About a month ago, I did something that I’ve been thinking of doing for a while. Something impulsive. Something perhaps a bit silly. I bought a watch. Not a smart watch, a plain old watch. A Swatch, in fact, with date and time in the classic 34mm “Gent” style. I fell in love with it from the moment I laid eyes on it. Over the next few days, I’d realize that I liked it a whole lot more than just my Apple Watch, and I actually bought a few more. Now I have a small collection.
How did I get here? I was one of the first people to support the Pebble Kickstarter campaign. I’ve been wearing a smart watch since it was weird to wear a smart watch! I was a huge nerd for wearing smart watches just 8 years ago, but I stuck with it. Here I am, swapping the best smart watch for the iPhone for a watch that just tells the time.
I ditched my Apple Watch for a Swatch, and I couldn’t be happier. Every glance down to my wrist, even a month later, brings a smile to my face. Swatch represents everything the Apple Watch isn’t. Unique, diverse, inexpensive, slim, lightweight, and analog. Well, mostly. Why did a Swatch appeal to me when the Apple Watch lost my interest? That’s a long story, but it boils down, basically, to this:
Swatch watches look cooler.
The Apple Watch has gotten exceedingly boring, and no smart features are making up for it. Meanwhile, the unique and timeless designs of analog watches are more interesting than ever.
In This Article:
The Apple Watch is Stale, Boring, Ancient… Dead?
My first two smartwatches, the Pebble and the Pebble Time.
I was early to the smart watch craze. I had a Pebble when it launched via Kickstarter in 2013. After that, a Pebble Time. It wasn’t until Fitbit purchased Pebble and shut the smart watch maker down that I switched to an Apple Watch with the Apple Watch Series 1. Later I’d get a Series 4, and then a Series 6. The Series 4 had a slightly larger screen than the Series 1, but it still left large bezels around the screen. That hasn’t changed yet for the Series 6, Apple’s latest Apple Watch. I wish I had something that allowed the face to blend seamlessly with the body of the watch. Instead, I’m dealing with a watch that looks like the same Apple Watch I had six years ago.
One of these is a Series 0. The other a Series 6. Can you tell at a glance?
Apple isn’t alone. Smart watches for Android devices or cross-platform often aren’t great, especially on iOS, where they lack the same features of smart watches made for Android and the Apple Watch. Apple has cornered the smart watch market, largely thanks to the monopoly they’ve given the Apple Watch over iOS. Now they’ve gotten lazy. Why innovate when people keep buying anyway?
I’m not saying I’m forever done with the Apple Watch, just that I got really tired of using the same device year after year and wanted a more drastic change for my wrist that new watch straps could provide. I told myself I would be fine just swapping out the watch bands for customization. I was wrong, I got bored.
Plus a lot of those Apple Watch bands are really ugly.
watchOS 8, Like the Updates Before it, Disappoints
Apple’s blood oxygen sensor never works, another disappointment.
“I love my Apple Watch, I do. But every year I hope for more customizable watch faces, maybe even Siri suggested complications. But every year, I just end up disappointed by the watchOS presentation.”
When Apple showed off the latest version of watchOS during WWDC this year, I sighed. No innovative new watch faces, still limiting customization, and only small enhancements to things like Workouts. Last year the big innovation was hand washing, and the feature didn’t even work!
Would it be hard to design a watch face that allows you to change the presence of complications, the face itself, the color of the hands individually, or the numbers? No! That wouldn’t be difficult to design at all. You could even do seasonal releases that you have to activate during that season to have it, adding some kind of collection feature. But 8 versions in, and Apple still hasn’t empowered users or came up with a watch face that is attractive and useful. Their new portrait watch faces are certainly a technical marvel, but it appeals to a very specific person who wants to look at a picture of someone every time they look at the time.
The new Apple Watch face in 2021? Faces! Get it? … Yeah, me neither.
