Apple Watch vs Rolex

[douglasf13]

Most of my mechanicals have been gifts and heirlooms—the one that wasn't, was won in a giveaway, so I'd feel sleazy if I sold it—so they're all nigh impossible to get rid of. But again, they're trying to use the same wrist space. I posted this earlier today on WUS:

I'll add another post as I'm thinking about it this morning…

I'm close to parking my autos in a drawer.

As I said in a previous post, I've only taken off my AW after filling all the Activity rings, and then put on one of my other watches. Here's the thing: I had to reset my 009 to the correct date and time, while my solar-atomic Citizen was spot-on.

As a pick-up-and-go watch, the Citizen is simply the better option. I realize that this may change years down the road when the battery finally starts to wear down, but the mechanicals' oils would be all crusty by then, too.

Yeah, that's really all I've been getting at. None of my Rolex watches are of a "This watch was on your Daddy's wrist when he was shot down over Hanoi..." caliber, so, if they sit in a drawer too long, I'll just unload them.

I do have a gold pocketwatch that's an heirloom from over a century ago, and I'll keep that forever, obviously. Still, I never consider bringing it along for the day over my Apple Watch.

 

[BarracksSi]

Right --

But if I were to buy a pricey mechanical watch for myself—heck, any expensive watch—it risks going unused 99% of the time. I mean, to choose a nice watch over my AW, how many formal dinners, weddings, and funerals do I attend each year? Hardly enough to justify a spendy time-only watch.

I buy watches to wear them. I'm not curating a horological museum here.

 

[douglasf13]

Rolex wearers in general tend to be watch fanatics, so it's really not much of a surprise that your uncle liked your Apple Watch. Myself, I have a Rolex and several other watches. I'm considering an Apple Watch, as well.

However, speaking as a Rolex owner, there really is very little comparison between the two, and personally I would never value an Apple Watch more than I value my Rolex. Of all my watches, my Rolex gets the most wear, and it is the most special. I would be fine losing any of my other watches, and I would be fine with losing an Apple Watch if I had one. But my Rolex? I go into panic mode whenever I misplace it.

An Apple Watch will be dated in a year or two. My Rolex, on the other hand, is timeless.

Right --

But if I were to buy a pricey mechanical watch for myself—heck, any expensive watch—it risks going unused 99% of the time. I mean, to choose a nice watch over my AW, how many formal dinners, weddings, and funerals do I attend each year? Hardly enough to justify a spendy time-only watch.

I buy watches to wear them. I'm not curating a horological museum here.

Yeah, that's all I'm saying, too. If I have a drawer full of expensive watches that don't have sentimental value and never get worn, why keep them?

 

[richard371]

I'm starting to enjoy the apple watch a bit more now with 2.0 gm. I find it a little snappier and less buggy. I like to have choices of what watch I want to wear. There is just something I cannot give up about a Swiss mechanical no matter how advanced the apple watch gets down the road. I will always have 3 in my collection. I am looking forward to getting new bands for the apple watch.

 

[SHNXX]

How many of you have barely touched your mechanical watch since buying the Apple Watch?

 

[chris975d]

How many of you have barely touched your mechanical watch since buying the Apple Watch?

For me it's been the opposite. I bought an Apple Watch several months ago to use primarily as a workout tracker. Wore it to workout a few weeks, with some spotty daily wear in there from time to time. Now I haven't worn it at all in 2+ months. Just doesn't do anything for me. I'm too used to mechanical watches I guess. I can't stand the Apple watch's weak battery life. Not once could I wear it "all day" without having to charge it some time throughout the day. So it wasn't worth the hassle for me, and is now somewhere in the bottom of my gym bag.

 

[Scepticalscribe]

How many of you have barely touched your mechanical watch since buying the Apple Watch?

Well, I never bought the Apple watch - and have no real interest in doing so.

Moreover, I love the look and feel of a genuinely well crafted timepiece on my wrist, something which is both a masterpiece of technology, and often, a work of art, and I love that ticking sound, and those dauphine hands marking time as they endlessly cross the face of the watch, as time is measured in a manner and by a means that is instantly recognisable across the planet.

For me it's been the opposite. I bought an Apple Watch several months ago to use primarily as a workout tracker. Wore it to workout a few weeks, with some spotty daily wear in there from time to time. Now I haven't worn it at all in 2+ months. Just doesn't do anything for me. I'm too used to mechanical watches I guess. I can't stand the Apple watch's weak battery life. Not once could I wear it "all day" without having to charge it some time throughout the day. So it wasn't worth the hassle for me, and is now somewhere in the bottom of my gym bag.

