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Comment by hirundo | Hacker News Reader

Kids, watches were devices that boomers, like Walter White, used to tell time before iphones.

I know you’re joking, but once I accidentally broke a 200 something day streak of activity on my Apple Watch, I chucked it and went back to (modest) collection of real watches.

No one needs yet another notification device, and the activity tracking stuff isn’t as valuable as people make it out to be. Just break a sweat everyday and you’re good.

(Yes, the health monitoring stuff is wonderful)

I 'downgraded' to a cheap Casio late last year and I think i'm better for it.

Yeah "dumb" watches for me have been a real oasis in a world of increasingly obnoxious technology!

That activity monitor caught my mom's cancer early enough that it was treatable. My looked at the activity, said no way, checked and her heart rate was too high so went in to get it checked.

Most activity monitoring isn't useful but the exceptions are very valuable.

For the aged or others outside normal healthy boundaries, wearable tech is a life-saving benefit. Otherwise it's a life-style option.

You never know when something will take a bad turn, age makes it more likely

I've been cynical about wearables over the years, but the fitbit I received for Christmas has not only stimulated me to take more walks, the sleep monitoring functionality has made me much more intentional about my setting myself up for good sleeps. And it wasn't at all an issue to disable all the notifications stuff from it so that it's a monitoring device only.

I know I'm still in the honeymoon phase with it, but overall I really have been pleasantly surprised.

I am definitely more active as a result of owning my apple watch. My health is noticeably better. I get that it doesn’t work for everyone, and that’s fine.

Ironically, I like my Apple Watch because it gives me a lot of the things that my phone does without being so distracting. I can leave my phone behind and go walking while listening to an audio book, and have access to trail maps if I’m going somewhere new. I can see altitude, compass, Sun up and sun down all without having to use a phone, all of which I use on a weekly basis.

You might need to update your heuristics, because most kids these days haven't watched a show that ended almost a decade ago.

Oops, my battery died and now I have no idea what time it is.

oh, like a watch

Except the battery on a quartz watch lasts years, and the battery on an Apple Watch lasts 12-18 hours.

Never mind that most mechanical watches are self-winding.

Self winding just means "needs to have the time reset after 2 days unworn". I wonder if an unworn Apple Watch would last longer?

So wear it every day, get an device that keeps it wound, or just shake it for 30 seconds a day.

Full disclosure, I'm a mechanical watch nerd, to the point that I enjoy repairing them. So I'm a bit biased towards them.

I have a few of them too, but let's be honest when it comes to their limitations. How is a watch winder any better than the Apple Watch's charger?

If you forget the winder you always have a backup winder.

No, my kinetically charged watch can go weeks unworn without exhausting its charge or losing accuracy.

Not that it matters really. I wear it every day.

2-10 years is very different from 1-2 days though!

(Not to mention solar watches)

I have a solarwatch that I can't use in the winter time, after moving up north, not enough sun light to keep it charged =p

I'm surprised, my solar G-Shock [GAW-100B-1AER] never dips below "H" charge even on the darkest winter days.

You can charge them under a lamp, too! Regular indoor lighting charges them too, but slowly

My Citizen and Seiko solar watches are good for months after getting a full charge... they say ~6 months and that seems about right

I have a citizen eco drive solar watch i got 16 years ago. Never needed to change or recharge the battery.

And I live in Norway just below the arctic circle so artificial light must be enough to charge it.

Automechanical watches self charge from wrist movement. Quartz batteries last years. They are not comparable to smart watches, which need to be charged often.

My garmin fenix is a bit more bearable as it lasts about 2.5-3 weeks on a charge.

We have smart watches now thank you.

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