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Jay (Eire) sparks a candid discussion on the unexpected dominance of smartwatches in his daily wear, challenging the traditional focus on mechanical timepieces within the WatchProSite community. His personal experience with Garmin and Apple Watch as his most worn watches of 2023, despite a collection of luxury mechanical watches, invites fellow collectors to reflect on the evolving role of technology on the wrist. This article explores the nuanced relationship between horological passion and modern utility, as shared by our discerning members.
We donāt often share these type of watches here, but I know many members have one in one form or another.
For 2023, despite it being a pretty rough year from a sports / fitness perspective with a couple of really long layoffs which required zero activity for a few months at a time, this watch was still my most worn watch. As it was in 2022, 2021, 2020 and as were prior Garmin watches for pretty much every year for the last decade plus.
My Apple Watch has become a close second as this year I begun to wear the Apple Watch to track sleep. I also wear the Apple Watch when running/riding outside for both the phone functionality and for podcasts while running.
When one thinks about it for most of us the smart watch of today is a full circle moment. Many of us as kids began with digital watches, and here we are again back in the āmodern digitalā world with these various smart watches.
To me, they are fantastic tools and I use them for very defined purposes. There are occasions I use them ājustā as a watch too, but that is not often. So for me, these will never replace a mechanical watch.
So, show us your smart watches, Garmin, Suunto, Coros, Fitbit etc. How do they fit into your life?
Anyone been converted to a smart watch this year? Is anyone still on the fence?
šš JK Call me a traditionalist, but I donāt own a Garmin or Apple Watch. I guess Iād rather have a mechanical timepiece on my wrist. Closest thing I suppose is my G Shock mudman, which I havenāt worn in years
There are definitely certain hobbies / sports interests which necessitate one of these watches. So that will likely account for many of us owning and using one of these. But the Apple Watch is not that generally. Now while I do double wrist when exercising for example, Garmin on one wrist Apple Watch on the other. Iāve never really done so with a mechanical watch and the Apple Watch. If the Apple Watch becomes more of a wearable (non watch in form) with the same functionality then I can see carr
When I was fighting heart rate was very important. I used a chest strap direct to either a smartphone or treadmill so a wrist device wasnāt as important but I did have an old school Suunto for a while now just a resting HR matters which I can do with any watch.
All my watches are dumber than a box of rocks. I do have a few G-Shocks but that just for show when I'm out drinking with a bunch of Navy Seals.
Iāve almost not worn it, except when I go riding my bike with my son. In this case I find it amusing:
Iām pretty glued to my phone reading something all the time and frankly sometimes itās too much, I donāt think I can endure another instantly reachable set of huge data on my wrist to control if I did walk that day, slept well, whatās my heart rate, blood oxygen? and yada yada yada. Iām trying to stay blissfully ignorant and save me some stress. I donāt know if Iām thinking the right way but thatās my reasoning for now.
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