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Which one would you rather have if you could only get one?

  • Apple watch

    Votes: 68 75.6%
  • Automatic chronograph

    Votes: 22 24.4%

  • Total voters
    90
I’ve had my PO since 2010. Haven’t serviced it. It cost me $3300 from an AD.

I think the whole “should I sell my aw for a mechanical watch” is an engaging convo topic, but it’s clear you are not really interested in selling. I would say just keep your AW.

You could easily sell your PO for almost twice as much today but I doubt you'd want to sell either.

Thanks for the advice! If I could sell my AW for the exact value I bought it along with the bands the choice would be somewhat easier, however as things stand I'd definitely be losing a few Bens.
 
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It's a tough one to answer, because of the sheer amount of feelings stuff like watches touch.

I've been a mechanical watch guy before the AW and still have a SKX007 and a vintage 1965 Seamaster (wedding present) and a Tag Heuer sports watch. Those watches will never leave my collection, but to be honest I haven't used them more than 10% of the time (might even be a high number) since my AW0 - I since then had the S2 and now S4 and love it.

I'm a runner, so skipping it entirely is not an option (hate running with my phone)

What I have done / My advise: Use the mechanical pieces in a rotation, like you would do with different watches if you had a collection.
If you really hate the AW, the discussion would be easy, but if you like me really enjoy it a lot but sometimes just need that extra bit of mechanical feeling on the wrist or maybe disconnect entirely on a holiday - the mechanical watches is a great swap.

Whatever you choose, all the best
 
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I sold my Hermès series 4 with an extra band on eBay and used the proceeds to buy a Shinola automatic dive watch. As much as I like the Rolex Submariner it’s out of my price range, plus i don’t want to be “that guy”. Also on my list is an Omega Speedmaster moon watch, some day. I enjoy the look and feel of automatic watches more, plus as someone who usually has his phone in his pocket, I don’t really need my wrist tapping me with notifications. I say go for it!
 
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I know how you feel I bought the first AW and after six months I sold it and started wearing my engraved vintage watch. It tells time and that’s all I want from it
That’s right......the AW is a wearable device that incidently also tells time....
For a timepiece buy a watch with hands......
 
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I think your suffering from what I call the Rickenbacker complex. I dreamed of purchasing a Rickenbacker guitar. Lusted. When I was finally in the position to purchase one, I had to make a decision Jetglo (black) or Fireglo (red.) It was excruciating. I finally went with jetglo. I still, decades later, wonder why I didn't go fireglo. I do still love the jetglo.

The apple watch has changed my life, and I would find it difficult to live without it now. I also have some mechanical watches which I love that collect dust. This includes my father's last watch which I'm sure you can understand its value to me.

I would also confirm that mechanical watches due require regular maintenance. My IWC was on a 2 - 3 year cycle.

Decisions like this are never easy, and often have that regret voice in the back of your head.. They're also never final. Go where passion leads. There's no shame in changing your mind later.
 
Nobody can make those kinds of decisions but the individuals themselves. It’s far, far too personal an opinion to be otherwise.

I do sometimes miss my mechanical watches, but I doubt I could go back to them now - they are destined to spend the rest of their existence in a box. I’d miss the features of the AW far too much, I know, because I’ve tried wearing one of my old watches for a few days and not being able to bark orders at it to switch lights on, or play music, set timers and so on was terrible.

Plus, I’d still need a fitness tracker and as I don’t especially like any of the available options at the moment, even hybrid ones, I’ll just have to stick with Apple.

But at least I’ve kept a couple of my watches, should I have the notion to wear one. And if you’re of the mindset that you may want a mechanical watch, perhaps the best option is to have both. Heart and mind in unison, then just take your pick as you fee the need.

Got to hand it to Apple, they know how to suck you in and keep you there :D
 
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Got to hand it to Apple, they know how to suck you in and keep you there :D

And that’s the god damn problem here :D I love my mechanicals but don’t wear them very much because of the “missing my Apple Watch” feeling. How the hell do they do that :D

On a more practical note, I must say that the Apple Watch is far more comfortable than any of my traditional pieces
 
It's not a poll that I'm interested in but I do have both a Rolex Airking, which I wore for about a year and then bought a Rolex GMT-II which I wore every day for about 15 years.

