I believe Samsung actually got a watch designer to input into the design of the old Gear S3 as they wanted to try to attract traditional watch buyers.


Interesting ! I would wonder, from a business and marketing perspective, how they did with that model. If their sales and expectations were way off or not.



Sonic Death Monkey said:


> Personally, even tho I see the joy of having a rotation of watches for different settings, moods etc, I'm a minimalist who enjoys something that can go for all settings.
> I have one cheap pocketwatch for when I'm in a 3-piece, just adding that extra flavour, and one beater. But having a smartwatch with functions that I actually enjoyed having, and then rotating to a watch without these functions, seems a bit... off to me.
> 
> I kinda get owning a smartwatch made from a company that is actually horology-based, it kinda makes it feel like the product is made with a passion, but at the same time, talking about smartwatches, it doesn't really matter to me what their philosophy is. If I'm looking for a smartwatch, I don't care what the philosophy of the company is, I just want a good a smartwatch as possible.


Question for you then (purely curious here), you say:



> I just want a good a smartwatch as possible


Do you care how it looks aesthetically ? Or, better question, does anything outside of the technology features matter to you ? If the Gear Fit I posted below had everything you wanted (heart rate, steps, calories, active time, sleep tracking, GPS, whatever), would you be OK with its physical characteristics ?


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## Black5 (Nov 17, 2012)

Yukoner1 said:


> Interesting ! I would wonder, from a business and marketing perspective, how they did with that model. If their sales and expectations were way off or not.
> 
> Question for you then (purely curious here), you say:
> 
> Do you care how it looks aesthetically ? Or, better question, does anything outside of the technology features matter to you ? If the Gear Fit I posted below had everything you wanted (heart rate, steps, calories, active time, sleep tracking, GPS, whatever), would you be OK with its physical characteristics ?


Samsung Smart Watch sales in 2016 significantly exceeded targets with volume growth of well over 100% yoy.

They jumped again when the Gear Watch was released, and almost as much.

It's hard to determine how much of that was due to design, or a different marketing approach, improved feature set, (The Gear S3 was the first to be IP68 and Milspec rated as well as Knox enabled so opened up new commercial markets as well), or simply due to a rapidly expanding market sector that meant growth for most of the major players.

Personally, design and aesthetics matter to me, so squarish designs, (including the Apple Watch) don't appeal as if it is the only thing on my wrist I prefer it to look nice and somewhat like a watch.

That justification changes however, when I started wearing a smart watch together with a normal watch, and I now prefer the smart device to be more unobtrusive and smart "bands" that can hide in plain sight are becoming more of interest.

This market is growing and evolving rapidly, and just like the normal watch markets, tastes will vary and adapt along with users and I expect to see a wide range of design options finding a niche in the short to medium term.

As with most technology driven sectors, long term is anybodies guess...



Gunnar_917 said:


> ^^ tells the truth on Internet forums


So many watches, So little time...


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## Rocket1991 (Mar 15, 2018)

Gear Fit is fitness band. Different creature. It's like complaining your sweatpants not passing fashion police audition.
Good thing there are things which makes us happy and we can always stick to what we like. 
I wear Galaxy Gear Sport for 6 months and it's great as wearable and as watch. With some watch faces it really classy and with some it totally sport.


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## Yukoner1 (Aug 26, 2019)

Black5 said:


> when I started wearing a smart watch together with a normal watch, and I now prefer the smart device to be more unobtrusive and smart "bands" that can hide in plain sight are becoming more of interest.


Just to clarify - so you wear a traditional watch AND a smartwatch (or smartband) at the same time ? I'm not trying to be a jerk here or anything, but are you wearing one on each wrist ? Or ?



Rocket1991 said:


> Gear Fit is fitness band. Different creature. It's like complaining your sweatpants not passing fashion police audition.


You've also got to realize that Gear Fit was the "smartwatch" of the day. I remember, I was vacationing in Phoenix, Arizona when it came out and I hit up every single Best Buy I could get to and every single one was sold out because there were line-ups on release day. Back then, there wasn't this differentiation between smart"watch" and smart"band" that we have today, or at least it certainly wasn't as clearly defined. I do agree with you, however, that in today's world, they are certainly two distinctly different products.


