Have you considered going back to a mechanical watch?

[flottenheimer]

Bought the first Apple Watch. Upgraded to a Series 4 years later.
I love tech, but I never really liked them beyond some of the functionality. So I started wearing my 'regular watches' more and more until I finally gave my Series 4 away years ago to a family member.

Love being back on regular watches. I now own a tightly curated collection of 6 watches. Including a very nice Omega and a not as fancy but much loved Seiko. Never going back to AW. I prefer the aesthetic/jewellery aspect of 'regular watches' too much. And being able to tell time is the most important feature to me anyway.

 

[The-Real-Deal82]

Err…

Seiko, Rolex, Omega and a bunch of other mechanical watch brands have basically no craftmanship. They are mass produced by automated machines as much as most things.

Sure there are brands that do have craftmanship (i e Vecheron Constantin (not all models mind you)). But they are few and far between the Rolexes and Omegas and other mass produced brands in Watch enthusiast forums.

I do appriciate the workings of the innards of mechanical watches, but they still just remain a toy/piece of jewlery compared to smart watches that are tools.

It’s just like in diving, no serious diver use a dive watch any more (like Rolex Submariner), they use more powerful tools like a dive computer.

Alright I won’t take ‘craftsmanship’ quite so literally, but obviously you catch my drift about the enjoyment factor. There is still the possibility to enjoy the design of a more mass produced watch and admire it. I disagree Rolex and Omega are not craftsmanship as they are still hand made to some degree and assembled that way. They are a work of art whether they are popular or not.

You’re right, a smartwatch is a tool and is just something we use without really thinking about. A nice watch is a totally different experience and it’s more about the aesthetic. That’s fine too, there’s no correct answer to what people should wear as it’s subjective.

 

[jbachandouris]

as a seasoned apple watch owner im sure you know you can tailor alerts on the device.

If emails are a bother then simply deactivate watch notifications for email....

You can certainly ignore the ring closing stuff of course but Im sure theres more to it than that though.

And if I do that, there is no reason to keep it. Got a AW9 SS on marketplace right now. Ultra 2 on my wrist.

 

[Yoms]

I don't own one, but the only things that would interest me in a smart watch are the health sensors. I'm not sure yet and still hesitate to pull the trigger. But if a ring can do the same in that regard, a smart watch would be useless to me.

 

[Ctrlos]

What gets missed a lot with the Apple Watch is its use as a timepiece.

Go back to an old Casio and notice how difficult it is to do simple things like set an alarm or timer or change the strap. The Apple Watch actually solved a lot of design problems with regular wristwatches.

To me the AW is a 'regular' watch. I don't use the fitness functions really and don't really see the point of tracking my sleep when my body already does a good enough job. But I can very easily switch the straps from hard-wearing to dress and set timers and such without needing 4 extra hands.

 

[Tyree]

...still on the lookout for the perfect mechanical pocket watch myself.


Very much agree.

To big and bulky

 

[MauiPa]

Nope. Obsolete technology. Totally get that expensive watches are an ostentatious display of wealth for those who get satisfaction by displaying it. But a device that does nothing more than tick tock, why?

 

[arkitect]

Have you considered going back to a mechanical watch?

Well, yes. I miss them. 🙂

I currently have an Ultra 2.
Have been using it for just shy of three months now.

My history with Apple watches has been chequered. Never kept one more than a week and would try every 3 or so years… hoping that something would finally click.

At first I really genuinely enjoyed the Ultra 2 — more because it is, to my eyes, actually a far nicer design than the black glass slabs. Also got a few nice straps. Battery life is exceptional. I cannot fault it as a pure piece of tech.

But!

I have already taken the photos and it will probably be on eBay within the week.

And then I'll be back to my vintage and mechanical watches.

My uses are nothing spectacular.
Hiking, working out, cycling, sleep monitoring, notifications, a few phone calls… timers. Timers… and *sigh* more timers.

Heart Rate Monitoring:
When working out intensively — as opposed to just a stroll outside around the neighbourhood — I have found the Heart Rate monitoring to be incredibly, shall we say, variable and laggy.
So much so that I now still use my chest strap to keep things immediately accurate when doing serious exercise.

Sleep monitoring:
Sure it is fun, but since I don't have any sleep issues, I've stopped wearing it — that watch is a massive chunk to wear in bed.

Apple Pay:
It is actually easier to use my iPhone than crooking my wrist into the inconvenient nooks and crannies some places feel they need to place the NFC readers.

Timers:
Yes, probably the most convenient use. 🙂

 

[javisan]

I did for about two years as I have always loved mechanical watches. In the end, I missed the convenience of the Apple Watch too much (changing watch faces to meet current needs). I'm back to wearing an Apple Watch full-time with all notifications off except for phone calls and multi-factor authentications.

 

[testcard]

I rotate between my Apple Watch Ultra 2 and a Rolex Submariner. I sometimes double up when I'm hiking, and using the WorkOutDoors app on the Ultra.

 

[thewill586]

Nope, I'm never going back. I hate mechanical watches. Time accuracy is just not good enough. Quartz - it requires resetting the time once a year. Automatic - I wound that thing so much that I broke the mechanism. The repair cost was the same as the cost of the watch, which was a Tag. International - mechanical watches can't auto-update.