Then, I got more interested in utility and I wore various ABC watches including Suunto Core, Tissot T-Touch Expert and Casio Pro-Trek devices and they all have me more utility and interest than the classic mechanical. Believe me I DO appreciate the engineering in the Rolex watches, I bought them for their traditional approach and the fact they were built in-house and completely authentic.

From S0 I've worn nothing but Apple Watch, apart from the week that it took to replace my first S3 on AppleCare when I damaged the screen in a drop.

As much as I love the engineering of a mechanical watch, I find the set of features on the wrist to be compelling and in particular the exercise feature and challenge has it glued to me all day.

Each to their own, happy with my current S5 SS and the Rolex watches, sadly, are in a box. However, they have increased massively in value so I perhaps should sell them before everybody feels the same :)
 
Panerai, omega, sinn, damasko and a few others sit in a safe for the last couple years. Occasionally I put them on but rarely. The Apple Watch just functions better for me. I bought the s5 ss and wear a sport loop nike band. Not the most flash but its comfortable and works.
 
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I think your suffering from what I call the Rickenbacker complex. I dreamed of purchasing a Rickenbacker guitar. Lusted. When I was finally in the position to purchase one, I had to make a decision Jetglo (black) or Fireglo (red.) It was excruciating. I finally went with jetglo. I still, decades later, wonder why I didn't go fireglo. I do still love the jetglo.

The apple watch has changed my life, and I would find it difficult to live without it now. I also have some mechanical watches which I love that collect dust. This includes my father's last watch which I'm sure you can understand its value to me.

I would also confirm that mechanical watches due require regular maintenance. My IWC was on a 2 - 3 year cycle.

Decisions like this are never easy, and often have that regret voice in the back of your head.. They're also never final. Go where passion leads. There's no shame in changing your mind later.

Thanks for the advice. That's understandable, we always tend to crave what we don't have. The AW is a really good tool, but that's only what it is, a tool. Wearing it is less thrilling than wearing a good mechanical watch.

I am leaning toward passion. I already put my AW up for sale. If I can't go for a decent price before the mechanical goes off the market I'll take it as a sign to keep the AW and wait longer until I can afford both.
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That’s right......the AW is a wearable device that incidently also tells time....
For a timepiece buy a watch with hands......
I see the AW more like a consumable. On the other hand, a mechanical watch is pretty much timeless with proper servicing.
 
You should consider the "poor man's Seamaster", the Seiko Diver's Automatic:
Thanks for the suggestion but I'm not really into diver's watch, doubt I'll ever go deeper than 6.7 ft in my life. Also I already have my mind set on the El Primero, so it's either gonna be that or AW.
 
You should consider the "poor man's Seamaster", the Seiko Diver's Automatic:


The price varies quite a bit, I bought mine around $180 a few years ago.

This is a very durable timepiece with a proven history of reliability. The movement is pretty much unchanged the past 30 years or so. When it dies, it is cheaper just buying a new one.

I replaced the "Jubilee" wristband with a $60 after-market "Oyster" wristband. It weighs 157 g, looks fabulous and makes the AW appear like a prissy affectation (apologies to AW advocates).

Of course, if you have a sentimental attachment to your watch, you can get it serviced. Nothing wrong with that: I've spent much more on service charges on various watches than their actual worth.

And it isn't even my daily driver: a quartz Seiko Speedmaster Chronograph from the mid-80s. I've spent as much on replacement batteries as the watch's original retail value.

I definitely admire the functionality of the AW but I wear all of my watches really loose on my wrist, so I would find the snugness of the AW decidedly annoying.

I have that watch and the SKX005. I can’t believe in just 4 years those watches have nearly doubled in price though! I paid £109 for each of mine new from Creation Watches. They are now £225-300 each! Wow.
 
