# Who have practically completely switched to an Apple Watch from their mechanical watches? Why?



## knowsnowatch

Hi

I'm curious to know who have completely or nearly completely switched to an Apple Watch and stopped using or sold their mechanical watches?
Why?

Thank you.


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## BarracksSi

Still as true today as it was two and a half years ago:
https://www.watchuseek.com/f586/comparing-my-aw-rest-my-collection-pic-heavy-2699457.html

I haven't sold any of my other watches, at least not yet -- not because I don't like them, but because they're all gifts (so I would feel bad about ditching them).

I'm still considering getting a nice "capstone" watch if I can reach a career milestone, but my AW is still my go-to daily wearer.

BTW, you didn't need to start two threads; it's basically the same question.


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## utzelu

I am prospecting switching from regular watches to smartwatches as the functionality provided by them is appealing to me. Mainly I am interesting in the health aspect, as my job is very sedentary. Other than that I am interested in notifications and other apps useful when travelling. 

I don't really want to wear a regular watch on my left wrist and a SW on my right. Currently I am wearing my son's Apple Watch Series 3 whenever he doesn't and so far I like it. I got over the always off screen and the limited set of faces.

As for my regular watches, I will sell some of them as many are overlapping. I will probably keep one or two mechanicals for now.


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## jinusuh

Just commented on another thread about this, but while I do love the Apple Watch, I tend to rotate quite a bit depending on the activity I’m doing. Like the poster above, love the health/activity aspect, but in my opinion, won’t ever replace the mechanical watch for me.,


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## utzelu

Today I bought a new AW Series 3 (non LTE), after I used my son’s AW for a while. It is the second time I am trying one, after I had the first generation for a brief period. I think I got over the things that disappointed me at the beginning (lack of always on display and 3rd party faces). I am sure I will be wearing mechanicals from time to time, but probably much less.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


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## WIS_Chronomaster

I am using my Apple watch more and more so yeh it is taking over.


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## dkauf

Just posted on a similar thread, but in the last 6 months since I bought the Series 3, I have been wearing it for ~23 hours per day and only really even wear a mechanical watch to weddings, formal dinners, etc. I'm torn on the whole thing; I miss my 'nice' watches but really can't live without all the conveniences the AW offers. Waiting for the day when it is considered "acceptable" to wear a mechanical watch on one wrist and the AW on the other


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## utzelu

This week I only wore a mechanical watch once, when I went to meet some friends in evening. By that time I closed all the activity rings so I knew I won’t do any other physical activity that day. Otherwise I wore only the AW and it is very useful indeed. Having the screen always off does not bother me.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk


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## gmoybusiness

I switch back and forth. Maybe 1 month Apple watch and another month mechanical. Hard to give up mechanical watches!


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## dantan

No way. 

I wear my Apple Watch Series 2 Nike+ when I go out Running, four times per week. 

I have many real Watches for other times.


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## Drewkeys

I find apple watch works best when worn most of the time...I go back and forth between wanting to wear the apple watch constantly, or basically never wearing it in lieu of my more traditional watches


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## The Kevin

I've realized this too. It's hard to go back and forth if you're using the AW for everything else but keep time. I think an option is to wear a fitbit (or some other activity tracker) on the other wrist... been seeing that alot lately.



Drewkeys said:


> I find apple watch works best when worn most of the time...I go back and forth between wanting to wear the apple watch constantly, or basically never wearing it in lieu of my more traditional watches
> 
> Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


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## Drewkeys

The Kevin said:


> I've realized this too. It's hard to go back and forth if you're using the AW for everything else but keep time. I think an option is to wear a fitbit (or some other activity tracker) on the other wrist... been seeing that alot lately.


Yeah I'm seriously considering just going all in on the Apple watch

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


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## MarkieB

Not Apple for me but Garmin Fenix (same sort of thing) so much more useful than a "normal" watch


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## ernman3

I go back and forth. Getting tired of my wrist buzzing from notifications all the time


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## KCScott

You can turn off all notifications or just keep the ones you want.


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## kramerica

I went all in on the AW, selling all my collection three years ago.
I regret it now, and have just bought a watch that would start a new collection.

I'm not giving up the AW. It will still be my daily driver, while the mechanical watches would be my weekend / vacation / evening watches.

Reading now this thread, I'm a bit discouraged. Hopefully, my experience would be different.


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## jthole

Maybe I am in the wrong age group (was suggested in another thread, though I don't believe it myself), but why would I _want_ an Apple watch? What's the unique selling point for someone who is not into sports really (except long distance walking, but I don't really care how many steps)? Could it fully replace my GPS that I use for routing and tracking? Is the small display good enough for that?

Besides sports, what is the killer function of a smart watch for you? Except of course showing you the exact time


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## ronalddheld

I don't understand why it is all quartz or all mechanicals for some?


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## kramerica

jthole said:


> Maybe I am in the wrong age group (was suggested in another thread, though I don't believe it myself), but why would I _want_ an Apple watch? What's the unique selling point for someone who is not into sports really (except long distance walking, but I don't really care how many steps)? Could it fully replace my GPS that I use for routing and tracking? Is the small display good enough for that?
> 
> Besides sports, what is the killer function of a smart watch for you? Except of course showing you the exact time


It's just too convenient, that's the killer feature.

I get an average of 20 notifications (email, messages, etc.) per hour (usually work related). I need to read almost all of them, but I actually need to reply to about fifth of them, and of those only some using more than a simple gesture.
Not having to take the phone out of the pocket / pick it up from the desk for 80% of the notifications is the killer feature for me.

Further more, I have some hobbies in which those notifications come extremely handy - Flying, Mountain Biking, Tennis. You can probably understand why a glance to the wrist is so much easier and safer in those situations.

The sports tracking stuff (which I do use quite a lot) are just a nice additional bonus.

My hope is that I can give up the AW at least for weekends and vacations, so I can enjoy a new collection as well.


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## Borys Bozzor Pawliw

Yes, the Apple watch is my daily driver and on the rare occasions when I feel like slapping on a fine mechanical, the AW goes on my right wrist. At first the AW was a bit gimmicky to me, but then I got into the fitness aspects, got used to the notifications and set them up to be more effective, then the sheer functionality of being able to do so much became the "normal" state of affairs after a few weeks. You first don't know about the capabilities, then you find a few useful and a few gimmicky, then you find a core set of capabilities you like, then you get used to them, then you begin to rely on them...and when you don't have them, you really do miss them.

Amazed how seemlessly it happened to me over about 6-8 weeks.


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## scentedlead

kramerica said:


> I went all in on the AW, selling all my collection three years ago.
> I regret it now, and have just bought a watch that would start a new collection.
> 
> I'm not giving up the AW. It will still be my daily driver, while the mechanical watches would be my weekend / vacation / evening watches.
> 
> Reading now this thread, I'm a bit discouraged. Hopefully, my experience would be different.


These past few years my entire watch budget has gone to the two AWs I now own. I have not added one bit to my collection of Timex, Casio, Seiko 5 watches and justifiably so as I am wearing an AW most of the time.

But there's a reason why I have not gotten rid of any of my other watches. I don't buy things to want to later get rid of them.


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## scentedlead

dantan said:


> No way.
> 
> I wear my Apple Watch Series 2 Nike+ when I go out Running, four times per week.
> 
> I have many real Watches for other times.


"Real watch." I keep seeing that phrase.

"After using quartz watches that so precisely keep time, I finally moved on from them and onto 'real watches.'"

"I have an internet connected smartwatch that so precisely and accurately keeps time. But I don't need a watch to fulfill those needs. I have other needs. Other needs fulfilled by 'real watches.'"

When people say "real watch," what do they mean?


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## ronalddheld

scentedlead said:


> "Real watch." I keep seeing that phrase.
> 
> "After using quartz watches that so precisely keep time, I finally moved on from them and onto 'real watches.'"
> 
> "I have an internet connected smartwatch that so precisely and accurately keeps time. But I don't need a watch to fulfill those needs. I have other needs. Other needs fulfilled by 'real watches.'"
> 
> When people say "real watch," what do they mean?


Real watch mean mechanical movement inside.


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## Emg66

ronalddheld said:


> Real watch mean mechanical movement inside.


I agree mechanical watch


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## scentedlead

ronalddheld said:


> Real watch mean mechanical movement inside.


That's what they truly believe they think they say but that's not what they truly mean.


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## Emg66

scentedlead said:


> That's what they truly believe they think they say but that's not what they truly mean.


lol


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## BarracksSi

ronalddheld said:


> Real watch mean mechanical movement inside.


Especially at 80% off MSRP:


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## edhchoe

I love the silent alarm. I use about 8 alarms everyday at work. No mechanical watch can do that. Even a Casio cannot do that.


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## fastfras

edhchoe said:


> I love the silent alarm. I use about 8 alarms everyday at work. No mechanical watch can do that. Even a Casio cannot do that.


You're right, my protrek only has the ability to use 6 per day...


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## kamonjj

Perhaps I’m missing what everyone is using their AW for. 

When I used the AW, I liked the activity monitoring. Other than that, I didn’t see the need to get my texts or emails on the watch. I hated replying via the watch anyway.

What are some other interesting things you are doing with the watch? What do you rely on it for?


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


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## BarracksSi

kamonjj said:


> What are some other interesting things you are doing with the watch? What do you rely on it for?


I work from home a lot, but I also don't get work calls on my personal phone. I use the AW so I can leave the phone in another part of the house in an attempt to keep it from distracting me. I can still use the AW to answer the rare call that comes in, but I'm less tempted to dink around on the phone since it's not at my table.

Plenty more in this older thread I wrote, too (just noticed that I posted the link earlier here):

https://www.watchuseek.com/f586/comparing-my-aw-rest-my-collection-pic-heavy-2699457.html


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## utzelu

kamonjj said:


> What are some other interesting things you are doing with the watch? What do you rely on it for?


Beside activity monitoring (which is the main feature for me as it motivates to move more), I use it for keeping track across multiple time zones. Currently I am using a watch face with as much as 3 time zones as I work in a distributed team around the world.

It's good to have the calendar of the day on the wrist and see what and when is my next meeting (sometimes I was getting late to meetings because I chatting with other colleagues in office  and was not having my phone with me to remind me).

Another good use is to remote control the podcasts when driving. Some other time I used it for tracking altitude when trekking in mountains.


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## 88Keys

kamonjj said:


> Perhaps I'm missing what everyone is using their AW for.
> 
> When I used the AW, I liked the activity monitoring. Other than that, I didn't see the need to get my texts or emails on the watch. I hated replying via the watch anyway.
> 
> What are some other interesting things you are doing with the watch? What do you rely on it for?


The fitness aspect is a huge thing for me. I've lost over forty pounds over the last year and a half, and exercise every day. I can attribute this directly to the gentle nagging of the Apple Watch.

Other things off the top of my head:
Freeing me from my phone. When I'm wearing the Apple watch, I often don't care where my phone is. There is a place I visit regularly and socialise. If I'm wearing the AW, I usually leave the phone out in the bike, because as long as I'm in an area with WiFi that I have previously visited with my phone, it works just the same. I don't have to be that person plonking a cellphone on the table.

Timers when cooking: "Hey Siri, set a timer for thirteen minutes." Really handy when your hands are full or covered in foodstuff.

Trivia/information. Someone asked me the other day what is the population of the Isle of Wight. A simple lift of the wrist, and my watch told us (literally spoke the information).