The best thing Apple introduced this year? Multiple timers. Apple didn’t even bring it up during the keynote. It was always such a headache while cooking, and made me use my Apple Watch and iPhone for separate timers. Unfortunately, it’s too little, too late, and my iPhone, HomePod, and other devices have picked up the slack.
I had a watch face on my Pebble Time that would let me customize the color of each row, each data point. I made a nice little rainbow flag for Pride and matched colors to outfits. The Apple Watch won’t even let me use a red background that matches the red hue of my Apple Watch! If you choose red, you can only assign it to the numbers on the watch face. Why? How is it that we’re 8 generations into watchOS and you still can’t customize every aspect of a simple Apple Watch face?
If rumors are correct, the Apple Watch will finally get an overhauled design this year. It’ll be held back by a watchOS that has largely gone unchanged in years. The design will mostly present a polarizing design: squared-off edges and a 1mm larger face on each model.
Smart Watches Are Distracting
Working from home has had its blessings and curses. I’m a night owl, and I’ve always hated waking up before 10… or noon. So, I’ve certainly liked working from home. Being able to do a few lunges and sit-ups when I’m feeling tired around midday? Fantastic. But one thing has made none of the rest worth it. It turns out, when I have nothing to tune out around me, I can get distracted very easily. My Apple Watch was certainly adding to that.
I was out the other night with friends. I felt a vibration in my pocket. Usually I’d also feel one on my wrist. I’d look down, see if it’s something I should take care of, and go back to talking with my friends. Without the Apple Watch, I just… kept talking with my friends. I figured the notification could wait. It felt less urgent. That notification wasn’t shaking in my pocket and on my wrist. It was easier to ignore.
The smart watch has a way of making every message you seem more important, and easier to check on. Because of that, it’s easy to get pulled completely out of whatever you were working on. I often joked that I was so addicted to tech that I was literally chained to my iPhone at the wrist. I didn’t realize just how true that was.
After leaving the Apple Watch behind for a normal watch, I found myself far more engaged with what I’m working on and who I’m talking to. I didn’t realize I had been so rude about incoming notifications until just now!
Hey, Stand, Hey, Messages, Hey, Listen!
It can get a little annoying.
I hated the pointless messages I’d sometimes get on my Apple Watch. Like, I go to check on the time while walking to work and my Apple Watch just has to tell me to “go get it today” or some other pointless message encouraging me to close my activity rings. Gee, thanks, I need to know the time though, watch. Or I’d get up, walk to my bedroom, and settle down for a nap, only to be alerted at 2:50 that it’s time to stand up. 1) I just did, Apple Watch, and 2) for the love of god, I’m obviously napping, watch. I set an alarm on you. I’m laying perfectly still. This is a nap, shut up about standing! The worst part is, I only take 7-15 minute naps, so this alert ruins the entire thing.
The Apple Watch is so full of annoyances that early on during my analog transition, when I’d go to take my occasional mid-day siesta, I almost took off my Swatch. Nope. My Swatch just lets me sleep. Even supplies a real world version of an ASMR track of ticking and tocking to help me drift off or meditate. No annoyances, no notifications, nothing to silence, just a watch.
What Did I Really Give Up?
Oh, my weather? I have a device called an iPhone. Hey Siri? I’ve got an iPhone, an iPad, and a HomePod that can perform automation, create timers and alarms, and answer questions. I can’t lift my watch to do it though. But who cares? I lost some uninspired watch faces that lack basic customization features. The best looking Apple Watch faces didn’t even make room for any unique smart complications like weather anyway!
Okay, But I Actually do Miss…
Okay, but I do miss a few things. In the beginning, I missed the weather complications. At least the ability to see if it was likely raining currently. Usually when I wanted more details, I’d open my iPhone app. As it turns out, I’ll just start with that now or call out to Siri for an update.
At first, I couldn’t get used to the fact that I couldn’t set timers while cooking by raising my wrist to my face. But, a simple “Hey Siri” fires up numerous Apple devices, and gets me exactly what I want.
