How many of you delibrately wear a watch that isn't a smart watch?
When the Apple Watch first came out, I swore I'd buy one as soon as the technology matured after a few iterations-I had always loved the idea of wearables, and the Apple Watch really seemed to hit a sweet spot.
Fast forward several years, and I'm very disgruntled with the idea of smart/wearable/IOT/etc devices-the fact that they're expensive and require replacing regularly like a phone, require regular charging, the fact that I'd sometimes like to be alone without any outside connectivity, etc just really turns me off. Also having had a few instances of natural disasters to deal with over the past few years makes me yearn for something just a lot less dependent on regular charging than a smart watch.
So, Ive gone back to (for the time being) ordering a good old Timex Ironman as a cheap standby that will last quite a while and do what it needs to do. I'll look into upgrading to something a bit fancier and possibly mechanical if the Timex experiment works out. I'm just wondering if I'm alone in this, or maybe I'm tapping into a (very slight) anti smart device sentiment that's only prevalent in really tech centric communities.
In western countries (at least) nobody needs a watch to keep track of time. We have ultra precise time on out smartphones and devices. So wearing a watch today is more of a statement of appreciation for an item that sits in the middle of craftsmanship and art. Often those people would prefer a mechanical watch (manual winding or automatic of sort).
For someone else is a status symbol useful to signal wealth.
Then there are specific fields/occupations which require a precise watch on the wrist (military? aviation?) and they would probably use some sort of quartz chronograph.
Personally I wear a watch which my father gave me as a present for my wedding, but recently its value grow too much and I'm worried to wear it. So I bought an automatic vintage Seiko. Now I am in the position to have to pay a bank to safely store my watch without being able to wear it. I believe the most rational thing to do is just to sell it, but I don't have the heart to do it.
I wear a watch that explicitly showcases the movement.
I have a smartphone and I think smartwatches look ugly.
That is just me though and if you like em, power to you.
I have an old Apple Watch (Series 4) that I just wear to the gym to keep an eye on my heart rate. Other than that if I wear a watch it's generally a mechanical watch that just tells the time. For weekends/vacation I have one with a single hand on a 24 hour dial, so I know roughly what time it is, but without worrying about the details.
Although I have noticed that as technology pushes its way into more areas of life, I'm becoming more of a luddite. Not everything needs to be "smart" or "connected". My toaster doesn't need Bluetooth, my grill doesn't need an app. The whole idea of making these things "smart" takes what would be a product that could last for decades, and makes it one that can become obsolete in just a few years. With all the talk about climate change and reducing our impact, this is the wrong direction to go.
I wear the Apple Watch as a daily driver. It’s clutch for dealing with constant MFA challenges.
It’s obviously great for workouts as well - tracking of activity and also controlling audio.
When I’m going to a social event where I will mainly be talking to people and want to be “present” I have started going back to my non smart watches.
If you're mainly worried about regular charging, Garmin has some models with solar charging and battery life up to a month. They're not cheap though.
https://www.garmin.com/en-US/p/702797
I wear a watch, even when I walk the dogs. Why? I have always liked them. It's a creature comfort, and it only takes a quick flick and glance to know what time it is.
The watch I wear most has a built-in mentalism gimmick, so that's handy if you're into such things. My other favourite watch has a built-in satellite ntp client and is solar powered. I even have a nice modern looking pocket watch for when the occasion calls for it.
I always have my cell phone with me, so most of what a smart watch does is already happening in my pocket. Their ability to monitor heart and blood oxygen is about the only thing they do that is interesting to me, and I don't really need to be that aware of them throughout the day. Maybe when they stop looking like toys.
I own about a dozen mechanical watches and no electronic ones. It is not about time keeping. It is aesthetics and making a statement. Note that apart from 2 (which I actually don't particularly like) they are all vintage and not that expensive.
I used to wear a handwound mechanical watch for the most of '80s and '90s and quartz watches in the '00s. Never liked smartwatches. Stopped wearing watches the past 8 years or so.
The smartphone killed the watch for me although if I should ever wear one again, it would be a regular quartz/mechanical watch.
I have a Citizen Skyhawk and an Apple Watch, I frequently wear them both. The Skyhawk is basically indestructible, sets it’s own time via radio, and charges using solar power, so it’s a nice complement to the Apple Watch.
I can't wear a smart watch in certain parts of my building at work and it got old taking it off constantly, so I invested in a ~$1000 mechanical watch after trying out a few ~$150 watches.
Me, seiko presage. There’s something about mechanical watches that appeals to me. I also own an Apple Watch so sometimes I wear that but I prefer my seiko
I wear a Citizen Eco-Drive with blue Roman numerals on a white face. It was a gift for my having finished undergraduate and I wear it almost every day.
i often wear a [non-smart] watch. usually one with a 24 hour face. it's cheap, doesn't require recharging (but i have to remember to rewind it) and in never makes noise.
i have a generic 12 hour face watch i bought off amazon for $18 and an 80s era soviet 24 hour face watch i bought off etsy for $65. i love both.
I havent worn a watch since 2005 why would I wear a watch?
I wear simple digital Casios because I like them :)
Best watch in the world, Casio F-91W
I wear a Seiko with a solar battery.