Nice post and one with which I find myself in broad agreement.

 

[The-Real-Deal82]

There's a thread called 'Apple Watch vs Rolex' with plenty of people claiming mechanical watches are becoming extinct. I hope this thread doesn't go down that route.

 

[SHNXX]

There's a thread called 'Apple Watch vs Rolex' with plenty of people claiming mechanical watches are becoming extinct. I hope this thread doesn't go down that route.

I own two Rolexes and one Patek Philippe and am under no illusion that Apple Watch will make Rolex et al go extinct.
I was merely curious if any other watch lovers have been changing their habits since buying an Apple watch as I have.

 

[Scepticalscribe]

There's a thread called 'Apple Watch vs Rolex' with plenty of people claiming mechanical watches are becoming extinct. I hope this thread doesn't go down that route.

To be honest, I very much doubt that it will.

Some people will always like the feel of a well made, classy, elegant, mechanical watch on their wrist, irrespective of what technology offers, or develops.

I own two Rolexes and one Patek Philippe and am under no illusion that Apple Watch will make Rolex et al go extinct.
I was merely curious if any other watch lovers have been changing their habits since buying an Apple watch as I have.

My sense is that among the many who have bought the Apple Watch were (are?) those who had already long abandoned the use of mechanical watches, and tended, instead, to use, say, their iPhones to tell the time. For those people, this is an interesting and cutting-edge gadget, one that allows them to stay abreast of developing technology, be intrigued by a new (and yes, stylish) Apple product, and yet claim to be modern while wearing a new interpretation of how time can be measured which also plays host many other functions.

However, I cannot say how many of those who had continued to wear mechanical time-pieces have been won over by Apple's Watch.

 

[Ryvion]

People will be impressed by the Apple Watch when you show them what it can do.
But, people will be impressed by a Rolex and you don't have to do a thing.

 

[Scepticalscribe]

People will be impressed by the Apple Watch when you show them what it can do.
But, people will be impressed by a Rolex and you don't have to do a thing.

To be honest, I don't like all the watches that come from Rolex; too many of their recent models are large, in-your-face statements of power; they are too cluttered and loud, to my mind.

Personally, I prefer the old, classic, understated Rolex models (the current Datejust comes closest to what I rather like), where exquisite elegance and mechanical mastery of chronology made for a beautiful timepiece. Some for eh Rolex models form the mid 50s to mid 60s are gorgeous. If I ever do contemplate buying a Rolex, it'll be one of those.

 

[ocabj]

To be honest, I don't like all the watches that come from Rolex; too many of their recent models are large, in-your-face statements of power; they are too cluttered and loud, to my mind.

Aside from the Yacht Master II and the Deep Sea SeaDweller, name one large Rolex.

Almost all Rolex models are 40mm and under, and they're all considered 'small' by modern standards.

 

[ultravisitor]

But if I were to buy a pricey mechanical watch for myself—heck, any expensive watch—it risks going unused 99% of the time. I mean, to choose a nice watch over my AW, how many formal dinners, weddings, and funerals do I attend each year?

But just because a watch is expensive doesn't mean it is formal. Technically, a formal watch has a relatively simple face, one that is not too complicated. It also has thin leather bands rather than metal or ceramic bands.

I have a Rolex, but I am under no illusion that it is a formal time piece. The oyster bracelet and white gold turn-o-graph bezel keep it sporty and casual. Hell, some of my Swatches might actually be more formal, as they're more understated.

 

[BarracksSi]

But just because a watch is expensive doesn't mean it is formal. Technically, a formal watch has a relatively simple face, one that is not too complicated. It also has thin leather bands rather than metal or ceramic bands.

I have a Rolex, but I am under no illusion that it is a formal time piece. The oyster bracelet and white gold turn-o-graph bezel keep it sporty and casual. Hell, some of my Swatches might actually be more formal, as they're more understated.

Yup, all true. I've also reasoned that a rarely-worn dress watch should be, say, a solar Citizen with a plain dial and leather strap (or, dare I say it, a clean Seiko 5).

 

[The-Real-Deal82]

I own two Rolexes and one Patek Philippe and am under no illusion that Apple Watch will make Rolex et al go extinct.
I was merely curious if any other watch lovers have been changing their habits since buying an Apple watch as I have.

