Gen-Z think analog watches are cool
This past week, my boys were back home for thanksgiving from college. I spoke to them about mechanical watches this week and was pleasantly surprised.
But first a back story…. A few years ago, I had given them Apple Watches, which was trending at the time and at first very much appreciated. Months later, their school banned smart watches because teachers thought the messaging notification mechanism might be used at in inappropriate times to get answers on tests. In no time, Apple Watches quickly went from cool to becaming a liability associated with detention and something associated with highschool cheaters, and uncool among rule abiding students, not to mention a constant nag from teachers saying take them off. Soon after, my kids quickly tossed them aside, and I felt like the gifts were wasted. Those watches never recovered to daily wear. Being generation 3, they are now obsolete, unsupported by any further WatchOS upgrades. Effectively dead watches walking. The kids had no desire to wear them any longer… a huge waste.
Feeling burned before, I went cautious and tested the waters this summer with inexpensive analog watches, just to see if I could tempt them from relying on asking me what the time is, else get their phone out of their pocket to check.
Wasn’t sure if they would just give me a…. “that’s cool Dad…”, and then toss it in the drawer only to be worn when Dad could see, or actually wear them to track time on their wrist. Given the price this time, If they didn’t wear them, then the loss would be minimized, I wouldn’t care.
After this past week, I’m of the opinion, they genuinely think they are cool. They actually do wear them all of them time. Their friends think it’s cool that they are wearing a non-apple watch watch. According to the son with the 40-hour reserve NH35 dive watch, he’s only had to set the watch about 2 times during the past 3 months. 🎉
Contrarian crowd thing 🤷. Thought the WC crowd would like to know that in the opinion of two Generation-Z’s… Apple Watches may be a ubiquitous yawn, and that pre-2015 wrist-wear may be intriguing.
Edit: I corrected the title from “Millinneals” to “Gen-Z”
I’m a software engineer and watch enthusiast. I’m not excited about brand or heritage, but rather engineering tech.... spring drive, solar GPS, electrostatic drive, transistor tuning fork regulation,...
You’re raising some good kids there👍
Maybe I am a weird millenial, but I have never had a smart watch. Glad your kids appreciate the watches you got them! 🤗
Kids nowsday dont wear watch. People who wear smart watch because of health monitoring.
I just wear watch during COVID time, because it is boring, and I can watch the second hand swipe.
My kid can wear any of my watches, he only do it because I told him. Lately he is interested in Farer Swann because of the color. He wear it more often, and keep it in his room.
So i think it is depend on the colorway.
I think the only "smart" function that i need for my kids is GPS tracking, to know if they at school or go somewhere. Other things like calls, messages notification will cause of the distraction and also they will need to care about charging them every days that's totally annoying.
I suppose I'm probably younger than average in this hobby at 26, but I'm pretty out of the loop compared to most young people. I've never wanted the functions of a smart watch. I enjoy some of the sensors and functions of things like g shocks, but I don't need my watch to be connected to the internet or my phone, constant communication services draining batteries, or an OS that will be behind in a few years and no longer compatible with the devices that it uses to function.
My sons don't wear smart watches, they all wear mechanical watches and one is a WC and wears my watches. Keep it up. It's really cool to have something in common beyond sports and school as they get older.
I thought college age kids are first batch Gen-Zs? Anyway, good to hear that 2 more convert to the congregation of mechanical/automatic movement. Congratulations on your successful proselytization. 😁
Plenty of younger people don't want to spend their days constantly getting notifications from every damn thing they own. I like having a watch because people are very boring and it's a great social asset to have something I can stare at without causing offense.
I do wonder if there will be a rise in these analogue devices as a bit of a reaction to AI everything.
I thought college age kids are first batch Gen-Zs? Anyway, good to hear that 2 more convert to the congregation of mechanical/automatic movement. Congratulations on your successful proselytization. 😁
Ha, you’re right. I guess my kids are considered Gen-Z.
Ha, you’re right. I guess my kids are considered Gen-Z.
Eh, no problem. As someone who was kicked out from Gen X because they moved the cutoff to 1980 I'm always unsure of the generational grouping.
Great to see your kids taking an interest in mechanical watches!
"liability associated with DETENTION"??? Where do your kids go to school??
"liability associated with DETENTION"??? Where do your kids go to school??
Schools where the teachers aren't utterly tech-blind, I suppose.
My brother is writing a bachelor’s on how the digital watches impact the analog/mechanical watch industry
Those nh35 impress me more day by day
Both of my kids, 9 and 5 years old, love my watches. My son, the younger one, likes to hear daddy’s tick-tick watches 😂 I was showing my daughter (9) the steps I went through restoring my mid-70s Vostok and thought it was really cool.
Both my boys are gen z. As they got older, they have ripped through my watch box and I wound up giving them most of my beaters. They deployed to Iraq and Syria in 2019-2020 and I sent them with some eco drive dive watches so they wouldn’t have to deal with a dead shock battery. They love anything automatic and usually buy one or two a year. They started with Seiko and Orient, and are moving up in price and quality.
Congrats on raising new watch lovers! Your kids are on the right track 🎯🍻
Being that I was born in 1996 and considered to be the last year of the Millennials.(Teetering on the edge of becoming a GenZ) I think Mechanical watches are very cool. 👍 Honestly I don't think watches will ever go out of style Although it might take awhile for the newer generations to become a custom to growing to like watches.
And the responses of the interviewees are pretty interesting I have to admit
What interviewees? Is the bachelor's work interview-based? Interesting.
It's funny... I'm part of Gen X and wear an analog all the time. My friends who are of the same generation look at me in awe and say, "Oh, you wear a REAL watch!" as if it is something rare and precious. Then they get distracted from notifications on their Apple watches and the conversation ends. LOL
I am a gen-z, but I also am a vintage watch collector 😁
By the way, I did not manage to draw any of my friends' attention towards this passion of mine, so I guess it really depends...
My brother is writing a bachelor’s on how the digital watches impact the analog/mechanical watch industry
Now, that would be an interesting read 👍 yeah, okay. I admit I'm a nerd
What interviewees? Is the bachelor's work interview-based? Interesting.
Yup, It’s interview based
Now, that would be an interesting read 👍 yeah, okay. I admit I'm a nerd
I could send it to you when it’s done if you feel like it!
I could send it to you when it’s done if you feel like it!
Are you serious? I'm presuming it will be on a digital format.
Are you serious? I'm presuming it will be on a digital format.
Yeah, I’m serious, if you really want to read it! It is digitalised and also all of the interviewees are aged 16-25 so we will definitely see the perspective of thw younger generation on watches.
Yeah, I’m serious, if you really want to read it! It is digitalised and also all of the interviewees are aged 16-25 so we will definitely see the perspective of thw younger generation on watches.
Hi Sava.. I have sent you a private message
John
My Gen Zed daughter grabbed my green and black Casio F91W last year and never takes it off. She says she's coming after my gold one next... I picked one up in Japan in 1990 and wore it until it died, which included two tours in Gulf War One. I have hope for the Zeds.