Directions. I often ride a motorcycle. I was once sat at a set of lights, with gloves on, and decided I was hungry. I lifted my wrist: "Take me to a Subway". The watch taps my wrist differently for right turn, left turn, or straight ahead. Five turns later I was at Subway.

Reminders: "Remind me tomorrow to get groceries." "Remind me when I leave here to bring my computer." "Remind me next time I'm at Walmart to print the photo."

Camera: I was once working on my RV, and needed to see if this switch was properly operating the device at the other end of the motor home. I left my phone pointing at it, and used the watch to see what the phone was seeing.

Phone calls. There have been many times when my hands were full, or my phone was out of reach (often in the morning-I don't take the phone into the bedroom). I can take the call on my watch.

Flashlight. Many times bringing stuff in from the car at night (I live in the middle of nowhere). The flashlight is surprisingly bright and useful.

Texting. Many times, I will receive a text during my workout. I can quickly dictate a reply without disturbing what I'm doing.

Setting the time on my other watches! It's the most accurate watch I own.

I'm sure I could come up with many more, but you get the idea. I always say that you don't really realise the utility of these things until you start using one, and from the outside, it's all too easy to question why.


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## BarracksSi

88Keys said:


> Reminders: "Remind me tomorrow to get groceries." "Remind me when I leave here to bring my computer." "Remind me next time I'm at Walmart to print the photo."


I've used most of the tricks that you've described, but I wanted to highlight these reminders for everyone else - because they're _location-aware._

It's analogous to trying a string on your finger as a reminder, then it disappears, and later magically reappears when you arrive at the location that you wanted to remember.

For those who haven't used them, this is roughly how they work:

The phone (and, I suppose, the LTE-equipped Watch) take note of where they are and sit on a reminder that's tied to a certain location. The one about Walmart created for itself an internal note - that is, the user didn't have to explicitly give an address - to pop up whenever the user approaches close enough to a known Walmart store. All it took was the phrase, "at Walmart".

It's a really cool feature, and using it is almost too natural. We've learned to expect some non-human steps to be required when using computers, and plainly-spoken input like this doesn't seem like it would work.


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## Rosenbloom

I sold my last mechanical watch this afternoon. Now I only have one AW3, one Casio F-91w, and one Swatch quartz.
I am going to sell the Swatch too. ;-)

Functionality is the main reason why AW3 is "the" winner for me. I now will not miss any calls and messages even when I am doing sports. I can enjoy music with the watch. Check my heartbeat rate. Make different watch faces with the photos I love....

Aesthetic-wise, I think AW3 is also very good - minimal lines on the watch case, being extremely easy in changing straps. b-)


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## endotreated

I love watches. I hated wearing a phone on my wrist instead of a watch. Bye bye AW3, welcome a ton of new watches.


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## Rosenbloom

endotreated said:


> I love watches. I hated wearing a phone on my wrist instead of a watch. Bye bye AW3, welcome a ton of new watches.


I can understand your point of view. Enjoy your journey. ;-)


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## mmarkabi

I like using my AW when exercising or doing something active. Not fan of daily charging or having my wrist vibrate non-stop with notifications. For me the AW replaces a Fitbit bit but nothing replaces my mechanical watches.


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## endotreated

Rosenbloom said:


> I can understand your point of view. Enjoy your journey. ;-)


Thanks! This automatic 2-sundial chronograph beats a smart watch in a heartbeat.










I also like having a bit of time away from phone for my sanity.


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## scott11

I tried. Got a series 3 and starting wearing it all the time. Lasted about a week. Now its just for running. Found myself constantly playing with it, but did not gain any productivity. Missed my Omega too much.


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## broadwayron

I thought I replied to this thread (but I guess I didn't)... I don't see myself going back to mechanical or digital watches. I know I'm in the minority (using an AW as a medical device) but it makes things simpler. No more watch shopping and wishing I had X watch (I wasted a LOT of time doing that). I was worried how it would look wearing it at work, but I've gotten past that and no longer care. I'll be selling all my other watches soon.
Now I just shop for straps.


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## utzelu

broadwayron said:


> I know I'm in the minority (using an AW as a medical device) but it makes things simpler.


I don't think you are in minority wearing a smart watch. Where I live in Europe I see more and more people wearing various smart watches, fitness bands or sports watches (the likes of Suunto or Garmin). I think more and more people are replacing their regular watches.

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk


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## broadwayron

utzelu said:


> I don't think you are in minority wearing a smart watch. Where I live in Europe I see more and more people wearing various smart watches, fitness bands or sports watches (the likes of Suunto or Garmin). I think more and more people are replacing their regular watches.
> 
> Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk


I meant that I'm in the minority because I wear an AW primarily as a medical device. I have phone calls, texts, music, and _everything I can disable_, disabled. The only thing it tells me is the time, temp, date, battery percentage, and most importantly, my blood glucose. I have only one app installed.


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## aaron6600

I wear a suit for work everyday and more and more find myself wearing my Apple watch instead of my mechanical watches and I'm quite conflicted about it. Might need to start a rotation process.


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## jalquiza

Bought one for fitness tracking and found myself in the conflict of mechanical watches feeling suddenly featureless, which is normally something I actually value. Conflicts. Although when I do flip back to an analog watch after a streak of only wearing a digital watch, I have a renewed appreciation for the mechanical beauty.


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## ladida

88Keys said:


> The fitness aspect is a huge thing for me. I've lost over forty pounds over the last year and a half, and exercise every day. I can attribute this directly to the gentle nagging of the Apple Watch.
> 
> Other things off the top of my head:
> Freeing me from my phone. When I'm wearing the Apple watch, I often don't care where my phone is. There is a place I visit regularly and socialise. If I'm wearing the AW, I usually leave the phone out in the bike, because as long as I'm in an area with WiFi that I have previously visited with my phone, it works just the same. I don't have to be that person plonking a cellphone on the table.
> 
> Timers when cooking: "Hey Siri, set a timer for thirteen minutes." Really handy when your hands are full or covered in foodstuff.
> 
> Trivia/information. Someone asked me the other day what is the population of the Isle of Wight. A simple lift of the wrist, and my watch told us (literally spoke the information).
> 
> Directions. I often ride a motorcycle. I was once sat at a set of lights, with gloves on, and decided I was hungry. I lifted my wrist: "Take me to a Subway". The watch taps my wrist differently for right turn, left turn, or straight ahead. Five turns later I was at Subway.
> 
> Reminders: "Remind me tomorrow to get groceries." "Remind me when I leave here to bring my computer." "Remind me next time I'm at Walmart to print the photo."
> 
> Camera: I was once working on my RV, and needed to see if this switch was properly operating the device at the other end of the motor home. I left my phone pointing at it, and used the watch to see what the phone was seeing.
> 
> Phone calls. There have been many times when my hands were full, or my phone was out of reach (often in the morning-I don't take the phone into the bedroom). I can take the call on my watch.
> 
> Flashlight. Many times bringing stuff in from the car at night (I live in the middle of nowhere). The flashlight is surprisingly bright and useful.
> 
> Texting. Many times, I will receive a text during my workout. I can quickly dictate a reply without disturbing what I'm doing.
> 
> Setting the time on my other watches! It's the most accurate watch I own.
> 
> I'm sure I could come up with many more, but you get the idea. I always say that you don't really realise the utility of these things until you start using one, and from the outside, it's all too easy to question why.


Thanks for this write-up. I'm not a fitness fan and don't want notifications for emails, calls or messages on my wrist, so I never saw the point of an Apple watch for me. I still won't get one I think, but at least some of the uses you describe actually sound very practical!


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## j708

I wear my AW gen1 5-6 days a week. If you are interested to read my short story, keep reading.

So I started my watch "journey" 8 months ago.

Already had

- two timex weekender chrono
- 3 weekenders
- tissot trace all black
- Casio world time (ae1200)
- Casio w-800
- Apple watch (which i hated and never wore more than a couple of times a month)

Bought my first automatic, the SKX007. Started to get annoyed how its losing a minute every 2 - 3 days and had no one in my town to regulate it, so I gave it to my lady and she really enjoyed wearing it. Also didn't like the fact that it wasn't handwinding (at the time of buying i knew nothing about automatics and didn't even know handwinding existed)

A few months later bought the srpb07 as the black dial looked gorgeous under showroom lights at the shop. When i got home i realized i like it, didn't love it.

Got a bottle cap seiko with black dial as a gift from my lady which I can't really sell unless we break up .

Then bought the seiko baby tuna padi.

Recently I realized the most watches getting wrist time is the AW and the bottlecap seiko. When i travel I alternate between my two casios as I always go to tropical vacations and always by the beach.

As of today I have sold all the watches above except:

- AW gen1 (i will use it until the battery dies as I realized I really enjoy the functions which makes my life alot easier thru out the day)
- Bottlecap seiko (this means alot to me because its the first watch which i got as a gift from my lady and has a ton of sentimental value)
- Casio world time (AE1200)
- Casio W-800H
- 3 weekenders which I don't wear anymore as I gave to my lady to alternate depending what matches her outfit to work.

I am very happy with the watches I have left as I actually use them rather than have a bigger collection not knowing what to wear every morning.

Future plans:

I will keep using the AW until the battery dies then buy another AW, but surely not the latest AW model as I don't want to pay premium.

I don't see myself ever buying an automatic watch unless I know its rare and I can sell it for breakeven or profit.

i am sure many on here have very similar stories.

Cutting down my watch collection from 13 watches to 4 is the best thing I ever did.


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## robmellor

My AW has totally taken over when not wearing really feel like I could miss out on a vital notification, which in itself is worrying. If AW could sort out battery life or a way of swapping batteries so I could wear it at night and it would be able to monitor my sleep pattern / quality it would have everything for me.


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## BarracksSi

robmellor said:


> My AW has totally taken over when not wearing really feel like I could miss out on a vital notification, which in itself is worrying. If AW could sort out battery life or a way of swapping batteries so I could wear it at night and it would be able to monitor my sleep pattern / quality it would have everything for me.


I wear mine 24/7 (or more like 23.5/7). What enabled me to easily wear it all the time was putting the charger next to my couch. The idea is, if I'm just sitting there in the evening, I'm probably also using my laptop and/or just watching TV with my wife. So, I plop the watch onto the charger, and when it's time to do anything else, it's juiced up and ready to go.

I wear it every night, too - not for sleep tracking, but to be my alarm clock in the morning. Works better for me than any beeping bedside clock I've ever had. And, because I can hardly see without my glasses, it's nice to be able to hold my watch close to my face and see what time it is (something I learned when I wore regular watches into bed).


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## Palmettoman

I've started wearing mine all the time. It's just too easy to use and the functionality is just fantastic. My mechanicals aren't getting much time lately. The LTE capability was the game changer for me.


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## Coldtail88

utzelu said:


> I am prospecting switching from regular watches to smartwatches as the functionality provided by them is appealing to me. Mainly I am interesting in the health aspect, as my job is very sedentary. Other than that I am interested in notifications and other apps useful when travelling.
> 
> I don't really want to wear a regular watch on my left wrist and a SW on my right. Currently I am wearing my son's Apple Watch Series 3 whenever he doesn't and so far I like it. I got over the always off screen and the limited set of faces.
> 
> As for my regular watches, I will sell some of them as many are overlapping. I will probably keep one or two mechanicals for now.


Just be careful with anything that tells you calories burned. People tend to see they burned 300 calories so eat an extra piece of cake, thinking they earned it. I got away from fitness watches and just exercise now. If I feel like exercising for 30 minutes or an hour, I just do it...no reason to track it.

But, I'm sure some people do fine with trackers, that's just my personal experience.