I made the comment about this thread before our posts were moved to it. If that makes sense? Lol

 

[douglasf13]

How many of you have barely touched your mechanical watch since buying the Apple Watch?

I've barely touched mine, and I'm in the process of selling most of them, including my Rolex Sub. I may keep my Omega Aqua Terra, because my wife and I have matching ones, but she hasn't worn hers since the Apple Watch, either, so we'll see.

I've been a watch fan since I was a kid. Even my first word was "clock." The thing is, I like and appreciate all kinds of watches, from my Sub to someone else's Patek World Time to an HMT to a G-Shock to the Apple Watch. I just don't have a collector mentality, so I don't have the desire to acquire millions of options. I've owned several Rolexes and whatnot, but I rarely own more than a few nice watches at one time, because I feel bogged down by choice.

Until now, my choice of which watch to wear boiled down to mostly style, with a dash of ruggedness, water resistance, comfort, etc. but, ultimately, I'm choosing between different options that simply tell time.

The Apple Watch is proving so much more functional and useful in my daily life that, although I'll still be interested in mechanical watch developments, I don't want to give up the wrist real estate for it, anymore, and I'm not going to wear a watch on each wrist.

It just hit me, I guess I could start looking at floor standing and desk clocks, so I can maintain my horological interest without giving up wrist space. Ikepod Hourglass, here I come...or maybe I should wear clocks around my neck like Flavor Flav. LOL

 

[The-Real-Deal82]

I perhaps like choice too much and flip to a different watch each day. I couldn't wear the same watch all week as I have several that I enjoy wearing and my taste for buying more has increased as I have gotten older with more money.

An Apple watch would provide me with interesting functionality but I can also achieve the same results with my iPhone. I'm not interested in a wrist mounted fitness device and I like reading emails on larger screens. I read notifications when I am ready and don't need an additional prompt from my wrist. I reserve my wrist space for one simple activity and that is telling the time. Enjoying the piece that does it is the major bonus for me.

 

[douglasf13]

I perhaps like choice too much and flip to a different watch each day. I couldn't wear the same watch all week as I have several that I enjoy wearing and my taste for buying more has increased as I have gotten older with more money.

An Apple watch would provide me with interesting functionality but I can also achieve the same results with my iPhone. I'm not interested in a wrist mounted fitness device and I like reading emails on larger screens. I read notifications when I am ready and don't need an additional prompt from my wrist. I reserve my wrist space for one simple activity and that is telling the time. Enjoying the piece that does it is the major bonus for me.

Yeah, it certainly depends on one's lifestyle. I own a company in television production, which isn't really a 9am-5pm kind of industry, so having a text/phone/email gatekeeper on my wrist at all hours actually frees me up quite a bit, and that's my main attraction to the Watch (and it's good for family/friends communication, too.)

Plus, as I mentioned, even when I have several nice watches around, I tend to pick a favorite and wear it most of the time. It's the same for me with cars, guitars, or anything, really. I even end up buying multiples of the same pair of jeans, when I find the one type I like.

All of that aside, a hundred years ago, plenty of pocket watch users wondered why the heck they'd want to strap something on their wrist that tells the time, when they can simply pull out their highly decorated and beautiful pocket watch. Maybe I'll break out my family heirloom, gold pocket watch and starting bringing that along as my connection to the past and watchmaking, since I now have more pocket room vs. left wrist space.

 

[The-Real-Deal82]

Yeah, it certainly depends on one's lifestyle. I own a company in television production, which isn't really a 9am-5pm kind of industry, so having a text/phone/email gatekeeper on my wrist at all hours actually frees me up quite a bit, and that's my main attraction to the Watch (and it's good for family/friends communication, too.)

Plus, as I mentioned, even when I have several nice watches around, I tend to pick a favorite and wear it most of the time. It's the same for me with cars, guitars, or anything, really. I even end up buying multiples of the same pair of jeans, when I find the one type I like.

All of that aside, a hundred years ago, plenty of pocket watch users wondered why the heck they'd want to strap something on their wrist that tells the time, when they can simply pull out their highly decorated and beautiful pocket watch. Maybe I'll break out my family heirloom, gold pocket watch and starting bringing that along as my connection to the past and watchmaking, since I now have more pocket room vs. left wrist space.

Well like yourself I have an extremely busy profession with a constant demand for having access to emails etc. But it's not about that as I still have access via other means.

