# what the hell is a "smart watch"????



## iAMesper

i see this new thing called a 'smart watch' looks like a 'smart phone' on the wrist something
from the jetsons. I much prefer a simple wind up analog watch with no day or date.
I prefer simplicity. From what i can tell of these things they are ruining the classic
nature of the wrist watch, just my 2 cents.


----------



## Totoro66




----------



## BrentYYC

Calling it a watch is a bit of a misnomer, IMO. It's really just a peripheral device that wirelessly tethers to your smart phone and happens to look like a watch (it will also provide the time, just like your smart phone). All they do is allow you to do a few things on your wrist that you would normally pull out your phone to do, so they're completely redundant in my opinion. They're devices that aren't needed, hoping to dupe the 'sheeple' into buying the latest, whiz-bang gizmo, so they can show off to their friends while waiting in a big lineup at the Apple store.

Seiko beat the current crop of 'smart watches' to the market around 30 years ago with the Seiko Receptor (the technology was licensed to AT&T). It was a watch that wirelessly connected to your pager (remember those) and allowed you to read pages (and send them, in later versions) from your watch. The concept is identical to what smart watches do today, except that the hardware the wrist device connects to today is a vastly superior smart phone versus a pager.


----------



## hayday

Something that is improperly named.

-hayday


----------



## ken_sturrock

I guess a "smart watch" is obviously not a product for you. Or, if past WUS threads are an indication, not for many other watch traditionalists either. I guess since I'm not much of a "phone guy", the watch aspect doesn't do a lot for me.


----------



## iAMesper

ken_sturrock said:


> I guess a "smart watch" is obviously not a product for you. Or, if past WUS threads are an indication, not for many other watch traditionalists either. I guess since I'm not much of a "phone guy", the watch aspect doesn't do a lot for me.


Im not much of a phone guy either. I have a basic cell phone i use strictly for calling people
maybe once a week to keep in touch with family or to get in touch with people for basic reasons.
I dont have internet or any of that fancy crap its just a phone. I have no interest in wearing something
that does 1000000 different things, i just want a basic simple bear bones clean wrist watch that keeps time.
The most 'advance' watches i wear are digitals and even those are basic retro style timex and casio but 95%
of the time im wearing a basic wind up watch.


----------



## Chris19delta

I use a smartphone constantly for work (the "fancy" smart features, not just the old fashioned call and talk at people thing), and can def see a bunch of reasons to buy one, but at the same time I don't want to become dependent on having all the cool smart watch features if I want to wear a real watch that day. I don't want to feel that I HAVE to wear that smart watch or I'll be missing the ability to do something the way I've become accustomed to. So overall kinda conflicted on em personally.


----------



## Nokie

I don't want to have to purchase a "smart watch" to compete with my "smart phone", so I'll stick to the latest version of the i-phone for all of the other stuff it offers, and use my watches for the pleasure of telling me the time........


----------



## elGrafico

I love technology including smartphones and I love watches too, but have no desire to combine them.

Current smart watches are at best an expensive accessory for an already expensive accessory and really serve no purpose, so I've been trying to make sense of how a smart watch might appeal to the masses and the only pitch that makes sense to me is medical i.e. wearing this smart watch you will likely live longer (health monitor and advice including dietary) and it may even save your life (detects the start of a heart attack and calls 911 with your location). Anything else could be (has been?) done with a smartphone alone and doesn't require constant skin contact.


----------



## monza06

It's just another form of marketing BS.


----------



## iAMesper

monza06 said:


> It's just another form of marketing BS.


I love mechanical watches because it is for one an art a lost art in todays over technology.
the simplicity of a basic dial that i can use as a time keeping tool with out looking overly flashy
that still compliments my clothes, plus knowing under that simplistic look is gears and work man ship
whirling on my wrist that someone made with their hands is just amazing to me. I love the connection
to simpler times with out all the clutter of all this in your face marketed technology bs! I do enjoy my digital 
watches in the 80's and 90's style for my own nostalgia from my own childhood, but mechanical watches 
really are what i desire. Simple simple and beautiful wind up watches.


----------



## MCT

If you happen to wear the watch and forget ur phone at home, it will be useless.


----------



## iAMesper

MCT said:


> If you happen to wear the watch and forget ur phone at home, it will be useless.


i forget my watch at home all the time. Good thing i wear a watch on my wrist to always keep time in stead of having
to pull out a stupid cell phone.


----------



## Chris19delta

MCT said:


> If you happen to wear the watch and forget ur phone at home, it will be useless.


it will tell you you forgot your phone


----------



## Chascomm

If the title of this thread was intended as a serious question ;-) then...

