What are your thoughts on Smart Watches as Beaters?
Before the Watch community crucify me, let me explain my whole journey. It’s kind of funny and crazy to think it’s been 6 years since I’ve started. I’ve only really been into “real watches” for the last 2.5 years, but I always had an interest in watches since I was a kid. I remember seeing the Omega Speedmaster and Seamaster watches on the newspaper and thought it looked amazing. I also had fond memories admiring at my Dad’s Tag Heuer and my Uncle’s Rolexes. I find it interesting a lot of people make fun of smart watches in the Watch community, and I have a great interest in different time pieces, I still quite like my Apple Watch.
It’s kind of funny how I came full circle during my watch collecting journey. I started off my first expensive-ish watch with a Fossil chronograph (I think it was 150£, which is a lot for kid at that time) which I got as a highschool graduation present from my Sister in the UK. I still kept this watch despite it being broken as it has a huge sentimental value to me. I may give this to my kid in the future if I ever get it repaired. Soon, I got quite into watches (Fossil because that was the first brand I own), purchased another Chronograph because I thought Chronographs looked cool at that time. I also bought a knock off Daniel Wellington before throwing it away because it just looked tacky.
I was soon quite obsess with tech and managed to used some of my spare funds to purchase a Samsung Galaxy Watch 3 with my Part time job money. I honestly said I loved the watch a lot, and it served a lot of functionality while still looking cool enough. I used to detest wearing anything smaller than 44mm, now I can’t even dream wearing anything bigger than 40mm. While working at an electronics store (which most people had smartwatches), one of my friend showed me his mechanical watch which his uncle bought for him in the UK. He told me it cost almost a thousand pounds which I thought at that time was ludicrous amount of money to spend on a watch, but I guess that’s when the interest started.
I started doing some research and soon fell into the rabbit hole of the Watch collecting journey. My first two watches after that was the Orient Bambino (everyone’s starting watch if it wasn’t a Seiko 5) and an Orient Defender 2.
On my 20th birthday, I decided I wanted to get something special, so I went and grabbed a PRX quartz as it was the hot watch at that time. It’s kind of weird because a couple of people asked me why I didn’t went with the Auto, but to put it simply, I just didn’t like the waffle dial. It was within my budget if I stretched it, but I just didn’t like it. My dad also gave my his Tag Heuer (a Kirium I believe) for my birthday, as that was the watch he bought when his previous business was taking off and when my mum gave birth to me.
About a few months later, I flew to Australia to continue my further studies, during that time, I bought several watches. I got a Seiko Alpinist as I fell in love with the look after walking past a boutique. I also got the CasiOak in transparent resin as it looke really cool to me.
But, then it came 2023. The itch to purchase a watch dawned on me again. I was working part time, and the wages in Australia is good enough that I can somewhat get away with spending a little bit. I set a budget of ($1000 AUS), and decided to go on the hunt for my next birthday present for myself. At that time (and still till now), I was obsessed with the Christopher Ward Trident 600 and it was on sale for that price. I thought the watch looked amazing and I love how unique it looked. I’m still not too sure what held me back from purchasing it, maybe it was the name “Christopher Ward”, or I’m purchasing an independent watch, or this was just a filler watch because I couldn’t afford the Seiko Prospex Diver or the Longines Legend Diver. I just didn’t purchase it, and I still regret a little bit till today.
Now, the build up to the whole shit-post, my Apple Watch Series 8. I only became an Apple iPhone user after the 13 Pro came out. I detested iPhones for a long time, but I genuinely was impressed with the 13 Pro that it made me switched from a hard core android user to an apple enjoyer. I also got into gym during this time, hence I wanted something to track my workout. The Apple Watch was the perfect fit. I was conflicted at first to buy it, but decided to go for it as I see more benefits of purchasing the Apple Watch compared to the Christopher Ward. Do I regret it? I don’t think so. I still wear it a lot (not everyday), but it’s my companion to the gym or when I’m wearing something more casual like a jumper or hoodie.
