When people I know trade in their Rolex wrist time for an Apple Watch

[mrporter]

Originally Posted by mahefa

In Switzerland younger ones who can afford AP/Rolex wear both. Apple watch on other hand and automatic on other hand.

In status point of view: Time is the ultimate luxury these days and Apple watch might resemble that you do not have it that much. There are so many opinions about this that no clear line can be drawn. I also wear Rolex because it is independent, not regulated or spied by some greedy and halfevil software company. Rolex has longevity, Apple watch dies in 5 years maybe. I am not a fan of disposable culture.

Was joking with a friend who own Apple watch and he was saying that what’s the point of buying $5K+ watch but only tell you the time, with Apple watch he said he can do heaps. I told him that his Apple watch in 10 years time will probably worth $1 while my Rolex (was wearing sub nd that time) will at least 20% more. Then I told him buying Apple watch is called ‘shopping’, and buying a Rolex is called ‘investing’ ... enough said


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[sgwatch]

I sometimes wear an Apple watch on my other wrist. It works well for exercise. Also, I don't hear that well, especially with other ambient noise around, and it really helps me know when I'm getting a phone call. The watch vibration on my wrist tells me to get my phone out and answer it! (assuming I want to) :-)

[tng11]

I had an Apple Watch and hated it. Had to be recharged too often, and I already spend too much time glued to communicating devices. Always nice to disconnect when I can.

I do wear a Fitbit Charge 2 on the other wrist and I found it much more accurate in tracking my workouts and giving useful sleep and heart rate statistics. The AW was actually pretty crappy in my experience at measuring those.

[superstarmar]

What Apple Watch ? I thought there was an Apple
Macbook not a watch that could do what my iPhone does...

That’s why I have a Rolex, to tell time not make
a bloody stupid phone call like my cell phone...

[AK797]

I've seen this with celebs, presenters and comedians including Britain's favourites, Ant and Dec, who have gone from Rolexes to AW, it's just the way the future is going, only the die hards will keep a few luxury watch brands going.

[Tools]

An Apple watch is a fad and worn when your friends, or those that you want to impress with your tech savvy, have them.

At the Country Club and Athletic Club, all the rage is to be seen with the latest gear. But nobody threw away their Rolex and Cartier watches, they still come out for the right events.

They are accessories, not replacements.

[lapince]

Yeah I also fell for them in the 80's, was about 10, remember the watches with calculator and other crap? Well it lasted a few months, now no way I am getting an electronic watch again, when I see the grey prices on some of my watches, I think I did not bad, not sure it will last, but in any case much better than some electronic piece of crap which you need to change every 2-3 years...

[asiparks]

Apple Watch is for tracking fitness, and being connected. And happens to tell the time.


Rolex is jewelry that happens to tell the time.


Seiko turtle is mechanical watch that tells the time. And will last a lifetime. And the $8600 saved, invested properly will do a lot better than any Rolex you could buy*


*normal Rolex, don't get silly mentioning McQueen's Explorer or Newman's Daytona....

[airchitect]

The idea of spending 500-800 on a piece of tech that just mirrors my phone, with other features similar to a 150 Fitbit is ridiculous to me. Ntm, it’s literally worthless and has to be replaced within just a few years. Not for this kid.

[lucevan le stelle]

Mechanical watches can seem cool and revolutionary to those who have become tech overloaded. Some of the younger techies and entrepreneurial guys I know view mechanicals like a sign of rugged individuality and collect, or try to. Guess it can work both ways.

[srvrf]

Replacement may be a strong word, but I have a first generation AW that does get wrist time while my AP, VC, PAM, etc. stay on the winders. There are times like travel when I think it makes more sense to me. It has my home and local time on one face, I don't worry about theft of the actual watch (or harm to me by someone trying to steal it), I can change bands instantly to make it a little more sporty or more dressy, and ApplePay and electronic boarding passes are very convenient.

There are also many phases of watch collecting. I've been doing this seriously for about 5 years and I am at a point where I have 7 mechanical chronographs ($3-12k) and 3 cheaper (<$500) mechanical "beaters" for weekends/work. There are definitely times when I wonder why I have that much money tied up in my collection when I'm no more happy wearing my ROC than a Seiko 5. Sure I like the AP better, but not 60 times better. And for what I do and where I live, no one notices/mentions my watches ever.