There are a few features that I still miss a few weeks in. Two are due to the pandemic and won’t be a problem just as soon as people can mask up and vaccinate themselves. One of the others can be solved with behavioral changes. The last one? Well, that one’s real.
The COVID Issue
Remember to turn unlock with your Apple Watch off if you stop using your Apple Watch!
So, the COVID-19-related issues. Masks and FaceID. While masks help stop the spread of the virus, they also block Apple’s facial recognition. This means to unlock your iPhone you’ll have to either pull your mask down—if you’re in a place that’s safe to do so—or input your password. If you’re being careful, you likely have a long password. This can be frustrating.
I started using my Apple Watch for Apple Pay thanks to the fact that I didn’t have to unlock it. Without my Apple Watch, I have to go back to unlocking my iPhone with my password for Apple Pay. It’s quite annoying. Still, I generally know I’ll be doing it, so I make sure I’ve already prepared my iPhone before it’s time to pay.
I’m Forgetful
This is usually a problem in the morning for me, but I’ll often put my iPhone down somewhere and completely forget where I placed it. This is an argument between pre-coffee brain and post-coffee brain. Still, even once caffeinated, I’ve forgotten where I put my iPhone down in my apartment before. One thing I loved about my Apple Watch is that it was like a tether to my iPhone. Just as a surfer won’t lose their surfboard in the ocean thanks to a strap, my Apple Watch kept my iPhone just a few taps away.
I’m a bit more careful about where I put my iPhone now, but I have had to use my iPad’s Find My app to track it down before.
A Minor Inconvenience
I thought I would miss the notifications, but I don’t as much as I was expecting. While it’s cool to be able to read your notifications on your wrist, it’s not necessary. Still, there were times I’d be doing something like the dishes, where my hands are wet and I can’t really go grab my iPhone. With the Apple Watch, I could read those notifications from my wrist. However it occurs to me that things can wait. I need to stop giving my time away to every notification and message anyway. It’s distracting and, frankly, a little unhealthy.
Activity Monitoring
Speaking of health… yeah, this one’s a bigger annoyance. I miss being able to track my activity throughout the day. In fact, I had noticed that a lack of activity during quarantine lead to a decrease in my VO2 levels, a sign of worsening cardiovascular health. The way the Apple Watch tests this is when you go on a brisk walk outside. I can’t measure that anymore. In my weight loss efforts, I can’t get a good measure of my activity either. It just makes tracking exercise a little more difficult.
But I’m sure you can guess the solution here as well. I just put on my Apple Watch to work out! It’s that simple! Jogging, walking, biking, skateboarding, whatever I’m doing to get a bit of a workout, I can just throw on my Apple Watch. Of course, this won’t measure the exercise I get throughout a normal day, but perhaps that’s a good thing. I’ll only count the exercise when I’m really pushing myself, and I’ll push myself further as well.
What Did I Gain?
In 2020, I pined for one of those colorful 1983-inspired Swatches. Now I have one.
Believe it or not, I feel like I gained more than I lost. Perhaps it’s because I’ve wanted one of these colorful Swatch watches for so long. When I first was thinking about getting one, I frequently asked myself, “But what if you miss your Apple Watch? Then this will just be a waste of money.” I got tired of waiting on me. I was sitting around asking “What ifs?” Finally I took the plunge and I didn’t miss the Apple Watch like I thought I would.
Unique and Exciting Designs
This is what drew me to a Swatch in the first place. The designs are colorful and unique. Some are fun, some are feminine, some are masculine, some are timeless, others are completely redesigns of what we consider a watch to look like. It’s incredible. There’s so much variety there that you could fill up your wardrobe with nothing but Swatches and have something for every outfit, formal, casual, park, or club. A Swatch wouldn’t feel out of place at a punk show or the opera. Personally, I’m a big fan of their more casual designs. Besides, I love wearing something casual, loud, and colorful to an otherwise formal affair.