If you skipped past my entire post, which I don’t blame you, my question to you is would you still buy a smartwatch despite being into the Watch collecting hobby? What would you wear them for? For me, my answer would still most definitely be yes. I wear them as a beater. Curious for your thoughts. I also bought another G-Shock too after that as a second beater 😂
I’m now saving for the Longines Zulu Time or Legend Diver. TBD
I want more watches but I’m broke
Beat up your smartwatch. See if the watch breaks first or the battery dies. Speaking as the proud owner of a Series 1 that holds a charge for 5 minutes.
Damn, how could you? You just said everything is okay while stabbing me at the same time 😂
Yep, smart watches are great beaters. I’ve been using an Apple Watch for almost 8 years now over 3 generations, and they made me shelve all of my other watches for a very long time. It’s the best digital watch there is, and is so useful.
I only recently started wearing my ‘real’ watches again, and I shifted my Apple Watch to my right wrist, which I find works great.
I've avoided the whole smart watch thing from the beginning. I want to purposely be disconnected from my phone. My best beater is a Duro and I don't see it changing.
Aren’t they a bit fragile?
I have one smartwatch, the Garmin Fenix 5s XL. I got it because I love tech, its a very cool looking watch (especially on black SS) & needing to loose a bit of heft I wanted to track exercise (if that's what you can call it 🤪). It can take a beating, unlike most smart watches, and keep on "ticking"? Overall I still love the watch (will I when battery fails?) but I won't buy another, ever.
Completely get it, it’s like electric cars to help protect petrol cars. I love my watches, but I like to save them for more special occasions or when I feel like wearing something in a more conscious way. My Apple Watch is great for daily wear, but it’s not special. When I wear a real watch though, I enjoy it even more!
They are not watches, they are smart phones on wrist with software that can desplay analog or digital watch look
Thanks for sharing your collecting journey with us - I enjoyed the narrative.
Regarding the question of whether I'd wear an Apple watch: no. Just not my thing. But I have thought about getting something as a "fitness tracker", like a Fitbit or one of those G Shocks with heart rate monitoring and accelerometer etc, so I understand some of the appeal, at least. Just haven't found quite the thing I want, yet.
I tried to wear a smartwatch. I bought 3 apple watches. The first one I gave to my son, the second my wife and the third I sold. I tried, really, but after a couple days, I realized I hated the cheap feel on my wrist. I see the appeal, but for me someone who has worn watches well before the smartwatch appeared has no appeal to me. If anything, I will say it has gotten my son more interested in watches. I wear an old Seiko automatic as a "beater", and don't have to worry about charging it every night.
I bought my Apple Watch way before I got into collecting watches. Before that I had two DW bc it was trending but they broke. So compared to that, I loved my Apple Watch. I’m also an Apple nerd.
Now I only use it as a gym- or runningwatch and it’s great for that!
Wearing your smart watch is fine as it meets your needs and has functionality. I’ve worn my Apple Watch since Series 1 came out years ago as I need to know all of my metrics with my daily workouts, and it is an extension of my iPhone. I too just recently got back into wearing my “real” watch collection and now the Apple Watch resides on my right wrist as I wear my other watches on my left wrist. As others have said, wear what you want if that’s what you like. At first I felt a bit odd wearing two watches, but now I’m very comfortable (and very happy to show off my collection) ⌚️😃
I treat my Apple Watch as a tool for workouts, keeping my golf score and going for a bike ride without my phone. My watch collection is all about my outward expression of my personal style and my passion for the history of watches and the amazing engineering and machinery captured in 40mm of steel.
I’ve been wearing an Apple Watch continuously since day one of series 0. The vast functionality that I use and chose to be happily dependent on is in another world from mechanical, and has redefined what information tools are at my disposal for my limited wrist real estate. My mechanicals give me information downtime, and continuous appreciation for nuanced differences and physical functionality that are easy to visualize. I often double wrist, or go with mechanicals only on evenings or weekends. I don’t accept that smart watches are mutually exclusive to analog watches.
