closing tag is in template navbar
timefactors watches



TZ-UK Fundraiser
Page 1 of 3 123 LastLast
Results 1 to 50 of 125

Thread: The elephant in the room - ''smart watches''.

  1. #1
    Grand Master number2's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jul 2011
    Location
    North and South.
    Posts
    30,561

    The elephant in the room - ''smart watches''.

    I'm far from being a regular watch wearer usually only wearing a watch at the weekend and holidays, but I'm now beginning to think more about a 'smart watch' for daily wear - at the moment the Moto360 might be... anyhow this is in 'watch talk' because whatever your thoughts the tech is here to stay.

    Opinions, experiences, thoughts all welcome.
    "Once is happenstance. Twice is coincidence. The third time it's enemy action."

    'Populism, the last refuge of a Tory scoundrel'.

  2. #2
    Craftsman AmosMoses's Avatar
    Join Date
    Dec 2020
    Location
    United Kingdom
    Posts
    386
    Not for me, I like a watch I don't have to charge every couple of days!

    But having said that, apple's offerings are clever little things. But other than a few techy party tricks I don't find them that impressive.

  3. #3
    Grand Master Andyg's Avatar
    Join Date
    Oct 2008
    Location
    Wiltshire
    Posts
    24,924
    Personal choice at the end of the day. A smart watch is not something I personally feel the need to own, but then I don’t have a fancy coffee maker either.

    Whoever does not know how to hit the nail on the head should be asked not to hit it at all.
    Friedrich Nietzsche


  4. #4
    Never desired to own a smart watch.

    Sent from my SM-G960F using Tapatalk

  5. #5
    Master M1011's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jun 2020
    Location
    London, England
    Posts
    3,221
    My experience with smart watches was more of a headache than anything. It's another thing to manage, plug in and get 'notifications' off. I do think they've come along way in design, but I still struggle with the point of them. It's basically a rubbish version of your phone at best and I don't know anyone that leaves their phone at home.

  6. #6
    Craftsman enndriz's Avatar
    Join Date
    Apr 2020
    Location
    Newcastle UK
    Posts
    519
    Not for me, and for anyone interested in watches (as most of here are) I don’t really see how it would appeal.

    I get why people buy them tho, they are impressive bits of tech if that’s what you feel you need - my wife recently got herself an Apple Watch and seems very happy with it. I do laugh at her having something else to charge every night tho while my lump of ancient mechanical engineering sits quietly and looks after itself


    Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

  7. #7
    I have a chunky anachronism on one wrist and a now dated but still useful piece of tech strapped to the other. I’ll never stop wearing mechanical wrist watches but do use the Apple Watch every day.

  8. #8
    Master
    Join Date
    Sep 2004
    Location
    West Sussex, United Kingdom.
    Posts
    7,977
    At least the 360 is a decent sized smart watch. Not sure if they should advertise someone wearing it on the beach with only 3atm WR though. There are hundreds of downloadable watch faces, some of which look very cool!!

  9. #9
    Master Christian's Avatar
    Join Date
    Dec 2008
    Location
    London
    Posts
    9,876
    I've worn my Apple Watch much more than a mechanical during lockdown because I'm generally not used to wearing a mechanical around the house normally and I've found during lockdown my autos don't get enough wear to keep running.

    Smart watches have their place...I use mine for running and exercise. It's cellular too so is a great backup to make calls or stream music if I don't have my phone. Also use it for payment when I don't have my card wallet on me.

  10. #10
    Master
    Join Date
    Oct 2013
    Location
    London
    Posts
    1,745
    I have a smart watch AND a fancy coffee maker :D

    Since lockdown started, ie for the best part of a year, I've worn an Apple Watch Series 5 >99% of the time. I had one previously a few years ago and never really got on with it, always feeling that I'd rather wear one of my embarrassingly large collection of mechanical watches. But somehow wfh has changed all that, to the extent that I'm going to be selling many of my watches and only keeping a few of my absolute favourites (which I know I will wear less than I used to).

