Traditional watch or Apple Watch?

[Minimalist_Chic]

I'm looking for an everyday watch. Originally I've always preferred a traditional stainless steel type of watch. Recently, I've been thinking whether it is worth considering an Apple watch.
I will be getting a luxury watch once I hit a milestone, but for everyday and for work I want a non- luxury watch that is acceptable for work. I wear a watch everyday, like a jewellery that not only looks good but is functional.

Does anyone have an Apple Watch that isn't used for tracking your steps? Is it worth it without the fitness aspect.
What features do you like and you find useful?
Any other comments?
If I did get an Apple Watch I would change the straps to a bracelet one.

I ask because I don't walk a lot, I work long hours so spend most time in front of a computer. There's no point in me getting it to even encourage me to move as i know I just won't have time to. I go to the gym (when open) and already do my 1 hour exercise so the watch won't be used for any fitness purposes outside that hour.

Disclaimer: I know Apple Watch is still expensive and considered luxury, I'm comparing against luxury watch like Chanel, Cartier, Rolex, omega, ones.

 

[southernbelle43]

I'm looking for an everyday watch. Originally I've always preferred a traditional stainless steel type of watch. Recently, I've been thinking whether it is worth considering an Apple watch.
I will be getting a luxury watch once I hit a milestone, but for everyday and for work I want a non- luxury watch that is acceptable for work. I wear a watch everyday, like a jewellery that not only looks good but is functional.

Does anyone have an Apple Watch that isn't used for tracking your steps? Is it worth it without the fitness aspect.
What features do you like and you find useful?
Any other comments?
If I did get an Apple Watch I would change the straps to a bracelet one.

I ask because I don't walk a lot, I work long hours so spend most time in front of a computer. There's no point in me getting it to even encourage me to move as i know I just won't have time to. I go to the gym (when open) and already do my 1 hour exercise so the watch won't be used for any fitness purposes outside that hour.

Disclaimer: I know Apple Watch is still expensive and considered luxury, I'm comparing against luxury watch like Chanel, Cartier, Rolex, omega, ones.

I love my Appke watch and do not use it for any exercise purposes. Go online and see all the things you can do with it. My family has a strong history of atrial fib leading to strokes. So I do an EKG periodically just to check. I love seeing all my texts and emails on it. Honestly I hardly ever use my phone now except for actual phone calls. To me it is worth it.

 

[p3b]

I love my Apple watch. I have several health issues so love the tracking of my sleep, EKG, heartbeat, and blood oxygen levels. I also like the reminder to stand up while working so that it gets my eyes off the screen and gives my legs a break. The non-health aspects that I like are seeing my texts while my phone is inside my purse. I can respond via my watch (speak to text or traditional way) or decide if I want to pull my phone out. My Ring app also sends notifications to my watch. I also like pairing with my AirPods Pro to listen to music while working and I can change tracks, etc via my watch.

*I am sure there are many more things it can be used for, but this is what I use mine for.

 

[HauteMama]

Apple watches are fab, no doubt about it, but I couldn't get past the enormous expanse of plain black on my wrist. For me, it was like strapping a screen on my wrist, and then, when I thought about it, that's exactly what I was doing. I could not get past the fact that it isn't pleasant to look at, and I couldn't wear it daily.

YMMV, and lots of people adore their smart watches. But there is no question that an analog watch and then a different kind of fitness tracker was right for me.

 

[baghagg]

I'm not a fan of adding another item which has to be charged routinely to keep functionality...

 

[BigAkoya]

Hi! I think it depends on your everyday look. If you wear a lot of other jewelry, especially branded jewelry (e.g. Cartier, VCA...), my recommendation is to get a real watch.

I wear a Rolex, it is my everyday watch. I also wear jewelry, and a nice watch is part of my jewelry look.
To me, you do not need an Apple watch when an iPhone serves the exact same purpose.

I vote skip the Apple watch and get a nice watch, like a piece of nice jewelry.

Hope that helps. Good luck!

 

[southernbelle43]

I also have a Rolex. It is a nice piece of jewelry that does not keep correct time. At least this one never has. Plus you have to wear it every day or it runs down. Then you have to reset the time which can also be a pain. So if you want an accurate time piece, go for the watch. it goes on its charger every other night to charge, not a problem at all. If you want to spend $5000 for jewelry, get a Rolex.

 

[Hurrem1001]

I don’t like the Apple watches, I prefer a stainless steel watch with a traditional dial. Bit everyone is different, and just because I like something, doesn’t mean others should.
I have no idea what Apple watches do (although I’m sure they can do some amazing things), but I only want my watch for the time and date.

 

[txstats]

My daily wear is Rolex two-tone. I don’t really buy/like gadgets and prefer to spend my money elsewhere.

