If you bought an Apple Watch last year...

[Shanghaichica]

I hadn't worn a traditional watch for about 10 years before the Apple Watch came out. I'd seen the Samsung gear watches and thought that the concept of a smart watch was interesting but the gear watches didn't have enough to make me buy one. Once I saw the keynote in September 2014 I knew that I would be getting an Apple Watch. It was exactly what I was looking for in a smart watch.

 

[xDKP]

I have a watch collection mixed with G-Shocks, Seiko and Citizens, and some nice Swiss pieces from Tag Heuer, Omega, and Doxa. I originally bought the Space Grey Sport which that cash would had went towards a G-Shock. When Apple released the Space Black on Sport band which went on sale for the Best Buy $100 off deal around the holidays, I sold the Space Grey and upgraded which is usually how my watch collection works, 1 in 1 out. I then purchased the Link bracelet off Ebay which ultimately this whole sale would had went towards a Citizen Signature Automatic.

I will add, since I got the Apple Watch in Space Black, my watch rotation has stopped rotating. This watch rarely leaves my wrist except when doing work around the house or going out with my wife. It now has me seriously considering reducing the size of the collection.

Sounds like you spoke my mind... I have had a genuine love for watches for years. Love the craftsmanship of the nice watches, and the details, style and what it says about the guys wearing it. I'm not a Rolex guy, but has a couple of vintage Omega Seamasters, Tag Heuer and some simple clean quartz watches and a Seiko diver... I love them and appreciate them as much as I've always done, but they have just been collecting dust in my watch-collection-box since the Apple Watch came out. I jumped on the Space Black SS and bought the link bracelet, because I knew if it should be able to match the nice watches in the collection, it would need to be sapphire and SS case.

Haven't looked back and it has certainly changed my buying plans for my next automatic Swiss timepiece for the next couple of months/years.

 

[9646829]

I'm a watch guy (several swiss made in my collection) and I love smart watches so the obvious choice is a stainless steel apple watch.

 

[nightcap965]

Haven't worn a watch since the iPhone replaced my Treo and Fossil Palm watch. The main thing I wanted was the Activity app. Everything else is frosting on the cake.

 

[AlliFlowers]

Haven't worn a watch since the iPhone replaced my Treo and Fossil Palm watch. The main thing I wanted was the Activity app. Everything else is frosting on the cake.

Where/when did you get a Treo Fossil Palm watch? I also have one! There can't be too many of them out there.

 

[nightcap965]

Where/when did you get a Treo Fossil Palm watch? I also have one! There can't be too many of them out there.

I'd always been a Palm fan. My favorite was the Tungsten C. In 2005, I replaced my Tungsten C with the Treo 650, adding the ability to do telephone calls and (sort of) navigate the Internet. At about the same time, Fossil gave up on the Wrist PDA, and I was able to buy two at fire sale prices. I wore one constantly, and even replaced my pocket pens with pen/stylus combos so that I could always input data.

Then came the iPhone in 2007, and the rest is history.

 

[DougFNJ]

I remember looking for those Palm watches and could never find one. Does anybody remember the Microsoft Spot watches? I had the Suunto version.

 

[nightcap965]

The Microsoft Spot watch - a technology looking for a problem to solve. There were some very slick aspects to it, but ultimately I didn't care about sports scores.

 

[maxsix]

Missing Category:

I bought an Apple Watch because of its initial appeal and I wanted to try one.

Not rather than.

A long time Apple user / enthusiast / shareholder, I immediately bought a SS Apple Watch upon release. I appreciate what they are but after a thorough two week evaluation it was too much like a gadget. The kind that one wastes time tinkering with, as opposed to offering features of value to me.

Notifications are annoying for one who doesn't rely on them. Having to wake it to read the time was very annoying. One more thing that requires frequent charging and updating, it is too much like a digital toy. Already very strong, fit and active as an amateur athlete of years, I have a sophisticated SUUNTO AMBIT Fitness and iPhone linked Training Watch.

So without any clear use for my purposes, I returned it.

 

[geekiemac]

I'd always been a Palm fan. My favorite was the Tungsten C. In 2005, I replaced my Tungsten C with the Treo 650, adding the ability to do telephone calls and (sort of) navigate the Internet. At about the same time, Fossil gave up on the Wrist PDA, and I was able to buy two at fire sale prices. I wore one constantly, and even replaced my pocket pens with pen/stylus combos so that I could always input data.

I've owned several Palm / Palm OS devices between the late '90s and 2008 which is when I got my first iPhone... I remember trying on a Fossil Wrist PDA but back then I couldn't really see the use for that. Besides, it was way too bulky for me...

 

[maflynn]

I stopped wearing a watch a few years ago, I started wearing one again for my running, but found the notifications from the fitbit surge lacking. Perhaps if it didn't have any notifications, I'd not be here, but I got a taste of what it watch could do, and so I took the plunge.