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## utzelu

Coldtail88 said:


> Just be careful with anything that tells you calories burned. People tend to see they burned 300 calories so eat an extra piece of cake, thinking they earned it. I got away from fitness watches and just exercise now. If I feel like exercising for 30 minutes or an hour, I just do it...no reason to track it.
> 
> But, I'm sure some people do fine with trackers, that's just my personal experience.


For me it's not necessarily about calories burned but about having something to motivate me move more and sit less. I don't really analyze the statistics.


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## Patrick T

I currently own the Apple Watch 3. I wear it M-F. Typically for convenience: emails, txt, notifications, etc. On the weekends (besides going to the gym), I'll enjoy my timepieces! Can't completely switch over.


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## Combat Jump

Have to admit, since receiving the latest Apple watch as a Christmas gift, I find I am wearing all the time. Its just so.... handy! So, my Marathon, Breitling, Ball, and others sit idle.


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## BarracksSi

Combat Jump said:


> Have to admit, since receiving the latest Apple watch as a Christmas gift, I find I am wearing all the time. Its just so.... handy! So, my Marathon, Breitling, Ball, and others sit idle.


I kinda wonder now...

Going back 75 years (or more) to post-WWI when wristwatches started to arrive on the scene, did pocketwatch owners make a similar transition, thinking that wristwatches are "just so handy"?

I'm thinking of the current metaphor of smartphone = pocketwatch and smartwatch = wristwatch. It was easier to fit more complications in a pocketwatch (I didn't necessarily mean "cheaper", just "easier") and a wristwatch, by necessity, couldn't do as much. But it was undeniably more convenient.


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## utzelu

BarracksSi said:


> I kinda wonder now...
> 
> Going back 75 years (or more) to post-WWI when wristwatches started to arrive on the scene, did pocketwatch owners make a similar transition, thinking that wristwatches are "just so handy"?
> 
> I'm thinking of the current metaphor of smartphone = pocketwatch and smartwatch = wristwatch. It was easier to fit more complications in a pocketwatch (I didn't necessarily mean "cheaper", just "easier") and a wristwatch, by necessity, couldn't do as much. But it was undeniably more convenient.


With the current trend of prices going up on the mechanical watches, it is quite possible we're in the same sort of situation as post WWI.


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## Arthur

I started with a AW2, sold it to get an AW3, sold it for a 4. Truthfully, the 2 and 3 were worn, but not all the time. The 4 I got around Christmas time and it has been my daily wearer ever since. There are several factors that make the 4 a winner in my eyes. The ability to add 8 apps to the watch face. In my case, I have EKG, date,activity “rings” and pulse inside the face, Heart rate, battery level, outside temperature and time in another TZ around the outside the face. Busy, yes, but very easily readable. Most everything that I need right at my fingertips. These are great, but the most important app, if you will, is one that is running in the background. That is the fall detection feature. For those of us that are alone at times, as many elderly folks are, should all think seriously about getting one of these and wear it all the time. And that is not to say that this s just and “old folks” feature. How many times have we read about very physically fit individuals that are running, walking, climbing, etc. that suffer a fall. Some folks spring right back up, but suppose the fall results in a fractured hip or ankle. This feature may well save your life. 
I still own a bunch of mechanical watches, which I truly love. I have sold a few but there is a core group that I want to keep. While I seldom wear them, they are there if I want to wear them. 


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk


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## Watchman Dan

jthole said:


> Maybe I am in the wrong age group (was suggested in another thread, though I don't believe it myself), but why would I _want_ an Apple watch? What's the unique selling point for someone who is not into sports really (except long distance walking, but I don't really care how many steps)? Could it fully replace my GPS that I use for routing and tracking? Is the small display good enough for that?
> 
> Besides sports, what is the killer function of a smart watch for you? Except of course showing you the exact time


At first, I thought the Bluetooth version AW was redundant and gimmicky. So I gave it to my wife (who doesn't like regular watches), so she can text, and monitor Facebook in stealth mode at the office. She also uses it for voice calls in the car. But, when the LTE version came out, I ditched my phone and switched mostly to the AW for calls, text, and alerts. So I mainly use it as a communicator, and occasional workout tracker w/ iTunes. But you have to budget your usage so you don't run the battery down. As far as navigation goes, it's a bit lacking with the tiny screen, but does in a pinch. Wouldn't want to use it for heavy navigation. Because of the high battery drain, I check the route, memorize it, and then shut it off. Currently, I wear the AW on my left wrist and rotate my traditional watches on the right wrist. There is nothing like the analog dial to get a quick read of the time! If given a choice between my watch hobby and the iWatch, the mechanicals win! After all, I can always go back to my iPhone. Horologically speaking, the AW is not so appealing. It reminds me of a modern version of the Zenith Futur Time Command watch of the seventies. The design violates most basic watch principles with lack of a bezel, leaving the crystal exposed to damage. The use of soft glass, aluminum case, and funky strap design makes it prone to damage. How many Apples have met an untimely end, because of landing face down while fumbling around fastening that strap?


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## itsmemuffins

Since I got the 4 for Christmas my other 40 watches sit there collecting dust…


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## edhchoe

itsmemuffins said:


> Since I got the 4 for Christmas my other 40 watches sit there collecting dust&#8230;


I keep mine in a watch box so they don't collect dust at least..


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## utzelu

I keep getting back and forth between wearing my AW3 and others. Most of these days is the AW and maybe once a week a mechanical. What is funny is that I am designing and making my own mechanical watches during this time. One of it will be a desktop watch/clock. At least with this one I won’t have to decide what to wear, it will sit on my desktop all the time.


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## Watchman Dan

The Apple iWatch is a technological marvel and should be applauded for its accomplishment. The packing of so many functions into such a miniaturized device is amazing. To me, it is the modern day evolution of the digital quartz watch, and there are similarities in the way both those watches disrupted the entire watchmaking world. The digital watch was quickly adopted by fitness customers as an economical, accurate and sports watch. Its practicality spilled over into the general watch category, with the result that it was adopted by a vast amount of the watch buying public at its peak in the eighties. They could not ignore its high accuracy at such a low cost. After the novelty wore off, customers that did not need the chronograph features, and found a digital watch "too complicated" or ugly, returned to the analog watch, now also an electronic device. The devastating impact upon the Swiss watchmaking industry, who could not compete, is well known. They eventually came back by returning to mechanical movements and moving upmarket. That strategy is now being tested by the shift to the smart watch. It is too early to predict what will happen, but I think there's a strong likelihood that it may play out much like the quartz crisis of the eighties. I think that customers will be increasingly hesitant to pay more for a watch that just tells the time. Which does not bode well for the Swiss. The brands that cannot justify their prices will go out of business. The Swiss are stubborn by nature, and it seems to take a full blown crisis to get them to respond to changes in the marketplace. They have gotten used to their high margins, but by keeping their prices artificially high, they are just making the inevitable happen faster! If Swiss mechanicals are forced to adopt more realistic pricing, the traditional watch fan will benefit by the changes brought about by the Smart watch revolution. However, the opposite could happen just as easily!


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## jimmy.harts

Booooo


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## 53jd

Both my kids have smart watches. Personally, won't wear them. I carry a smart phone, and I'm an idiot, why do I need two smart devices? Let the trolls rip!


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## edhchoe

I have completely switched over to AW. I have not put on my mechanical watch for over a year I think.
I use Apple Pay at my usual restaurants and bars because I do not carry my wallet anymore. And I don't have to pull out my iPhone to use apple pay.
Silent alarm is what I love a lot also. And having a timer on the wrist is very useful at work. I just wish I could run multiple countdown timers at the same time.


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## c185445

BarracksSi said:


> I kinda wonder now...
> 
> Going back 75 years (or more) to post-WWI when wristwatches started to arrive on the scene, did pocketwatch owners make a similar transition, thinking that wristwatches are "just so handy"?
> 
> I'm thinking of the current metaphor of *smartphone = pocketwatch and smartwatch = wristwatch*. It was easier to fit more complications in a pocketwatch (I didn't necessarily mean "cheaper", just "easier") and a wristwatch, by necessity, couldn't do as much. But it was undeniably more convenient.


When smartwatches can create a large projected screen maybe, for now I don't see the transition happening as long as most people need large screens to watch things or play.

As for mechanical or traditional watches being replaced, I think more and more people are going to need or use smartwatches. They are indeed so convenient. But the jewelry or analog side of mechanicals I think will still be alluring for a lot of people. In contrast, back then a pocketwatch and a wristwatch were essentially the same thing so the transition was a lot more logical. But now I think it's different because the alluring side of an analog watch and a smartwatch are different.

They'll definitely coexist imo.


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## BarracksSi

c185445 said:


> When smartwatches can create a large projected screen maybe, for now I don't see the transition happening as long as most people need large screens to watch things or play.


I don't think enough people are going to ask a watch to become a full phone replacement, though. They're more likely to trade away features to gain convenience, just like they've done with entertainment media (Spotify/Netflix) or even just food and bathroom tissues. Besides, a projected display is not only resource-hungry, but it's not private at all.

There's more potential for a smartwatch to be a conduit for _audio_ interactions. It's halfway there already, able to recite texts, weather, and navigation. I think we're headed more towards an audio-centered interaction model as shown in the movie _Her_ than the swooshing visuals in _Minority Report._

Switching from pocketwatches to wristwatches also meant giving up features for convenience. Calendar complications were harder to make smaller (not that they were ever _inexpensive,_ but still...) and much more rare were wristwatches or pocketwatches that could chime every quarter-hour like most mantle clocks could.

A smartwatch isn't a phone replacement just like a phone isn't a laptop replacement or a laptop isn't a mainframe replacement. There are some things it will just never do, but people will be okay with that.


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## catlike

I'm an Apple addict. I'm currently on my 3rd iMac, I have a MacBook Air, an iPad, an iPad Mini, have been using nothing but iPhones as long as I can remember and I still use an iPod Classic in my car.

Despite all of this.....I can't bring myself to buy an Apple Watch. I've tried them on and played around with them numerous times but just never got hooked.


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## c185445

BarracksSi said:


> There's more potential for a smartwatch to be a conduit for _audio_ interactions. It's halfway there already, able to recite texts, weather, and navigation. I think we're headed more towards an audio-centered interaction model as shown in the movie _Her_ than the swooshing visuals in _Minority Report._
> .


Interesting perspective. If this is the case, then, do wonder up to what point these devices will be worn on the wrist in the first place, and actually for how long are they gonna be real "enemies" of analog or traditional wristwatches. The more reason to believe analog watches are here to stay, even though waves of demand will clearly fluctuate.

I find that you say more alluring. We spend already enough time tiring our eyes. For now I'm having hard to justify a purchase of an Apple Watch or any other one even though I don't deny others may find it alluring. It's a luxury just as having wristwatches in the first place, we gave up needing them decades ago actually.


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## Mike 75

I love my AW for travel - its incredibly useful (apple pay, music, boarding passes all in one place) and its relatively cheap to replace if it gets damaged, lost or stolen (I use the aluminum one). Its also great on the weekends when I'm out and about as I can pretty much leave my phone and wallet at home. I've found I like it less at the office when I'm at my desk as I have my computer and phone right in front of me. Its a bit superfluous in that context, so I tend to wear my mechanicals to the office.


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## utzelu

c185445 said:


> If this is the case, then, do wonder up to what point these devices will be worn on the wrist in the first place, and actually for how long are they gonna be real "enemies" of analog or traditional wristwatches. The more reason to believe analog watches are here to stay, even though waves of demand will clearly fluctuate.


