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jimbo1mcm

macrumors 68000
Original poster
Mar 21, 2010
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My Rolex came back from service yesterday and I am not wearing it. Instead I am still wearing my Apple Watch. I really had no idea that I would like it this much. It's a Series 3 SS LTE. I seem to be transferring a lot of actions from my Iphone to the watch. It's just so much quicker to look at the watch and either dismiss or voice out an answer on Siri. I ordered an "original" Apple link bracelet from China. Lots of people swear it is genuine. I'll post when I get it. The milanese looks so good but I was wary of the many reports of having to keep adjusting it a lot during the day. I also got the $79 charging pad since it will be nice to just place it on the pad with the SS bracelet. Haven't activated LTE yet. I think that there will be an explosion of sales with the watch, especially when the new model is released. I'll definitely upgrade.
 
My Rolex came back from service yesterday and I am not wearing it. Instead I am still wearing my Apple Watch. I really had no idea that I would like it this much. It's a Series 3 SS LTE. I seem to be transferring a lot of actions from my Iphone to the watch. It's just so much quicker to look at the watch and either dismiss or voice out an answer on Siri. I ordered an "original" Apple link bracelet from China. Lots of people swear it is genuine. I'll post when I get it. The milanese looks so good but I was wary of the many reports of having to keep adjusting it a lot during the day. I also got the $79 charging pad since it will be nice to just place it on the pad with the SS bracelet. Haven't activated LTE yet. I think that there will be an explosion of sales with the watch, especially when the new model is released. I'll definitely upgrade.

I'm with you. Really hope there will be Series 4 this year. Maybe one can dream for Always On?
 
I could have typed your post almost verbatim OP. I am only testing an older S0 SS my son gave me to try. But, use it a lot in place of iPhone. With LTE, think I would use it even more.

Since I really want the health features, will wait to see about S4 before buying---
 
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My Rolex came back from service yesterday and I am not wearing it. Instead I am still wearing my Apple Watch. I really had no idea that I would like it this much. It's a Series 3 SS LTE. I seem to be transferring a lot of actions from my Iphone to the watch. It's just so much quicker to look at the watch and either dismiss or voice out an answer on Siri. I ordered an "original" Apple link bracelet from China. Lots of people swear it is genuine. I'll post when I get it. The milanese looks so good but I was wary of the many reports of having to keep adjusting it a lot during the day. I also got the $79 charging pad since it will be nice to just place it on the pad with the SS bracelet. Haven't activated LTE yet. I think that there will be an explosion of sales with the watch, especially when the new model is released. I'll definitely upgrade.

Agreed on all counts. Two comments:

1. Yes, you readjust the Milanese band some, but for me it's second nature and not problematic. I find myself instinctively doing it on elevators, etc., and that has not at all affected my enjoyment of the band. You'll probably love the link bracelet, too, but the Milanese is great, IMO.

2. The charging pad with the center that can be raised is a fantastic accessory -- I just love the design. It's the best thing I've found for nightstand mode (which I use every night) that can still fold flat for travel. I almost never use the charging puck that came with my watch because I always carry the charging pad with me when I travel. For my money, it's the best Apple Watch charger available.

Anyway, I too have some nice watches that have been sitting in a drawer since I got my Apple Watch a year ago. Glad you're enjoying yours as well.
 
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I did not have the habit to wear the watch until I bought my Apple Watch series 3. It’s not SS cause I hate heavy watch. I love it. I don’t spend extra to keep it in mint condition, but I don’t abuse it as well. Sleep tracking. Filling the ring. I find myself being more active than before.
 
I did not have the habit to wear the watch until I bought my Apple Watch series 3. It’s not SS cause I hate heavy watch. I love it. I don’t spend extra to keep it in mint condition, but I don’t abuse it as well. Sleep tracking. Filling the ring. I find myself being more active than before.
Can I ask you how many hours of usage time you get with yours?
 
Can I ask you how many hours of usage time you get with yours?
With heavy LTE plus phone call, 6-7 hours I remember. If not, easily two days without any recharge whatsoever. Battery life is fascinating.
 
With heavy LTE plus phone call, 6-7 hours I remember. If not, easily two days without any recharge whatsoever. Battery life is fascinating.
Wow, if it last 2 full days I’ll be happy. My s1 can last easily if activity turned off. If I enable it on top of raise to wake screen, it’s down to 10% by the end of the day. Good thing I have appointment coming up Saturday. I’ll mention about the battery life also. Thanks!
 
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Just throwing in my editorial opinion: I read Wired magazine and it has a lot of ads for prestige mechanical watches. I have a Rolex that I had restored, cleaned and adjusted a couple years ago for about the price of an Apple Watch 3, and it keeps pretty good time, but nowhere near what my digital Timex does. I think mechanical watches will always be a collector item (my late father-in-law was a watchmaker), I don't think I would sell my Rolex to buy an Apple Watch...but yes, I'd gladly get an Apple Watch. Heck, the Mickey Mouse face alone has me sold. Right now, my Rolex is at home on an automatic winder, and a $30 fitness band is on my wrist.
 
Heh, the original original Apple link bracelet is also made in China, so... ;)

Except the difference being the OEM link bracelet from Apple is on another level of ingenuity with the craftsmanship/quality compared to a third-party Chinese link bracelet. Just to machine one strap with the OEM link bracket takes approximately nine hours to manufacture.
 
