Abandoning smart watches

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MikeB4
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#3130363 22-Sep-2023 09:31

A shout out for Draken watches. This is a New Zealand microbrand run by one man. I have purchased a watch from them and it is awesome. I was delivered from Northland to Te Awakairangi in 1.5 working days.

The range of watches is not big but the quality is excellent. Check them out

https://www.drakenwatches.com/

Here is a crazy notion, lets give peace a chance.

freitasm

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#3130365 22-Sep-2023 09:37

Interesting. I never searched but didn't imagine there was an "Assembled in New Zealand" watch. Looking through their site now.

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MikeB4

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#3130372 22-Sep-2023 10:13

I think my watch collection will grow quite a bit with Draken Watches. One never has too many watches and as I have recently given some away I have room for more.

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MikeB4

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#3130455 22-Sep-2023 13:03

@freitasm after looking through their website what were your thoughts on there watches?

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freitasm

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#3130456 22-Sep-2023 13:07

I like the styles they make, probably more on the Tugela – Draken Watches and Aoraki – ‘Flieger’ – Draken Watches designs.

Now we don't have much information about the movement they use, but one source says the Aoraki uses the 82S5 Standard Automatic｜Movements｜MIYOTA MOVEMENT so is definitely a design brand more than a watchmaker. This is understandable as otherwise prices would go up very quickly.

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xenomorf

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#3164367 27-Nov-2023 11:08

SheriffNZ: This is a real and constant dilemma for me at the moment. I have run regularly all my life and now I cycle. I'm into my health and fitness and enjoy watching the progress via my Garmin Fenix 7. In the last 6/7 years or so, I've had a (Garmin) Forerunner 25, 235, 935, 945 LTE and now the Fenix 7. I've also had a vivosmart 3, and have an Edge 520 for my bike. At the same time, since I was a kid, I've had a thing for mechanical watches. I bought myself an Omega Seamaster in 2007 and wore that constantly until I got my first Garmin. Since then, I've bounced between the Garmins and the Omega. Last year I expanded the mechanical collection with a Tudor. I like looking down at my wrist and thinking the mechanical watch I have on my wrist, I could wear for years, take on adventures all around the world and it would just keep ticking. Despite getting 19 days of battery life out of my fenix (without activities), I think about running out of battery in Africa and it worries me (realistically, if I'm 19 days away from a power point in Africa, I've probably got more concerning things going on that worrying about my resting HR (or the time). There is also the fact that I've never been to Africa, and aren't likely to go in the next few years I also like the thought of passing my mechanicals down to my son or daughter and they can remember me by them. At the same time, I like looking down at my wrist and seeing whether my training is "productive" (currently it's "unproductive") when wearing my Garmin. I also wonder whether it's more motivating for me to get out if I can easily see what's going on with my body. I also think, if I'm getting out and being active, it's teaching my kids some good habits. The notification piece doesn't really bother me (although I have them on, but I could go without them). A silent vibrating alarm is useful though. The 19 days of battery life is good, despite what I said above. I've done the double wrist thing on occasion, but having a 42mm mechanical on one wrist, and a 47mm Garmin on the other is probably pushing things, although to be fair, I've never worried too much about what other people think. This is my confession. I need help...

I suffer from this exact same dillema. I love taking my traditional on adventures, but also love the convience of vetting notifications on the watch. But the archilles heel of having to charge it etc makes me think it's not a suitable adventure companion.

How did you reconcile this in the end, if you amanged to?