For the cost of an Apple Watch, you could buy three or more Swatches. They’re cheap! For that you get so many exciting designs and options. Each watch is unique, and can dramatically change an outfit. It can blend in or be the attention grabbing center of your outfit.
This doesn’t just apply to Swatches either. I don’t want this to become an advertisement for Swatch watches (though I do love them). Just about any other watch can do the same. Watch makers have their own unique branding and style. Meanwhile, all Apple Watches have looked the same since they were introduced. That look is… not great. It’s still a square that sits on your wrist. It’s thick, doesn’t blend in well, and just has a black face or large black border around whatever watch face you choose from Apple’s limited options. It doesn’t grab attention, it doesn’t please the eye, it just slaps data on your wrist.
More than one of my Swatch watches have started a conversation. I haven’t had an Apple Watch start a conversation since someone at a bar asked me if my Pebble Time was the new Apple Watch. By the time I got an Apple Watch, it was old news. Six years later, and it would still be old news. Every other wrist is covered in an Apple Watch now. It’s old, it’s boring, and they’re all the same. Despite hundreds of options, most users go to the same faces, the same bands. Only a few of those faces are actually worth using. The Apple Watch is just boring now.
I love my new morning ritual of picking out a watch for the day. Every day is something new, something unique. Do I want to decide my outfit around my watch? Base it on the weather? Who knows? Every day I get to wear something that’s a splash of creativity on my wrist, and I love it. It’s much more fun than making sure my Apple Watch is charged and putting on my wrist, I can tell you that much.
A Permanent Piece of my Wardrobe
In the past seven years, I’ve purchased five different smart watches. On average, that’s a new watch every 1.4 years. In reality, I replace my Apple Watch every 2-3 years, depending on the features of the new Apple Watch. And yet, watches made with gears, springs, and small battery cells last decades. While the support for the Pebble is gone and has moved to third parties who manage to keep it functioning, it isn’t as easy to use or as useful as it was when it was introduced. I replaced my Apple Watch Series 1 because the battery had begun to give me trouble and I didn’t like how sluggish it was. The Series 4 because I was bored of the design and, for some reason, thought the red Apple Watch Series 6 would fix that (it didn’t).
That’s the difference between a traditional watch, a timepiece, and the Apple Watch. Technology goes out of date quickly, and replacing it becomes habit, perhaps even necessary. While physical watches can stand the test of time, survive modding, replacement, repairs, and more. I’ll be able to add one of these watches to my wardrobe for decades. I likely won’t even own my Apple Watch Series 6 in a few years, having traded it in for recycling or upcycled it to some wall art.
Less Day-to-Day Care
It wasn’t a big deal, but if you want to use your Apple Watch every day, you’ll have to get used to charging it every day. If you wear your Apple Watch for sleep tracking, that means you’ll have to charge it in the morning when you get ready for the day. Is it a big deal? No, it really isn’t. But it’s one of those things I never need to think about with real watches. I just take them out of the box and slap them on my wrist. The quartz watches will be powered up and ready to go right away, even months after the last time I wore them.
Lower Stress, More Comfort
On a hot day, I felt some sweat collecting under my Swatch watch band. I realized something. I could just loosen the strap. On my Apple Watch, a loose strap means it could lock up on occasion because it’ll think I took it off. However, this isn’t a problem for physical watches. I simply loosened the strap. Problem solved. Comfort restored.
“Occasionally, I’d feel discomfort or even pain where the band wasn’t. It felt like it was pulling the sensors and body of the [Apple] watch into my wrist for too long, bothering the nerves. For the same reason, I’ve had to take this band off during the day or at night.”
Speaking of tight straps, I don’t have to worry about my quartz-based watches needing access to my heart information. I don’t need it tight enough to read my pulse or my blood oxygen levels. I also don’t have the discomfort of a large, round, domed sensor poking into the top of my wrist. Sometimes I’d feel quite a bit of discomfort from that sensor, something I even pointed out in my review of Apple’s silicone Solo Loop Apple Watch band. I had had largely learned to ignore it, but some straps made it more uncomfortable. Gone is that concern.