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## Black5 (Nov 17, 2012)

Yukoner1 said:


> Just to clarify - so you wear a traditional watch AND a smartwatch (or smartband) at the same time ? I'm not trying to be a jerk here or anything, but are you wearing one on each wrist ? Or ?


I wear one on each wrist.
Traditional watch on the left, smartwatch on the right.



Gunnar_917 said:


> ^^ tells the truth on Internet forums


So many watches, So little time...


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## Yukoner1 (Aug 26, 2019)

Black5 said:


> I wear one on each wrist.
> Traditional watch on the left, smartwatch on the right.


Interesting. Have you been doing it for a while ? I ask because I tried this once myself and I think I did it for a day and a half and then stopped because it just felt odd to me.


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## utzelu (Aug 17, 2015)

Wearing a traditional watch on one wrist and a fitness band on another is fine in my book, as they both have two different roles (as long as the band is unobtrusive and with none or a small screen). But a watch and a smartwatch, I don't know. I did wear for few days, but I felt that trying too hard, almost like peacocking, and stopped it. Instead, I could just bring a mechanical watch in office and keep it on my desk, while wearing only a smartwatch. I could look at the mechanical whenever I feel the aesthetic "need".


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## Black5 (Nov 17, 2012)

utzelu said:


> Wearing a traditional watch on one wrist and a fitness band on another is fine in my book, as they both have two different roles (as long as the band is unobtrusive and with none or a small screen). But a watch and a smartwatch, I don't know. I did wear for few days, but I felt that trying too hard, almost like peacocking, and stopped it. Instead, I could just bring a mechanical watch in office and keep it on my desk, while wearing only a smartwatch. I could look at the mechanical whenever I feel the aesthetic "need".


They serve different purposes.

The primary purpose of a traditional watch these days is mostly as jewellery, or some sort of emotional attachment.

I can usually tell time more accurately many other ways.

The smartwatch is primarily functional.

I see no conflict.



Gunnar_917 said:


> ^^ tells the truth on Internet forums


So many watches, So little time...


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## utzelu (Aug 17, 2015)

Black5 said:


> They serve different purposes.
> 
> The primary purpose of a traditional watch these days is mostly as jewellery, or some sort of emotional attachment.
> 
> ...


They do server different purposes; it's just that we were conditioned to think men should not have the "need" to wear jewelry. We're probably dealing with a preconceived notion of "men should not wear jewelries other than the wedding ring". I cannot wrap my mind around the "peacocking" aspect of it. I grew up in a society where we used to mock men wearing too many jewelries and resemble them more to the "feminine gender" (if you understand what I mean) or to exotic & colorful parrots. So personally I still have this psychological obstacle.


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## Yukoner1 (Aug 26, 2019)

Black5 said:


> The primary purpose of a traditional watch these days is mostly as jewellery, or some sort of emotional attachment.
> 
> I can usually tell time more accurately many other ways.


100% agree with this. Absolutely hit the nail on the head.


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## Black5 (Nov 17, 2012)

utzelu said:


> They do server different purposes; it's just that we were conditioned to think men should not have the "need" to wear jewelry. We're probably dealing with a preconceived notion of "men should not wear jewelries other than the wedding ring". I cannot wrap my mind around the "peacocking" aspect of it. I grew up in a society where we used to mock men wearing too many jewelries and resemble them more to the "feminine gender" (if you understand what I mean) or to exotic & colorful parrots. So personally I still have this psychological obstacle.


You focussed on "Jewellery" and ignored the second component I mentioned - Emotional Attachment.

This can be extremely broad.

Not everyone wears a watch for show, (Although this is definitely a very big market), many wear a watch for themselves.
Heirlooms, memories, gifts et al can all override design, form and function as reasons to wear a watch.

Many WIS also fall into this category having a fascination with movements, history, design elements etc.

All of my watches have a story or a reason for being.

What's a person to do if they have an emotional investment in their collection, but also want/need the features of a smartwatch?

