5 ms·

It’s not temporary, the population pyramid is teetering.

by mensetmanusman 2y ago

lotsofpulp 2y ago
I can’t remember the last time I saw someone wearing a watch other than an Apple Watch. Maybe a couple Android watches.
- orwin 2y ago
  Most people who spend substantial time on/in the water have a real watch or two (it's on the water for me).
- mc32 2y ago
  It's not the same market at all. They're talking about luxury brands --when the economy becomes less bubbly, people retrench. That sales engineer puts off buying the luxury car, luxury watch and boat or whatever else they'd buy in better times.
  - deleted 2y ago
    [deleted]
- damontal 2y ago
  Which is why I break out my G Shocks every once in a while. I get sick of seeing Apple watches everywhere. The problem is they’re so damned useful so I always come back to it.
  - tushar-r 2y ago
    I gave up on my Garmin when the battery went out and started using my G-Shock. I don't really miss the smart watch features a few months since I made the change.
- al_borland 2y ago
  I’ve owned several Apple Watches, but none currently. I wear an automatic watch on a typical day, and have a Casio as my beater/travel watch (and about a dozen more I can probably pair down now that I think I have my perfect 2 watch collection). I got sick of smartwatches. One more thing to change every night. One more thing to debate upgrading all the time. One more home screen to manage. More apps to update and deal with. More notifications and interruptions. It’s all too much. With a little maintenance, my go-to watch will outlive me. My travel watch just needs a new battery when I renew my passport.
  - shiroiushi 2y ago
    >I got sick of smartwatches. One more thing to change every night. This is exactly why I got a cheap $35 "Amazfit" fitness band (a clone of a Xiaomi Band 5 I think). It does things a normal watch won't do, namely count my steps every day and also monitor my sleep patterns, but it goes 2 weeks on a charge, or more. I've never understood why anyone would put up with a watch that needs to be recharged every day. How do you even use it as a sleep monitor if you have to charge it? Of course, a fitness band like this also doesn't come with so much extra crap like you're referring to ("more apps to update and deal with"); it's comparatively simple.
    - jack_pp 2y ago
      I don't know if I'd trust cheap knockoffs to give me accurate information on my health. Hell I don't even trust expensive health tracking gadgets, I remember watching some YouTube videos showing how different watches give you different readings
      - pandaman 2y ago
        This. Mi Band is already junk as far as any data goes. Mine was showing sleep starting hours before going to bed and heart rate was comically wrong from time to time (like in "riding up a 2 mile hill while staying under 80 bpm" wrong).
        2y ago
- Kon-Peki 2y ago
  > I can’t remember the last time I saw someone wearing a watch other than an Apple Watch. Maybe a couple Android watches. You probably aren't actively looking. The market for sub-$150 retro-ish ("inspired" by the 1980s/1990s) quartz watches has exploded over the last few years [1]. A month or so ago, I "splurged" and bought a $300 solar-powered analog quartz watch. It will need a $10 battery replacement once every 15 years or so, and is simple enough to do at home with tools I already have. This is just my opinion (and you seem like you are the opposite - that's fine), but I think that Apple has completely lost the plot with the Watch concept. It was supposed to be a companion device to the phone that helped reduce screen time while not missing anything important. Now, the Apple Watch is trying to be a kitchen sink on your wrist, with a battery situation that makes no sense. If you were to do all the health tracking it is capable of, you'd need to wear that watch 24 hours a day. But the battery doesn't even last that long. So you can't actually fully use all of the features. It makes no sense. My Apple Watch has been in a drawer for I don't even know how many months. Where it will probably stay. [1] https://www.casio.com/us/watches/casio/vintage/ https://www.casio.com/us/watches/casio/vintage/
  - fallinditch 2y ago
    Casio make some great watches, I bought a solar powered model recently for 50 bucks, it's very decent! [1] I've never felt the need to get a smart watch, they seem badly hobbled by their need for frequent charging, and the Apple watch is so common that it signifies the opposite of fashionable and stylish, more utilitarian and conventional. [1] https://www.casio.com/us/watches/casio/product.AQ-S800W-1B2V/ https://www.casio.com/us/watches/casio/product.AQ-S800W-1B2V...
