Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.
Status
Not open for further replies.
I feel the same way. There's no analog-digital hybrid watch face. And Apple hasn't even given developers the opportunity to create custom watch faces. So there's nothing we can do about it.

On my Pebble, I created a custom watch face to show exactly what I want. We have to wait for Apple to allow the same. Why they don't allow custom developer watch faces is beyond me. This the first feature that would have gone in if I were on the design team. The major part of the Pebble "App Store" is developer-made watch faces.

The closest we can get now is for a developer to make a custom complication that will show the current time with the seconds value. This would work with the Utility or Chronograph watch face.
 
Unless you work for NASA or CERN or some other scientific endeavor, to-the-second time of day isn't relevant to 99% of watch wearers.
I feel the same way. There's no analog-digital hybrid watch face. And Apple hasn't even given developers the opportunity to create custom watch faces. So there's nothing we can do about it.

On my Pebble, I created a custom watch face to show exactly what I want. We have to wait for Apple to allow the same. Why they don't allow custom developer watch faces is beyond me. This the first feature that would have gone in if I were on the design team. The major part of the Pebble "App Store" is developer-made watch faces.

The closest we can get now is for a developer to make a custom complication that will show the current time with the seconds value. This would work with the Utility or Chronograph watch face.
Glad it's not just me! A complication for the modular face could sit in the large space in the middle and would work perfectly. I'd happily pay for that function.

Unless you work for NASA or CERN or some other scientific endeavor, to-the-second time of day isn't relevant to 99% of watch wearers.
How relevant is the moon phase complication? Not at all, but nice to have. Digital seconds are so simple, there's clearly demand and it's been a feature on digital watches for decades. So why not?

Why do you want this and only in the digital format? If you don't necessarily need it all the time, use the Chronograph face and set one of the complications to display the digital time. You can then hit the upper right hand corner to start the timer.
I simply want to look at my watch and know it's 19:34:56 for example. In a clear digital format. I can buy a watch from the garage for £3.99 that'll do it. The thing can measure my heart rate. Am I asking too much?!
 
Last edited by a moderator:
Unfortunately, by putting it on the modular face, the time will be on that watch face in two places. There's no way to display anything other than the current time in the upper right-hand corner. Not ideal.
 
Unfortunately, by putting it on the modular face, the time will be on that watch face in two places. There's no way to display anything other than the current time in the upper right-hand corner. Not ideal.
You're right, that just occurred to me too. The only hope is a change of heart at Apple.
 
Sounds like the driving force behind this is OCD if nothing more.

I'm OCD in a sense that I set all volumes on digital stereos/radios in increments of 5.
I don't think wanting to measure time in seconds is symptomatic of OCD. Besides, I think anyone who is a member of a forum like this is probably a bit OCD. Including me.
 
This has got to be the dumbest and most juvenile thread I've ever seen on here.

Just to make sure I enter an actual opinion though, as to not beckon the OPs wrath, It would be nice, but I don't really care for it at the end of the day. However, the more user customizable options there are the better IMO so bring on the digital seconds Apple!
 
This has got to be the dumbest and most juvenile thread I've ever seen on here.

Just to make sure I enter an actual opinion though, as to not beckon the OPs wrath, It would be nice, but I don't really care for it at the end of the day. However, the more user customizable options there are the better IMO so bring on the digital seconds Apple!
You need to look harder. It's not even top ten.

I appreciate your opinion! I think it's form over function. Apple doesn't think it'll look nice. But it's a watch ffs.
 
people pay $10,000 for a Rolex because they want a second hand that has 8 sub seconds instead of just 6 sub seconds like cheaper automatic watches. Tim Cook said on stage that the Apple Watch was more accurate than any mechanical watch. But OP is juvenile for wanting to see seconds.
 
  • Like
Reactions: bobob
people pay $10,000 for a Rolex because they want a second hand that has 8 sub seconds instead of just 6 sub seconds like cheaper automatic watches. Tim Cook said on stage that the Apple Watch was more accurate than any mechanical watch. But OP is juvenile for wanting to see seconds.

FWIW, that's not true at all. Even the ETA 2824-2, which is in a lot of lower-mid tier Swiss watches beats at 8 beats per second, while some much, much more expensive Patek Phillipe calibers beat at 6 beats per second. Beats per second is not a measure of quality.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Warbrain
FWIW, that's not true at all. Even the ETA 2824-2, which is in a lot of lower-mid tier Swiss watches beats at 8 beats per second, while some much, much more expensive Patek Phillipe calibers beat at 6 beats per second. Beats per second is not a measure of quality.

It used to be true. And it still kind of is, but Rolex is no longer the only one doing it, and 10 beats per second is the new benchmark.

I actually hadn't realized that a Grand Seiko was 36k bph until I googled just now. Makes me want one now, although the styling is a bit too conservative for me.
 
I don't think wanting to measure time in seconds is symptomatic of OCD. Besides, I think anyone who is a member of a forum like this is probably a bit OCD. Including me.

Measuring time down to the seconds would make sense if you were in a profession/hobby where it's really important or maybe if it was new year's eve but what other use case does the exact minute change matter? I'm still calling OCD.
 