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SheriffNZ

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#3164394 27-Nov-2023 11:52

xenomorf:
SheriffNZ: This is a real and constant dilemma for me at the moment. I have run regularly all my life and now I cycle. I'm into my health and fitness and enjoy watching the progress via my Garmin Fenix 7. In the last 6/7 years or so, I've had a (Garmin) Forerunner 25, 235, 935, 945 LTE and now the Fenix 7. I've also had a vivosmart 3, and have an Edge 520 for my bike. At the same time, since I was a kid, I've had a thing for mechanical watches. I bought myself an Omega Seamaster in 2007 and wore that constantly until I got my first Garmin. Since then, I've bounced between the Garmins and the Omega. Last year I expanded the mechanical collection with a Tudor. I like looking down at my wrist and thinking the mechanical watch I have on my wrist, I could wear for years, take on adventures all around the world and it would just keep ticking. Despite getting 19 days of battery life out of my fenix (without activities), I think about running out of battery in Africa and it worries me (realistically, if I'm 19 days away from a power point in Africa, I've probably got more concerning things going on that worrying about my resting HR (or the time). There is also the fact that I've never been to Africa, and aren't likely to go in the next few years I also like the thought of passing my mechanicals down to my son or daughter and they can remember me by them. At the same time, I like looking down at my wrist and seeing whether my training is "productive" (currently it's "unproductive") when wearing my Garmin. I also wonder whether it's more motivating for me to get out if I can easily see what's going on with my body. I also think, if I'm getting out and being active, it's teaching my kids some good habits. The notification piece doesn't really bother me (although I have them on, but I could go without them). A silent vibrating alarm is useful though. The 19 days of battery life is good, despite what I said above. I've done the double wrist thing on occasion, but having a 42mm mechanical on one wrist, and a 47mm Garmin on the other is probably pushing things, although to be fair, I've never worried too much about what other people think. This is my confession. I need help...

I suffer from this exact same dillema. I love taking my traditional on adventures, but also love the convience of vetting notifications on the watch. But the archilles heel of having to charge it etc makes me think it's not a suitable adventure companion.

How did you reconcile this in the end, if you amanged to?

To be honest, the Fenix is probably a better "adventure companion" than my mechanical watches. The battery of the Fenix is good enough for me to not really worry about it. I can also track all my adventures with it so I can know where I've been and what cool things I've done. There's also less risk of me losing the watch in some unfortunate (mugging) incident. Also having a silent alarm is very useful. The Fenix is simply more practical despite the need to charge it every few weeks.

Despite that, since I wrote my original post, I've probably been wearing my mechanicals more but I put on my Fenix when going for a run/ride/hike. I often then think maybe I should just keep wearing as it enjoy the performance metrics but then I look at my mechanicals and think about the history attached to them (I've swum in the Nile with the one I'm wearing now) and the adventures still to come and then I change back to a mechanical. I don't have the same sentimentality from my Fenix that I have with my mechanicals and the fenix doesn't remind me of the cool things I've done, but it's more practical day to day.

In short, I haven't reconciled this dilemma, and I still need help...

Senecio

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#3164422 27-Nov-2023 12:55

freitasm:

Interesting. I never searched but didn't imagine there was an "Assembled in New Zealand" watch. Looking through their site now.

Here is another NZ watch company. I bought one of these for my father in laws birthday 10yrs back and he loves that fact that it is an NZ company. He wears it with great pride.

Magrette Watches

xenomorf

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#3164443 27-Nov-2023 14:23

SheriffNZ: To be honest, the Fenix is probably a better "adventure companion" than my mechanical watches. The battery of the Fenix is good enough for me to not really worry about it. I can also track all my adventures with it so I can know where I've been and what cool things I've done. There's also less risk of me losing the watch in some unfortunate (mugging) incident. Also having a silent alarm is very useful. The Fenix is simply more practical despite the need to charge it every few weeks. Despite that, since I wrote my original post, I've probably been wearing my mechanicals more but I put on my Fenix when going for a run/ride/hike. I often then think maybe I should just keep wearing as it enjoy the performance metrics but then I look at my mechanicals and think about the history attached to them (I've swum in the Nile with the one I'm wearing now) and the adventures still to come and then I change back to a mechanical. I don't have the same sentimentality from my Fenix that I have with my mechanicals and the fenix doesn't remind me of the cool things I've done, but it's more practical day to day. In short, I haven't reconciled this dilemma, and I still need help...

Lol perfect, I have been tryingt to resolve the dilemma for the longest time, I am about ready to conclude it is unresolvable and find a way to live in the watch world of duality.