...we have a forum for that:

Smart Watches


----------



## BadApple

A smart watch is a watch that can convince a buyer to pay thousands of dollars to tell what time it is. Fortunately, this does not apply to any of us.


----------



## iAMesper

Chascomm said:


> If the title of this thread was intended as a serious question ;-) then...
> 
> ...we have a forum for that:
> 
> Smart Watches


nah it was a rhetorical question, i think the word watch should even be used with this device.


----------



## Crunchy

it's a coming of a crisis in the watch industry. Nobody likes a doomsayer, but i think it's inevitable...


----------



## iAMesper

Crunchy said:


> it's a coming of a crisis in the watch industry. Nobody likes a doomsayer, but i think it's inevitable...


classic things always go back in style so im not too worried.


----------



## BrentYYC

Crunchy said:


> it's a coming of a crisis in the watch industry. Nobody likes a doomsayer, but i think it's inevitable...


I think the "coming crisis" will be to the smart watch manufacturers, not the watch industry, when it eventually becomes obvious there is only a very small market for their products (i.e. redundant, peripheral devices for your phone).


----------



## Monocrom

iAMesper said:


> i see this new thing called a 'smart watch' looks like a 'smart phone' on the wrist something
> from the jetsons. I much prefer a simple wind up analog watch with no day or date.
> I prefer simplicity. From what i can tell of these things they are ruining the classic
> nature of the wrist watch, just my 2 cents.


Well.... A modern-day Smart Watch is supposed to be something that replaces both your Smartphone and typical watch.

In reality, it's a gimmick since it doesn't actually replace your Smartphone. You have to carry that anyway. It just looks ugly on your wrist than a traditional watch. Basically it's there for Uber lazy individuals who can't be bothered to pull their phones out of their pockets when they get a call.


----------



## gordon9999

Monocrom said:


> Well.... A modern-day Smart Watch is supposed to be something that replaces both your Smartphone and typical watch.
> 
> In reality, it's a gimmick since it doesn't actually replace your Smartphone. You have to carry that anyway. It just looks ugly on your wrist than a traditional watch. Basically it's there for Uber lazy individuals who can't be bothered to pull their phones out of their pockets when they get a call.


This is a pretty obnoxious and offensive take: YOU don't find it useful, therefore it's a "gimmick" and anyone who uses one is an "uber lazy individual"?

My wife uses a Pebble and loves it. Your average smartphone is going to be firing off alerts dozens of times a day. Typically this requires you to stop what you're doing, fish it out of your pocket, and stare at it to determine if it's something you need to deal with. With a Smartwatch, you just glance downwards for a half-second and get the same information. Instantaneous, discrete, and non-disruptive. Kind of like-I don't know- the way it's nice to be able to tell the time by just glancing at your wrist instead of pulling out a phone and pressing a button?

I don't use one myself, mostly because it would preclude being able to wear the vintage watches I enjoy so much, and I have yet to see a particularly attractive smartwatch.

My point is, they're practical and useful for the right sort of person. There's no call to be making derogatory character assumptions just because someone likes a watch&#8230;


----------



## RonaldVC

KITT: "tell me where ya at, I'll be there in ten seconds flat"

I still watch the reruns.. I'm 35....


----------



## geoffbot

I can definitely see the appeal of a smart watch - people like gadgets (I do). But a smartphone and mechanical watch is my choice combo - the former being more fully-featured than a smart watch; the latter not likely to run out of juice as long as I'm still kicking.


----------



## StufflerMike

Moved to our SWF


----------



## oroloi

I've been collecting watches for over 35 years, mainly mechanical watches and I'm very excited about Smartwatches coming into the scene. I will never stop buying mechanical watches even though I can see the time just about everywhere. I will continue wearing my Mechanical watches but will also get a lot of use from the Smartwatch I have on order and can't wait for the technology to mature in a few years time. Get ready, this is just the beginning 

Smartwatches will be here to stay forever, like it or not. Best part is you don't have to buy one if you don't want/need to.

I remember a few years ago people were saying to me.... Why would you want an ipad ? What are you going to do with it ? It's not needed, I would never buy one etc. The same people are now using iPads and finding more uses for it as time goes buy. The same will happen in the smartwatch scene but not to that scale (just my opinion)


----------



## WnS

Monocrom said:


> Basically it's there for Uber lazy individuals who can't be bothered to pull their phones out of their pockets when they get a call.


For guys who wear skinny jeans with really tight pockets, it's necessity rather than laziness. Then again, guys who think genital compressing skinny jeans are fashionable don't really deserve to reproduce.

Girls look nice in skinny jeans, but they also have a purse to carry their smart phone in.

There doesn't seem to be much point to a smart watch.


----------



## Will3020

Think I'll purchase one when they're on the market.