    The reason? There are a few. It unlocks my MacBook without me needing to enter a password, it unlocks applications that require authentication, it reminds me to walk around a bit when I'm sat at my desk all day, and then there's the fitness / step / exercise tracking etc, all of which I've found both interesting and inexplicably indispensable over the last year. I've got into exercise as a sort of lockdown anti-madness measure and it's a useful tool for that sort of thing.

    If you'd asked me a year ago, I'd have said it was an interesting toy but it would never supplant my real watches. Now I'm definitely not so sure.

  11. #11
    Craftsman
    Join Date
    Jan 2016
    Location
    UK, Maldives, Singapore
    Posts
    803
    No. Just no.

    They have their place when being active.

    Otherwise pointless tech with a shelf life.


    Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

  12. #12
    Master aldfort's Avatar
    Join Date
    Dec 2009
    Location
    Cardiff
    Posts
    9,254
    I have thought carefully about a smart watch. I decided against one. My phone is intrusive enough from my pocket I don't want it replicated on my wrist.

  13. #13
    Grand Master GraniteQuarry's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jun 2005
    Location
    Aberdeen, UK
    Posts
    27,868
    Some very useful features - notably pinging your moby when can't recall where left it in the house - but the issue I have is smartphones look crap.

    I'll buy another when a Rolex do a Submariner version; might be a while waiting.

  14. #14
    Craftsman
    Join Date
    Mar 2013
    Location
    South Wales
    Posts
    623
    It's a no for me, but mainly because I wear a watch really as jewellery. Something nice to look at and occasionally spark a conversation over.
    It will be a long time before smartwatches offer that, but I'm sure they will at some point.

  15. #15
    Grand Master AlphaOmega's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jun 2009
    Location
    Trinovantum
    Posts
    11,313
    Good question.

    I don't think I will ever compromise. One for training, one for non-training. It's nice to have something that doesn't need a signal to work.

  16. #16
    Master
    Join Date
    Apr 2007
    Location
    Derby, UK
    Posts
    3,249
    I had a Samsung smartwatch that came with a phone deal, what a pain in the bum it was, battery lasted a day or so at best; constantly beeping stuff at me get up and move-which wasn't so bad, but news, social media alerts, emails etc, it was endless. And while you can switch them all off it sort of defeated the point of them, so I ditched it. Plus, I like changing watches every few days so this would go in rotation and also misses the point of them. Not a fan. Young persons game I think?

  17. #17
    There seems to be an ever growing number of people wearing a smartwatch on one wrist and their Rolex on the other.

    Makes they look a bit obsessed with watches to be wearing two but its upto them i guess.

  18. #18
    Master
    Join Date
    Apr 2007
    Location
    Derby, UK
    Posts
    3,249
    Quote Originally Posted by xellos99 View Post
    There seems to be an ever growing number of people wearing a smartwatch on one wrist and their Rolex on the other.

    Makes they look a bit obsessed with watches to be wearing two but its upto them i guess.
    Good ole Nic Hayek! :)

  19. #19
    Grand Master number2's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jul 2011
    Location
    North and South.
    Posts
    30,561
    I'm probably one of the few that doesn't wear a watch every day, currently they're more of a weekend/holiday wrist bauble/treat worn whenever I wear a t-shirt which I've no plans to change (the watch I mean) just mulling it over.
    Last edited by number2; 10th March 2021 at 15:49.
    "Once is happenstance. Twice is coincidence. The third time it's enemy action."

    'Populism, the last refuge of a Tory scoundrel'.

  20. #20
    Grand Master Neil.C's Avatar
    Join Date
    Sep 2003
    Location
    SE England
    Posts
    27,034
    Not for me.

    I like the anachronistic nature of a mechanical watch.

    Have enough electronic stuff already.
    Cheers,
    Neil.