So while my AW most likely isn't going to completely replace my mechanicals, I could see why some may feel that their money is better spent elsewhere.

[Hamstur]

Don't own any smart watch nor do I intend to. I'm newer into watches (do have an Exp1 Mk2). Just pitching a different perspective.

Was curious the othet day between project items at work and looked up some stats. As of a few years ago, 24% of households earn > $100K. 4% of households that earn >$100K own a Rolex. That means 1% own a Rolex. I.e., I see it as we're on the forum because we all have a mutual and far minority appreciation for the mechanical, aesthetic & refined aspect of watches.

As a newer member, I have to admit I find the hint of elitist vibe a bit of a turn off. I don't wear mine to work out of respect for my less well-to-do coworkers and my preference for my professional image. I do wear my Tudors, IWCs and Nomos to work as they fly very easy under the radar. I would never tell someone how much a watch I own is worth. If someone with an Apple watch struck uo conversation, I'd engage in the features and what they like, maybe compare and contrast that I don't even exist on FB and my cell text alert is permanently on silent/no vibrate.

My mutual funds and 401K are an investment. My watches are a frivolous luxury that put a smile on my face and give me something to focus my boredom on. Neither define me as a person.

[Mick8moses]

My wrist is valuable real estate... Apple can't afford it.

An Apple watch is simply a piece of tech to be outdated within 24 months - by design.

Our beautiful mechanical timepieces transcend time. I wear my father's watch, my grandfather's watch, my watch and the connection to a wonderful past, present, and future.

Hold on I see a soap box -

We have all fallen victim to carrying smartphones in our pockets out of our need to be connected to a constant mobile stream of information. I emplore each and every one of you on TRF now - to stand with me and join hands. Our wrists strapped with elegant time pieces... And stand against the rising tide of apple watches. :)

The watch snob has a nice diatribe on the subject https://www.askmen.com/fashion/mens-...t-watches.html


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[barihunk]

Color me unsurprised by these responses. I've got a bunch of decent "real watches" and an OG apple watch I got as a birthday present. They're good for different things. I wear the  watch more because it is so useful (instant time zone changes when travel, timers on the wrist, texting semi-discreetly at boring meetings) but when I want to feel nice I'll wear a "real watch"

And remember not all watches that have ever been produced are luxury goods or "heirlooms" like some of the watches we have in mind are (Timex anyone? Casio?) For many a watch is a functional item less than it is jewelry.

FWIW the apple watch, at least the steel one I have, feels like a decent, if disposable, piece of jewelry.

I wonder though what folks think of the Frederique Constant Hybrid Manufacture. Contains both an automatic caliber and fitness/health tracking plus IIRC rate and beat error measurements of the automatic on their app.

[Speedbird-1]

[QUOTE=AK797;8336763]I've seen this with celebs, presenters and comedians including Britain's favourites, Ant and Dec, who have gone from Rolexes to AW.


I guess we all choose different heroes! Ahahaha!

[toolr]

I don't personally know anyone who has done this but, if I did... I don't know those people

[tom2517]

Originally Posted by AK797

I've seen this with celebs, presenters and comedians including Britain's favourites, Ant and Dec, who have gone from Rolexes to AW, it's just the way the future is going, only the die hards will keep a few luxury watch brands going.

There will always be a market of fine mechanical instruments, but yeah, I have always believed eventually the market will shrink enough that only a few brands can survive. The rest will have to consolidate or die out.

Many here have outright wrote off smart watch as something that they will never buy, but I think it's a bit too premature. When mobile phones first came out, it was big, expensive, and unwieldy, and many dismissed it as something they don't need. In fact as I have mentioned on Hodinkee, McKinsey consulting even concluded in their study for AT&T (in the 80s) that the entire mobile phones market is only around 900,000 units, general public don't need it, and advise them to pull out of the market.

Smart watches are still in their infancy and who knows what it can do later down the line. One day there might be a function that came along and you find yourself wanting one.

[jhunter3]

I'm as tech-centric as anyone I know. I love (almost) everything about Apple and how it runs its business, but I can't really figure out the personal (for me) utility of an Apple watch.

Feels like a solution in search of a problem that I don't have.

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