----------



## Monocrom

gordon9999 said:


> This is a pretty obnoxious and offensive take:


No, it's an honest one.

If blatant honesty is "offensive" to you, if you believe that it's "obnoxious" to call something exactly what it is.... Feel free to put me on your Ignore List, or be prepared to always be "offended" when you read any of my posts; since I don't sugar-coat anything and tell it like it is.

Yeah, I find certain things to be offensive too.



> YOU don't find it useful, therefore it's a "gimmick" and anyone who uses one is an "uber lazy individual"?


Once again, telling it like it is. Has nothing to do with me or my personal preferences. When you have a Smart Watch that doesn't actually replace your Smartphone but has to worn as you continue to carry your phone on your person.... Yeah, gimmick. Such a watch serves no actual purpose, except to allow the wearer to answer a phone call by pressing on the watch instead of reaching down and pulling their phone out of their pocket. So, once again, Uber laziness. (Seriously, it's gotten to be too much of a chore to reach into a pocket now? Yeah, that's an honest description of Uber laziness.)


----------



## Chris19delta

I'd personally be much more likely to buy a smart watch than a fancy quartz watch, neither is a real watch, but at least the smart watch does useful stuff. Most smart watches aren't intended to be phone replacements (not all there are a couple that can make calls on their own), they're an accessory/peripheral. As for laziness, it allows you at a glance to see if it's worth pulling your phone out to read that text/email/answer a call, which is nice especially in a business environment (less disruptive etc). I think they have valid uses and will become more popular, personally the 2 main things holding me back from getting one are 1 most look horrible, like kids/toy watches you'd get in a happy meal, and 2 I'm afraid I'd like it too much and wear it to the exclusion of my real watches.


----------



## garublador

BrentYYC said:


> Calling it a watch is a bit of a misnomer, IMO. It's really just a peripheral device that wirelessly tethers to your smart phone and happens to look like a watch (it will also provide the time, just like your smart phone).


But it has the same form factor as a wrist watch and tells time. Doesn't that make it a "watch?" What features, when added to a watch, cease to make the device a "watch" anymore?



BrentYYC said:


> All they do is allow you to do a few things on your wrist that you would normally pull out your phone to do, so they're completely redundant in my opinion. They're devices that aren't needed, hoping to dupe the 'sheeple' into buying the latest, whiz-bang gizmo, so they can show off to their friends while waiting in a big lineup at the Apple store.


Using the same logic, doesn't all of that apply to traditional watches as well? Their functionality is all redundant with what any cell phone (doesn't even need to be smart) can do so the only reason to wear one would be to show it off.



elGrafico said:


> Current smart watches are at best an expensive accessory for an already expensive accessory and really serve no purpose, so I've been trying to make sense of how a smart watch might appeal to the masses


While I agree they are a bit pricey and probably not worth buying yet, I can very easily see how they'll be useful. The health stuff you mentioned is a pretty big one, and something many early models focused on. They're also useful for any time that taking your phone out of your pocket would be inconvenient. If I'm at work in a meeting and I get a call, text or email, it's nice to be able to see whether it's important (wife is on fire) or useless (my sister's boyfriend's dog made a cute face...again) without disrupting the meeting. The same goes for if I'm out running errands with two kids in tow or in a social situation where pulling out your phone is seen as rude. You can also gets lists of information displayed on the watch, so having a to do list, or grocery list accessible without fumbling with your phone is really nice, too. There are also lots of times when getting my phone out and looking at it isn't a big deal, so I'd wear something else.

There's also the ridiculously cool factor of controlling a home automation system. Somehow turning my lights on or off, unlocking my door or adjusting the thermostat on my watch is way cooler than doing it on my phone.



iAMesper said:


> classic things always go back in style so im not too worried.


That just summed up a wall of text I entered in a different thread in 12 words. Nicely done!



Monocrom said:


> It just looks ugly on your wrist than a traditional watch.


While I agree that most are very ugly, there's nothing about the concept that forces them to be that way. The metal Pebble is a big step in the right direction and you can pick what the watch face looks like.



Monocrom said:


> Basically it's there for Uber lazy individuals who can't be bothered to pull their phones out of their pockets when they get a call.


As opposed to the uber lazy thinkers who can't come up with any situations where it would be useful?



Monocrom said:


> Once again, telling it like it is. Has nothing to do with me or my personal preferences. When you have a Smart Watch that doesn't actually replace your Smartphone but has to worn as you continue to carry your phone on your person.... Yeah, gimmick. Such a watch serves no actual purpose, except to allow the wearer to answer a phone call by pressing on the watch instead of reaching down and pulling their phone out of their pocket. So, once again, Uber laziness. (Seriously, it's gotten to be too much of a chore to reach into a pocket now? Yeah, that's an honest description of Uber laziness.)


