About 5 years ago I bought probably the last watch I'd ever need. It's a solar powered Casio with timezones, and the normal 'digital watch' accoutrements. The little energy-saving details are fantastic. It has analog hands with a small digital screen. Why waste energy on backlighting when you can use glow in the dark paint that charges with the same light as the energy source? Too dark or too still? Turn off the screen until you move the watch. There was a time when it was in a drawer for a couple months while I was traveling, and when I got it out and put it in the sun, it fired right back up, and adjusted the time itself. I've seen it drop into a low charge maybe twice. It feels like it's meant to last forever, and I believe it's probably some of the best 50 bucks I've ever spent.<p>I've used a Fitbit and a couple friends have Apple watches, but the entire concept of charging an always connected timepiece just makes no sense to me.
The Casio is from a time when there wasn’t a clock staring at you every time you turn around. If the choice were Casio or nothing, I’d just stick with nothing. A time keeping device on my wrist solves no problems for me (except running, in which case the Garmin comes out). A Casio “gets the job done” in the same way a buggy whip still gets the job done: it’s a job that kinda doesn’t need doing anymore, at least for me.<p>If there were a wrist-worn device that can track my runs, open my garage door, turn on the lights, remind me to water the neighbor’s plants tomorrow at noon, play me some music and...oh, what the hell, tell me the time, too...THEN we’d have something worth wearing on my wrist all day. Which is why I have an Apple Watch and not a Casio.
A relative of mine recently got an Apple Watch as a gift. He has since been transformed by it. The health/fitness reminders/achievements are huge motivators for him - he was fairly fit, but now he is in the best shape since I have known him. Im thinking of getting one too :-)
All I want is another Pebble...such a shame how the company folded and "acquired" by Fitbit. I own a Versa and I can definitely see the similarity to the Pebble app but it's not quite there. I wish Fitbit will bring back the E-ink like screens.
I own two classic watches and a Fitbit Versa. Personally, found notifications from the watch to be more distracting as a I try to escape my phone screen. Additionally, having all that health data may seem like a blessing, but for me it was just more worry in disguise. I’d constantly analyze the data, research anomalies, and maybe even give myself health anxiety all while my health was perfectly fine. Smart watches are certainly not for everyone!
I use my smartwatch(A fitbit versa) to tell me my heart's rough bpm, steps I walked, notifications from my phone, time and as a stopwatch. I could certainly take out my already 'obsolete' smartphone, but the wristwatch is a more convenient form.<p>That's it.<p>All I wanted is e-ink for longer battery life so that I can charge less, and bluetooth that actually fucking work.<p>I wasted so much time trying to troubleshoot bluetooth issues to sometime to no avail.
I recently went back to traditional watches because I was frustrated with being able to control notifications in a granular way.<p>Ultimately, I need the time, preferably in two time zones, and the date. I've got a GMT watch now and a Casio I use for when I'm working on the house of in the yard.<p>I like my Apple Watch for workout tracking, but that's the only mileage it gets these days.
The two features I probably find most valuable with my Apple Watch are that it's usually easier look at my wrist to see if I'm getting an important call rather than having to dig into my pocket, jacket, or bag to find the phone, and then I wake up 1.5 hours earlier than my wife and the vibrating alarm means I'm much less disruptive.
I prefer my Hamilton Khaki. Never needs a new battery, and looks nice and clean. About the same price as an Apple watch for almost none of the functionality, but I really like the idea of a mechanism keeping almost perfect time, just powered by the movements of my arm.
I don’t know what is the point here in comparing to a regular watch. Does the Casio allow one to leave the phone behind and pick up a call on watch and AirPods ? Does it slightly nudge if you have sitting too long in an hour?<p>Clearly Apple Watch is meant more for that.
Bah, newfangled DIGITAL watch!? Kids these days... What's wrong with winding up your watch every now and then? And he even admits when it breaks he just throws it away and buys a new one! In MY day, watches were built to last for generations! Why did they have to fix what wasn't broke with all these electronics!<p>(looking forward to the day when I'm the one clinging to my old-fashioned Apple Watch, complaining about the kids with their wrist live-tattoos or eyeball implants or god knows what is coming)
I've got the solar-powered Casio that synchronizes with WWV every night, and it is splendid. However, I have read that WWV is going QRT this year. Is that so? When?
I must admit I bought a F-91W just because it's the terrorist watch, but after wearing it a few times got sold and haven't taken it off.<p>I forgot the pleasure of wearing a simple watch.