Going Watchless - The benefits of NOT wearing a watch

[some_dude]

Interesting. We tested the Oura and found its thickness uncomfortable. It seems to be taking the world storm though.

Was that the current Oura or the original model? The original model looked huge, although I never saw one in person. I find the current model to be perfectly comfortable (wearing it now), although it is thicker than a typical wedding band or something.

I'm really hoping Oura comes up with a payment solution, and then it would do everything I want.

 

[Howard]

Not from my watches with metal bands, but I used to wear a Fitbit before getting the Oura. The rubber band from Fitbit gave me a bit of a rash. Once I got a leather band, it was no issue.

Another plus for the Oura... I admit it isn't very trad, though.

I used to buy my watches at department stores.

 

[Howard]

Is it a strap you can loosen a bit?

TK, I think it was a plastic strap, I must've made it very tight on my arm.

 

[TKI67]

TK, I think it was a plastic strap, I must've made it very tight on my arm.

Try a nylon strap and not too tight. As hot and muggy as it gets here that still works for me. Good luck!

 

[some_dude]

TK, I think it was a plastic strap, I must've made it very tight on my arm.

The plastic strap on the Fitbit definitely didn't work for me. Find a leather band on ebay or Amazon.

As for department stores, I think they still sell watches. At least Nordstrom does.

The advantage of the Rolex, and even the Seiko 5, is that once you have one, you never need to buy another! Nor will your children, for that matter.

 

[Howard]

Try a nylon strap and not too tight. As hot and muggy as it gets here that still works for me. Good luck!

I don't wear watches anymore, now that I have a cell phone with a built-in clock there's no reason to own a watch but I do own one and that's for when any occasion in the family comes around, that's when I will wear one.

 

[challer]

Was that the current Oura or the original model? The original model looked huge, although I never saw one in person. I find the current model to be perfectly comfortable (wearing it now), although it is thicker than a typical wedding band or something.

I'm really hoping Oura comes up with a payment solution, and then it would do everything I want.

It was gen 1. Based on what I see and CES this year, I expect an explosion of smart AR glasses and smart rings. Apple is all over both and while they generally don’t invent categories, they tend to define them and after that they take off. No business degree needed to predict Google or Apple will buy Oura when that category is about to break out.

 

[some_dude]

Google just bought Fitbit, so I guess that leaves Apple. Or Microsoft. But overall, I agree completely.

 

[some_dude]

The funny thing about this Trad watch vs. phone discussion is that clearly people do like having a watch, hence the success of the Apple Watch and other smart watches. And I think the reason is that it's much more subtle to glance at a watch compared with digging a phone out of your pocket.

Same reason wrist watches superseded pocket watches. At some point, I expect the watches will become the phone, and we're almost there now.

 

[eagle2250]

The funny thing about this Trad watch vs. phone discussion is that clearly people do like having a watch, hence the success of the Apple Watch and other smart watches. And I think the reason is that it's much more subtle to glance at a watch compared with digging a phone out of your pocket.

Same reason wrist watches superseded pocket watches. At some point, I expect the watches will become the phone, and we're almost there now.

You are spot on with your assessment, but how are we going top overcome the drawbacks with the tiny watch screens?

 

[some_dude]

You are spot on with your assessment, but how are we going top overcome the drawbacks with the tiny watch screens?

I think that's a reasonable question, and as with anything else the answer will depend on the person. I think most people will, over time, move away from text, at least in the mobile format. Sure, some people will continue to want it, and those people will have larger form factor devices.

But I think many people will move toward using voice, even if the final result is rendered as text, or is from speech to text. We're already seeing that. The other possibility is with smart glasses, a better version of Google Glass. That, combined with a watch, gives you all the advantages of a large screen, plus minimal bulk. That's where I'd guess it will go.

 

[Tweedlover]

Even if I owned a cell phone, which, (gasp), I don't, would want to continue to wear wrist watches. For me, beyond their functionality, they're jewelry pieces.

 

[John M]

Even if I owned a cell phone, which, (gasp), I don't, would want to continue to wear wrist watches. For me, beyond their functionality, they're jewelry pieces.

You aren't really missing anything although cheap flip phones still exist through Target and such. Nothing tops an actual watch though in my view.

 

[TKI67]

My high school graduation present in 1967. $50 at the PX!