Are Watches Obsolete?

I am not a fan of this writer. Firstly, TokyoFlash's watches which are "similar to reading an abacus or calculating Roman numerals" are just binary watches. Secondly, watches are amazing. Its not just about knowing the time when ever you need to by simply looking down, but its about the craftsmanship that goes into a well made watch. Its about the aesthetic pleasures of a beautiful piece of jewellery which unlike most, actually caries a function.

Watches might be evolving, but in the same way that forms of self expression are evolving. Nearly everyone wants something to set them apart, and some people use a completely un-ordinary watch to do so.

I was thinking about this recently. A watch's secondary function is telling time; its primary function is looking good.

What a refreshing subject/article. I personaly stopped wearing a watch in the early 80's, mearly due to the aspect that time/clocks are all around accept when walking from A to B and knowing the time during a walk is not helpful in many ways. My last watch was apocket watch as I had few issues with wrist watch's as well.

Then mobiles came along, they have a clock/alarm, even early ones and those in many ways surplanted the watch as a functional tool, though not for the fashion sence which is seperate.

Now were getting to the stage were technology has got to the position were watch's can and will make a comeback as a form factor though not as a primary watch/timepeace, but more as a external display. Want to hand a number of a contact to a friend, then pulling up that contact on a watch is alot easier. They also enable health monitoring avenues and in that as a form factor they will make a comeback for the non-fashion crowds.

So are they dead, no they have not died, nor will they as a fashion/dress jewelry aspect. But with main consumer use I feel the time is approaching were they will make a comeback as a form factor.

ALso remember watch's have had wonderous things like self winding/charging thru kinetic enrgy for a while now. If your phone could do that for it's needs then life would be alot more fun. Now thats not the case and wont for a while yet, but to compliment power ussage and as a 2nd display/health monitoring oh and telling the time, they will only gain more traction.

This is a bit of a hobbyhorse of mine. I'd like to see a bluetooth handset that snaps onto your wrist when you're not talking on it.

It could display the time/caller ID/SMSes/notifications like the Pebble, but when a call comes in that you'd like to answer, you'd grasp the "watch face" which would somehow cause the band to unclasp and straighten.

Given that there are bluetooth headsets smaller than a watch, I'm sure it would be possible to build. The trick would be finding an "unclasp and straighten" mechanism that would be reliable, cheap, and unlikely to pinch you when you hang up.

Something is obsolete when it is obsoleted by a different set of behaviors. I like my wrist watch even though I use it as a pocket watch, because I like things that do one thing and do it well, but when I am at my keyboard (and most likely inside vim), my "watch" consists of

  :!date

because I do not wear my watch while typing.

Is jewellery obsolete?

Well, they're trying to bring watches back with so-called "smart watches", but most of these require a smartphone to unlock functionality. Plus, watches still have a purpose outside of telling time. They are often used as accessories, similar to jewelry.