As for "telling it like it is" that's not what you're doing. You're telling it like you see it. There's a big difference. You suggested you're taking an objective look at it when you're really taking an entirely subjective point of view. You didn't consider any situation when taking your phone out of your pocket is difficult, socially unacceptable or inconvenient, based the anesthetic argument solely on your preferences and totally ignored that your logic also applies to all watches (i.e. you'd also have to be uber lazy to look at your watch rather than take your cell phone out of your pocket to check the time, making all watches redundant to anyone with a cell phone).


----------



## iAMesper

Monocrom said:


> Well.... A modern-day Smart Watch is supposed to be something that replaces both your Smartphone and typical watch.
> 
> In reality, it's a gimmick since it doesn't actually replace your Smartphone. You have to carry that anyway. It just looks ugly on your wrist than a traditional watch. Basically it's there for Uber lazy individuals who can't be bothered to pull their phones out of their pockets when they get a call.





RonaldVC said:


> KITT: "tell me where ya at, I'll be there in ten seconds flat"
> 
> I still watch the reruns.. I'm 35....





WnS said:


> For guys who wear skinny jeans with really tight pockets, it's necessity rather than laziness. Then again, guys who think genital compressing skinny jeans are fashionable don't really deserve to reproduce.
> 
> Girls look nice in skinny jeans, but they also have a purse to carry their smart phone in.
> 
> There doesn't seem to be much point to a smart watch.


I actually wear skinny jeans being I'm 32 and 5"5 and a very tiny person regular style mens pants even classic fit fit baggy on me and make me look like a rapper. the trick for me is I buy dickies skinny fit work pants one size up and I have classic fit pants for a short adult.


----------



## iAMesper

Monocrom said:


> Well.... A modern-day Smart Watch is supposed to be something that replaces both your Smartphone and typical watch.
> 
> In reality, it's a gimmick since it doesn't actually replace your Smartphone. You have to carry that anyway. It just looks ugly on your wrist than a traditional watch. Basically it's there for Uber lazy individuals who can't be bothered to pull their phones out of their pockets when they get a call.





RonaldVC said:


> KITT: "tell me where ya at, I'll be there in ten seconds flat"
> 
> I still watch the reruns.. I'm 35....





oroloi said:


> I've been collecting watches for over 35 years, mainly mechanical watches and I'm very excited about Smartwatches coming into the scene. I will never stop buying mechanical watches even though I can see the time just about everywhere. I will continue wearing my Mechanical watches but will also get a lot of use from the Smartwatch I have on order and can't wait for the technology to mature in a few years time. Get ready, this is just the beginning
> 
> Smartwatches will be here to stay forever, like it or not. Best part is you don't have to buy one if you don't want/need to.
> 
> I remember a few years ago people were saying to me.... Why would you want an ipad ? What are you going to do with it ? It's not needed, I would never buy one etc. The same people are now using iPads and finding more uses for it as time goes buy. The same will happen in the smartwatch scene but not to that scale (just my opinion)


I personally can't stand the iPad. I find it hard to use. my gf has an iPod touch which I'm using at the moment and it's less than user friendly the buttons are so damn small on these things It's difficult to type or touch the screen when everything is so damn time and some things you can't zoom on. I prefer a classic desk top computer I don't need to be wired to the internet where ever I go.


----------



## rationaltime

*A Wrist Phone*

For those those who haven't looked through the product list
some of these devices function as independent phones
with their own sim card and connection to the wireless network.
They are worn on the wrist. I call those devices "wrist phones".
They do not require a pocket phone, or a wrist watch, to display
the time or connect you with a person who wants to sell you
something.

Thanks,
rationaltime


----------



## Chascomm

Before the discussion gets too heated up, I'd like to point out that this thread originated on the Public Forum as a somewhat facetious comment by somebody who has little interest in smartwatches and what they might have to offer. This was picked up by traditional watch enthusiasts with a similar lack of interest in smartwatches. The thread has since been relocated to this forum where there is a broad interest in this new technology. There's little benefit in getting worked up into a rage about somebody else's comments. IMHO


----------



## iAMesper

I think it's dumb they moved my thread considering it was directed to traditional watch owners and not to people who actually like smart phones and smart "watches".


----------



## Monocrom

Chris19delta said:


> I'd personally be much more likely to buy a smart watch than a fancy quartz watch, neither is a real watch....


I'm sorry but honestly, anyone posting that a quartz watch isn't a "real" watch; just.... Come on now.

It's not real? It's a figment of one's imagination? Apparently we as human-beings have absolutely fantastic imaginations because our_ not real_ watches do a fantastically better job of time-keeping than the actual thing. How 'bout that.



