Have you considered going back to a mechanical watch?

[JBGoode]

I own 27 watches and not a single one of them are smart. They are mostly mechanical/automatic with a handful of solar powered ones. The closest I have to an Apple Watch is my new Casio G-Shock 5610 which synchs to the atomic clock every night. I never wanted an Apple Watch as it would largely be used only for timekeeping.

 

[surferfb]

I was a die hard Apple Watch guy, but fell in love with the Omega Speedmaster right before the pandemic. Ended up picking one up and now you couldn’t pay me to wear an Apple Watch instead - I’m a full blown mechanical watch guy who’s on the list for a Submariner, drooling over Langes, and picking up JLCs. Funny how life works.

Santos is a great watch. Go for it!

 

[acblue94]

I’ve had a few watches over the years, but I’m not actually a watch wearer.

I do love my Apple Watch, but I’m in love with the SS & gold Santos De Cartier.

I’m on the verge of buying one, as I think it’s beautiful & is a very important watch: It was the first wrist watch ever made.

How about you?

Call me crazy. I own a Cartier X-Large roadster, a Rolex, an AP and a Patek. And I still wear my Ultra 95% of the time.

 

[AlmightyKang]

Not a chance. I will never wear a ticking thing ever again.

I don't even wear my AW. I should probably sell it.

 

[clayj]

I ditched the Apple Watch back in 2018. My watch collection now includes an Omega Speedmaster Moonwatch, 7 Hamiltons, a couple of Marathons, a few Sternglas watches, a Laco, and a bunch of Casio G-SHOCKs. I enjoy these MUCH more than I ever did the Apple Watch -- I just want to know what time it is, not have something on my wrist constantly telling me things.

 

[The Cockney Rebel]

I was a die hard Apple Watch guy, but fell in love with the Omega Speedmaster right before the pandemic. Ended up picking one up and now you couldn’t pay me to wear an Apple Watch instead - I’m a full blown mechanical watch guy who’s on the list for a Submariner, drooling over Langes, and picking up JLCs. Funny how life works.

Santos is a great watch. Go for it!

I’m so close, my friend!

 

[AlmightyKang]

Actually I will replace my last comment with the fact I still own one watch, a Casio F-91W. I go to places occasionally where you might not want to hang around with anything nicer or even get your phone out because it'll be gone and you'll have a couple of extra holes in a few milliseconds.

 

[Thirio2]

For jewelry you can’t beat a mechanical watch. Every time I try wearing a mechanical watch exclusively I find I miss the features of my Apple Watch. Wear what brings you the most pleasure and don’t worry about what the rest of us say.

 

[Japan Ricardo]

Email alerts are a bother.

Switch them off, then...

 

[257Loner]

And it's just another device to charge each day, to keep updated, and to eventually upgrade with another model in the future.

But I really hate that every Apple Watch owner is running around with what's pretty much the exact same UI, chassis and bands on their wrists.

Wristwatches are just as much fashion and jewellery as they are utility. But with Apple Watch, Apple has effectively excised all the creativity and individuality that one could express through a wrist watch or armband/bracelet.

These two responses sum it up for me. If I can’t find a style I like, and if I must charge the dumb thing every single night, then it’s just not worth the several hundred dollars.

 

[sunapple]

I kept turning off annoying Apple Watch features until I realized I was charging a gadget everyday just for keeping time.

Bought a Seiko 5 Sports SRPJ85K1 couple of months back. My first regular watch in a long while. Very pleased with it.

 

[SuperCachetes]

I’ve recently developed a desire for a nice Seiko watch. Nothing too fancy or expensive but something that looks smart and beautiful.

I haven’t bought one or even tried any on because I can’t answer the question: when would I actually wear it over the Apple Watch?

Quite disappointing tbh!

When I bought my Seiko Kinetic in stainless many years ago, I thought it was the perfect watch: classy, reliable, durable... and as you state, not too fancy. But when I moved to the AW6, the Seiko went into a drawer and I have not touched it since. Disappointing, indeed.

The good news is I have enjoyed the Apple Watch immensely and it has been great for health tracking and trending. Assuming the next version has SpO2 functionality again, I'll probably upgrade and continue to leave the Seiko retired.

