Smartwatches

As far as mechanical watches going the way of the dodo, I can’t say. I don’t see smart watches becoming collectable, though. They rely too much on software and are updated/upgraded too often—which quickly renders them obsolete, essentially making them disposable and without any sort of value retention. It’s like any other computer in that way, and I can’t see them becoming any more collectable than my old Dell from 2004. 

Great questions!

I have some funny, talking-straight-out-of-my-butt musing below:

• According to this site, more than 130M Apple watches have been sold to-date, and that figure would seem to indicate that smartwatches have, indeed, become the norm:  https://www.macworld.co.uk/news/how-many-apple-watches-sold-3801687/
• Will they ever become collectible?  I sincerely doubt in the same way that mechanical watches are.  It seems that for something to become collectible, it has to lose all its real world usefulness before people start treating it as some "soulful" object.  Take vinyl, for example.  Only once nobody in their right mind would consider vinyl "useful" anymore, and it's become completely anachronistic, does it then become collectible.  I suspect because it's completely useless, in a sense, does it then become about signaling how "soulful" you are to have vinyl.  Watches are the same, yeah?  If everyone is wearing a mechanical watch to tell the time, then us enthusiasts can't signal to others how cool we are by collecting watches.  We'd just be weirdos with a bunch of watches.  People would look at us and say, "Dude, why do you have some many watches?  Like, do you also collect hair dryers?  Or blenders?  Or toaster ovens?"  But, once mechanical watches are completely anachronistic and useless, then wearing a mechanical watch signals to others that you see the beauty in the artistry of mechanical movements - we're all poets deep down inside
• Meanwhile, wearable digital devices will only grow in usefulness in the future, yeah?  And so long as they're useful, they'll be like hair dryers - it'd be weird to collect them

Exactly! I have a number of obsolete smart phones, and there doesn't seem to be a vintage cell phone market. 😂 Since smart watches rely on the same planned obsolescence business model employed in driving computer and smart phone sales, I can't see them becoming collectible in the same way other watches are. A WWII era Bulova Hack has the same design and function as a 2021 Bulova Hack.

This is not to say there have been no advances in mechanical watches, but the advances don't render earlier models obsolete. 

smartwatch are like phone from my opinion. it is useful for me to do sport activity ( for me is cycling ). but it is not collectible and means to be disposable. but the silver lining is im collecting mechanical watch after my apple watch got broken after 2 years. nowadays im using other chinese smartwatch to do heart rate monitoring for cycling and its does the job same way

The simple amswer  to the op  question is NO!

@Omeganut nailed it with the comparison to vinyl in my mind. There will always be a part of the population that likes the "old" way. I also think there will always be a segment of the population that doesn't bother with smart watches. It's just another device to have to worry about charging, and another tether to your phone, email, etc.. 

Hell, even safety razors and straight razors are popular these days because there are enough of us that prefer the old way of shaving, as compared to cans of gel, and 26 blade disposable razor heads. 

I have over 3000 LPs, all classical, there is no digital steaming service that can beat my collection. All my LPs are well cared for and listened to daily. There is a certain warmth in the way they sound, you have to experience it. Would I collect rock/pop/hip hop in vinyl? Hell no! I would stream it, and I listen to it only when I workout. I buy watches for the art, the craftsmanship, engineering, elegance. If I need to tell time I have a cellphone, or computer screen. Wearable digital wearable devices collect data for apple, Garmin and Google and sold to 3rd party. I would not wear one, forget collecting them.

It’s been said already, but the inevitable obsolescence of smart watches prompting users to buy a new version every few years was the nail in the coffin for me. I actually had one for a few years, and I enjoyed being able to track workouts, but ultimately the time it took away from me wearing my mechanical watches and the fact that it really didn’t change my workouts is what prompted me to sell it recently. Now I enjoy my mechanical watch rotation like I always planned to do, and one less item buzzing at me as certainly been a positive change in my life!

As many said, smart watches are tools that get replaced once they lose their usefulness. Watches are jewelry, they may go in and out of fashion in the future but I think there will always be a group of people who will cherish them.