> but at least the smart watch does useful stuff. Most smart watches aren't intended to be phone replacements (not all there are a couple that can make calls on their own), they're an accessory/peripheral.


They're something you have to carry *along with* your cellphone. Honestly, the one thing the hipsters in NYC would do is make fun of guys who still wore wrist-watches. They see it (or perhaps "saw it" would be a better term) as horribly out dated and old-fashioned. The very opposite of hip, trendy, and everything your average hipster desperately tries to exude. (Nevermind the fact that Grand-pa used to have a device he pulled out of his pocket, pressed on it with his finger, checked the time, "locked it" back up, and then buried it back in his pocket.) But apparently, wearing a timepiece on one's wrist _*and carrying a cellphone too*_ has now become trendy. Nice! Looks like I'm just as hip and trendy as Grand-pa. Who knew!



> As for laziness, it allows you at a glance to see if it's worth pulling your phone out to read that text/email/answer a call....


Ironically, you just proved my point regarding extreme laziness.

No joke, no sarcasm.... Your phone is on your person. Most likely in a pocket right by your hand. You get an alert tone, your phone rings, it vibrates like crazy. You know someone wants to communicate with you. In that situation, a person honestly finds it too much of a chore to simply reach in, pull the phone out, look at the screen and then slip the phone back into his pocket?? Really?! That's honestly now become to much effort? Too much of a chore? So rather than do that, an individual who never bothered wearing a watch before spends the extra money on one, straps it onto his wrist everyday, wears it everywhere because.... It's too much work slipping a hand into a pocket? :-s



> ....which is nice especially in a business environment (less disruptive etc).


If you're at your desk, put the phone on vibrate and keep it in your pocket. No one will get upset if you pull your phone out to answer a quick call. No reason to be discrete in that situation.

The only one I can think of is if an executive is at a meeting, at work. And if that's the case, the professional thing to do is switch your phone off before walking into the meeting. Once the meeting is over, excuse yourself and head to the restroom. Switch your phone back on and check to see if you received a call or text message worth responding to.



> I think they have valid uses and will become more popular, personally the 2 main things holding me back from getting one are 1 most look horrible, like kids/toy watches you'd get in a happy meal, and 2 I'm afraid I'd like it too much and wear it to the exclusion of my real watches.


You cited two very valid reasons for not getting one.


----------



## iAMesper

I agree the look is the biggest part I prefer the simplistic look of a simple dress wind up mens Analog watch these look like Burger King kids meal toys.


----------



## iAMesper

Monocrom said:


> I'm sorry but honestly, anyone posting that a quartz watch isn't a "real" watch; just.... Come on now.
> 
> It's not real? It's a figment of one's imagination? Apparently we as human-beings have absolutely fantastic imaginations because our_ not real_ watches do a fantastically better job of time-keeping than the actual thing. How 'bout that.
> 
> They're something you have to carry *along with* your cellphone. Honestly, the one thing the hipsters in NYC would do is make fun of guys who still wore wrist-watches. They see it (or perhaps "saw it" would be a better term) as horribly out dated and old-fashioned. The very opposite of hip, trendy, and everything your average hipster desperately tries to exude. (Nevermind the fact that Grand-pa used to have a device he pulled out of his pocket, pressed on it with his finger, checked the time, "locked it" back up, and then buried it back in his pocket.) But apparently, wearing a timepiece on one's wrist _*and carrying a cellphone too*_ has now become trendy. Nice! Looks like I'm just as hip and trendy as Grand-pa. Who knew!
> 
> Ironically, you just proved my point regarding extreme laziness.
> 
> No joke, no sarcasm.... Your phone is on your person. Most likely in a pocket right by your hand. You get an alert tone, your phone rings, it vibrates like crazy. You know someone wants to communicate with you. In that situation, a person honestly finds it too much of a chore to simply reach in, pull the phone out, look at the screen and then slip the phone back into his pocket?? Really?! That's honestly now become to much effort? Too much of a chore? So rather than do that, an individual who never bothered wearing a watch before spends the extra money on one, straps it onto his wrist everyday, wears it everywhere because.... It's too much work slipping a hand into a pocket? :-s
> 
> If you're at your desk, put the phone on vibrate and keep it in your pocket. No one will get upset if you pull your phone out to answer a quick call. No reason to be discrete in that situation.
> 
> The only one I can think of is if an executive is at a meeting, at work. And if that's the case, the professional thing to do is switch your phone off before walking into the meeting. Once the meeting is over, excuse yourself and head to the restroom. Switch your phone back on and check to see if you received a call or text message worth responding to.
> 
> You cited two very valid reasons for not getting one.


actually the trendy thing for hipster now is to wear retro digital watches because it's "ironic". I've never seen a hipster with a wind up classic analog though I suppose that's too classic for their hit of the month "taste".