I only really use Apple watch for a few functions: 1. time; 2. glance at incoming messages; and 3. remote for my garage door when I exercise (no need to bring phone and keys).

For fancy outings, mechanical watches do look better but it is really a piece of jewelry at that point. And if the goal is to out bling others, that gold Apple watch can compete with a Mueller. lol

 

[Beligerent]

The Apple Watch is the first watch I ever paid more than $20 for. The fact that doesnt have a user replaceable battery is a deal breaker going forward. The battery loses its ability to charge after 18 months or so and the device becomes e-waste while still fully functional. Seems like a waste.

 

[Beligerent]

I rotate between my Apple Watch Ultra 2 and a Rolex Submariner. I sometimes double up when I'm hiking, and using the WorkOutDoors app on the Ultra.

I heard the workout data on the apple watch ultra is insanely inaccurate. is that true

 

[Night Spring]

The Apple Watch is the first watch I ever paid more than $20 for. The fact that doesnt have a user replaceable battery is a deal breaker going forward. The battery loses its ability to charge after 18 months or so and the device becomes e-waste while still fully functional. Seems like a waste.

I think you may have just gotten unlucky. I've been upgrading Apple watches every other year, so keeping them for 24 months, and never had a problem with battery not charging. I've also seen posts here from people who keep their watches even longer, and are happy with it.

 

[Howard2k]

I think you may have just gotten unlucky. I've been upgrading Apple watches every other year, so keeping them for 24 months, and never had a problem with battery not charging. I've also seen posts here from people who keep their watches even longer, and are happy with it.

Agreed.

In addition, Apple will take them back and recycle.

 

[Night Spring]

Agreed.

In addition, Apple will take them back and recycle.

Yup, I trade-in my old watch when I buy a new one.

 

[Pakaku]

No, my arms feel physically better when they’re not cuffed by watches or anything.

 

[RichHI]

Someone spiked my drink to steal my Rolex. Would never go back to Mechanical watch after that. My Ultra is perfect for me. Would never go back to Rolex, too many thieves about.

 

[gold333]

I’d never go back.

AWU2:

Can find my parked car
Can let me in gyms
Can discount and pay in supermarkets
Can make and answer phonecalls on my wrist when driving
Warn me of rain
Track my Vo2Max
Track my heart
Control music on any speaker
Adjust my home automation
Share my contact at a party with one button press
Take a group picture using my iphone camera

All without using my phone

 

[Reverend Benny]

Used a smartwatch for a short while years ago and realized its not for me. Went back to my Polar "not so smart" watch and am happy with that choice. Sure, sometimes I might wish for it to be a bit smarter, but that's more related to automatic sync and that the watch identifies movement rather than that I have to start a training session manually.

Other benefits that I enjoy are that I only have to charge it every other week or 2 week (depending on how much I work out).

Not saying I have ruled out getting a smartwatch in the future, but for now my iPhone is more than enough.

 

[The-Real-Deal82]

I’d never go back.

AWU2:

Can find my parked car
Can let me in gyms
Can discount and pay in supermarkets
Can make and answer phonecalls on my wrist when driving
Warn me of rain
Track my Vo2Max
Track my heart
Control music on any speaker
Adjust my home automation
Share my contact at a party with one button press
Take a group picture using my iphone camera

All without using my phone

It’s an easy thing to say and produce a list of reasons why if you were never a watch enthusiast to begin with. There is a massive difference between owning a mechanical watch and being invested in the hobby of owning mechanical watches.

No right or wrong answer, we enjoy what we enjoy for a variety of reasons.

 

[gold333]

It’s an easy thing to say and produce a list of reasons why if you were never a watch enthusiast to begin with. There is a massive difference between owning a mechanical watch and being invested in the hobby of owning mechanical watches.

No right or wrong answer, we enjoy what we enjoy for a variety of reasons.

I have mechanical watches. They just don’t do anything to make my life easier. I suppose you could wear two watches if you wanted to have the best of both worlds.

 

[murzika]

The problem with mechanical Apple Watches is they don't always seamlessly integrate into this incredible ecosystem of devices and services.

 

[The-Real-Deal82]

I have mechanical watches. They just don’t do anything to make my life easier. I suppose you could wear two watches if you wanted to have the best of both worlds.

That was my point, you have a different set of criteria for a watch and see a mechanical as redundant for your needs. A watch enthusiast appreciates a watch for different reasons and it has a very short list of uses other than telling the time. I’ve collected mechanical watches for years and also have a smartwatch but it’s hard to appreciate a smartwatch for anything other than it being a useful tool and an extension of our mobile phones. Wearing a nice mechanical watch is mainly for aesthetics and the appreciation for the craftsmanship that has gone into it. It’s a different type of satisfaction and something I couldn’t get from my Apple Watch.

 

[The-Real-Deal82]

The problem with mechanical Apple Watches is they don't always seamlessly integrate into this incredible ecosystem of devices and services.

Watch companies have tried though, most notably Tag Heuer, but thankfully they’ve stuck to just producing proper watches. I say leave the technology to the tech companies and let the Swiss maker stick to producing timepieces. There is a lucrative market for both.