In my view, smartwatches will eventually be phased out, when implants will be cheap enough to be widely used. They will offer the same and even more features. Think anything from notifications to brain implants helping you learn faster and process more information, to health tracking and care services delivered via implants. At that point there will be no need to wear a smartwatch anymore and the wrist will be free again to wear jewelry (aka watches). The issue with the traditional watch industry is that it will take at least a couple of decades to get there and during this time, the wrist will be occupied by smartwatches. The industry as a whole may not be able to survive for the next 2 decades. Of course, it may not happen like that and people will appreciate more the jewelry aspect of traditional watches.


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## BarracksSi

c185445 said:


> Interesting perspective. If this is the case, then, do wonder up to what point these devices will be worn on the wrist in the first place, and actually for how long are they gonna be real "enemies" of analog or traditional wristwatches. The more reason to believe analog watches are here to stay, even though waves of demand will clearly fluctuate.
> 
> I find that you say more alluring. We spend already enough time tiring our eyes. For now I'm having hard to justify a purchase of an Apple Watch or any other one even though I don't deny others may find it alluring. It's a luxury just as having wristwatches in the first place, we gave up needing them decades ago actually.


It's easy to look at new gadgets and think of how they fit into an existing framework; it's harder, but more freeing, to think of how they create a whole different framework (and I can't quite take credit for the analogy with _Her_).

Like what they say about anticipating a tech market being like what Gretzky said about hockey: You skate to where the puck is going. ... but BlackBerry was still playing hockey while Apple & Samsung were melting the rink to play basketball.

I also think that smartwatches are in the most danger of being superseded by another, less-visible class of gadgets that we haven't settled on yet. Well, I used to think so, but now I'm not so sure - after owning my Series 4 for a few months, my _phone_ is turning into my least-used gadget. Especially when my wife and I go out, I leave the phone at home or in her purse. At home, too, my phone is usually parked on the bedside table.


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## BarracksSi

utzelu said:


> The issue with the traditional watch industry is that it will take at least a couple of decades to get there and during this time, the wrist will be occupied by smartwatches. The industry as a whole may not be able to survive for the next 2 decades.


This bit ^^^^ is why I think Rolex is so hugely popular these days.

In that price segment (basically $5k-$50k, I guess), besides the jewelry aspect, people want history and _longevity._ They want to be sure that the brand will be around in thirty or forty years after purchase.

Rolex is present in every decent-sized city, and there's a big selection of independent watchmakers who can get parts. They've evolved their lineup slowly, which keeps their designs from looking dated.

If you want a luxury watch that will either (a) hold value for later resale, or (b) remain repairable for the rest of your life, Rolex is the best bet going right now.


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## utzelu

BarracksSi said:


> This bit ^^^^ is why I think Rolex is so hugely popular these days.
> 
> In that price segment (basically $5k-$50k, I guess), besides the jewelry aspect, people want history and _longevity._ They want to be sure that the brand will be around in thirty or forty years after purchase.
> 
> Rolex is present in every decent-sized city, and there's a big selection of independent watchmakers who can get parts. They've evolved their lineup slowly, which keeps their designs from looking dated.
> 
> If you want a luxury watch that will either (a) hold value for later resale, or (b) remain repairable for the rest of your life, Rolex is the best bet going right now.


The increase demand for luxury products was probably impacted mostly by the huge increase in the money quantity. In the last ten years, quantitative easing has dumped an enormous amount of money in the markets which eventually had to find ways to be used. The stock market has increased dramatically and also the luxury market. At the same time and due to the sustained marketing done by Rolex, their watches have gained a status of safe storage, similar to gold. So yeah, Rolex will probably survive the smart watch crisis, not sure about many of the others. The current trend is for a decrease in quantity and increase in value.


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## c185445

BarracksSi said:


> They want to be sure that the brand will be around in thirty or forty years after purchase.
> [...]


This is why I think not just Rolex is going to survive, but Swatch or Citizen brands as well. Basically the larger corporations _ensure _precisely that you say, not just the high-end brand.

When there is a high-end goal in the market for customers to get, the general public may be lured by the more affordable brands, especially in an era that saw entretainment to rise as crazy (people feel forced to diversify their budget a lot). The buyer's lust work as that.

Of course this doesn't work for us WIS who buy watches (affordable or high-end) using way more complicated considerations but I think the general public works as I said, it's why still the cheap _crappy _fashion brands are still around.

If it came down just to Rolex then the industry and Rolex itself would be doomed imo.

Anyway I'm not even sure the likes of Timex or micro-brands aren't going to survive as well.



BarracksSi said:


> It's easy to look at new gadgets and think of how they fit into an existing framework; it's harder, but more freeing, to think of how they create a whole different framework (and I can't quite take credit for the analogy with Her).
> 
> Like what they say about anticipating a tech market being like what Gretzky said about hockey: You skate to where the puck is going. ... but BlackBerry was still playing hockey while Apple & Samsung were melting the rink to play basketball.
> 
> I also think that smartwatches are in the most danger of being superseded by another, less-visible class of gadgets that we haven't settled on yet. Well, I used to think so, but now I'm not so sure - after owning my Series 4 for a few months, my phone is turning into my least-used gadget. Especially when my wife and I go out, I leave the phone at home or in her purse. At home, too, my phone is usually parked on the bedside table.


At least with the people of my generation and onwards (I was born in 1985), the phone isn't becoming anytime soon the least-used gadget. Not saying you did claim that, just commenting. There are more chances IMO of smartwatches, mechanicals and sugary drinks to go extinct than phones with large screens to do stuff with.


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## c185445

utzelu said:


> The increase demand for luxury products was probably impacted mostly by the huge increase in the money quantity. In the last ten years, quantitative easing has dumped an enormous amount of money in the markets which eventually had to find ways to be used. The stock market has increased dramatically and also the luxury market. At the same time and due to the sustained marketing done by Rolex, *their watches have gained a status of safe storage, similar to gold.* So yeah, Rolex will probably survive the smart watch crisis, not sure about many of the others. The current trend is for a decrease in quantity and increase in value.


I disagree. Watches aren't an investment and such notion shouldn't be promoted because people are going to get crushed. Some brands might see their value holding up better than others but they are definitely not as gold or a safe storage nor something similar to that. That would be the case if when there was for instance a financial crisis, eurozone crisis, etc, the purchases of Rolex or whatever rose just as gold did in these occasions... I don't know any investment fund that advice customers to buy watches to dodge instabilities, so they are definitely not similar to gold or a safe haven.

On the other hand if mechanical watches went extinct as a whole or were just limited to the premium segment, I think nobody would buy a Rolex as a safe storage when they can use the money for a real safe haven. If anyone is hoping for Rolex or anyother high-end brand to stay around while all the other disappears, they might see their "investments" devalued quite a lot. Because I think Rolex or Omega are highly valued because there is still appreciation for traditional watches and Rolex and Omega are considered by the general public as the "highest goal" (even though of course they aren't the real exclusive brands, Rolex or Omega are after all still mass-produced goods made in line). Why do you think Rolex got Tudor, or Omega got associated with Tissot, etc... The high-end brands I think need the affordable ones and vice versa.


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## kwoody51

I don't like the look of my AW but I wear it almost everyday because the functionality, for me, is so much greater than a mechanical. It's not a great 'watch' as I often have to hit the button to see the time. However sitting in constant meetings the reminders during meetings are a subtle way for me to be reminded of my next appointment without having to pull out my phone at every buzz.


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## BarracksSi

During lunch in the cafeteria at work today, we were talking about how nice it looked outside, wondering how warm it might be. I habitually looked at my wrist for the current temperature… but, alas, I was wearing my Seiko instead.

No personal gadgets allowed where I work, so my Watch stays home. I wear it all day when I’m teleworking, though.


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## jalquiza

Mostly to leave my phone at home. I occasionally also like switching back to a mechanical that doesn't have digital annoyances and is simpler to read.


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## ILuvSubs

The prediction of "wearable technology" moving from the wrist to somewhere else makes sense. It will be liberating to not have to carry your phone everywhere you go.



BarracksSi said:


> It's easy to look at new gadgets and think of how they fit into an existing framework; it's harder, but more freeing, to think of how they create a whole different framework (and I can't quite take credit for the analogy with _Her_).
> 
> Like what they say about anticipating a tech market being like what Gretzky said about hockey: You skate to where the puck is going. ... but BlackBerry was still playing hockey while Apple & Samsung were melting the rink to play basketball.
> 
> I also think that smartwatches are in the most danger of being superseded by another, less-visible class of gadgets that we haven't settled on yet. Well, I used to think so, but now I'm not so sure - after owning my Series 4 for a few months, my _phone_ is turning into my least-used gadget. Especially when my wife and I go out, I leave the phone at home or in her purse. At home, too, my phone is usually parked on the bedside table.


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## david_h_moss

Canf do it. Love tech but doesn't beat the real thing 


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


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## utzelu

david_h_moss said:


> Canf do it. Love tech but doesn't beat the real thing
> 
> Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


Some say the real thing is the clock tower from the village center


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## edhchoe

Now I control my Tesla with the Apple Watch. A mechanical watch is not for me.


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## jason1971

This tortures me. I tried the Series 1 and the Series 3 and rejected them as not quite ready. I got my Series 4 last summer, and have put on one of my mechanical watches exactly four times since then, all dressy occasions. It has become a constant and loved companion. But the best way I can put it is that unlike my mechanical watches, it has no soul. It has a personality, I suppose, but it's a bland one. 

But the value proposition is a powerful one. I have little kids, and the cellular watch is a reassuring tether to my family. More dramatically, I've lost thirty pounds since switching to the Apple watch. 

Maybe when I lose 30 more, I'll switch back to my trusty Aqua Terra (perhaps with a link or two removed from the bracelet). But for now, I'm seriously starting to look at paring down my watch collection.


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## utzelu

jason1971 said:


> More dramatically, I've lost thirty pounds since switching to the Apple watch.


BINGO! This is the thing the traditional watch makers are not understanding. The smartwatches are so good at motivating you to live healthier, that there is no way a person would use that wrist real estate for a traditional watch. At least not until a better technology comes to replace the smartwatch and free again the wrist.


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## jason1971

utzelu said:


> BINGO! This is the thing the traditional watch makers are not understanding. The smartwatches are so good at motivating you to live healthier, that there is no way a person would use that wrist real estate for a traditional watch. At least not until a better technology comes to replace the smartwatch and free again the wrist.


That's right. If smart straps keep getting better, that would also lead me to reconsider mechanicals. Stuff like this is getting tantalizingly close, but I hear too many mixed things about real world use: https://frederiqueconstant.com/e-strap/


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## utzelu

jason1971 said:


> That's right. If smart straps keep getting better, that would also lead me to reconsider mechanicals. Stuff like this is getting tantalizingly close, but I hear too many mixed things about real world use: https://frederiqueconstant.com/e-strap/


The problem with the smart straps is the lack of screen. It is tedious to check your move progress on a smart strap or taking out the phone. You need a screen to get information and do things. The potential use case are so many that an analog screen is just too limiting.


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## camaroz1985

I like the idea of a smart strap, but I could see how it would not be implemented nearly as well as an Apple watch. Though truthfully I rarely checked my Activity on my watch anyway, I always used the app on the phone after the fact.


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## Eclectic Gearhead

I have almost completely switched to an Apple Watch after owning around 200 conventional watches including a dozen Rolex, many Omegas and Seikos and Casios.

Why?