----------



## Monocrom

garublador said:


> While I agree that most are very ugly, there's nothing about the concept that forces them to be that way. The metal Pebble is a big step in the right direction and you can pick what the watch face looks like.


I've seen it. While not hideous, as you say it's a step in the right direction. Far from its destination, but at least going the right way.



> As opposed to the uber lazy thinkers who can't come up with any situations where it would be useful?


If you have to sit there and genuinely put in quite a bit of effort to think up a situation in which using a Smart watch would honestly be beneficial over doing something that requires no real effort, such as pulling a cellphone out of your pocket, then that individual is just trying to convince others (and perhaps himself) that a gimmick which he really loves is actually not a gimmick.

Genuinely useful inventions don't require sitting there and having to think up situations and scenarios in which that invention would make a _real_ difference or be _truly_ beneficial.



> As for "telling it like it is" that's not what you're doing. You're telling it like you see it. There's a big difference. You suggested you're taking an objective look at it when you're really taking an entirely subjective point of view. You didn't consider any situation when taking your phone out of your pocket is difficult, socially unacceptable or inconvenient, based the anesthetic argument solely on your preferences and totally ignored that your logic also applies to all watches (i.e. you'd also have to be uber lazy to look at your watch rather than take your cell phone out of your pocket to check the time, making all watches redundant to anyone with a cell phone).


Sorry, going to have to disagree. I did tell it like it is. My outlook was objective. Yours' is the one that's subjective. Hey! Here's a new bit of technology! Well, obviously that must mean that's automatically a good thing, right?.... Sorry, doesn't work that way. Though I admit, many folks do have that mentality. And if they can't see a situation in which it actually betters their lives.... They stop and put in sometimes a great deal of effort to think up situations or scenarios in which it would make things better. Well, once you start doing that; that's it. You've just proven my point that the new bit of technology is just a gimmick. If it truly was better, if it truly was an improvement.... No reasonably intelligent person would have to put in any effort in trying to think up situations in which that new bit of tech. would actually be better.

But, I did try to think up situations in which a Smart watch would be better than pulling out one's phone and checking it. I kept coming back to two things:

1 - Either you excuse yourself from the conversation with the person standing in front of you, go off to another spot where they can't see you; and then quickly check your phone.

~ OR ~

2 - You continue the conversation with the person standing in front of you and then simply check your phone when that conversation is over. (If you're at a formal setting, once again you walk to a spot where others won't see you reaching for your phone.

I couldn't come up with a single situation in which a Smart watch would truly be beneficial. (Obviously, you couldn't either. I'm sure you would have posted it if you had.)

But the two examples I gave were about social acceptability (or the lack thereof). Let's take a look at the other examples you gave.

Difficult and inconvenient.... I spent yesterday in a Government building that was crowded as Hell, with over 60 people ahead of me. They had a Waiting room. Yes, it was horribly over-crowded. Yes, folks still pulled cellphones out of their pockets. How did they do it?.... They leaned forward a bit. That's all it took. Sorry, not as though it's physically difficult to pull a cellphone out of a pocket. Hell, even a baby can pick up a cellphone. It's going to put it in its mouth and chew on it, but it can pick it up. It's just not that heavy or difficult to do. Not at all.

A traditional watch and a Smart watch are not exactly the same thing. I can strap on a traditional watch, and it does everything it needs to, by itself. I don't need to strap on a cellphone in order to use all the features of a traditional watch. Also, traditional wrist-watches for men became a pragmatic necessity compared to Smart watches. The wrist-watch was a replacement to generally fragile pocket-watches. While far more marvels of durability back then when they replaced pocket-watches completely, they were more out of the way on the wrist and far more secure attached to the wrist than a pocket-watch was every time it was pulled out of pocket. The pocket-watch could be dropped, slip out one's hand etc. Even with a chain attached, the chain could fail. Back then, your wrist-watch or converted pocket-watch to be worn on the wrist didn't have springbars that could fail. The attachment points for the strap were solid. Wrap a small portion on top of the lower strap around the bottom lug, fold over that material, and then sew it up. Vice-versa for the top strap. Actually more secure than springbars. So while you didn't have a significant increase in durability, you had a decrease in the likelihood of your timepiece encountering a shock to it that rendered it in need of servicing.

Replacement for pocket-watches. The *average* Smart watch isn't replacing anything. You have to use it in conjunction with your cellphone. A wrist-watch isn't a gimmick, no need to sit down and try to come up with a good reason to wear on instead of carrying around a pocket-watch. Wrist-watches replaced pocket-watches for men for more reasons than simply convenience. But once again, since a Smart watch isn't replacing a cellphone but requires carrying your phone in order to get the most out of your Smart watch.... Yeah, gimmick.