There’s simply less stress with a “real” watch. I don’t have to worry about notifications buzzing on my arm, I don’t have to worry about taking my watch off to adjust it or dry my wrist, only to once again have to input my long passcode into a tiny screen. Real watches just offer so much less stress and more comfort.
New Materials
The strap of this is made from a bio-sourced material.
Plastic may not be the best material for… well, anything. It’s sourced from oil, and drilling or transporting oil isn’t good for our environment. Still, the permanence of plastic does help offset these environmental concerns, if only slightly. Plastic items that you intend to use for decades do not have the same environmental impact of plastic packaging, straws, faux leather that falls apart quickly, or disposable electronics like, well, smartwatches.
However, my Swatches aren’t all made from plastic. I don’t have any of their metal ones (yet), but I do have one of their bio-sourced “bioceramic” watches, made from a combination of ceramic and bio-sourced materials. One of my others has a bio-sourced band. These use a castor seed-based “plastic” that doesn’t carry the same supply chain or decomposition issues as plastic. Meanwhile, my Apple Watch is full of toxic materials that are difficult to recycle, difficult to mine, and may have parts that were mined in unsafe conditions by child laborers. Yikes.
This is just my Swatch. Jord makes wooden bands and watches. Others use canvas. While the Apple Watch may force you to make a few bad ecological decisions, you have far more options with real watches.
Something Real
These watches tick. Tick. Tock. Tick. Tock. It’s a lovely sound. Swatches are notorious for being a bit noisy, in part because of their plastic construction, but also because so many of their designs expose the mechanism in some way. I’ve heard from other people that the sound is actually comforting, even at night, like real, analog ASMR. There’s something rustic and comforting to a watch that tells time with moving, ticking parts. No need to flick your wrist here, this watch face is always on and always the time. While the Apple Watch Series 6 will be worth less than $50 in 4 years, a real watch can hold its value and functionality for decades. There’s something almost romantic about that.
The Tortoise and the Hare
The Apple Watch is a decent, albeit crippled smartwatch. A lack of innovation or ingenuity has made it an electric yawn. When I first reviewed the Apple Watch Series 6, I gave it an 8.5. Now? I’m thinking it should have been a 6.5 or a 7. We should judge Apple for how stale their smart watch has become, not just for how it holds up against other smart watches on the platform Apple intentionally locked down. A refreshed design, more controls over watch face customization, and easy or even AI-assisted notification controls could make the Apple Watch a more attractive watch. A simple software update could fix many of the biggest problems with the Apple Watch. Right now, it’s imperfect and boring, and it hasn’t been substantially improved since its conception.
If not for the fact that it’s the smart watch that works with the iPhone the best, it would never be able to compete. The fact is, all smart watches are lacking, and Apple has no real competition in the smart watch category, at least not for iOS users. They have a monopoly on it thanks to locking down notification replies and messaging replies. Apple has had no need to make anything truly innovative or original. Why bother when the competition is still playing catch up and you have an artificially-manufactured monopoly? Apple is the hare who has decided to take a nap at the side of the road after blocking off part of it.
In this case, colorful, creative, and innovative analog and mechanical watches are the tortoise. If they could sway a techie who wants her tech to basically be implanted at this point, I’m sure I won’t be alone. A real watch may not be right for everyone, but it’s rather obvious that the Apple Watch hasn’t changed enough to still be the watch for everyone either.
And, wow, do I really love these Swatches. This post may have been more about the failings of the Apple Watch (as this is a tech blog), but I want to take a moment to call out Swatch for so many unique, cool designs. I’m loving these fashionable timepieces. Well done, Swatch! Do better, Apple.
Like what you see? The watches from Swatch are the below models. And, no, these aren’t affiliate links. Just normal links. All from Swatch. I’m not making any money sharing these, I just felt like sharing.