Possibly off-topic: as I consider getting a Watch 1 or Watch 3—One of the functions I like on my current fitness band is sleep tracking. I put my band on charge for 15-20 minutes in the morning, and it’s at 100%.

How long does it take to charge an Apple Watch, either wirelessly or with a cable?
 
Possibly off-topic: as I consider getting a Watch 1 or Watch 3—One of the functions I like on my current fitness band is sleep tracking. I put my band on charge for 15-20 minutes in the morning, and it’s at 100%.

How long does it take to charge an Apple Watch, either wirelessly or with a cable?

Apple Watch only charge wireless but it last up to 2-3 days on a single full charge for me. It can take up to 2 hours for a full charge according to Apple. However. I have never taken into account how long it takes for charge though. In the morning, I put it on charge like you for 15-30 mins and snap it back on my wrist and it last me the whole day up before midnight and it will still have juice to survive till the morning before I repeat the cycle again. I use the Watch for sleep, steps and heart rate tracking.

If you do decide on a Watch, get the series 3 or series 4 possibly coming in the fall.
 
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Possibly off-topic: as I consider getting a Watch 1 or Watch 3—One of the functions I like on my current fitness band is sleep tracking. I put my band on charge for 15-20 minutes in the morning, and it’s at 100%.

How long does it take to charge an Apple Watch, either wirelessly or with a cable?
Series 3 battery life is better. If you plan to charge every day, it might not matter.
 
Except the difference being the OEM link bracelet from Apple is on another level of ingenuity with the craftsmanship/quality compared to a third-party Chinese link bracelet. Just to machine one strap with the OEM link bracket takes approximately nine hours to manufacture.

Agreed. I picked up the real deal from the Apple store in early '16 and it's been my only strap since then. The leather loop and sport band sit in a drawer. The link bracelet just feels so good on the wrist. If I get a little hot/moist under the strap, I take off the watch for five minutes and the metal gets nice and cool. Feels great when I put it back on.

It's also been extremely durable, other than scuffs on the outside which give it a "patina", but I carefully refinish with the green scotch brite pad a few times a year.
 
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re: link bands. There are several Chinese ebay sellers selling legit link bands cheap. I had a deal with one and resold many (and leather loops) in US last year. Beautiful bands, esp at a big discount. Seller was very trustworthy. I bought direct, delivery took about 2-3 weeks. I stopped selling as there is no longer much room for profit as prices steadily dropped and the high demand waned. There were skeptics but the ones I got were all legit, with the Apple markings, many still in plastic.
 
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re: link bands. There are several Chinese ebay sellers selling legit link bands cheap.

Just as a sidenote to other readers regarding link bands members on eBay claiming that they are legitimate:

The link band can _easily_ be counterfeited and is almost identically resembles Apples OEM band, which even can have fake markings on the band that would resemble Apples. I’m not saying that there are not legitimate Chinese sellers, however The link bands are highly counterfeited and to the average consumer who thinks that they are receiving the actual OEM link band for a substantial discount can easily be fooled. Its happened many times before.

I would make sure if somebody was considering purchasing a link ban from a Chinese seller on eBay, read the feedback, ask questions, look for plenty of pictures and when you receive the product, if possible, compare it if you can to another Apple OEM link band.
 
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I ordered an "original" Apple link bracelet from China. Lots of people swear it is genuine. I'll post when I get it. The milanese looks so good but I was wary of the many reports of having to keep adjusting it a lot during the day.
I have the Milanese and link bands. (Somewhat embarrassingly, I went on a band-loving spree and have both types in both color options.) I used to cycle them fairly often, and have used all four for at least a month, but at this point I've been using the Milanese for the past few months. Whenever I go back to the link bracelet, it feels less comfortable... and I return to the Milanese in a day or two.

The link bracelet is wonderful, but having a band that is infinitely adjustable is even better. I don't know how often I adjust the band throughout the day - not often, I suspect, but if I do it's to either loosen or tighten it. Once you get used to the Milanese loop, switching to anything else makes you realize just how much your wrist swells and shrinks throughout the day.

I wish I liked watches more. You guys are tempting me. :(
I was never a watch person before the Apple Watch. Actually, I still wouldn't count myself as a watch person. I loved having my wrists free. But I wear the Apple Watch every day (and even during sleep, for sleep tracking). You don't need to be a watch person to appreciate it. I think the bands, and the ability to change them, helps. I used to hate the clunky watch bands of the past, as they felt heavy and always tugged at my arm hairs. The default sports band is so soft, and the metal bands are different from what I've felt with other watches. The link bracelet may look more classic, but it has a different feel to it. The Milanese loop is on another level, entirely.

Possibly off-topic: as I consider getting a Watch 1 or Watch 3—One of the functions I like on my current fitness band is sleep tracking. I put my band on charge for 15-20 minutes in the morning, and it’s at 100%.

How long does it take to charge an Apple Watch, either wirelessly or with a cable?
That depends on how far run-down the battery is.

I use my watch (Series 1) all day and all night (sleep tracking, as well). By the end of the day the battery is somewhere between 40-60%. I usually let it sit on the charger for about three hours due to my activity, but in general when I check on it at somewhere between 30-40 minutes it's already indicating that it's fully charged. When I've worked 28 hour shifts and run the battery down to 10% or less, I'd say it probably took somewhere between an hour to an hour and a half to reach 100%.

My guess is, with normal usage, battery life won't be an issue: just throw it on the charger before you head off to take a shower. Unless you're an absolute speed demon when it comes to bathing, that's probably all you'll need to keep it nicely charged.
 
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