    My Speedmaster website:

    http://www.freewebs.com/neil271052

  21. #21
    Master
    Join Date
    Mar 2016
    Location
    Lake District
    Posts
    2,792
    I wear my Garmin Fenix 6x pro quite a bit when exercising. Handy to have notifications, steps tracked, weather, music etc but do like to wear my other watches the reset of the time. It's more of a fitness watch than a smart watch the likes of Apple etc. They have their use and some people love them (my mate swears by his Apple 6 watch). If I were you I'd give one a try and see how you get on.

  22. #22
    Master wildheart's Avatar
    Join Date
    Aug 2008
    Location
    Essex - Hopefully on a golf course!
    Posts
    8,478
    There not a watch, there a computer. I'd rather where nothing on my wrist, than wear one.

  23. #23
    Grand Master snowman's Avatar
    Join Date
    Nov 2012
    Location
    Hampshire
    Posts
    14,533
    Quote Originally Posted by xellos99 View Post
    There seems to be an ever growing number of people wearing a smartwatch on one wrist and their Rolex on the other.

    Makes they look a bit obsessed with watches to be wearing two but its upto them i guess.
    Well, I don't have a Rolex, but I do have a fitband on my right wrist and a proper watch (Kommandirsk 030935 today) on my left.

    Works for me, but I wouldn't wear a smartwatch - The tech moves too fast and it's a little redundant anyway.

    I used to like the really cheap fitness band I had with no display. The battery lasted all month and I just checked steps, etc on the app on my phone, a far better solution I thought.

    Sadly you don't seem to be able to get anything that simple anymore, so a small band with a tiny, unreadable screen suffices.

    I did have a Skagen hybrid smartwatch for a while.

    It was cheap and I quite liked the style (it looked like a proper watch) and if I didn't care about watches, I'd have been happy wearing it every day and it counting my steps, but as I only wore it about 3 times, it was a bit pointless for me.

    M
    Last edited by snowman; 10th March 2021 at 16:34.
    Breitling Cosmonaute 809 - What's not to like?

  24. #24
    Master
    Join Date
    Mar 2006
    Location
    Borrowash
    Posts
    6,557
    Blog Entries
    1
    I wear an Apple Watch, charging it nightly doesn't bother me (do same for my phone anyway). Use it for activity tracking and, come the summer, will get a lot of use from it when running, swimming, kayaking etc. It'll save me having to take my phone onto the water

    Does it stop me enjoying mechanical watches? No

    Over the years there have been people who can't see the point of Sat Nav ("I can read a map!") or a Kindle ("I like the feel of real paper!") so not surprised by some of the replies above, but having a wrist-based device that can act as an alarm, stopwatch, countdown timer, GMT etc etc is something that no mechanical watch can do.

  25. #25
    Grand Master snowman's Avatar
    Join Date
    Nov 2012
    Location
    Hampshire
    Posts
    14,533
    Quote Originally Posted by thenikjones View Post
    I wear an Apple Watch, charging it nightly doesn't bother me (do same for my phone anyway). Use it for activity tracking and, come the summer, will get a lot of use from it when running, swimming, kayaking etc. It'll save me having to take my phone onto the water

    Does it stop me enjoying mechanical watches? No

    Over the years there have been people who can't see the point of Sat Nav ("I can read a map!") or a Kindle ("I like the feel of real paper!") so not surprised by some of the replies above, but having a wrist-based device that can act as an alarm, stopwatch, countdown timer, GMT etc etc is something that no mechanical watch can do.
    But I suspect you carry a phone, which can do all that and more and with a more practical screen. (Except be water resistant, but some can do that even!)

    I can read a map (but I like Sat Nav) and I do prefer to read on paper, although I like the ability to have a book to read wherever I am - Big fan of the Kindle app, but I don't need a dedicated gadget for it.

    M
    Breitling Cosmonaute 809 - What's not to like?