- Never have to set it
- Alarm setting is by voice
- I got the weather and a key stock price on my wrist. Can’t do that with a “dumb” watch




Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


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## utzelu

Recently I met an acquaintance of mine at an event and was surprised to see him wearing a Samsung Galaxy Watch. This guy is a wealthy man and was wearing mostly IWCs before switching to smart watches, but was not really a watch collector. I see this trend more and more around.


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## camaroz1985

I guess that shouldn't be a surprise with the Apple watch and other smart watches increasing in popularity (I think Apple claims it is the most popular/best selling watch in the world, which I could believe). There is no denying the utility and convenience, but to me they lack character.


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## utzelu

camaroz1985 said:


> There is no denying the utility and convenience, but to me they lack character.


It seems that only us WIS can associate "character" to a watch. The same happens is in the car world, where vintage cars have "character". Heck, we humans are able to be emotionally attached to a robot, by finding some sort of personality in it. Strange beings are we...


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## mgk1789

My Apple Watch has now become my daily and I only wear mechanical watches on certain occasions, like when I’m traveling, going out socially, etc.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk


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## camaroz1985

utzelu said:


> It seems that only us WIS can associate "character" to a watch. The same happens is in the car world, where vintage cars have "character". Heck, we humans are able to be emotionally attached to a robot, by finding some sort of personality in it. Strange beings are we...


That is true. I like vintage cars as well. Have an electric car (Volt), and I would compare it to the Apple Watch, very practical and reliable, but not fun to drive and lacks soul. Also the battery doesn't last as long as I would like in both cases haha.


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## lisztomania7

I'm wearing my Apple Watch Series 3 Cellular about 98% of the time.....

It wasn't this way before, but I'm not scared of putting wear on a $300/$400 Apple watch. The same can't be said of something 10x the price - now reserved only for special occasions.


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## FUMAO

I still absolutely love my mechanical watches - however I find myself throwing on an Apple Watch as my daily driver to track my steps and to get work (slack) notifications on the go. The sheer usefulness of an AW these days sadly outweighs the desire to wear anything else, except on special occasions.


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## FUMAO

Although I must add, sometimes i'm that douche wearing my BB58 on one wrist and an AW on the other.


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## schumacher62

im quite the opposite. ive given up (and given away) my apple watch, in my rediscovering the charm (and care and maintenance and luxury) of wearing a mechanical watch. ive grown quite a collection recently, and im very pleased. i have no plans for buying another apple watch, or wearing one again.


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## sithjedi333

I have pretty much switched to the AW, unfortunately. I find that I'm looking at my phone less frequently as a result.


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## Gbphilli

I switched due to accuracy, better readability of day and date, less dependence on taking my iPhone out of my pocket, increased functionality consolidated in one device, and the ability to customize and choose among a variety of watch faces depending on my mood.

I can still seeing using a mechanical on special occasions, but not for daily wear.


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## Prdrers

I got an AW3 non-LTE right after the 4 came out. At first I practically stopped wearing anything else but the AW. That lasted for several months, but then I started missing my other watches a little. Here lately I’ve been wearing my Suunto and G Shocks for a few days at a time. I like the convenience of the AW when it comes to seeing weather, texts, HR, and all that. But it’s like I can’t go all in on it. Sometimes I’ll wear the AW on my right wrist and something else on my left. I’m sure some ppl think it’s goofy or whatever, but my life is too short to spend it pleasing other ppl. I’m not sure how things will end up, but the prospect of the LTE and not having to carry a phone intrigues me a bit.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


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## utzelu

Today I sold my AW3 to a friend, but not to switch back to mechanical watches. I want to buy the AW4 SS version instead. Until then, I am wearing my Samsung Galaxy Watch 42mm.

I am already wearing daily a smart watch for the past 1.5 years and don’t plan to go back to mechanicals, for the following reasons:
1. The brands are slowly pricing me out of the market with steady price increase.
2. The grey market is also drying up, leading to less choices at lower prices.
3. Even the secondary market is heating up.
4. Too much emphasis on storytelling than on the product itself. The brands want more money for telling better stories? That’s crazy when you think that story telling is not something specific to watches. I can tell a good story about my garbage bin, but that doesn’t make it more valuable. This issue alone is turning me off the mainstream mechanical watches.


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## Combat Jump

I wear the AW around the house, and for local errands; otherwise a Swiss watch. I had been wearing a FitBit for workout tracking, but it had some quirks, and wasn't waterproof.  I now have the LTE AW, and enjoy the connectivity, as well as listening to music and Audible books just from the watch.


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## kamonjj

I sold off my mechanical collection back in Jan. I wore an AW only for a few months. I missed the mechanicals more than I thought. Now I am getting some mechanicals back and wearing the AW for fitness only at this point. I enjoy the fitness aspect of the watch. I dislike the style, the glitches, the notifications, and the obsolescence.


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## utzelu

kamonjj said:


> I sold off my mechanical collection back in Jan. I wore an AW only for a few months. I missed the mechanicals more than I thought. Now I am getting some mechanicals back and wearing the AW for fitness only at this point. I enjoy the fitness aspect of the watch. I dislike the style, the glitches, the notifications, and the obsolescence.


Saw today for the first time a stainless steel AW with the Apple's own link bracelet and I must say it looked amazing, much more like a high end watch than a smart watch. I am saying that with the right bracelet/strap the look can change dramatically.


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## kamonjj

utzelu said:


> Saw today for the first time a stainless steel AW with the Apple's own link bracelet and I must say it looked amazing, much more like a high end watch than a smart watch. I am saying that with the right bracelet/strap the look can change dramatically.


I get that. However, it doesn't change the level of finishing, the differing case designs, the dials and the hands. The AW is still just a block on ones wrist with a screen. It'll never be as aesthetically pleasing to me.


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## Ocean Atlantic 84

Its nice to know that i am not alone on this "island". I have never owned an AW. My wife swears by hers! I could easily justify downsizing my collection and wearing and AW, but am afraid I would miss them too much. I waited patiently, hounded dealers, scoured the internet, traded, etc... It seems like so much time and effort lost.


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## BarracksSi

kamonjj said:


> I get that. However, it doesn't change the level of finishing, the differing case designs, the dials and the hands. The AW is still just a block on ones wrist with a screen. It'll never be as aesthetically pleasing to me.


You mentioned glitches, too - what was happening? Was it at the OS level, or certain apps, etc?


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## kamonjj

BarracksSi said:


> You mentioned glitches, too - what was happening? Was it at the OS level, or certain apps, etc?


It's the latest version of everything (iOS and app), even though I have text alerts turned off, they still come through occasionally. The major pain is the issues I have with Nike run club. Sometimes it'll stop syncing with my phone, or doesn't record my heart rate, etc. I almost got rid of it completely for these reasons but I have found a workaround to get Nike run club to work properly.


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## utzelu

kamonjj said:


> I get that. However, it doesn't change the level of finishing, the differing case designs, the dials and the hands. The AW is still just a block on ones wrist with a screen. It'll never be as aesthetically pleasing to me.


I am definitely not challenging taste here and I fully understand you. My question is, are we comparing the finishing and aesthetic of the $350 AW with another $350 watch or with a $10000 watch?


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## BarracksSi

kamonjj said:


> It's the latest version of everything (iOS and app), even though I have text alerts turned off, they still come through occasionally. The major pain is the issues I have with Nike run club. Sometimes it'll stop syncing with my phone, or doesn't record my heart rate, etc. I almost got rid of it completely for these reasons but I have found a workaround to get Nike run club to work properly.


I remember trying to use Nike Run Club on my S0 way back when it was new, and it didn't work that great, either. I forget exactly what it did wrong (stopped workouts early, or failed to respond after a while, or something like that).

I haven't tried using it since then even though I have a Nike edition S4 now (chose it mainly for the hole-y strap). What's your workaround?


----------



## TgeekB

No way, no how, never, nada...


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk Pro


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## clintfca

utzelu said:


> I am definitely not challenging taste here and I fully understand you. My question is, are we comparing the finishing and aesthetic of the $350 AW with another $350 watch or with a $10000 watch?












Your comment reminded me of an old photo I took of my AW1 and my PP 

I still have young kids < 6 so my AW4 still has a place in my collection. I'll wear my mechanicals during the day for work and then put on my AW when I get home and I'm with the kids.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


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## DougFNJ

When the first version of the Apple Watch released, I bought the Space gray and it quickly fell into usual rotation with my other watches. I upgraded it to the Space Black Stainless Steel with the Space Black steel bracelet, and it got worn more and more as features were added, and I found more use.

The Apple Watch is like a completely evolved watch compared to that first version, and since version 3 has dominated my wrist time. I would say I wear it 90% of the time since I got series 4. It is so responsive, fast, reliable, great battery life, and so useful.

It hasn't taken 100%, today for instance, I have no appointments, and don't have any meetings. I am in front of my laptop for the most part today, so the notifications and discrete glances are not necessary. I really felt like wearing my Seamaster Ceramic. But from Monday through yesterday it was only Apple Watch. Those taps on the wrist are so useful to me between calendar notifications, reminders, and quick looks at my texts and emails. When I am doing a lot of driving, those taps reminding me to turn in navigation great! 

I've said it before, Apple Watch had me look at my collection differently. Most of the watches in the box were sold. My Omega's will remain, my favorite G-Shocks will go nowhere, and the gift watches Ive received over the years will always hold personal value. But the utility value of the Apple Watch has definitely edged out the luxury desire of my others.


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## Gbphilli

I think the word “utility” is very apt for the AW. With my GPS-only AW4, I can see not just the information on my more traditional timepieces, such as day and date — and in larger, easier-to-read format (I use an analog watch face, Infograph, that also shows the digital time) but other useful information that I can customize. In short, it’s the ultimate tool watch, one that doesn’t need adjusting for accuracy, days per month, leap years, etc.

A mechanical watch definitely has its place, but for me, not as an everyday wearer. I am still keeping the vintage Omegas I inherited and my previous daily wearer, a Citizen day-date Eco-drive, just in case I change my mind. The cost to restore the two Omegas, however, is 2 to 3 times what I paid for my AW4. We will see.


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## Johnjm

I wear a Fitbit on my right wrist and my mechanical.on the left... I couldn't when I tried.

Sent from my Pixel 3 XL using Tapatalk


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## watchcrank_tx

I've only been wearing AW 4 for a couple of days, so perhaps my opinion will change with time, but I have no intention of abandoning a regular watch. I have two wrists. Room for them both.

I do wish there were a watch face which I could install that did not have the time on it at all. (If there is one, I've not found it yet.)


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## FarmKid

I am finding this thread very interesting. Yesterday I posted my experience at a parents' meeting for my child's preschool. Mostly millennials but some Gen X (me included) in the audience. About 10-15 apple watches in the crowd along with another 5 fibits, samsungs, garmins, etc. I was the only mechanical watch in room as far as I cold tell. That probably shouldn't surprise me.

I like things that last a long time (cars, tools, furniture, clothes, shoes) so I don't mind spending twice as much for something that will last three times as long.

If I was confident that the Apple watch would be useful for at least 10 years, I probably would get one. Does anyone here think they will be using the same Apple watch for close to 10 years? 

PS. I still have and use, though not as much as before, an IPod (5th generation) that I bought in 2006. I replaced the battery about three years ago.


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## watchcrank_tx

FarmKid said:


> If I was confident that the Apple watch would be useful for at least 10 years, I probably would get one. Does anyone here think they will be using the same Apple watch for close to 10 years?