Aren’t they a bit fragile?
Nah. It’s only fragile if you treat them like fragile objects. Honestly they are way hardier than most mechanical watches. Maybe not in water proofing but general wear. Yeah they’ll get scratched up, but if you’re using them for the functionality as a fitness tracker and a time piece, they serve those functions just as well as any other watch. People who put screen protectors or casings around smart watches are just over protective
I treat my Apple Watch as a tool for workouts, keeping my golf score and going for a bike ride without my phone. My watch collection is all about my outward expression of my personal style and my passion for the history of watches and the amazing engineering and machinery captured in 40mm of steel.
Oh you got the Apple Watch Ulta. Lowkey was intimated by purchasing this watch due to the size, I quite enjoy the look though.
I bought my Apple Watch way before I got into collecting watches. Before that I had two DW bc it was trending but they broke. So compared to that, I loved my Apple Watch. I’m also an Apple nerd.
Now I only use it as a gym- or runningwatch and it’s great for that!
Daniel Wellington truly had good marketing. I used to think they were amazing watches till I realise that their brand was hot garbage 😂
I’m still a firm believer of fossil, or at least their older watches. For watches under 200$, I think they’re pretty good in quality for what they deliver. Their newer models do look super generic or too “out there” though compared to the one that I own. Though this could be just my own bias speaking.
I’m out of breath after reading that.
Well said though. I have a series 5 that I wear for physical activity only. I do enjoy the smart watch as they can do literally everything, but at the same time I hate feeling attached to my phone and I don’t need to reply to a text bad enough to have my wrist vibrate.
To me, there really is no point.
I feel much better when not tethered to my phone, my phone is in "do not disturb" almost all the time anyway.
I prefer my wristwatch only having time-related functions, no notifications or apps of any sort. Smartwatches are just too ugly, expensive and fragile to me.
My diver is my daily-wearer, sure it's expensive compared to a smartwatch but it's incredibly reliable, tough and convenient.
If I need something even more tough and so cheap that I don't even care about damaging it, I'll just wear the Casio World Timer (AE1200) I bought a few days ago.
Another thing I can't stand is having to charge my watch all the time, it would drive me crazy. I already dread having to charge my phone so often, all my watches are mechanical except the Casio and that thing has a 10 year battery life.
I guess this turned into a bit of a rant, that wasn't my intention haha.
I have many friends who are into smartwatches, more power to them but it's not for me, analog for life! (With the exception of Casio...)
I’m out of breath after reading that.
Well said though. I have a series 5 that I wear for physical activity only. I do enjoy the smart watch as they can do literally everything, but at the same time I hate feeling attached to my phone and I don’t need to reply to a text bad enough to have my wrist vibrate.
Yeah I configure mine to do not disturb. I only put it to vibrate when I’m working or working out and I’ll actually need to be notified and I’m not on my phone. I guess that’s where it shines.
Thanks for sharing your collecting journey with us - I enjoyed the narrative.
Regarding the question of whether I'd wear an Apple watch: no. Just not my thing. But I have thought about getting something as a "fitness tracker", like a Fitbit or one of those G Shocks with heart rate monitoring and accelerometer etc, so I understand some of the appeal, at least. Just haven't found quite the thing I want, yet.
Thanks for reading through that haha. I still am new into the hobby and that are a lot more watches I want to collect. I think I’ll get a Longines and maybe Sinn after that once I have saved enough.
I love that G-Shock to death. I don’t wear the CasiOak as much but I do wear my GM2100 often (especially if the Apple Watch is dead and I can’t be bothered to reset the time on my other watches). I went with a metal bezel mainly for the looks. I didn’t want another “cheap” G-Shock, but something with a bit of my own personality
Smart watches are the work of the devil!
Phones extensions masquerading as proper watches.
Smart watches are the work of the devil!
Phones extensions masquerading as proper watches.
But my pastor wears it. Surely it’s a gift from heaven then