  26. #26
    Grand Master AlphaOmega's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jun 2009
    Location
    Trinovantum
    Posts
    11,313
    Quote Originally Posted by thenikjones View Post
    ...having a wrist-based device that can act as an alarm, stopwatch, countdown timer, GMT etc etc is something that no mechanical watch can do.
    Aren't there some that attempt to do that?

  27. #27
    Master
    Join Date
    Feb 2009
    Location
    Suffolk
    Posts
    3,812
    Quote Originally Posted by AlphaOmega View Post
    Aren't there some that attempt to do that?
    IWC Timezoner pilot comes close I think?


    Sent from my Nokia 3.1 using TZ-UK mobile app

  28. #28
    I have an Apple Watch but after a few months wear, and the sporadic week when I decide to give it another try, it lives unloved in a drawer. Nothing to do with style, being a proper watch or even battery - it easily lasts 2 days on a charge - I just already have a phone so why do I need another tech item nagging me with reminders etc? Rather spend the money on keeping my phone updated tbh, and wear a normal watch to tell the time. The tech is amazing, sure - but do I need it? Nope. A solution to a problem that (for me) doesn’t exist. If I was a fitness freak, I might consider one but for now, it’s a big no!


    Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

  29. #29
    Quote Originally Posted by AlphaOmega View Post
    Aren't there some that attempt to do that?
    So buy a Casio Dw-5600, about £60


    Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

  30. #30
    Craftsman
    Join Date
    Aug 2015
    Location
    Nottinghamshire
    Posts
    430
    Quote Originally Posted by xellos99 View Post
    There seems to be an ever growing number of people wearing a smartwatch on one wrist and their Rolex on the other.

    Makes they look a bit obsessed with watches to be wearing two but its upto them i guess.
    I have to confess that when I'm tracking my activity for weight loss etc I become a 2 watch w@#k%r. I picked up a 38mm Applewatch series 3 in grey with a black strap. I find it wears quite subtilty on my right wrist but it did take some getting used to.

  31. #31
    Grand Master
    Join Date
    Apr 2011
    Location
    North
    Posts
    18,926
    Blog Entries
    2
    No for me for a number of reasons.

    1) I like the interaction of mechanical watches. Winding, hearing them tick, feeling the rotor spin etc and just looking at them for sheer enjoyment.
    2) I work on a computer, my phone is always notifying me of something, I feel like im owned by tech already. I don't want to wear it as well.
    3) Its just another thing to charge.
    4) They are aesthetically displeasing to me.
    5) Im passionate about mechanical watches, I collect them, I work with them, I spend my time reading about them, I dont want them to become obsolete so refuse to contribute to it. Granted they probably wont, but if they do its because people have exchanged them for tech and I dont want to be one of those people.

  32. #32
    Grand Master AlphaOmega's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jun 2009
    Location
    Trinovantum
    Posts
    11,313
    Quote Originally Posted by Nealywheelie View Post
    IWC Timezoner pilot comes close I think?


    Sent from my Nokia 3.1 using TZ-UK mobile app
    Quote Originally Posted by RobDad View Post
    So buy a Casio Dw-5600, about £60


    Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
    Well, my Speedie did some of those things.

    Re: the Casio, yes that pretty much covers it.

    Seems a tad sterile though.

  33. #33
    Grand Master AlphaOmega's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jun 2009
    Location
    Trinovantum
    Posts
    11,313
    Quote Originally Posted by verv View Post
    No for me for a number of reasons.

    1) I like the interaction of mechanical watches. Winding, hearing them tick, feeling the rotor spin etc and just looking at them for sheer enjoyment.
    2) I work on a computer, my phone is always notifying me of something, I feel like im owned by tech already. I don't want to wear it as well.
    3) Its just another thing to charge.
    4) They are aesthetically displeasing to me.
    5) Im passionate about mechanical watches, I collect them, I work with them, I spend my time reading about them, I dont want them to become obsolete so refuse to contribute to it. Granted they probably wont, but if they do its because people have exchanged them for tech and I dont want to be one of those people.
    That's what I was thinking but couldn't quite articulate.