 

[mgnyc11]

I bought an Apple Watch and it's now collecting dust. I find it non intuitive and a s frequent traveler the thought of having to carry around multiple charges, deal with getting it at up at night and then packing it back up just too much hassle (I currently travel with my MBP, iPad and iPhone). The only useful function I like is text messages on my wrist. So occasionally for long car drives I may power it up and wear it but that's not too frequent. I am a big watch collector, with numerous watches from IWC, Panerai, Rolex, Omega and even some Seikos (the tuna is one of my favorites!) and I also just like the look and feel of a nice watch. Maybe I will go back if the battery gets to 7+ days.

On a side note, I think the Swiss should be more worried about the quality of reps these days. I've seen some that are almost indistinguishable from real ones and I'm sure the quality of the fakes is impacting sales as well considering they can cost 1/100 of a real one.

 

[mirz2000]

Mine was a gift, but one I requested! I switched from the Garmin vivosmart. I wouldn't have an interest in a Swiss watch, so for me it was a competition between smart watches more so than the jewelry aspect.

 

[WarHeadz]

I never saw the point of a watch before the Apple Watch and never owned one before. I'm a millennial and have had a phone in my pocket since I was 13. A mechanical watch that does nothing but tell me the time is of no value to me. Love my Apple Watch though.....because it actually does things that are useful.

 

[friedmud]

What if you just wanted an Apple Watch and it had nothing to do with your feelings towards watches in general?

 

[Mlrollin91]

I never saw the point of a watch before the Apple Watch and never owned one before. I'm a millennial and have had a phone in my pocket since I was 13. A mechanical watch that does nothing but tell me the time is of no value to me. Love my Apple Watch though.....because it actually does things that are useful.

This! x1000!

I have never, ever, ever worn a watch. I bought the Apple Watch because, well its an Apple Watch. Now I can't remember the days without a watch. My brother-in-law always wore watches and I was always like, "that is pointless, I can tell the time on my phone." Needless to say, I understand watches now and have no plans to ever give up my Apple Watch.

 

[AronDraws]

This is what I nearly bought for myself in 2014. If the AW hadn't been announced, I was ready to pick one up sometime last year. It's just above the $500 mark* for the sake of the poll, but I wouldn't put it in the four-figure category.

* add-on edit: I just realized that the price for this Hamilton at the shop in the pic was the same as what we paid for my SS AW with AC+.

THATS a beauty!

I'd love to have a Hamilton if I could afford it. Smartwatch or not, I've always been fond of the design of Hamilton watches. I particularly like how the day of the week is a full word instead of a single letter or abbreviation.

 

[OllyW]

What if you just wanted an Apple Watch and it had nothing to do with your feelings towards watches in general?

I'm sure that is close enough to the "because I had no plans to buy another watch but I couldn't resist the Apple Watch" choice.

 

[artfossil]

I'm sure that is close enough to the "because I had no plans to buy another watch but I couldn't resist the Apple Watch" choice.

No, it's not because of your "another watch" wording.

 

[OllyW]

No, it's not because of your "another watch" wording.

Trust me it will be alright in there as it's not a serious research poll.

 

[BarracksSi]

THATS a beauty!

I'd love to have a Hamilton if I could afford it. Smartwatch or not, I've always been fond of the design of Hamilton watches. I particularly like how the day of the week is a full word instead of a single letter or abbreviation.

This one looks waaaay better in person than on Hamilton's website. The movement normally shows the full day, too; other watches with the same movement may have it on the top or bottom, with the wheel printed accordingly.

 

[nburwell]

I didn't really have a need to wear traditional watches prior to the Apple Watch. While I waited until July to purchase my AW, it definitely is worth the $350 I paid for it. I wear it every single day, and unlike the Fitbit I once had, I have not grown tired of wearing it either.

Needless to say that if the AW was never released, my wrist would be bare.

 

[maxsix]

I never saw the point of a watch before the Apple Watch and never owned one before. I'm a millennial and have had a phone in my pocket since I was 13. A mechanical watch that does nothing but tell me the time is of no value to me. Love my Apple Watch though.....because it actually does things that are useful.

Millennial's may be the group that Keep Apple Watch alive.

You have a different perspective which plays to Apple. I travel all over the states daily. I'm out and about in the majority of major metropolitan cities in the USA, I simply don't see many smartwatches on others. Rarely see an Apple Watch. The feeling I get is that other than enthusiasts smartphones are a very narrow niche market. Perhaps that will change, or maybe it won't.

Either way Apple has nothing to lose.

 

[artfossil]

Trust me it will be alright in there as it's not a serious research poll.

Except that you missed the opportunity to see how many bought the Watch not because it is a watch and not because of any desire to own a watch, much less "another" one, but instead bought it because of its non-watch functions.

 

[OllyW]

Except that you missed the opportunity to see how many bought the Watch not because it is a watch and not because of any desire to own a watch, much less "another" one, but instead bought it because of its non-watch functions.

You could always go for because I never saw the need to wear a watch before the Apple Watch was released