You asked whether to get traditional or Apple watch - what else in particular are you considering? You also mentioned you prefer bracelet watches and you won’t be using many of the Apple watch function. I personally think it would be a waste to buy smart wearables if I won’t even be using the gadget as it was designed.

 

[HauteMama]

In regards to a PP saying that an automatic watch doesn't keep good time or runs down, a watch is very much like a smart watch in that it should be stored in a winder when not used regularly (or sometimes even if the wearer is often at a desk). As for keeping time, while it is true that even the best automatic watch will never be as accurate as the best quartz watch or a smart device, a COSC certified automatic movement that is well-maintained should keep very good time. Good watches generally come with a warranty to assure they will live up to your expectations, and only need maintenance every 5 to 10 years or so.

 

[ShimmerDreamz]

It all depends on your use case. I always thought I would get a Rolex or JLC as a milestone event on a couple of years as I love analogue watches. However I got a digital watch (Garmin) 3 years ago to track my exercise and wore it exclusively. Since then I'm now conflicted about whether I'd ever go back to analogue watches as I really like the functionality a smart watch comes with, namely:

• Exercise tracking and history which is synced to app so I can compare against days, weeks, months and even years
• Notification alerts to emails and other messages so I don't have to dig out my phone to check
• Call alerts as I like to keep my phone on silent as I often forget to turn it on mute in meetings and/or back on again

I'm thinking I could put the expensive watch money towards more jewelry but I do love watches... However I'm not wearing any of the nice ones in my current collection so I'd really struggle to justify getting another.

Tbh since smart watches will degrade like any piece of tech, you could just get it and try it for a couple of years and see how you like it. It'll eventually need replacing anyway (unlike an analogue watch).

 

[byzina]

I'm looking for an everyday watch. Originally I've always preferred a traditional stainless steel type of watch. Recently, I've been thinking whether it is worth considering an Apple watch.
I will be getting a luxury watch once I hit a milestone, but for everyday and for work I want a non- luxury watch that is acceptable for work. I wear a watch everyday, like a jewellery that not only looks good but is functional.

Does anyone have an Apple Watch that isn't used for tracking your steps? Is it worth it without the fitness aspect.
What features do you like and you find useful?
Any other comments?
If I did get an Apple Watch I would change the straps to a bracelet one.

I ask because I don't walk a lot, I work long hours so spend most time in front of a computer. There's no point in me getting it to even encourage me to move as i know I just won't have time to. I go to the gym (when open) and already do my 1 hour exercise so the watch won't be used for any fitness purposes outside that hour.

Disclaimer: I know Apple Watch is still expensive and considered luxury, I'm comparing against luxury watch like Chanel, Cartier, Rolex, omega, ones.

I never thought about Apple Watch as a luxury watch. It is several times cheaper than the watches you have mentioned like Cartier or Rolex. And it can't be treated as an investment because the battery can't be replaced and its capacity is getting lower in three-four years. So sooner or later you have to buy a new one.

Still I absolutely love it for everyday usage because:
1) I use it for payments which is soooo convenient. I don't have to take a wallet when I go shopping. I have an IPhone with Face ID, so it's rather hard to pay with it, when I keep my mask on. The watch works even without a phone nearby. I forgot my phone at home a couple of times and I was able to pay with the watch.
2) You don't have to take you phone out of the bag, each time you receive a text or an instant message. Or when you are at home, you can leave your phone in one room and go quite far from it.
3) Once when I was especially stressed at work, it warned me that my heartbeat exceeded the norm. I took a break and made me calm down.
4) It's cheaper that a luxury watch so you don't worry about it that much.

 

[PauseBreak]

Maybe it's because I'm from SF, but despite everyone being a wealthy techie who can definitely afford to drop $10k on a watch, most people just wear an Apple watch. Generally, people, especially younger millennials, seem to prefer to spend money on tech and use money they could've spent on jewelry/bags/shoes to go to Tahoe, Napa or other travel every weekend. Just different cultural priorities, I suppose.

For me, definitely the #1 practical use (besides reading time) is for Apple Pay without having to pull out a phone and Face ID. Otherwise, controlling music, glancing at texts/emails, screening spam phone calls, and setting timers without pulling out a phone is useful. Checking weather and other timezones in one glance is nice too. Bonus is using it as a button to take non-selfie group photos. They're not very expensive, so personally, I'd say just go for it.

 

[Pevi]

I don't have an Apple Watch but a Huawei Watch Fit (I wanted to try a smart watch without spending too much to see if I like it) and I just love it. It doesn't have THAT many functions because the watch is Android and I am an Iphone user, but I do love it and prefer it to my analog watches. BUT, and this is a big but, I'm not doing anything social and I'm very focused on getting fit, so that may be a part of why I like it so much.
On the other hand, I like the fact that I can easily change the straps with a smart watch, but nothing beats the look of a classic watch, IMHO.