Another inherent difference that makes smartwatches fundamentally different is that they are a node within a larger system. They require this larger network for their functions and purpose. A true watch is independent and self contained (ok lets not get into multiband 6 or radio controlled, but those watches CAN also be independent)

When you buy a smart watch, you plan on buying the newer one next year because it becomes outdated and considered bad. When you buy a real watch, it's you don't consider buying next year's one because it's timeless and can last forever... maybe if you bought the heremes Apple watch but even that can't retain value to the buyer or the market.

Watches may become something more akin to jewelry. Worn more for aesthetics than its particular function. This is probably why MVMT are doing so well at the moment as they fit the younger Instagram generation.

Just an observation, but in my workplace of 30 people there is only me and one other guy who wear a mechanical watch. Everyone else wears a smart watch.

Yup.  No.

There will be those who need a piece of technology for everything. Although I do hope for a future where mechanical watches reign supreme!

Personally don't like them but people will continue to use them. Purchasing a luxury smartwatch from Tag Heuer or Hublot is probably the worst purchase anyone can make. Might as well just set your money on fire.

Any watch that contains computer-based technology is inherently obsolete within months of purchase. The Apple Watch is a disposable piece of tech and Apple will continue to make billions off the sales of disposable tech items like phones and watches.

We don't purchase mechanical watches to optimally keep track of time. We purchase them because as Kevin O'Leary is apt to say - they are beautiful works of art. Some wear watches to impress, some to just enjoy looking at them, some to imply status and wealth, some to measure life achievements, and some because they are just obsessed with these amazing mechanical devices.

So I think smart watches are on a parallel path with mechanical watches and the two paths rarely ever cross - though I do love my Frederique Constant Horological Smartwatch.

I think of smartwatches as just a watch with a different ‘complication’ or ’complicationS’. It’s just another type of wristwatch, like a gmt, chronograph, diver etc albeit with a lot more functions. The only reason why I don’t own one is because I don’t like electrically charging something every single day. Aesthetically they could be a little nicer looking too (but that’s just a personal preference). Will they become collectible? Probably but maybe by a different set of collectors to the ones on here.

I’ve never really thought that smartwatches would end up replacing mechanical watches by making them obsolete - mechanical watches were ALREADY obsolete and yet here we all are!

I'm not so sure. My collection of hair dryers is admired by many. My grail dryer is the 1986 Phillips Xd14289/dps - the standalone model. Weird? Moi? 🥺

1.  Apple is a special case - the apple watch is an extension of an eco-system that less than 25% of the world uses.  Smartwatch buying behaviour outside that cohort is very different.
2. Apple are already predicting a fall in sales of apple watches when apple glass comes.  Similar effects will (or are) hitting numerous other smart watches being canabbed by other smart wearables.
   
   3. Mechanical watches are, otoh, purely jewelry so arent liable to be superceded - after all airpods haven't made people stop wearing earrings.

I just purchased my grail:  a Knapp Monarch with stand.  Like all my collectibles, it must be functional. The mild electric shock is part of the charm of an old dryer.

Smartwatches can never be collectible. They are obsolete almost the moment you buy one. I  have had a couple smartwatches and they have to be updated constantly and the battery life can usually be measured in hours. They are the next thing to useless in my estimation. The Pebble was ok in that it simply showed what your phone just did. Nothing else. It was great but the company vanished. These things can't possibly be collectible unless you just collect metal and plastic shapes. Smartwatches are a wrist abomination. IMO

I guess you don't like Smartwatches much, then? 😀

I've had 6 Pebbles and at least as many smartwatches. I loved the Pebble and hated dealing with Google/Android on every smartwatch I had. I am not in the Apple ecosystem so I can't speak to them. I enjoy more having a nice watch on my wrist and just look at the phone for notifications. Plus the smartwatch companies may vanish leaving you with a small brick. Not really big on that. Cheers! 👍

Sorry mechanical became jewelry  (actual jewelry - not akin to jewelry) 50 years ago.

Smartwatches are watches but they are usually not horology. They can be collected for sure but they can't replace mechanical/auto watches.