  • Like
Reactions: shandyman
It used to be true. And it still kind of is, but Rolex is no longer the only one doing it, and 10 beats per second is the new benchmark.

I actually hadn't realized that a Grand Seiko was 36k bph until I googled just now. Makes me want one now, although the styling is a bit too conservative for me.

Not really. ETA started making the 2824 in 1971, which was six years before Rolex's first 28.8K movement, the 3035. Plus, there have been numerous 36K movements in the past, including from ETA.

Choosing a bph is just a matter of balancing accuracy and positional variance vs. durability and power reserve. It's a trade off.

Either way, the Apple Watch is certainly more accurate than any mechanical watch, including Seiko Spring Drive, which is probably the current top of the heap.
 
people pay $10,000 for a Rolex because they want a second hand that has 8 sub seconds instead of just 6 sub seconds like cheaper automatic watches. Tim Cook said on stage that the Apple Watch was more accurate than any mechanical watch. But OP is juvenile for wanting to see seconds.

No I meant the bickering on the thread was juvenile. Wanting to see the seconds is as others have said OCD IMHO but to each his own.
 
I think digital seconds would be useful. Seems obvious. I agree that Apple has to open up custom watch faces generally.

When I cook I often run timers, sometimes multiple timers. But I will also just look at my watch and say, I am going to give this another 30 secs. When I am standing in the rain in the dark next to the BBQ, 30 secs seems like a long time. A sweep second hand can work, but it is not as clear or memorable or good for this purpose.
 
  • Like
Reactions: bobob and CarlJ
I think digital seconds would be useful. Seems obvious. I agree that Apple has to open up custom watch faces generally.

When I cook I often run timers, sometimes multiple timers. But I will also just look at my watch and say, I am going to give this another 30 secs. When I am standing in the rain in the dark next to the BBQ, 30 secs seems like a long time. A sweep second hand can work, but it is not as clear or memorable or good for this purpose.

These days, I pretty much always use the Chronograph watch face, with the countdown timer complication at the lower right corner. That gives me a live seconds hand, as well as an easily accessible stop watch and countdown timer.
 
I would like to concur. I also want the modular face to have seconds too. Anyway the face itself is not of my taste because I don't know what to do about the big part in the centre. Displaying calendar events means that many of the times you look at it it will be 'NONE'. The activities goals are better presented in the rings format, and I don't need a text description of the moonphase nor do I care about the sunset time that much. Maybe, that big space should be devoted to time with seconds, and all other spaces for complications.
 
  • Like
Reactions: bobob
I would like to concur. I also want the modular face to have seconds too. Anyway the face itself is not of my taste because I don't know what to do about the big part in the centre. Displaying calendar events means that many of the times you look at it it will be 'NONE'. The activities goals are better presented in the rings format, and I don't need a text description of the moonphase nor do I care about the sunset time that much. Maybe, that big space should be devoted to time with seconds, and all other spaces for complications.

I usually leave that space blank, when I use the modular face. It looks a lot cleaner, IMO.
 
  • Like
Reactions: haruhiko
Just an FYI. There are people in the medical profession that would like seconds in both digital and analog for heart rate readings (before anyone goes crazy, reading your patients, not your own).
 
  • Like
Reactions: bobob
Just an FYI. There are people in the medical profession that would like seconds in both digital and analog for heart rate readings (before anyone goes crazy, reading your patients, not your own).

True, though it's not difficult to count beats for 15 or 30 seconds using the second hand on one of the analog faces. After all, that's what we did before digital watches became widely available. Still, I think that Apple should provide the option for those who want it.
 
The analog watch faces have second hands. If it's that important to you, use one of those faces.
NO! God this is probably exactly what the Apple team is thinking. I work in the medical field. This does not suffice. I'm so tired of pleading for this basic feature on a WATCH.

And yes, I've left feedback.

True, though it's not difficult to count beats for 15 or 30 seconds using the second hand on one of the analog faces. After all, that's what we did before digital watches became widely available. Still, I think that Apple should provide the option for those who want it.
It's not that simple. Assessing an apical pulse requires a full 60 seconds, among many, many other things that people not in the field cannot imagine. It's a watch. Give us digital seconds. And everyone not in the field stop assuming and justifying why we don't need the 'feature'.

Sorry to be dramatic but this has been an upset since launch day and, by now, I really cannot believe this 'feature' has not been added. It's inane at best.
 
Last edited:
  • Like
Reactions: bobob
NO! God this is probably exactly what the Apple team is thinking. I work in the medical field. This does not suffice. I'm so tired of pleading for this basic feature on a WATCH.

And yes, I've left feedback.


It's not that simple. Assessing an apical pulse requires a full 60 seconds, among many, many other things that people not in the field cannot imagine. It's a watch. Give us digital seconds. And everyone not in the field stop assuming and justifying why we don't need the 'feature'.

Sorry to be dramatic but this has been an upset since launch day and, by now, I really cannot believe this 'feature' has not been added. It's inane at best.

You're aware that wOS 2 includes the option to set the display to stay on for 70 seconds for this purpose? Many medical professionals still wear analog watches so I think you're being overly dramatic about it.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Register on MacRumors! This sidebar will go away, and you'll see fewer ads.