They could commit their collection to storage, or sell them off or wear them anyway.

I have found that wearing a smartwatch has actually increased my rotation of older watches that I simply wear to enjoy for what they are as I don't need to be concerned anymore about whether it's accurate or has features I need as the smartwatch and phone covers the gaps.

When I get asked why I wear 2 watches, I always start with the "story" behind the watch on the left and most people understand. (Or politely pretend to).



Gunnar_917 said:


> ^^ tells the truth on Internet forums


So many watches, So little time...


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## Meatshield the Yeti (Jun 18, 2019)

I rocked a regular watch and a Fitbit Flex for a while. (The Flex being the model that looks just like a bracelet, no display.) That worked out pretty well, actually -- that way I got my notifications and still got to wear a regular watch.


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## Yukoner1 (Aug 26, 2019)

Black5 said:


> You focussed on "Jewellery" and ignored the second component I mentioned - Emotional Attachment.
> 
> This can be extremely broad.


You're absolutely correct with this. I actually got _rid_ of a watch (a Citizen Eco-Drive, Model E010-S004004) simply because my ex-wife had bought it for me for a birthday present one year. The negative emotions attached to that watch meant it had to go, even thought I loved the watch as a daily-wearer and had it for years.


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## joseywales (May 19, 2011)

Well, we'll see how this plays out, but I picked up a Galaxy Watch 42mm last week. Why?

I was recently promoted and was actually looking at watches nearly 10 times the price. I didn't want a diver, a Sinn Financial is nice, but hard to find. Saw a couple Tudors that I still might chase. Then it occurred to me that I'm many times more function over form. But form was very important for this purchase. With the promotion comes some travel, so two time zones would be nice, then thinking it further, i began thinking about the meetings I will be running and that's when I came up with smartwatch.

I don't need to count my steps, my waistline does that for me.

I don't need the weather, I can see sun and feel rain

GPS would be nice

Timing topics during meetings, now that cold come in handy.

Getting silent notifications, during meetings, nice.

Being able to glance at my watch, to see if my family needs me, without being obvious, yup.

Being able to glance at my watch to check time, or a text, while meeting with a customer, as opposed to reaching for my phone, nice plus.

So, I'm giving it a shot. 43MM would be as big as I could go, so I didn't get the 46, though I liked it better. In fact, finding a traditional watch that I like a lot, but isn't too big, is a constant challenge.

Now, if I could just find a nice band for this Galaxy watch! The one it comes with is comfortable enough, but it's too sporty. I prefer a bracelet and actually ordered a mesh bracelet, so we'll see how that goes.


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## Meatshield the Yeti (Jun 18, 2019)

I had a 42mm for a while -- I think you'll find you really like it.

As for bracelets, I had a lot of luck on Amazon; there are a number of bracelets there that work well with the 42mm. I couldn't find any curved-end bracelets at the time (although that was a while ago, that may have changed) but there's a bunch of straight-end ones that look good.



joseywales said:


> Well, we'll see how this plays out, but I picked up a Galaxy Watch 42mm last week. Why?
> 
> I was recently promoted and was actually looking at watches nearly 10 times the price. I didn't want a diver, a Sinn Financial is nice, but hard to find. Saw a couple Tudors that I still might chase. Then it occurred to me that I'm many times more function over form. But form was very important for this purchase. With the promotion comes some travel, so two time zones would be nice, then thinking it further, i began thinking about the meetings I will be running and that's when I came up with smartwatch.
> 
> ...


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## Yukoner1 (Aug 26, 2019)

joseywales said:


> Well, we'll see how this plays out, but I picked up a Galaxy Watch 42mm last week. Why?
> 
> I was recently promoted and was actually looking at watches nearly 10 times the price. I didn't want a diver, a Sinn Financial is nice, but hard to find. Saw a couple Tudors that I still might chase. Then it occurred to me that I'm many times more function over form. But form was very important for this purchase. With the promotion comes some travel, so two time zones would be nice, then thinking it further, i began thinking about the meetings I will be running and that's when I came up with smartwatch.
> 
> ...