I seriously doubt it, given the pace of technology and the fact that Iphones tend to be dropped from software support after five or six years making it likely the older watches won't be supported forever. The new Series 5, for instance, doesn't strike me as a compelling upgrade from the Series 4 aside from the always-on screen, but (like the 4), it's a big step from the Series 3 (which Apple are still selling as a budget model). I would expect many owners of Series 3 and earlier models to be looking to upgrade to a 5 or a used 4, or series 1 & 2 owners upgrading to a 3 now that it's down to $200 for the base model.

With Apple continuously making improvements, some small and some large, and with their increasing move into healthcare, I expect there will be similarly big steps every few years, to the point that a number of compelling features will come about in the next decade.


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## BarracksSi

^^^^ Whether software and OS support matters depends on your usage, too. My iPad 2 is still enough for me - despite maxing out on _iOS 9_ - just because I use it mainly to watch videos, read the news, and play a few games.

There's nothing stopping us from running an AW into the proverbial dirt, swapping in fresh batteries every three years or so while chugging away on an older OS. The first-gen won't run watchOS 6, but it's still controlled by iOS 13, so it's still usable.


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## watchcrank_tx

BarracksSi said:


> ^^^^ Whether software and OS support matters depends on your usage, too.


Good point, though in that case I'd stick to apps from Apple and trusted developers only once the device is out of support, and not use any apps that make arbitrary net connections (i.e., a tiny mobile browser, etc.). Even in the Apple ecosystem, malware does sneak into the store every now and then, and of course bluetooth and wifi firmware grows more vulnerable to drive-by attack over time.


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## utzelu

FarmKid said:


> I like things that last a long time (cars, tools, furniture, clothes, shoes) so I don't mind spending twice as much for something that will last three times as long.
> 
> If I was confident that the Apple watch would be useful for at least 10 years, I probably would get one. Does anyone here think they will be using the same Apple watch for close to 10 years?


I also like durable things but when it comes to high tech, durability is not really an advantage. Consumers in this market are conditioned to expect a limited life out of the product, since the value comes from features and capabilities, not from the aesthetics.

Think what would you do if you were living in the '50s and you bought the popular mechanical watch of the day. After just two years, the brand would release the first ever water resistant watch. Now, would you criticize the brand for releasing this version after just two years passed from the previous, non water resistant version? Of course not.


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## BSG75

utzelu said:


> I also like durable things but when it comes to high tech, durability is not really an advantage. Consumers in this market are conditioned to expect a limited life out of the product, since the value comes from features and capabilities, not from the aesthetics.
> 
> Think what would you do if you were living in the '50s and you bought the popular mechanical watch of the day. After just two years, the brand would release the first ever water resistant watch. Now, would you criticize the brand for releasing this version after just two years passed from the previous, non water resistant version? Of course not.


That's an excellent point! Today, we have a strong nostalgia factor going for mechanical/automatic watches. Back in the day, e.g., 50's, 60's, 70's, etc., people seem to want the latest, most modern option possible. I'm a huge fan of mechanical/automatic watches, but I look at my Apple Watch as the true tool watch of the 21st century and the most modern interpretation of horology.

It's not an heirloom, but it makes up for that in it's day-to-day usefulness.


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## Prdrers

I would say you should be able to get 5 years’ use out of your AW, barring any irreversible damage. That’s not too far off from the service interval on most nice mechanical watches. So what’s the real difference between buying a new (basic) AW and paying for servicing? And since they made the latest update available to earlier AW models than originally expected, it seems as though Apple may be catering a bit and recognizing that people are using things longer than they used to do. I think it’s just a wash, really. It’s whatever makes you the happiest. I’ve gone back and forth, but I’ve found the AW to be really useful in many ways. No need for lume, instant weather info, music controls, hands free talking (especially when driving), notification screening without pulling out the phone every time... The list goes on... I have the exercise/stand reminders turned off, so no bother there. A lot of folks bring up the “I don’t need all those notifications” argument, but the fact is you can customize all of it and/or turn them off if you’d like. The real issue at hand is being conflicted about wearing the AW in general. 

I’m not saying I think it’s the greatest thing ever, but it definitely is an extremely useful tool. 


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


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## moeharri

I have had a real struggle with my interest in watches. Ever since getting an Apple Watch 3 a couple of years ago, my mechanical watches have been getting very little wrist time. This summer, I sold my Apple Watch 3 (in preparation for buying the Apple Watch 5) and I started wearing my mechanical watches again. I missed the Apple Watch SO much. I use it to pay at stores/restaurants (Apple Pay), to check the weather, calendar notifications, text messages, etc. When the Apple Watch 5 arrived, I was excited to have it back and once again stopped wearing my mechanical watches.

Recently, I decided that if I'm not going to wear my watches, they need to be sold. I finally figured out a balance that I like. On most week days, I'll wear the Apple Watch as that is when notifications are important to me and I'm more "plugged in". On the weekends, I'll start wearing my mechanical watches again. I'm going to unload some of my lesser worn watches to fund my most expensive watch purchase yet (Omega Seamaster Pro) and my excitement for "real" watches is once again very high and I'm enjoying the trade off between smart and mechanical watches each week.


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## ronalddheld

Any mechanical/electronic watch balance is difficult to achieve, IMO.


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## BarracksSi

BarracksSi said:


> During lunch in the cafeteria at work today, we were talking about how nice it looked outside, wondering how warm it might be. I habitually looked at my wrist for the current temperature&#8230; but, alas, I was wearing my Seiko instead.
> 
> No personal gadgets allowed where I work, so my Watch stays home. I wear it all day when I'm teleworking, though.


I've got a new job in a new location (no more teleworking, either), and I've realized that we can bring personal gadgets to the office - including smartwatches.

Hmm.

If cellular reception weren't so awful inside our building, maybe I could make good use of my AW. And almost all communication is done through our desktops, too.

I'll probably continue using regular watches at work, but now I'm reconsidering whether to make a major purchase in the next few months.


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## watchcrank_tx

ronalddheld said:


> Any mechanical/electronic watch balance is difficult to achieve, IMO.


It's why I didn't even try and simply wear them both at the same time (though the conventional watch is not always mechanical). A few people may think that eccentric, but so what if they do? I doubt many even notice anyway.


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## moeharri

watchcrank said:


> It's why I didn't even try and simply wear them both at the same time (though the conventional watch is not always mechanical). A few people may think that eccentric, but so what if they do? I doubt many even notice anyway.


Back when I was wearing a Fitbit, I actually did wear that on one wrist and a mechanical watch on the other. My wife thought it was very weird, but I didn't care. I more recently tried doing the same thing with the AW5 and another watch and it felt like "too much" for me. Thus, I'll alternate between weekdays with the AW5 and weekends with the other watches.


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## JTK Awesome

I never thought it would happen, but count me in this group. After almost 10 years of mechanicals, I'm converting to just an AW for my daily.

The main reason is a life change, having recently moved from Southern (US) suburbia + car ownership, to Northeast city life + car-free living. This brought a whole host of AW convenience-to-the-point-of-necessity:

1) Previously no one cared about a ringtones and alert tones. Now they are obnoxious to my co-commuters as well as co-workers (including work customers). The AW changes that, with a silent buzz on my wrist.

2) On a packed train or bus, it's much much easier to glance at an AW than to pull out my phone for every notification. Bonus points for being able to control music and podcast playback from the AW vice iPhone.

3) For urban exploring, walking and transit directions are delivered much more conveniently via AW than having to walk around with the iPhone in hand.

Fitness is the other reason. As some others have said, my job is sedentary. The AW is a great reminder to get up from time to time, take a walk from time to time, and breathe when stressed.

I have tried two-fisting it as Hodinkee suggested. But then my mechanical watch becomes pure jewelry, with the AW obviating the need to even set and wind the mechanical :-( Previously, I did indeed use my mechanical watch to tell the time and date, but the AW does that too, so ... ?

Funny enough, the AW forced me to "Marie Kondo" my collection of mechanicals down to the timepieces that bring me the most joy. Hopefully this will help me regain some AW vice Mechanical watch balance. OTOH, I suspect AW Series 6 will see it become its own device platform, fully independent from the iPhone. I which case, RIP mechanical watches?


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## Mikedee

I have pretty much given up wearing any watch except the Apple one. I have some important notifications toggled on and the rest muted. The three most important uses of the Apple Watch in my daily life are for voice control of my Home Automation system, reminders for medication and some recurring tasks, and fitness. The fact that it tells time is a plus, I view it as a wrist computer as much as a time-keeper. 

I also appreciate that I can select from quite a few watch faces and do a limited amount of customization. It’s almost like having multiple watches. I have a half-dozen different bands to choose from, also.

I just got a Series 5, but am keeping the older one at least for a time to wear at night for sleep tracking while the 5 is on the charging stand.


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## JTK Awesome

After a couple of months, I'm recanting my post.

https://www.watchuseek.com/f586/who...-back-mechanical-4681559-22.html#post50647969



JTK Awesome said:


> I never thought it would happen, but count me in this group. After almost 10 years of mechanicals, I'm converting to just an AW for my daily.
> 
> The main reason is a life change, having recently moved from Southern (US) suburbia + car ownership, to Northeast city life + car-free living. This brought a whole host of AW convenience-to-the-point-of-necessity:
> 
> 1) Previously no one cared about a ringtones and alert tones. Now they are obnoxious to my co-commuters as well as co-workers (including work customers). The AW changes that, with a silent buzz on my wrist.
> 
> 2) On a packed train or bus, it's much much easier to glance at an AW than to pull out my phone for every notification. Bonus points for being able to control music and podcast playback from the AW vice iPhone.
> 
> 3) For urban exploring, walking and transit directions are delivered much more conveniently via AW than having to walk around with the iPhone in hand.
> 
> Fitness is the other reason. As some others have said, my job is sedentary. The AW is a great reminder to get up from time to time, take a walk from time to time, and breathe when stressed.
> 
> I have tried two-fisting it as Hodinkee suggested. But then my mechanical watch becomes pure jewelry, with the AW obviating the need to even set and wind the mechanical :-( Previously, I did indeed use my mechanical watch to tell the time and date, but the AW does that too, so ... ?
> 
> Funny enough, the AW forced me to "Marie Kondo" my collection of mechanicals down to the timepieces that bring me the most joy. Hopefully this will help me regain some AW vice Mechanical watch balance. OTOH, I suspect AW Series 6 will see it become its own device platform, fully independent from the iPhone. I which case, RIP mechanical watches?


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## BarracksSi

I’ve posted earlier in this thread or the other, but currently, I’m back in the wearing-it-almost-daily mode. 

For almost three years, I worked in an office where we couldn’t bring personal gadgets. I had the luxury of teleworking three days a week, though, so I wore my regular watches only twice a week. This summer, I got a new job in a similar location but with no option to telework; so I wore a regular watch at the office, then switched to my AW once I got home (and always used it as my morning alarm clock).

Now I’m in a different job in a different location, and we can bring our gadgets as long as we switch them to airplane mode. And since my commute includes a total of an hour of walking, it’s nice to easily get the occasional text, and I can finally close all my activity rings again.

We’ll move to another building in a few months, so I don’t know if we’ll continue enjoying this privilege of carrying our gadgets. But if this keeps up, I may adjust my wish list from a nice daily wearer (think Datejust/Globemaster) to an occasional special watch (Exp/OP/JLC MUT small seconds/etc).


