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A month on the wrist: The Apple Watch through the eyes of a mechanical watch lover

By Kenny Yeo - on 27 Jul 2015, 7:11pm

The Apple Watch is the best smartwatch for the iPhone.

There are two types of people in this world: people who wear watches and people who don’t.

If you belong to the second group, then there is really no reason why you should get an Apple Watch. Unlike a smartphone, desktop or a notebook, a smartwatch is not a necessity. You don’t need a smartwatch to take calls, browse the web or check your emails. In fact, smartwatches are still heavily dependent on the phone that they are synced with for features. Take the Apple Watch away from the iPhone and it can do little more than tell the time. If you have made it this far in life without a watch on your wrist, you’ll do fine without an Apple Watch.

However, if you are like me and you love watches and have a habit of wearing them no matter where you go, then the Apple Watch is a tasty prospect that's worth some consideration.

But to begin, the Apple Watch is, as my colleague has said, the best smartwatch for the iPhone. I concur. No other smart watch works as seamlessly with the iPhone. But whether it is necessary or even useful at all depends very much on your own habits. Personally, I found some features to be useful, but I don’t find that I’m missing anything when I’m not wearing my Apple Watch.

The quick strap change system is like magic and shows Apple's attention to detail.

So whether the Apple Watch is useful is debatable, but what isn’t is Apple’s attention to detail and the build quality of the watch. For a brand with zero experience in making watches, the Apple Watch is one hell of a watch.

The quick strap change system is a breeze to use and makes it extremely easy for users to change straps. The straps from Apple themselves are also brilliant. The metal bracelets, for instance, are wonderfully easy to size, requiring zero tools whatsoever. And the Milanese loop, which is my favorite, has a magnetic clasp that makes it so easy to get a perfect fit on the wrist.

The stainless case of the Apple Watch is also impressively made and finished. Admittedly, mirror polishing the entire case is not the most complicated thing in the world, but the overall quality of the case is very high. Put the Apple Watch beside a watch costing twice or thrice as much and it would not seem out of place. It looks and feels like a proper luxury watch.

The Apple Watch is finely mirror polished and the quality of the case rivals that of Swiss watches costing many times more.

I thoroughly applaud Apple for its efforts. The Apple Watch simply blows away the smartwatch competition insofar as build quality is concerned. But as an alternative to traditional mechanical timepieces, I have my reservations.

One of the reasons why I love mechanical watches so much is their longevity. If taken care of properly, a mechanical watch can last decades. This is the exact opposite of gadgets and devices which often go obsolete in a couple of years. It is impossible to expect that the Apple Watch of 2015 to be compatible with the iPhone whatever of 2025. 10 years from now, what you will be left with is a very well made digital watch, which isn’t really that bad.

But therein is the problem, the Apple Watch will surely fail at some point. The rechargeable battery within will gradually lose its ability to hold its charge and will need to be replaced at sometime in the future. Apple might be able to get you a replacement battery perhaps 3 or even 6 years from now, but it is unlikely to be able to do so in 10. I doubt Apple is safekeeping first-generation Apple Watch batteries in their storeroom in anticipation of customers returning a decade later in search of a replacement.

The Hamilton Intra-matic on the left costs about the same as the Apple Watch, but I have no doubts that the Intra-Matic will still run 20 years from now. I can't say the same for the Apple Watch.

As for mechanical watches, thanks to advances in materials and manufacturing, a typical mechanical watch can last decades if used appropriately and serviced regularly. And even if it does break say 10 or even 30, 50 years down the road, most brands and or even skilled third-party watchmakers will be able to carry out repairs for you. In fact, many luxury brands pride themselves on their ability to service and restore customer watches even if they have been long out of production.

That’s my biggest gripe with the Apple Watch, and it is the same for all digital and quartz watches. I love G-Shocks and admire them for their unique design and cool features, but I would be reluctant to spend past a certain amount for one only because I know it will become impossible to repair one day.

I would wear the Apple Watch only because it looks good and exudes quality, not because of its various functions and features.

As I mentioned previously, watch wearers buy and wear watches because of the way it looks and the way it makes them feel, and I’m happy and proud to wear the Apple Watch around my wrist. After all, it’s fantastically made and does provide some real utility as a smart watch.

That said, I would be hesitant to recommend it as a purchase, because its usefulness is highly subjective and also because I know it would become obsolete and unrepairable one day. But if that doesn’t bother you, the Apple Watch is not just the best smartwatch for the iPhone, it is also one of the best digital watches you can buy, period.

Kenny Yeo

Kenny Yeo / Associate Editor

Specifications are not everything. It's what you do with what you have that matters.

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