Smart watch vs. traditional wrist-watch.... Far from the Apples-to-Apples comparison you try to make it out to be.


----------



## Monocrom

iAMesper said:


> actually the trendy thing for hipster now is to wear retro digital watches because it's "ironic". I've never seen a hipster with a wind up classic analog though I suppose that's too classic for their hit of the month "taste".


Hopefully they'll be done wasting their time doing everything in an "ironic" way soon, and spend some time doing something of real significance and meaning before they get too old to be hip & trendy.


----------



## Chris19delta

Monocrom said:


> Ironically, you just proved my point regarding extreme laziness.
> 
> No joke, no sarcasm.... Your phone is on your person. Most likely in a pocket right by your hand. You get an alert tone, your phone rings, it vibrates like crazy. You know someone wants to communicate with you. In that situation, a person honestly finds it too much of a chore to simply reach in, pull the phone out, look at the screen and then slip the phone back into his pocket?? Really?! That's honestly now become to much effort? Too much of a chore? So rather than do that, an individual who never bothered wearing a watch before spends the extra money on one, straps it onto his wrist everyday, wears it everywhere because.... It's too much work slipping a hand into a pocket? :-s


it's using your time more efficiently, would you consider using email for professional correspondence vs hand writing a physical letter and mailing it laziness, or is using a wrist watch to check the time laziness when you could just use the phone you already carry to check the time it's right in your pocket after all. You dislike the concept of smart watches and are thus inclined to when there is the option view anything regarding them in a negative light.


----------



## garublador

I'll ignore most of that because there's it's mostly just unsupported claims and very little actual rhetoric in it, but this statement here:


Monocrom said:


> Genuinely useful inventions don't require sitting there and having to think up situations and scenarios in which that invention would make a _real_ difference or be _truly_ beneficial.


Makes me think of the personal computer. They had to form a club of enthusiasts (The Homebrew Computer Club) to figure out why a PC might be useful. One of the earliest things they came up with was to make a program that would cause an AM radio that was sitting on top of it to play the melody of a song. That invention has proven to be one of the most important, useful and influential inventions of all time yet no one knew what to do with one when they were first invented. I'm not claiming smart watches will be anywhere near as important or influential (though some probably are), but it's pretty obvious that the statement you made is false.

The problem the smart watch is solving is that it can be inconvenient to take your phone out of your pocket to figure out if the notification you just got is at all useful. No one it claiming it's a big problem unless you're in a very specific situation, which is pretty much exactly the same for traditional watches as well. Most of the time you have a phone with you or are surrounded by clocks, so you'd have to be super lazy to not just take your phone out or find a clock to figure out what time it is. Considering that most smart watches cost a fraction of what a decent mechanical watch (and you can likely buy a new smart watch every 5 years for how much they cost to get serviced), why not get a watch that does a lot more than a traditional watch? The only down side is personal preference.


----------



## Monocrom

Chris19delta said:


> it's using your time more efficiently, would you consider using email for professional correspondence vs hand writing a physical letter and mailing it laziness....


A more efficient use of one's time? E-mail vs. Snail mail is one thing. A local letter can take an average of 2 or 3 days to reach the recipient. A letter to someone half way around the world? Well, that can be as much as a few weeks depending on the Country of Destination. Yeah, you can fire off an e-mail in literally seconds and it'll get to its destination. That is an excellent example of more efficiently using one's time. But a Smart watch vs. a cellphone.... I don't know, perhaps an extra, literally, two seconds of difference technically qualifies as more efficient use of time. in practice, not so much.



> ....or is using a wrist watch to check the time laziness when you could just use the phone you already carry to check the time it's right in your pocket after all.


Covered that one in a previous post in this topic. There were other reasons why the wrist-watch replaced the traditional pocket-watch that men carried with them on a daily basis.



> You dislike the concept of smart watches and are thus inclined to when there is the option view anything regarding them in a negative light.


Nope! I don't hate or love them. I think they're a gimmick. If I thought they were an utterly useless rip-off designed to con folks out of their money; that's what I'd call them. (When the vast majority become marketed as a full-on cellphone replacement, and are truly good at replacing a cellphone, I'll be the first to take a serious look at them) There are some for whom technology is their religion. Anything new, is automatically thought of in an instant positive light. Thus, when someone offers an objective, dissenting, opinion; It's just thought of as instantly negative.


----------



## Monocrom

garublador said:


> I'll ignore most of that because there's it's mostly just unsupported claims and very little actual rhetoric in it....