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## utzelu

I find myself alternating between periods when I wear mainly a smartwatch to periods when I wear my other mechanical/quartz watches. The periods vary from few months to a year or more. Currently it seems that the "traditional watch" period is coming to an end and the smartwatch one is starting. At the end of summer I sold my AW3 and Samsung Galaxy Watch but now I am looking into getting again an AW5. I didn't want to sell the AW3 but I had a friend begging me for it and the price was fair.


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## wesnellans

I’ve had an on again off again relationship with the AW. First purchased a Series 2, then gave up on it with the somewhat hokey wake method.

I felt I needed to alway be able to see the time. Sold it off, went several months without, then convinced myself with my job I needed notifications available at a glance, came back to series 3.

Same problem as before, no glanceable time display, and by then my arthritis made that design uncomfortable due to the sensor back, so back to regular watches.

When the 4 came out, I noticed the design change made it considerably flatter and wider on the back, still wanted notifications, gave it a whirl. And again got frustrated with no time display when I wanted to just sneak a quick look in a meeting and such.

Series 5 is such a game changer for me, wife saw the AOD feature, splurged on me for Christmas and my soon upcoming 50th birthday, and got me a Series 5 in the DLC black stainless. Not looking back now.


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## kraymehr

I remain scared to get one for fear of the same result...


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## Adam2011

Why switch when you can wear both? For me the Apple watch is more a computer than a watch and a convenient way to view notifications, contactless and fitness tracking (heart rate and gps). I still wear a ‘proper’ watch as well which I enjoy for other reasons. Some people might find it odd but I couldn’t care less.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


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## JTK Awesome

Adam2011 said:


> Why switch when you can wear both?


I tried this and it doesn't work, Hodinkee be damned.

https://www.hodinkee.com/articles/doing-the-two-wrist-tango-with-the-apple-watch-series-4










Ironically, it's the Hodinkee editorial that said it best about why wearing two watches can't work.



> ...for a real watch lover, a watch is a *singular* object and it is never experienced in tandem.... Wearing two watches of any kind is disruptive to the fundamental psychology and mind-set of enthusiasm for watches - first of all it dilutes the purity of the experience, and secondly, it actually seems to divide one's own character, as you waffle mentally between trying to identify with first one watch, and then the other.


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## Adam2011

JTK Awesome said:


> I tried this and it doesn't work, Hodinkee be damned.
> 
> https://www.hodinkee.com/articles/doing-the-two-wrist-tango-with-the-apple-watch-series-4
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Ironically, it's the Hodinkee editorial that said it best about why wearing two watches can't work.


Personally I don't use the Apple Watch as a watch and so don't consider it as one. I set the screen up to show heart rate data and have shortcuts to music, exercise and alarm. If I didn't have to display the time I wouldn't. It's therefore more of a computer on the wrist for me for convenience and fitness.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


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## JTK Awesome

Except the time is always there on the Apple Watch. Any time you check it for a notification, workout data, etc. you’ll see the time, too. How do you blind yourself to the time data on the Apple Watch?


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## BarracksSi

JTK Awesome said:


> Except the time is always there on the Apple Watch. Any time you check it for a notification, workout data, etc. you'll see the time, too. How do you blind yourself to the time data on the Apple Watch?


Best way is to choose one of the Modular faces (Modular or, as shown here for the sake of our readers, Infograph Modular) since its time display is the smallest of all the faces and placed up in the corner.









Obviously a time-only face like Vapor isn't very functional even though it looks nice.


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## edhchoe

When there is a movement around my front or back door, I get a photo capture of the movement on my AW.
Someday it will be a short video like on my iphone but for now a picture is better than a text.


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## watchcrank_tx

Adam2011 said:


> Personally I don't use the Apple Watch as a watch and so don't consider it as one. I set the screen up to show heart rate data and have shortcuts to music, exercise and alarm. If I didn't have to display the time I wouldn't. It's therefore more of a computer on the wrist for me for convenience and fitness.


This is how I use mine. I wouldn't say it can't be an okay watch for people who want it to be one, but for me it's at most a backup watch. If they ever introduce a data only home screen without the time - or with the time as a modular component - I will use it.



JTK Awesome said:


> Except the time is always there on the Apple Watch. Any time you check it for a notification, workout data, etc. you'll see the time, too. How do you blind yourself to the time data on the Apple Watch?


As others do, I cram the screen with as much relevant data as will fit in the modular layouts. The digital time doesn't jump out to me unless I'm looking for it or looking at the screen long instead of clicking into an app. It's not as though I get offended if I see what time it is when looking at the microwave or the dashboard of my car instead of my watch, and the same is true here. (Though it would be nice to be able to turn the time off at night, when I'm only using the watch as a medical monitor and often don't actually want to know the time.)

When I'm deliberately checking the time however, I vastly prefer analog displays to digital, and IMO 2D pseudo-analog displays are much harder to read than the physical display of a conventional analog watch with the hugely higher resolution of physical objects.

(I do sometimes wear a square digital G-Shock when I need to do something punishing to a watch, and then I leave the Apple watch off or put it in a protective shell that makes it even more awkward to read at a glance. On rare occasional I'll wear the square on a normal day, but that's just because I like the watch, not because I'm being logical or consistent. :-d)


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## Dissident

The AW was never my first choice of watch. There is no soul and I would much rather wear a nice mechanical. However, after a couple stops and starts, I've made finally made the switch over an AW full time. My eyes are getting older and I find that a lot of dials are getting more difficult for me to read and I don't want to put my glasses on just to tell time. Also, I like the simplicity that the AW brings to the table and the fact that you don't know its there until you need it. Much like I don't like having a bunch of stuff in my pockets, I don't want a bunch of stuff hanging off of me....and with the AW I can kill these 2 birds with one stone. The ability to store music and use it as a fitness tracker sealed the deal. The only downside for me with the watch is having to charge it nightly.


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## edhchoe

I started looking at mechanical watches again. They are very pretty and oh the mechanical parts inside.... The engineering and physics and precision!
But I cannot imagine me wearing one any longer. The lack of accuracy even with a Rolex will bother me so much. And it will only tell the time.
I just don't have enough logical reasons to buy a mechanical watch.
I have a handwound dress watch in the drawer. I wound it up last weekend. It is pretty. But I cannot wear it. It will sit in the drawer for months before I wind it up again.

Edit: And then I wound it up again this weekend. I love the mechanical sound...


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## mb8780

I never thought I’d say this but I’ve been wearing the AW only since Jan 1st. 

Bought my wife a new S5 for Xmas. I in turn said “let me try out your S3 for my running.....well that turned into me buying my own S5 in Feb and giving the older 3 to my son. 

I find the Watch extremely useful for workouts / reminders/ love the alarms / insane amount of customizable bands/ faces. 

I own a lot of nice watches but if I’m honest I really like the functionality of this / accuracy/ and bells and whistles. 

I have been poking around the net at the tag Heuer connected which looks pretty sweet.....but it’s a hell of a lot more. 

I do wear my explorer on occasion, I love to look at it. Perhaps I’ll swing back to mechanicals one day but for now My daily is the AW on a paracord strap!!


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


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## Rocket1991

I don't own Apple Watch since i don't have iPhone. What i have is Samsung Gear which for sake of conversation is pretty same thing.
I never thought it will take place in my life and it still present on my wrist daily. 
Reasons are it's comfortable, customizable beyond any imagination and has expandable functionality (far less than AW BTW).
Smart watches are socially acceptable and i think apart from visiting meet up of die hard mechanical watch admiration society, you will be at home with smart watch or AW in particular on your wrist. This by itself something none of regular watches can provide.

I don't want to preach to the choir here just express my solidarity. 
Smartwatches are cool and i think Apple doing very right things with AW.

Watch used to be a tool. Tool to tell time, help you navigate your day and perform. I feel in today's world smartwatch is carrying a torch of this helpfulness into third decade of 21 century.


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## Dive Watch Guy

I seem to wear my Apple 5 more since it counts my steps and monitors my workouts.


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## yikeslookout

It’s more useful and hassle free to me.....

I’m very into fitness so I can track my runs/workouts.

I don’t have to worry about keeping it wound up, adjusting the time, adjusting the dates.

I like that I can read the news and keep myself distracted while sitting in the steam sauna.

I can read/send text.


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## Dogstown

I will never, ever


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## Gbphilli

I just passed my 1-year anniversary with my first smart watch, Apple Watch Series 4 GPS 44mm, as the only watch I wear. I’ve had no problems with it, and it remains extremely useful. I might upgrade to the Apple Watch Series 5 with its always-on display option, compass, and increased storage.


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## kamonjj

I recently picked up the new AW5. I couldn’t use it as an every day watch. I just missed my mechanicals too much. It’s a great smart watch and is primarily for workout and yard work duty now.


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## Gbphilli

I took advantage of an $84 off deal on Amazon to upgrade my AW Series 4 (44mm, GPS) Space Gray Aluminum with Black Sport Band to the same configuration in Series 5. I really like the AOD feature and the compass. Artwork: “Homage to Escher” by Kenneth Finberg.


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## Watchman Dan

They are for really two different customers... The Apple Watch is an electronic gadget and more of a miniaturized smartphone than a watch! It can replace a lot of things, but the one thing it will never replace is a fine mechanical watch...


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## utzelu

Dan Finch said:


> They are for really two different customers... The Apple Watch is an electronic gadget and more of a miniaturized smartphone than a watch! It can replace a lot of things, but the one thing it will never replace is a fine mechanical watch...


They are for a customer who needs the services the platform offers. The device is just an enabler of various services and not a replacement of a mechanical watch. The fact that it sits on the wrist and tells time is just coincidental. I keep telling this yet people still compare the two and bash one product or the other.


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## watchcrank_tx

utzelu said:


> They are for a customer who needs the services the platform offers. The device is just an enabler of various services and not a replacement of a mechanical watch. The fact that it sits on the wrist and tells time is just coincidental. I keep telling this yet people still compare the two and bash one product or the other.


Indeed. And that is why I wear them both.

This pair on my wrists today (though not the same straps as pictured):


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## monsters

I still love my mechanicals, but I did a trial run with my wife's AW4 yesterday to see if I would like it. I love the idea of having the weather, health tracking and notifications without accessing my phone (especially at home). Debating whether I should buy the 5 now at the current discount, or wait for the 6. Any credible rumors about new features of the 6 other than the expected increase in computing power?


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## BarracksSi

monsters said:


> Any credible rumors about new features of the 6 other than the expected increase in computing power?


Nope, no rumors that I would pay attention to. Rumor-baiting clickfarms have been saying since 2015 that the AW would do everything from checking your blood pressure to walking your cat.


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## Aesop Vu

I wore the AW solely when it first came out. But as time went on I began to realize that it's not much a watch as it is a piece of wearable technology that can tell time. Hear me out, the reason I say this is because like your phone or computer, or andy electronic device, there is a point where it'll be come obselete and need to be updated or upgraded to maintain it's functionality. My S2 is now slow as molasses and doesn't do much other than what is on it's face. Try to open any app, even as simple as the timer and it'll take forever. Don't get me wrong, I love the tech and love what it does, but I don't feel like it'll ever replace my dedicated watches. A dedicated watch has personality and depth that the AW seems to lack even though it has cool functions and is basically a tiny smart phone on my wrist.


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## ghanycz

Oddly enough, wearing an Apple Watch pretty much exclusively for a year and a half got me back into watches period. I grew up wearing a watch all the time, then for reasons unknown stopped wearing one entirely. The watches I had sat in my bedside table drawer, neglected. I picked up an Apple Watch series 3 (still using it) as a fitness tracker primarily, and it rekindled the habit of having something on my wrist. Now I’m back to wearing a mechanical probably 75% of the time but I do wear my AW for workouts, hikes etc. 