Thanks for the reply :)

frankv

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#3165180 28-Nov-2023 17:19

What I'm looking for is another Pebble, but with a decent battery connection.

Doesn't need to measure my blood sugar or pO2 or anything like that. I don't want to count my steps. I don't want a practically useless phone on my wrist. I don't want it to be a calculator with a touchscreen with miniscule buttons. I don't want it to measure my cycling performance or be a GPS. I don't want 20 different cartoon watchfaces... one nice clear one is sufficient.

I just want a watch so that I can see the time without having to either wave my arm around or press a button. (Plus, maybe a BT controller for my phone's audio player).

Gurezaemon

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#3165297 28-Nov-2023 19:51

frankv:

What I'm looking for is another Pebble, but with a decent battery connection.

Doesn't need to measure my blood sugar or pO2 or anything like that. I don't want to count my steps. I don't want a practically useless phone on my wrist. I don't want it to be a calculator with a touchscreen with miniscule buttons. I don't want it to measure my cycling performance or be a GPS. I don't want 20 different cartoon watchfaces... one nice clear one is sufficient.

I just want a watch so that I can see the time without having to either wave my arm around or press a button. (Plus, maybe a BT controller for my phone's audio player).

^This.

Telling the time, notifications, controlling audio playback, and maybe a timer for when cooking things. The essentials. And not having to take it off every couple of days to charge it.

The only watches that seem to offer this type of basic functionality are super cheap, with pretty ordinary battery life, although the CMF smartwatch looks like an intriguing deal.

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#3165370 28-Nov-2023 21:05

I've recently moved from a Pebble Time Steel to an Amazfit GTS4 Mini after an Android update killed the Pebble app. Quite sad to see the Pebble go after nearly 7 years' use

For $140, the Amazfit is very impressive: nice screen, readable in sunlight, good activity tracking including independent GPS, waterproof enough to swim with and enough apps and phone integration to be useful. Battery life is at least 10-14 days (charged mine a week ago and is now on 55%). The only Pebble feature I miss is the always-on screen.

WyleECoyoteNZ

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#3165375 28-Nov-2023 22:12

Gurezaemon:

frankv:

What I'm looking for is another Pebble, but with a decent battery connection.

Doesn't need to measure my blood sugar or pO2 or anything like that. I don't want to count my steps. I don't want a practically useless phone on my wrist. I don't want it to be a calculator with a touchscreen with miniscule buttons. I don't want it to measure my cycling performance or be a GPS. I don't want 20 different cartoon watchfaces... one nice clear one is sufficient.

I just want a watch so that I can see the time without having to either wave my arm around or press a button. (Plus, maybe a BT controller for my phone's audio player).

^This.

Telling the time, notifications, controlling audio playback, and maybe a timer for when cooking things. The essentials. And not having to take it off every couple of days to charge it.

The only watches that seem to offer this type of basic functionality are super cheap, with pretty ordinary battery life, although the CMF smartwatch looks like an intriguing deal.

Could always 'dip the toe in the water' with a Xiaomi. I have the Redmi Watch 2 Lite. Good battery life, and even though it does say waterproof, i just put it on the USB cable by my PC when having a shower, charges up pretty quick.

https://www.pbtech.co.nz/search?sf=xiaomi+watch&search_type=prediction

Kookoo

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#3165385 28-Nov-2023 23:44

MikeB4:
My old school Casio digital watch arrived from Mighty Ape. It's cheap, it's simple and I love it. I may (will) buy some more.

Edit;I should add it's a Casio G-Shock DW5600E-1

I've been inspired! :D

I haven't gone all the way to G-Shock, but for $40 I reckon the Heavy Duty version is good value. Loving it - durable, accurate, and comfortable to wear.

Hello, Ground!

MikeB4

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#3165397 29-Nov-2023 07:09

I have a Casio G-Shock that I wear when doing stuff in the garden, cleaning around the home, at the beach and in the pool. They can certainly take a beating.
Both my sons that were in the army had G-Shock muds and the watches survived through basic training, through corpse training and deployments.

Here is a crazy notion, lets give peace a chance.

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