Community Stories

I'm kind of embarrassed to admit...

mjb
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I'm rather liking my new smart watch. I have always enjoyed wearing my fine (usually Swiss) timepieces, but Amazon prime day and the good reviews on the pixel watch led me to buying one.

I've had smart rings (lost it) and a Samsung smart watch (that couldn't keep time and refused to synch back up with the phone) and think that most smart watches are stupid and/or stupid looking, but the tech has gotten much better. So I tried it.

Mostly to track my health and sleep, I've found that I also appreciate the ability to receive and send text message, see calendar reminders, weather, create timers, listen to music... and it tells me the time as well.

Last week I wanted to look like a grownup briefly, so I strapped on the speedy. I love that watch, but all it does is tell time. No texts, no counting of steps, no heart rate, I was living in a barren desert bereft of information. I had to look outside to see what the weather was.

20260822_191739.webp

Most of the time the display is off to save battery life and not distract me. It's not clunky or heavy.
 
Fallout Boy
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Last week I woke up around noon, still wearing my boots, and next to the couch there was a stinking green puddle. I just wanted to know what time it was...

IMG_3750a.webp


It probably all started before leaving.
 
gbesq
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My daughter wanted me to get an Apple Watch after I had a stroke and I live alone. I bought it and I do find it useful for exercising and making sure that I am not having afib, but other than that I find it to be irritating and much prefer my Omega watches.
 
Wahoo98
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Yeah I use the Apple Watch for exercise and most of the time hiking/fishing etc. I do miss some of the tech when wearing mechanicals, as it has gotten very good. But still seem to find a decent balance and enough time for my “real” watches.
 
AG77
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I did a nice hike this weekend to the summit of Mount Washington in NH. Overnight stay at a hut with my boys. I have worn a smart watch in the past - I like that it tracks mileage. Maybe the new ones track altitude, which would be nice too. But mine (older gen) just runs out of battery too soon so I left it at home in favor of my Seiko SPB143.
 
mjb
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gbesq gbesq
My daughter wanted me to get an Apple Watch after I had a stroke and I live alone. I bought it and I do find it useful for exercising and making sure that I am not having afib, but other than that I find it to be irritating and much prefer my Omega watches.
A buddy of mine has a fruit watch, and it notified him that he might be having a cardio event. Turns out, he was. Another reason to wear these things when we're out doing stuff (he was working in the yard).

I hope you've recovered well after the stroke. Best wishes.
 
elephantcage
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My phone does pretty much all the monitoring, and I always have it. I have no interest in a techno watch. That leaves one more for the rest of you to fight over.
 
sheepdoll
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Several years ago I got some apple watches from goodwill and rebuilt them. I was going to mechanize some of the cases. I gave one to my dad before his passing. He wanted a new one that had better health monitoring. So I wear that one now most of the time especially when I go on morning group hikes. If I forget to charge it I use the beat up looking quartz C case.

Does make me feel I have gone over to the dark side. There simply just not that many places to wear the mechanical watches these day. I still like working on them, although I have been having fun with early quartz watches lately.
 
Waltesefalcon
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sheepdoll sheepdoll
There simply just not that many places to wear the mechanical watches these day.

How so? I have never been in a situation where a mechanical watch wasn't a good option. I only have two watches that aren't mechanical and they are both 214 Accutrons.
 
gbesq
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sheepdoll sheepdoll
There simply just not that many places to wear the mechanical watches these day.
Huh? I see them all the time. At work, at social gatherings, at church, for errands, etc. And many of the mechanical watches that I see are being worn by young people. Nice mechanical watches are far from dead.
 
redpcar
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gbesq gbesq
Huh? I see them all the time. At work, at social gatherings, at church, for errands, etc. And many of the mechanical watches that I see are being worn by young people. Nice mechanical watches are far from dead.
Other than every day all day? Yeah, not many places 😉
 
Felix_La_PuBelle
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With my elderly family members a health tracker makes good sense. A family member once had their smart watch O2 sensor flag an issue and they were able to call for medical attention.

Beyond that, for me personally, I already have a smart phone in my pocket that I’m tethered to for work. All the information I need is there and I don’t need it replicated on my wrist. It would just be unending email and text notices. Sometimes I want to keep that contained in my pocket until I’m ready to look at it.
 
pdxleaf
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My local watch shop gives credit to smart watches for introducing more people to mechanical watches. People go from not wearing anything to getting accustomed to having something in their wrist. At some point they want to be less connected constantly and think they'd enjoy having a nice looking time only watch.

For many of us who were wearing mechanical watches before smart watches, it can feel wierd. I've started seeing people with a smart device in one wrist and a mechanical watch on the other. It's not for me, but his theory makes me feel better about them.
 
noelekal
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I am so ashamed!

Only kidding.

I love my mechanical watches that only tell the time. I love winding them. I love using them. I don't love tech. I don''t appreciate being connected. I an fortunate enough to not be required to monitor my healt. I am a Luddite, but am a happy Luddite.
gbesq gbesq
Huh? I see them all the time. At work, at social gatherings, at church, for errands, etc. And many of the mechanical watches that I see are being worn by young people. Nice mechanical watches are far from dead.
Just had a visit with two watch mavens at church earlier this morning. Happened to walk past them and overheard a show and tell. A Rolex GMT Pepsi and a fancy Seiko chrono. We all had a nice, brief visit. Seiko owner also has a Rolex sub. Have seen another Rolex GMT on a third member. All are quite a bit younger than I am.
Edited:
 
bgrisso
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pdxleaf pdxleaf
My local watch shop gives credit to smart watches for introducing more people to mechanical watches. People go from not wearing anything to getting accustomed to having something in their wrist. At some point they want to be less connected constantly and think they'd enjoy having a nice looking time only watch.

For many of us who were wearing mechanical watches before smart watches, it can feel wierd. I've started seeing people with a smart device in one wrist and a mechanical watch on the other. It's not for me, but his theory makes me feel better about them.
I've been doing the 2 wrist approach sometimes, when I need the additional tech, I thought it would be weird, but it's actually working pretty well
 
ghce
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pdxleaf pdxleaf
My local watch shop gives credit to smart watches for introducing more people to mechanical watches. People go from not wearing anything to getting accustomed to having something in their wrist. At some point they want to be less connected constantly and think they'd enjoy having a nice looking time only watch.

For many of us who were wearing mechanical watches before smart watches, it can feel wierd. I've started seeing people with a smart device in one wrist and a mechanical watch on the other. It's not for me, but his theory makes me feel better about them.
That is my default, mechanical watch on left wrist, smart watch on right wrist, been doing that for a couple of years. The combination of the both works very well.
 
Archer
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Pretty sure you need some of these patches to ward off whatever evil spirits are causing you to like a smart watch!

IMG_1398.webp
 
sheepdoll
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gbesq gbesq
Nice mechanical watches are far from dead.
I never said they were. It is just that I rarely go out and do social things these days. I love my watches as much as I ever did.
 
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