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Thank you all for dropping your vote and opinions! While this is a personal decision, I really appreciate you guys took the time to share your thoughts with me :)

UPDATE:
I'll most likely keep my S5 for a few more years until it depreciates enough for me to consider upgrading. Meanwhile I shall enjoy my time with it. Hopefully by then my paygrade will also have improved to the extent I can afford both my dream mechanical watch and the S10 (or S9).

Logic won this round!
 
I was looking for a new watch in 2015. I was all set to get another mechanical watch but, heard about the Apple Watch. I checked it out at the Apple store and bought a SS 42 mm. My mechanical watches have sat in a drawer for over 4 yrs now. Can’t see myself ever buying another mechanical watch or even using the ones I have.
 
Thank you all for dropping your vote and opinions! While this is a personal decision, I really appreciate you guys took the time to share your thoughts with me :)

UPDATE:
I'll most likely keep my S5 for a few more years until it depreciates enough for me to consider upgrading. Meanwhile I shall enjoy my time with it. Hopefully by then my paygrade will also have improved to the extent I can afford both my dream mechanical watch and the S10 (or S9).

Logic won this round!

I think you’ve made the right choice there. Logic should always win out in the end :D
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I was looking for a new watch in 2015. I was all set to get another mechanical watch but, heard about the Apple Watch. I checked it out at the Apple store and bought a SS 42 mm. My mechanical watches have sat in a drawer for over 4 yrs now. Can’t see myself ever buying another mechanical watch or even using the ones I have.

Sounds a lot like my experience. Once I knew the Apple Watch was coming, 2013/14 when the rumours really gained weight, I decided I had to give it a try. Since then my mechanical watches have remained in my watch box, along with my S0, S4 and my Apple Watch straps. So at least I get to see them when I fancy a change of strap.

I really would miss my Apple Watch too much to go back to mechanicals. Take today for instance, when I didn’t have my phone, I was still able to text the wife, browse the news and check emails on my LTE Watch while I was out having a smoke. Couldn’t do that on a dumb phone.
 
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I've always been really into tech, but I bought my first mechanical piece in 2015.

I've bought various Apple watches, but they just don't do it for me. I find them almost completely redundant to the phone.

I always have my phone, and I always prefer to do (whatever) on the phone to the watch.
 
To me (and I realize this is probably a seriously fringe view) the Apple Watch is valuable only as a sophisticated health/fitness wearable. I really don't use it for any timekeeping or communication function. In other words, for me, it's not really a watch, as in a timekeeping piece, at all. Tons of function - but no soul whatsoever.

On the other hand, I have been a big believer in the value of the data that the AW records over time. I'm more convinced of that after having recently had a (mis)diagnosed heart attack that turned out to be bilateral acute pulmonary embolisms. Having years of data stored in the Health app didn't radically change the progress of the doctors' work, but having a lot of long term trend information was helpful, and the AW made that possible.

But for timekeeping? To me, that's what a GMT Master (wearing it as I type this) or a Speedmaster Moon Watch (manual wind), or a Seamaster or a Sub is for.
 
This is a tough one. I'm down to one mechanical the Daytona 116500LN white. I have to say this is the most beautiful watch I've ever owned. Its just a piece of fine mechanical jewelry and I feel special wearing it. I don't use the chrono and a barley use it to tell time.

The AW is a square wrist computer. They all look pretty much the same to me. I don't feel special wearing it at all. I will say this though. It is extremely useful with all the heath metrics, notifications etc. Being able to do things without having to pull out the phone. It truly is form follows function vs the Daytona. I still think its an amazing device and very comfortable to wear. I wish it didn't look ridiculous wearing both but I don't have the audacity to do it. The AW has helped me curb my spending on high end mechanicals.
 
I think there is a place for a smart watch like the Apple Watch in my life and then there’s my mechanical watches. My mechanical watches have a longer heritage in terms of wearing them with certain outfits and I’m not always keen on wearing my Apple Watch every single day where I don’t need to.

But I think it’s nice to have the best of both worlds in terms of having a smart watch, because that’s the era that we live in where we have advantages to tech on our wrists and then of course the mechanical watches are time pieces that I certainly couldn’t part with over some silicon made in China. The Apple Watch is a great device, but it does _not_ replace my mechanical watches in the slightest.
 
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