I freed myself from wearing a watch about 10 years ago. No longer having the familiar restraint around my wrist has made me feel free. I much prefer a phone in the pocket to a phone on my wrist.
Why we ever moved from pocket watches to wrist watches is a mystery to me.
There are some functional benefits to a wrist watch over a pocket watch such as the ability to tell the time even with your hands full, but really, watches (particularly at the higher end) are more about being a piece of jewelry than funcitonality. Consider the fact that a $10,000 Rolex or Omega automatic is typically substantially less accurate than a $100 Seiko with a quartz yet people still pay the substantial premium. Heck, I've found myself guilty of wearing an automatic watch set to the wrong time b
That is the problem with a lot of these smart watches. The Pebble is awesome in terms of functionality and battery life (well, compared to other smart watches anyway), but it looks like a cheap digital watch from the 70s, and most other smart watches look like crap. There's a couple of ones that look at least halfway decent: the Moto 360 and LG Urbane are round (which I prefer) with a choice of metal bodies and metal or leather straps. I was disappointed by the appearance of the Apple Watch (square, but at least it's their patented rounded square), though the high-end models look like they might be acceptable.
But the real problem is that the expected life of these watches simply isn't that long; technology moves too fast for that. Who would spend a couple of thousand on a premium smart watch in a gold case, if you'll want to replace that watch in a few years' time? It would make sense to commit to a case design for a longer term, and allow owners to swap out the electronics every so often.
Recently, I saw a picture of a diamond-encrusted Apple watch band / case. I'm sure there will be a market for third parties, catering to people with more money than either common sense or fashion sense to 'improve' their smart watch in one way or the other.
Now that nobody has a 'classical' style computer, case modders have to go somewhere.
Recently, I saw a picture of a diamond-encrusted Apple watch band / case. I'm sure there will be a market for third parties, catering to people with more money than either common sense or fashion sense to 'improve' their smart watch in one way or the other.
Don't laugh. Turns out custom straps actually are quite important, and it's a mistake many Swiss watchmakers forget about. The fact that Apple provides a wide range from the get go signals other manufacturers to step their game up.
A horologist's take on t
"Who alone has reason to *lie himself out* of actuality? He who *suffers*
from it."
-- Friedrich Nietzsche
Watches (Score:5, Insightful)
I freed myself from wearing a watch about 10 years ago. No longer having the familiar restraint around my wrist has made me feel free. I much prefer a phone in the pocket to a phone on my wrist.
Why we ever moved from pocket watches to wrist watches is a mystery to me.
Re:Watches - Jewelry, Not Functionality (Score:5, Insightful)
There are some functional benefits to a wrist watch over a pocket watch such as the ability to tell the time even with your hands full, but really, watches (particularly at the higher end) are more about being a piece of jewelry than funcitonality. Consider the fact that a $10,000 Rolex or Omega automatic is typically substantially less accurate than a $100 Seiko with a quartz yet people still pay the substantial premium. Heck, I've found myself guilty of wearing an automatic watch set to the wrong time b
Re:Watches - Jewelry, Not Functionality (Score:3)
But the real problem is that the expected life of these watches simply isn't that long; technology moves too fast for that. Who would spend a couple of thousand on a premium smart watch in a gold case, if you'll want to replace that watch in a few years' time? It would make sense to commit to a case design for a longer term, and allow owners to swap out the electronics every so often.
Re: (Score:2)
Recently, I saw a picture of a diamond-encrusted Apple watch band / case. I'm sure there will be a market for third parties, catering to people with more money than either common sense or fashion sense to 'improve' their smart watch in one way or the other.
Now that nobody has a 'classical' style computer, case modders have to go somewhere.
Re: (Score:2)
Don't laugh. Turns out custom straps actually are quite important, and it's a mistake many Swiss watchmakers forget about. The fact that Apple provides a wide range from the get go signals other manufacturers to step their game up.
A horologist's take on t