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Zubba

macrumors member
Original poster
Aug 20, 2007
65
15
A week with the Apple watch ultra, and I really like it. What I can't understand is how Apple continues to miss on the feel and operation of the crown on all of its watches. The crowns on Apple watches feel like trash compared to quality time pieces, and the streak continues with the ultra. There is simple not enough feedback or travel on the crown for gloved hands, or even to feel like a quality product. The crown needs more travel, more positive feedback, and needs tighter travel overall. We're 8 generations in, and they still can't get it right.
 
I honestly don’t think it’s so bad. I haven’t used a traditional watch in years, so I can’t comment on how it compares since I stopped wearing them until they got useful for more than just the time, where the Apple Watch shines! So, even if the crown isn’t up to snuff compared to true timepieces, it’s not that big of a deal to me. The regular Series watches’ crowns glide pretty easily; the Ultra’s harder, but more precisely. Experiences vary, but I don’t feel that either one is bad, especially considering what the device it’s attached to does…
 
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A week with the Apple watch ultra, and I really like it. What I can't understand is how Apple continues to miss on the feel and operation of the crown on all of its watches. The crowns on Apple watches feel like trash compared to quality time pieces, and the streak continues with the ultra. There is simple not enough feedback or travel on the crown for gloved hands, or even to feel like a quality product. The crown needs more travel, more positive feedback, and needs tighter travel overall. We're 8 generations in, and they still can't get it right.



Which other watches have digital crowns with haptic feedback?
 
A week with the Apple watch ultra, and I really like it. What I can't understand is how Apple continues to miss on the feel and operation of the crown on all of its watches. The crowns on Apple watches feel like trash compared to quality time pieces, and the streak continues with the ultra. There is simple not enough feedback or travel on the crown for gloved hands, or even to feel like a quality product. The crown needs more travel, more positive feedback, and needs tighter travel overall. We're 8 generations in, and they still can't get it right.
Not that it’s all that useful, but can you imagine fast scrolling with a resistance that matches mechanical crowns? There’s a reason Apple went through lengths to make it an optical sensor when a simple turning mechanical potentiometer would have achieved the same thing….if the goal was what you’re after. But that’s clearly not what they’re after either.
 
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A week with the Apple watch ultra, and I really like it. What I can't understand is how Apple continues to miss on the feel and operation of the crown on all of its watches. The crowns on Apple watches feel like trash compared to quality time pieces, and the streak continues with the ultra. There is simple not enough feedback or travel on the crown for gloved hands, or even to feel like a quality product. The crown needs more travel, more positive feedback, and needs tighter travel overall. We're 8 generations in, and they still can't get it right.

Because September is the first month since June with less than 31 days tomorrow will be the first time I've touched the crown on my 'quality' watch in 3 months...

95% of 'quality' timepieces you either don't touch the crown after you've set the hands as they are auto-mechanical, or maybe occasionally if it's been off a watch-winder or you have a Panerai which has a harder to rotate crown than the Ultra.

I use my Ultra crown quite often every day for volume, zoom and scrolling and when on the move hiking it's perfect. Not too loose like S series and not too tight. Haptic feedback on it is... well I don't have that on any of me mechanical watches so can't compare really...
 
Apart from the aesthetic looks I can’t see any comparison between the crown on an Apple Watch and that on a mechanical watch, they do very different things.
I find the crown on my Apple Watch to be very useful, it was fine on my series 6 and even better on my Ultra.
 
The Ultra certainly reduced the look and feel that the button could break off easily. There is more of a tool, machined, precision feel to it on the ultra.

It’s never been a concern of mine, and I don’t think it’s a common thing to break.

I personally loved how the face rotated on gear watches the most, but I’ve never felt the need to criticize the apples crown. It works great on all their watches.
 
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