Congrats on the purchase ! Would love to hear your thoughts on it as you start wearing and using it daily. So don't be a stranger to the thread b-)


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## utzelu (Aug 17, 2015)

Meatshield the Yeti said:


> I rocked a regular watch and a Fitbit Flex for a while. (The Flex being the model that looks just like a bracelet, no display.) That worked out pretty well, actually -- that way I got my notifications and still got to wear a regular watch.


This week I wore a Garmin Vivosport band on my right wrist and mechanical watch on my left, until my wife told me earlier today that "it looks kind of infantile". That was enough for me to give up double wristing and consider it a failed experiment. I am now back to my regular smartwatch/watch rotation. People won't tell you what they feel about it, but they will form an opinion anyway, whether we think it's cool or not.


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## Yukoner1 (Aug 26, 2019)

utzelu said:


> This week I wore a Garmin Vivosport band on my right wrist and mechanical watch on my left, until my wife told me earlier today that "it looks kind of infantile". That was enough for me to give up double wristing and consider it a failed experiment. I am now back to my regular smartwatch/watch rotation. People won't tell you what they feel about it, but they will form an opinion anyway, whether we think it's cool or not.


I'll fully admit that I've never tried wearing two watches on opposing wrists, but honestly, I'm kind of interested in trying it out myself to see what I think of it.


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## joseywales (May 19, 2011)

Well, I reluctantly returned the Galaxy watch today. I really liked the look. I wanted silver, but actually grew to like the black. Bought too many bands and a nice bezel cover for it. The mesh band worked well. I liked the bracelets, but couldn't find a sweet sport for size. The bezel looked great. For a week or so, the watch worked well with my iPhone 7S. A few days ago, I started getting a message that cellular wasn't connected and to check my phone. I ignored it, because I wasn't making calls from my watch. I did it once and it worked well, but it's not why I bought it. For the first week or so, I had no issues. I tried the usual, Forget the Device, reset the watch, etc. For a while, it was frozen, then after the reset, it took several times to pair it with the phone. I had customized the watch face to one I really liked. I could due without the cell aspect, but then what have I really got for $260? Texts? So I decided to return it today. Darn lucky too, because today was 14th day and Best Buy would still refund on it. I wasn't watching the calendar and it just happened the the watch pushed me over the edge this morning. If I had an android, perhaps it would have all worked out differently. I almost thought about "dropping" my iPhone and having work replace it with the Samsung, I liked this watch enough! 

The Apple 3, with or without LTE was $309 last week and I was tempted. Ironically, after the 5 was announced and released, the 3 dropped to $229, but the LTE version is back up to $400??? Made no sense to me and could have been a clerk's mistake. I thought about waiting for the 5, but for $229, I bought the Apple 3, 42mm.

My first reaction is, yeah, ok I get it, it's awesome when paired with an iPhone. I have full notification for text/email and can't type a response, or use a canned response. I did the complete setup and pairing while sitting in my truck, before even leaving Best Buy parking lot. Bang, bang, done, my phone is now on my wrist. I did spend a while finding a watch display I could live with. Damn near went with dancing/talking Mickey just to end the insanity. I bought a mesh metal band for it, as well as a leather and a g-shockish case/band. Thus far, the mesh is still on my wrist. I'm looking for a case to add some character, but it's not looking too promising.

The one peeve I have with both watches, and it almost pushed me to wait for a 5, is that the screen is not an always-on display. The 5 does have that and I think that will help me. Still, for $229, I have a watch to play with and some time to find another non-apple option, before making a decision on a 5. Of course, the 5 doesn't come in a 42mm, which for me seems to perfect. It comes in 40 and 44. Never a break...