  34. #34
    Master RogDen's Avatar
    Join Date
    Feb 2009
    Location
    Somerset
    Posts
    1,461
    I wear a Fitbit only for steps on my right wrist and my proper watch on the left .
    Although I’ve been a bit of an Apple fan for years I’ve never wanted one of their watches which I get the feeling they go out of date before you get them home.


    Sent from my iPad using TZ-UK mobile app

  35. #35
    Craftsman
    Join Date
    Feb 2014
    Location
    Ashbourne, UK
    Posts
    391
    I have an old Garmin Vivoactive HR which does all I need for Activity tracking but I still find myself going through phases of wanting a smartwatch but knowing it would be a waste of money as the novelty would wear off pretty quickly. Just need to keep telling myself that and stick with switching between a watch and the Garmin when needed.
    .

    Sent from my SM-G780F using Tapatalk

  36. #36
    Master Chewitt13's Avatar
    Join Date
    Aug 2014
    Location
    Aberdeen
    Posts
    1,404
    Can't stand the idea of a smart watch but like the idea of step counter and stuff so I have a Fitbit flex, waterproof, tracks exercise etc, vibrates with text messages, lasts for ages and doesn't have a screen - perfect

    Sent from my Pixel 5 using Tapatalk

  37. #37
    Grand Master wileeeeeey's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jan 2017
    Location
    N/A
    Posts
    18,997
    Total convert here and haven't worn a mechanical watch since buying a Garmin Fenix 6 just over four weeks ago. Paired with Strava it's been transformational for me. In January we did a 100km challenge and finished on 104km yet today after buying the watch, tracking activity and setting targets we've done 105km for the month just ten days in.

    Charging a watch daily is a pathetic and the main reason I went for the Garmin - easily lasts at least one week and can do two weeks without much effort.

    When the world goes back to normal I'll have to find a smaller band type Garmin which still tracks elevation and double wrist. It hasn't diminished my interest in mechanical watches at all, I called the AD a few days ago and asked them to think of me if a new Explorer II is released.

  38. #38
    Master
    Join Date
    Mar 2011
    Location
    Northern Ireland
    Posts
    6,697
    *tin hat on*

    I’ve just bought an Apple Watch. I find myself running most days, and having to swap / remembering to charge my Garmin is a bit of a pain. Also, whilst I can sync Spotify playlists to the Garmin, I can’t stream ad hoc or listen to anything else.

    Another slight annoyance - I often miss an important call whilst on the road so these will now come through to the watch.

    For me; it’s a replacement of two devices for one. I’ll still keep a G shock for anything a watch is likely to get a knock but for now I’m going Apple.

  39. #39
    Grand Master snowman's Avatar
    Join Date
    Nov 2012
    Location
    Hampshire
    Posts
    14,533
    Quote Originally Posted by demonloop View Post
    I’ll still keep a G shock for anything a watch is likely to get a knock but for now I’m going Apple.
    Many won't like this, but I don't see the step from a G-Shock to a smartwatch as that great...

    M
    Breitling Cosmonaute 809 - What's not to like?

  40. #40
    Master j111dja's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jan 2004
    Location
    Glasgow, Scotland
    Posts
    6,891
    Quote Originally Posted by AmosMoses View Post
    Not for me, I like a watch I don't have to charge every couple of days!

    But having said that, apple's offerings are clever little things. But other than a few techy party tricks I don't find them that impressive.
    Thankfully not every smart watch needs charged every few days, but that puts me off those who do. My Fitbit has sat in its box for months now.

    I wear a Kronaby Apex 43 more and more these days. Two years minimum battery life and it is one of the best looking, most legible watches I own. Sad but true.