 

[randomando]

Essentially a battle between die hard anything-that's-not-a-smartwatch fans and regular smartwatch users. Somehow people want to pay thousands on thousands for a collection of watches that only have time keeping functionality. I would have to think it's purely for aesthetics given that it's usually expensive watches of specific brands. Somehow Apple's Vision Pro makes a stronger argument for functionality.

 

[Warped9]

It's interesting that you see it this way, because I see it the complete opposite way.

AW (or any equivalent) is a tool and a mechanical watch is just a toy/piece of jewelry.

AW is a mostly toy—something to fidget with because you feel lost if not connected with your electronics and reminders and notifications. A wrist watch is a single purpose convenience to aid you keep track of time. And it doesn’t bother you with a collection of needless reminders.

Not quite the same thing, but I often go home for lunch given I live near work. The other day when I went back to work I felt something was off and realized I had forgotten my phone. I called home (using the store’s phone) to check and found I had left my phone on the kitchen table. My mother asked me if I had to come home to get it wherein I replied, “No, I lived for forty years without a phone in my pocket so having to do without it for four hours isn’t going to bother me.”

If I can go for extended periods without my phone I sure as hell don’t need yet another device to keep me tethered to the phone.

 

[transpo1]

I’ve had a few watches over the years, but I’m not actually a watch wearer.

I do love my Apple Watch, but I’m in love with the SS & gold Santos De Cartier.

I’m on the verge of buying one, as I think it’s beautiful & is a very important watch: It was the first wrist watch ever made.

How about you?

Since 2015, I’ve mostly worn an Apple Watch and am now on a Series 9 Silver Stainless model, which I pair with a Nomad steel band. However, I am keenly aware of the need for digital detox and so during the week I wear the Apple Watch until all Fitness rings are completed, then take it off in the evening and replace with my beloved Seiko Willard reissue to unwind (no pun invented).

Wearing the Apple Watch mostly for the fitness (I do love being able to check the weather, too) does make one feel enslaved to technology, however the health benefits so far are big enough of a draw for me to continue wearing it.

That said, if Apple ever does come out with a smart ring, I would be wearing that Seiko or my grandfather’s Omega much more often

 

[Wando64]

I'd love to.
Can you recommend a mechanical watch that can track my fitness and monitor my heart?

 

[JonMPLS]

I am actually starting to sell my mechanicals. I'm retired, and my suit/tux days are largely behind me. Still have a few just in case. The Apple watch has me hooked.

 

[AlanMarron]

No. I gave my Rolex to my son.

 

[thatguywill]

Switched back some time ago to an automatic. Old school timepieces are FTW.

Book 1, chapter 1, verse 1 of the digital detox bible: lose the wrist mounted data mining biosecurity sentinel 👍

Digital detox bible - yet is part of macrumours forum

 

[surferfb]

I'd love to.
Can you recommend a mechanical watch that can track my fitness and monitor my heart?

I moved over to Oura ring for the health/fitness data. Definitely is a step down from the data I got from the watch, but I still find it useful.

Really hope there is something to those Apple ring rumors though.

 

[klasma]

I’ve had a few watches over the years, but I’m not actually a watch wearer.

I do love my Apple Watch, but I’m in love with the SS & gold Santos De Cartier.

I’m on the verge of buying one, as I think it’s beautiful & is a very important watch: It was the first wrist watch ever made.

How about you?

I’m also not a watch wearer, so I buy neither and wear neither. Your question appears strange to me if you’re not a watch wearer.

 

[boswald]

Nope. I still live by my Apple Watch. It’s more than a gadget, it’s a lifesaver. Tracking walks and cycling, heart rhythms, fall risks, emergency 911, and even sleep, all on my wrist. I’ll never go back.

 

[Howard2k]

No. I’ve always worn watches, even while sleeping, but have no desire to go old school. My G-Shock and Citizen Eco Drive stay charged but I’ve taken the battery out of my Tag.

I find the additional “Watch+” benefits of the AW far too valuable. Even though I spend a fair bit of time with a basic plain solar face it’s nice to have those features all available.

 

[Jim Lahey]

Digital detox bible - yet is part of macrumours forum

Yep. Turns out that 'never use the internet ever' is book 3, chapter 4, verse 12. I haven't got that far yet 😇

 

[The Cockney Rebel]

I’m also not a watch wearer, so I buy neither and wear neither. Your question appears strange to me if you’re not a watch wearer.

FOMO.