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## nyamoci

I've been a watch guy my whole life. Had a collection of 15 now down to 2. Really enjoy the notifications without having to pull my phone out


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## Noelandry

Funny thing is, I am going from digital to mechanical...


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## Degr8n8

edhchoe said:


> I love the silent alarm. I use about 8 alarms everyday at work. No mechanical watch can do that. Even a Casio cannot do that.


I know of three casio watches that can do that (sadly i only remember the model numbers of two)
1. Casio GD-350 has a silent vibration alarm for both timers and alarms
2. Casio GW 400 also has a silent alarm but is solar powered to boot! Sadly, its a discontinued model and hard to come by. 
3. Casio Psy referee timer- (some models) have a viibration alarm as an audible alarm wouldnt be too audible in most situations that a referee works in.


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## Philbo24

I bought a Huawei watch gt and was very impressed with it, the choice of faces and the functionality but I never really felt I was wearing a 'watch', so I decided to sell it because I wasn't happy wearing it. Some of the functionality like steps I can still get from my smart
phone.


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## Degr8n8

88Keys said:


> The fitness aspect is a huge thing for me. I've lost over forty pounds over the last year and a half, and exercise every day. I can attribute this directly to the gentle nagging of the Apple Watch.
> 
> Other things off the top of my head:
> Freeing me from my phone. When I'm wearing the Apple watch, I often don't care where my phone is. There is a place I visit regularly and socialise. If I'm wearing the AW, I usually leave the phone out in the bike, because as long as I'm in an area with WiFi that I have previously visited with my phone, it works just the same. I don't have to be that person plonking a cellphone on the table.
> 
> Timers when cooking: "Hey Siri, set a timer for thirteen minutes." Really handy when your hands are full or covered in foodstuff.
> 
> Trivia/information. Someone asked me the other day what is the population of the Isle of Wight. A simple lift of the wrist, and my watch told us (literally spoke the information).
> 
> Directions. I often ride a motorcycle. I was once sat at a set of lights, with gloves on, and decided I was hungry. I lifted my wrist: "Take me to a Subway". The watch taps my wrist differently for right turn, left turn, or straight ahead. Five turns later I was at Subway.
> 
> Reminders: "Remind me tomorrow to get groceries." "Remind me when I leave here to bring my computer." "Remind me next time I'm at Walmart to print the photo."
> 
> Camera: I was once working on my RV, and needed to see if this switch was properly operating the device at the other end of the motor home. I left my phone pointing at it, and used the watch to see what the phone was seeing.
> 
> Phone calls. There have been many times when my hands were full, or my phone was out of reach (often in the morning-I don't take the phone into the bedroom). I can take the call on my watch.
> 
> Flashlight. Many times bringing stuff in from the car at night (I live in the middle of nowhere). The flashlight is surprisingly bright and useful.
> 
> Texting. Many times, I will receive a text during my workout. I can quickly dictate a reply without disturbing what I'm doing.
> 
> Setting the time on my other watches! It's the most accurate watch I own.
> 
> I'm sure I could come up with many more, but you get the idea. I always say that you don't really realise the utility of these things until you start using one, and from the outside, it's all too easy to question why.


 Very valid points. I definitely see the utility. Perhaps, myself (and many others) are reluctant to try an Apple watch, as using one may ruin the hobby for us. It's not surprising to see how many users in this thread that haven't gone back to their old watches after getting an Apple watch. (This hobby was never a rational one.) That said, I'm going to hold off on an Apple watch and continue to enjoy my real  traditional watches as functional art. I'd also like to add that in this ever-connected world, everything becomes a distraction. My watch creates a division in all of this. I can look at it and just stop for a minute. It provides me with a reference without being connected to anything else. No incoming text, no incoming call, and no spam email notification. Just the graceful glide of the secondhand reminding me that no matter what is happening, "time goes on" and that life is short. There is something grounding in this moment of "disconnect" that further connects me to the watch. The traditional watch provides me with a reminder that the Apple watch would only take away, a reminder that I'd be very afraid fo lose.


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## edhchoe

Degr8n8 said:


> I know of three casio watches that can do that (sadly i only remember the model numbers of two)
> 1. Casio GD-350 has a silent vibration alarm for both timers and alarms
> 2. Casio GW 400 also has a silent alarm but is solar powered to boot! Sadly, its a discontinued model and hard to come by.
> 3. Casio Psy referee timer- (some models) have a viibration alarm as an audible alarm wouldnt be too audible in most situations that a referee works in.


8 alarms?
I actually have 8 alarms during weekdays but I have different alarms for weekend and holidays.
I have about 20 alarms altogether.


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## blackair64

I have enjoyed my Apple Watch for years but recently have found myself drawn to timepieces. I have started transitioning to a point where I wear the Apple for workouts then switch to a Movado for instance when headed to work.


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## utzelu

blackair64 said:


> I have enjoyed my Apple Watch for years but recently have found myself drawn to timepieces. I have started transitioning to a point where I wear the Apple for workouts then switch to a Movado for instance when headed to work.


There's no doubt that for people passionate about watches, smartwatches present a difficult dilemma. If there'd be another way to track the health & fitness, the problem would be solved, but so far I didn't find it. Fitness bands are too ugly and not discreet enough.


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## JTK Awesome

utzelu said:


> There's no doubt that for people passionate about watches, smartwatches present a difficult dilemma. If there'd be another way to track the health & fitness, the problem would be solved, but so far I didn't find it. Fitness bands are too ugly and not discreet enough.


Simple, don't track health and fitness. Exercise regularly, see your doctor once a year, and enjoy real watches.


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## metlslug

I have meetings all day for work - being able to glance at my wrist and see what my next meeting will be makes the AW so damn useful! Why won’t my Speedy tell me that???


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## blackair64

JTK Awesome said:


> Simple, don't track health and fitness. Exercise regularly, see your doctor once a year, and enjoy real watches.


Haha I use the watch more for a mini iPod so I don't need to carry my phone to listen to music while at the gym


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## utzelu

JTK Awesome said:


> Simple, don't track health and fitness. Exercise regularly, see your doctor once a year, and enjoy real watches.


I am ejoying real watches as well as wearing a smartwatch when I need it. There is no conflict between the two products.


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## edhchoe

The only scenario where I will have to give up the Apple watch would be if the USA got attacked by China or North Korea and I had to live without electricity for an extended period of time. Then I would have to wear a mechanical watch.
But if things get that bad, needing to know the time may not be my top concern. I would make sure I got food and water, and lots of ammo for my guns.
A generator would be nice also. Then I would be able to wear my Apple watch and also keep my iPhone powered up.
In other words, I probably will never HAVE TO give up my Apple watch.


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## watchcrank_tx

edhchoe said:


> The only scenario where I will have to give up the Apple watch would be if the USA got attacked by China or North Korea and I had to live without electricity for an extended period of time. Then I would have to wear a mechanical watch.
> But if things get that bad, needing to know the time may not be my top concern. I would make sure I got food and water, and lots of ammo for my guns.
> A generator would be nice also. Then I would be able to wear my Apple watch and also keep my iPhone powered up.
> In other words, I probably will never HAVE TO give up my Apple watch.


I generally agree, but worth pointing out that EMP from nuclear strike would have fried your AW by that point.

Since I have conditions which would kill me within weeks or months of an EMP knocking out my medical gear, I can agree that's not a scenario relevant to my choice of watches.


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## dan360

Honestly trying to go the opposite direction and de-connect from all these electronic gotta-have-it things that keep us all connected 24/7/365. Having a computer w/ internet is bad enough. I spent way too many years connected to smart phones and computers that being able to just mute the phone and ignore it is nice. 

I let the wife do all that crap.


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## CSG

dan360 said:


> Honestly trying to go the opposite direction and de-connect from all these electronic gotta-have-it things that keep us all connected 24/7/365. Having a computer w/ internet is bad enough. I spent way too many years connected to smart phones and computers that being able to just mute the phone and ignore it is nice.
> 
> I let the wife do all that crap.


People have become drones and lost much of their humanity with all these devices to stay connected all the time. And to what, twitter, facebook, and other inane platforms that are poisonous to your brain? I wouldn't wear an apple watch if it were free. I have an iphone but it's used mostly as a phone, text device for my kids. and camera. I do look at the distance I've walked when I go for a walk and I use it to stream music too. But the screen is already small enough. An apple watch would require too much of my soul and I'd have to wear readers all the time.


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## Xerxes300

honestly, I've done nothing with the physical data gathered over 2 years. the one cool thing is I can control my Lexus with the watch and not bring anything to the gym except headphones.


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## DougFNJ

CSG said:


> People have become drones and lost much of their humanity with all these devices to stay connected all the time. And to what, twitter, facebook, and other inane platforms that are poisonous to your brain? I wouldn't wear an apple watch if it were free. I have an iphone but it's used mostly as a phone, text device for my kids. and camera. I do look at the distance I've walked when I go for a walk and I use it to stream music too. But the screen is already small enough. An apple watch would require too much of my soul and I'd have to wear readers all the time.


I think unfortunately, and especially this year, a lot of people have sucked themselves so deep into social media, they've let it hurt relationships with friends and family over differences of opinions. Very sad.

On the other side, I don't use my Apple Watch for social media at all. It's a great business and fitness tool. As silly as it sounds, I use those exercise rings as motivation to be more active. Calendar on my watch face, and due times tapping me on the wrist to remind me is very helpful. Emails and texts at as glance actually has me looking at my phone less. I don't wear it every day, but I do wear it when exercising, and when I know I'm going to be crazy busy at work. I use the heart rate tools whoever I wear it, they are useful. I wish I could get my parents to wear them just for the fall detection alone.

It's never going to replace my mechanical, quartz, and G-Shocks. It almost did, but I value my collection, and that includes my Apple Watch.

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## jettech

There are days where I will wear the apple watch more during the week. I also make sure I work the others in but you do get used to the apple watch and feel weird not wearing it for its functions.


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## Twanderson912

I spend too much time on my phone and electronics as it is. A watch might put me overboard


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## PCCM

I went through this same dilemma years ago with my first Apple Watch, ended up selling my mechanicals. Switched to android. Sold the Apple Watch. Bought back the mechanicals I had. Tried a few android smart watches, hated them. Tried a Fitbit, just didn’t do it for me. I got back into apple, now that it is in the 44mm I will likely sell my mechanicals again and keep one for dressier occasions and my trusty invicta diver quartz just to have a beater mechanical around. The utility of the AW is just what I need with my workflow. It is actually the ONLY reason that I switched back to an apple phone once my upgrade was available with my carrier.


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## MrLogan13

I did so for a time because I needed to be able to check my notifications regularly for important work-related things. However, I recently started wearing my traditional mechanical watches again and haven't worn my AW as often. I thought I'd miss it, but I actually don't.


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## JTK Awesome

Before the Apple Watch became mainstream, Mrs. JTK had quartz fashion watches and a Fitbit. I shared my love of mechanical timepieces via 3 gifts (anniversary, birthday, XMas). After her 3rd Fitbit quit ... which they do right after the warranty expires  ... we experimented with the Apple Watch by getting the cheapest one at the time, a 40mm aluminum non-cellular Series 4. And she loved the damned thing, for both the fitness applications and "at a glance" notifications. Like most people, she doesn't appreciate mechanical engineering.

So the 3 mechanicals sit in a box, while the Series 4 has now been replaced with a stainless steel, cellular Series 6.


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