Maybe you are right about the pocket watch. The iPhone could well be on its way out and instead of this craze for larger screens it'll go the other way instead. We will be happy with a 1" screen on our wrists for email, text, phone, YouTube, Tapatalk, Facebook etc. i'll bookmark your post and make sure you are knighted once it takes off. I know you meant it more as a mock of those who prefer real watches but I think you could be onto something there.

 

[Zaft]

Well like yourself I have an extremely busy profession with a constant demand for having access to emails etc. But it's not about that as I still have access via other means.

Maybe you are right about the pocket watch. The iPhone could well be on its way out and instead of this craze for larger screens it'll go the other way instead. We will be happy with a 1" screen on our wrists for email, text, phone, YouTube, Tapatalk, Facebook etc. i'll bookmark your post and make sure you are knighted once it takes off. I know you meant it more as a mock of those who prefer real watches but I think you could be onto something there.

I can imagine in 10-15 years time a watch will be the phone and for more real estate the watch will do a hologram projection.

 

[douglasf13]

Well like yourself I have an extremely busy profession with a constant demand for having access to emails etc. But it's not about that as I still have access via other means.

Maybe you are right about the pocket watch. The iPhone could well be on its way out and instead of this craze for larger screens it'll go the other way instead. We will be happy with a 1" screen on our wrists for email, text, phone, YouTube, Tapatalk, Facebook etc. i'll bookmark your post and make sure you are knighted once it takes off. I know you meant it more as a mock of those who prefer real watches but I think you could be onto something there.

Oh, I don't think the iPhone is on its way out anytime soon, as it's tough to replace screen real estate, outside of something like a projector/hologram. I just think the Watch is the next step in convenience. Laptop screens were, at one time, too small for desktop users, iPad screens were too small for laptop users, etc. I still often defer things on my iPhone to my Macbook, because it's easier to type and deal with certain software. The Watch is simply the next step. I can keep an eye on text and emails, quickly answer some of them, and defer to a larger device for more complicated situations, when necessary.

The Watch is just a bit of a tougher sell, because so many of us have already fallen down the Veblen goods rabbit hole with mechanical watch jewelry, which Apple is now telling us to get rid of.

I have no intention in mocking anyone. We all have different workflows and lifestyles. I'm just chiming in, because many seem to think that at an Apple Watch could never replace a Rolex for someone, and I'm living proof of it happening right now. Mechanical watches are generally an emotional pursuit, and smartwatches a logical pursuit. The Apple Watch is the first smartwatch that falls somewhere in between, for me, because I also think it's an excellent design.

 

[BarracksSi]

I can imagine in 10-15 years time a watch will be the phone and for more real estate the watch will do a hologram projection.

I hope not, at least not in the way the pic shows. I already don't like reading long news articles on the AW.

A task that needs a larger virtual screen is also worth spending more time doing, but holding my wrist in that position is only reasonable if it's on my lap or a desk… so then I think, wouldn't it be easier to use a phone, or tablet, or laptop?...

 

[douglasf13]

I hope not, at least not in the way the pic shows. I already don't like reading long news articles on the AW.

A task that needs a larger virtual screen is also worth spending more time doing, but holding my wrist in that position is only reasonable if it's on my lap or a desk… so then I think, wouldn't it be easier to use a phone, or tablet, or laptop?...

Good point. Holding the Apple Watch up for any real time at all isn't very comfortable. I really just see the Watch as a more advanced notification screen that's easy to get to. I don't feel like many of the new native apps will be all that interesting to me, if they require more than 30 seconds to deal with.

 

[BarracksSi]

Good point. Holding the Apple Watch up for any real time at all isn't very comfortable. I really just see the Watch as a more advanced notification screen that's easy to get to. I don't feel like many of the new native apps will be all that interesting to me, if they require more than 30 seconds to deal with.

Right, I'm using mine that way, too.

News reader apps have been a good barometer for me. The NY Times app would show (until recently*) the headline and maybe two sentences summarizing a story -- about three screens' worth of info. The Associated Press app shows an entire story, which I'm guessing would scroll out to three or four feet; I appreciate the detail, but daggone, that's a lot of reading on a sideways wrist. Another app, News Republic, tries to have a headline, maybe a pic, and a summary -- but the summary is often just half of the article's opening sentence, which is like someone saying, "I went to see this great movie called…"

They all have the same basic task -- show some news stories -- but they all do it differently. Trying all of them is a great way to find out your own preferred usage of the AW.

* The current NYT app only shows a headline and maybe a photo; it's become useless to me. Another app from News360 follows the same idea as the earlier NYT app, so it has taken over as my favored news app on the AW for now.