Ah! Thank you for basically saying that you don't agree with the numerous valid points I've brought up. However, you're unable to refute them. Thus, rather than admit that they are valid points.... You've decided to pretend that they're unsupported claims, or not worth responding to.

Sorry, but even though I wasn't a member of my college Debating Team; I am aware of that particular tactic. And, just called you out on it. The great thing about WUS is that it attracts all types with various dissenting views. While sometimes topics can get out of hand, and moderators need to step in; it is absolutely possible to have excellent, thought-provoking, discussions among members who disagree. I've had countess such discussions. It's ironic but the vast majority of other regulars whom I get along with and have even become friends with are those whom I literally have nothing else in common but a love of watches.

The thing about a good, thought-provoking, discussion among those who disagree is that when someone makes an excellent point that either can't be refuted, or the other individual can't think of a counter-point to bring up, they concede that particular aspect of the discussion and move on to another aspect.

They don't pretend that a valid point is silly or unimportant. Doing so is just disingenuous. And, it brings the discussion to an end. since, after that point; it's no longer a discussion but can easy turn into just bickering. I can have a thought-provoking discussion with _*anyone*_.... Except someone who decides they're going to use that tactic because they can't refute what was brought up, but don't want to concede that particular point. When someone makes a valid point that I can't refute, I give credit where its due.

Feel free to have the last word. I just think it's unfortunate you decided to go that route by using that tactic.


----------



## MRoy888

Its hard to say what exactly a "smartwatch" is. The current set of smartwatches are more along the lines of wearable technology that happen to tell time and perform other functions. Over a period of time, my guess is that a lot of accessories will have some 'smart' element to them.


----------



## Crunchy

Why would anyone wear a watch instead of a pocket watch? Convenience.

With a smartwatch, people probably will not carry phones anymore but the watch will be linked to a tablet instead.

Or, it can stand alone and replace the phone if they figure out how to make calling and texting easy with a wrist gadget.


----------



## Mjduct

Monocrom said:


> A But a Smart watch vs. a cellphone.... I don't know, perhaps an extra, literally, two seconds of difference technically qualifies as more efficient use of time. in practice, not so much.


I am thinking about getting one because I do alot of work where I can't check my cell phone, and my wife is 6 months pregnant, and if I get a call/ text I would like to read it without having to wait 4 or 5 minutes to excuse myself from a meeting, stop in the middle of a workout, while riding my bike, or wait till the end of a presentation.

The ability to glance at your wrist and know is something is dismiss-able or not could be valuable not as a time saver but as a face saver over checking your phone. With the influx of high tech gadgets taking the place of in person communications, the massive amount of in person communications are important and people are valuing face to face communication more as it becomes less common.

granted this same watch would probably be something like a Garmin Fenix/Tactix, and also do GPS, heartrate monitor, workout tracking, and a host of other techy fitness stuff...


----------



## Jollytron

I like the idea of a smart watch for health/fitness reasons. A lot of the FitBits and similar devices require you be linked to a cell phone or computer in order to view the stats. I like that they can be conglomerated into one item that doesn't force me to pull out the phone, link it up, and wait for the data to transfer in order to check my step count. The process goes from a minute to seconds. It also opens up the amount of health applications available. Maybe one day they'll have the ability to check blood glucose, blood oxygen level (pulse oximeter), or hell, a wrist blood pressure monitor. 

The point I'm trying to make is that just because they're redundant or pointless now, it's a gateway to better things. I'd go from carrying 3 things in my pocket, some of which are bulky, to one simple device that's on my wrist. Hell, maybe it could function as EPIRB. I'm rambling now, but I've thought of these potential applications in just a few minutes of thought. No point in writing off a new tech gadget just because I have no uses for it at this moment in its development.

-Posted from my FitBit 3000 MegaStepper Ultimate Edition, with glitter.-


----------



## rationaltime

Jollytron said:


> ... Hell, maybe it could function as EPIRB.


I agree there are worthy apps not yet implemented. If you are going to dream,
you may as well dream big.

The EPIRB signal is transmitted as a burst with about 1% duty cycle, I think.
The transmit power is 5 W and it works for 48 hours. At the low duty cycle
we might guess you could do that with an AA size Li battery. However, ELT
(and EPIRB, I guess) batteries seem to be much larger than that. There must
be a lot of power lost to inefficiency. If you are going to strap the EPIRB to
your wrist we might need to invent some high density energy storage.

Thanks,
rationaltime


----------



## hogwldfltr

I've been using my metawatch since Christmas when I go to work. During the weekend I revert to my automatics; when I'm at work I really appreciate the heads-up notications I get and not having to be constantly going for my cell. If you are communications heavy than a smart watch might be the right choice as a watch while working. Not also that mine vibrates when if gets to far away from my phone making me less likely to leave my phone behind.


----------

