Abandoning smart watches

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MikeB4

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#304427 2-May-2023 19:48

I currently own and use an Apple series 8 and Garmin Venu2 Plus. Smart watches are now irritating me with the constant intrusion in life. I have decided to ditch the smartwatch’s and use traditional time pieces. I still have an older Seiko Chronograph but looking to purchase a new watch and looking at what’s on offer.

Now to my point, anyone else here abandoned smartwatches and gone back to traditional watches? How did you get on with the change?

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#3070650 2-May-2023 20:54

I could easily live without my Apple Watch, but it would be essential for me to have some sort of sports watch like a Garmin Forerunner to replace it. As a keen athlete, these devices provide me with actionable data which makes a real world difference in improving my running and swimming performance, as well as reducing the risk of injury.

As for the 'constant intrusion', I just turn off all the notifications with the sole exception of time sensitive diary entries.

MikeB4

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#3070652 2-May-2023 21:02

Another intrusion is the battery charging. Daily charging of teh Apple watch is a pain. The Garmin Venu 2 Plus is better at 5 days but still ittitating. I am not an athlete (I was) so sports functions are not really needed as I have well and truly sorted my execise regime.

Senecio

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#3070654 2-May-2023 21:06

I don’t view my Garmin as a smart watch. I have all notifications turned off. For me it’s a tool associated with an active lifestyle. The data it provides gives me key insights into my training and allows me to train more effectively and smarter.

I have a nice Omega that I shouted myself on my 40th birthday. I really only wear it for evenings out these days when I want something a bit dressier than a Garmin.

Handle9

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#3070663 2-May-2023 22:09

I can't imagine ditching my smart watch as I use it to reduce intrusions.

I'm very aggressive at limiting notifications so I really only get notified for phone calls and WhatsApp/SMS. I mute most group messages on WhatsApp as well. My phone remains on silent 24x7.

Batman

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#3070664 2-May-2023 22:41

MikeB4: I currently own and use an Apple series 8 and Garmin Venu2 Plus. Smart watches are now irritating me with the constant intrusion in life. I have decided to ditch the smartwatch’s and use traditional time pieces. I still have an older Seiko Chronograph but looking to purchase a new watch and looking at what’s on offer.

Now to my point, anyone else here abandoned smartwatches and gone back to traditional watches? How did you get on with the change?

yup after 1 week

eonsim

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#3070671 2-May-2023 23:29

I got rid of the fitbit and other companies and shifted to Withings Scanwatch, looks like a traditional watch with a 30 day battery life but still has the health/exercise monitoring for when I want that and allows me to chose which if any notifications get sent to the watch.

They have a range of three rather nice models Withings Scanwatch, Scanwatch Horizon or Steal HR, gets you 90% of a smartwatch with many of the benefits of a traditional watch.

tchart

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#3070702 3-May-2023 07:52

MikeB4: Now to my point, anyone else here abandoned smartwatches and gone back to traditional watches? How did you get on with the change?

Kind of, I got annoyed at battery life and feature bloat so a few years ago I ditched "high end" smart watches for an Amazfit Bip which had a battery life of a week or so. It was really good TBH but the strap broke after 2 years so I switched to an Amazfit Neo.

The Neo looks like a traditional watch, is about $50 and has an LCD (ie B&W) screen. I usually get 2 weeks between charges. It does heart rate, sleep tracking and basic notifications but is way less intrusive.

Ive found it to be a happy medium between what I want/use from a smart watch and not having to charge it every blinking night.

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qwertee

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#3070705 3-May-2023 08:01

I was a Fitbit HR and Ionic user who migrated to a Samsung Watch 4.
I use a traditional watch when I am flying over seas on long haul flights. With the fitbit you need wifi access on your mobile to change time zones.
I keep my Phone on silent 24/7 and rely on the watch on notifications for calls and messages.

I wish the battery life was better as I have often pondered going back to a normal watch, but I will miss the alerts.

MikeB4

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#3070751 3-May-2023 10:15

I have been using smart watches of various brands such as Fitbit, Apple, Samsung and Garmin. From a health perspective I have a fix on my exercise needs and don't really need to monitor as much. I have medical grade BP, O2, and heart monitoring equipment at home arranged by my specialists. In recent months I have found (I may be going nuts of course) that I am setting my day around the tech too much, making sure it's charged, updated, and my targets are reached, recorded etc etc etc. My new treatment regime has me out of my wheelchair, and relying less on the mobility scooter(I just purchased dammit) and managing to walk further each day. After decades of my conditions dominating my life I want to defocus and live.

The next fun thing is selecting a new watch, my old Seiko is still going and to my surprise over a year since I last used it but I love new shiny things so a new watch is a necessity.

MikeB4

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#3070755 3-May-2023 10:21

Batman:

yup after 1 week

I love this post

lchiu7

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#3070757 3-May-2023 10:24

MikeB4: I currently own and use an Apple series 8 and Garmin Venu2 Plus. Smart watches are now irritating me with the constant intrusion in life. I have decided to ditch the smartwatch’s and use traditional time pieces. I still have an older Seiko Chronograph but looking to purchase a new watch and looking at what’s on offer.

Now to my point, anyone else here abandoned smartwatches and gone back to traditional watches? How did you get on with the change?

I used a Fossil Smart watch for about a year

https://www.amazon.com/Fossil-Stainless-Silicone-Touchscreen-Smartwatch/dp/B07SRVV8V4?th=1

Then gave up on it and moved back to my Omega Seamaster automatic. I am not missing the watch at all since all notifications come to my phone and I can get basic steps from the phone also.

Nice not having to put the watch on a charger every night.

As an aside, anybody interested in this watch as I need to move it on? It's in excellent condition :-)

freitasm

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#3070760 3-May-2023 10:30

eonsim:

They have a range of three rather nice models Withings Scanwatch, Scanwatch Horizon or Steal HR, gets you 90% of a smartwatch with many of the benefits of a traditional watch.

This. I still have my original Withings Activite (the first of their models, which was still made in Switzerland back then). I did get a Withings Scanwatch a few years back and currently wearing the Scanwatch Horizon, which is "diver" design.

The fact that you don't have to have the notifications running all the time, can get up to a month of battery life, it looks like a real watch and has some good functions like heart rate, spO2, ECG makes it a great device.

freitasm

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#3070761 3-May-2023 10:32

lchiu7:

Then gave up on it and moved back to my Omega Seamaster automatic. I am not missing the watch at all since all notifications come to my phone and I can get basic steps from the phone also.

Nice not having to put the watch on a charger every night.

I do have an Omega Seamaster, that I only use in some occasions these days, as most of the times I am wearing the Scanwatch Horizon. I have had this Omega for 26 years now.

The main reason I got the Horizon is because it's the closest to looking like an actual watch with smarts. I even got the blue one because my Omega is blue as well.

MikeB4

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#3070762 3-May-2023 10:39

Other benefits of a traditional watch is they are not an ecosystem lock. One can check the time very discretely, don't have to worry about the lighting up theatre, no theatre mode needed. No flight mode needed. One less charging device needed and no cursing that you left it behind on a trip.

alasta

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#3070766 3-May-2023 10:49

To be honest if it weren't for my intense interest in running and, to a lesser extent, swimming then I wouldn't bother with a watch at all. I can easily see the time on my phone or one of the many clocks scattered around, and counting my steps seems a bit academic.

I have to admit the 'three rings' goals on the Apple Watch are stupid, and they need to introduce an athlete mode to swap that out for a 7 day training load measure like what Garmin has.

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