  41. #41
    Craftsman
    Join Date
    Sep 2015
    Location
    Surrey
    Posts
    994
    As soon as the Apple watch does blood sugar monitoring I will get one for sure

  42. #42
    Master
    Join Date
    Aug 2012
    Location
    UK
    Posts
    5,412
    Tried one (the Apple Watch) but it didn’t ‘bring me joy’. It’s a somewhat useful if fiddly and undersized gadget, but it can never do what a really good ‘proper’ watch does, which is make you feel good about the world. Appreciating a beautiful watch just encourages a more pleasant state of mind than something designed for poking at the digital world. If anything the experience of trying both has made me appreciate the subtle magic powers of real watches even more.

  43. #43
    Master
    Join Date
    Mar 2011
    Location
    Northern Ireland
    Posts
    6,697
    Quote Originally Posted by snowman View Post
    Many won't like this, but I don't see the step from a G-Shock to a smartwatch as that great...

    M
    If you intent to use the Apple Watch as a running / fitness GPS, the step is huge. And it can also take calls/messages on the move— without the phone. Granted they’re both digital, but they’re completely different animals.

  44. #44
    Master
    Join Date
    Mar 2006
    Location
    Borrowash
    Posts
    6,557
    Blog Entries
    1
    Quote Originally Posted by RobDad View Post
    So buy a Casio Dw-5600, about £60


    Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
    Nowhere near as good but YMMV (as in, Apple Watch does a lot more)

  45. #45
    Master
    Join Date
    Mar 2006
    Location
    Borrowash
    Posts
    6,557
    Blog Entries
    1
    Quote Originally Posted by AlphaOmega View Post
    Well, my Speedie did some of those things.

    Re: the Casio, yes that pretty much covers it.

    Seems a tad sterile though.
    Alpha Omega - you misunderstood my point - the smart watch doesn’t do SOME , it does them all. Fancy a moonphase? Done. Not interested, turn it off.

    Not here to convert you - you don’t want one, not a problem - but if you like the Casio - or go high and and like an X-33 or B-1 - then a smart watch does far, far more for not much money (less than the Omega or Breitling)

  46. #46
    Quote Originally Posted by optix View Post
    No. Just no.

    They have their place when being active.

    Otherwise pointless tech with a shelf life.
    Depends on what you view as pointless. Like if you go to the shop and forget your wallet, you can pay for your stuff with it.

    Or you want to read a message whilst in a meeting but not obviously get your phone out.

    Or check the time in the dark, despite how amazing lume is these days, it’s still not a patch compared to a smart watch.

    Or monitor your health. My Dad’s recovering from a quadruple heart bypass and suffering with atrial fibrillation, he’ll be able to monitor his heart rhythm from home easily with an Apple Watch.

    But apart from those, and a few other pointless things, No just no.

  47. #47
    Master Rinaldo1711's Avatar
    Join Date
    Mar 2007
    Location
    Suffolk
    Posts
    8,120
    I couldn’t see myself without a conventional watch on my left wrist. I do wear a Fitbit Charge on my right : need to keep track of my steps etc - the wages of aging and cardiac works gumming up.

  48. #48
    Quote Originally Posted by thenikjones View Post
    Nowhere near as good but YMMV (as in, Apple Watch does a lot more)
    I totally agree, I wasn’t comparing the Casio to an Apple Watch


    Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

  49. #49
    I have a Xiaomi Mi Band which cost approx £30 and battery lasts approx 4 weeks.

    My job involves taking customer calls and the watch helps in being able to see texts, calls etc without having to pick up my phone.

    It can record steps, heart rate etc and at its price point I think it is great.

  50. #50
    Master Halitosis's Avatar
    Join Date
    Nov 2016
    Location
    West Lothian
    Posts
    1,916
    It will be a year next week since I strapped on my wife's old Fitbit and I can't bear the idea of taking it off and failing to log my steps/floors/heart rate.

    That said, I'm not interested in smartwatch features, dislike having to charge the tracker, and frequently miss wearing my watches. What I'd like is a tracker I can wear somewhere other than my wrist (or be tiny and discrete enough to go 2-wristed without looking a tool - no screen and mistaken for a livestrong-type rubber band)

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •  

Do Not Sell My Personal Information