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## Black5 (Nov 17, 2012)

joseywales said:


> Well, I reluctantly returned the Galaxy watch today. I really liked the look. I wanted silver, but actually grew to like the black. Bought too many bands and a nice bezel cover for it. The mesh band worked well. I liked the bracelets, but couldn't find a sweet sport for size. The bezel looked great. For a week or so, the watch worked well with my iPhone 7S. A few days ago, I started getting a message that cellular wasn't connected and to check my phone. I ignored it, because I wasn't making calls from my watch. I did it once and it worked well, but it's not why I bought it. For the first week or so, I had no issues. I tried the usual, Forget the Device, reset the watch, etc. For a while, it was frozen, then after the reset, it took several times to pair it with the phone. I had customized the watch face to one I really liked. I could due without the cell aspect, but then what have I really got for $260? Texts? So I decided to return it today. Darn lucky too, because today was 14th day and Best Buy would still refund on it. I wasn't watching the calendar and it just happened the the watch pushed me over the edge this morning. If I had an android, perhaps it would have all worked out differently. I almost thought about "dropping" my iPhone and having work replace it with the Samsung, I liked this watch enough!
> 
> The Apple 3, with or without LTE was $309 last week and I was tempted. Ironically, after the 5 was announced and released, the 3 dropped to $229, but the LTE version is back up to $400??? Made no sense to me and could have been a clerk's mistake. I thought about waiting for the 5, but for $229, I bought the Apple 3, 42mm.
> 
> ...


I'm surprised you were able to make calls at all from your watch using an iPhone?

That's one of the documented limitations when pairing with an iOS device.

Bottom line is Apple works best with Apple and everything else is a compromise at best.



Gunnar_917 said:


> ^^ tells the truth on Internet forums


So many watches, So little time...


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## Rocket1991 (Mar 15, 2018)

Galaxy Watch has always on display. It's optional though.


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## BarracksSi (Feb 13, 2013)

joseywales said:


> Of course, the 5 doesn't come in a 42mm, which for me seems to perfect. It comes in 40 and 44. Never a break...


The case size difference between the AW123's 42mm and AW4+'s 44mm is less than you'd think because the 4 sits so much flatter than the previous generations did. The 3 was turning into a thick-ish blob, and the 4 and 5 are a nearly a millimeter thinner.

The 40mm AW4 and 5 has a bigger display than the previous 42mm versions, too, so going with the "smaller" 4 or 5 doesn't make for a smaller on-screen experience.


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## joseywales (May 19, 2011)

BarracksSi said:


> The case size difference between the AW123's 42mm and AW4+'s 44mm is less than you'd think because the 4 sits so much flatter than the previous generations did. The 3 was turning into a thick-ish blob, and the 4 and 5 are a nearly a millimeter thinner.
> 
> The 40mm AW4 and 5 has a bigger display than the previous 42mm versions, too, so going with the "smaller" 4 or 5 doesn't make for a smaller on-screen experience.


Yeah, if I like this 3 enough, I might pass it on to my wife and grab a 5. She has a fitbit thing that looks like a flat screen TV, so she'll like the 3. IDK. I love the functionality, but really wanted something traditional. Oh well, we'll see.


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## joseywales (May 19, 2011)

Rocket1991 said:


> Galaxy Watch has always on display. It's optional though.


Isn't it a faded display though? I like the full bright display, all the time. I think most companies were dealing with screen burn, but they might be past that now.

I like that Galaxy watch enough to almost ask for a phone upgrade at work, so I could jump from our iPhone to our Galaxy. Even after the cashier processed the return, I took the watch back in hand, thinking, maybe if I just reset it again, etc., etc. Ugh...


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## Yukoner1 (Aug 26, 2019)

joseywales said:


> I think most companies were dealing with screen burn


That and battery life. My ZeTime only needs to be charged once a week, and that's with daily 8am to 5pm wearing. I know a lot of people get annoyed with daily charging.


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## Rocket1991 (Mar 15, 2018)

joseywales said:


> Isn't it a faded display though? I like the full bright display, all the time. I think most companies were dealing with screen burn, but they might be past that now.
> 
> I like that Galaxy watch enough to almost ask for a phone upgrade at work, so I could jump from our iPhone to our Galaxy. Even after the cashier processed the return, I took the watch back in hand, thinking, maybe if I just reset it again, etc., etc. Ugh...


They all deal with same problems. Apple is not immune to this too. There is no magic bullets out there .
Some Garmins uses E-ink and it's always on. But that's totally different tech with it's own set of issues.


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