  - jl_418 2y ago
    Apple’s Ultra watches have up to 36 hours / up to 72 hours in low-power mode- but they are more than I would spend want to spend on a smartwatch ($799).
    - martin_a 2y ago
      Have a look at Fossil then. I'm wearing one and it's nice. Still has a mechanical watchface so it does not look like a smartwatch, but it got some features. I've turned notifications on only for messages, mails and calls, not for every other app. Runtime is great, like a week or more, depending on use, and it still does heart rate monitoring and step counting.
- Dalewyn 2y ago
  It definitely correlates with generation; the younger more often have either smartwatches or nothing, while the older more often have jewelrywatches. Those in-between more often have watches. I do think the general popularity of jewelrywatches is dropping as the generations turn over, though. It's a lot harder to convince the old generations of tomorrow to fork over thousands of dollars on a jewelrywatch; status symbols come and go.
  - shiroiushi 2y ago
    Yeah, I have a (much) older sister who spent a bunch of money (that she didn't really have to spare) on a secondhand Rolex, because it was apparently some kind of lifelong dream of hers to own such a watch. I really don't understand it, but I'm not a Boomer, so I guess I never will.
- wenc 2y ago
  I used to wear a Tissot, but my Apple Watch is so much more practical. I never thought I'd go for Apple Watches since they look so.... nerdy. But within a week of wearing one, I was sold. Today, I use it to Apple Pay for everything without whipping out my phone or wallet, from restaurants to transit (with Express Transit I don't even have to double click -- I just point my wrist at the card reader). It tracks my sleep so I know to compensate accordingly if I'm not well rested... as in adjusting how much caffeine to consume. Its alarms wake me up gently by buzzing (haptics) as opposed to a shrill phone alarm. I can glance at it to see when my next meeting is, so I know how much time I have to dawdle. (I need my down time throughout the day) It tells me how loud a room is in dB. You might ask, can't you tell by just listening? Yes, but when I know it in dB, I know whether the ambient noise is going to affect me over a long period of time and that I should use ear plugs or put on ANC headphones. 30-40 dB is ok, but anything above that is annoying. You don't realize how noisy a city truly is -- and cutting that noise out can really do wonders for head space. It helps me to navigate while walking in the city -- it's easier and works better than than holding up a phone. I only charge it when I shower (it goes from nearly 10% to full in minutes), otherwise I wear it 24/7. You can do all of this with a phone, but having all of it on your wrist is just that much more seamless. (no need to whip out your phone) I didn't miss my Tissot at all.
- insane_dreamer 2y ago
  People who wear are Rolex are not the same people who now wear an Apple Watch instead. They also don't necessarily wear their Rolex when they go out to the store or places where you might pass them by.
- insane_dreamer 2y ago
  > I can’t remember the last time I saw someone wearing a watch other than an Apple Watch. Maybe a couple Android watches. I agree, most people I see are wearing an Apple Watch. I personally haven't bought one as I don't see the need. I take my phone with me everywhere already, why do I need duplicate functions on the watch? And for those occasions where I might not have my phone with me -- it's almost always by design and I don't want notifications on a watch. I also don't want to hassle with charging a watch daily or every other day. So I'm not switching from my analog watch anytime soon.
- pleb_nz 2y ago
  Garmin are fairy popular in my circles and area.
- Glyptodon 2y ago
  I wear a Timex weekender sometimes, especially if I don't want to be using my phone. I love how you can get a pile of different bands with all kind of color and materials. But I don't wear it regularly.
UncleOxidant 2y ago
These Swiss watches are status symbols for people that are over 60. Which means their market is dying off.

It’s not temporary, the population pyramid is teetering.

lotsofpulp 2y ago

I can’t remember the last time I saw someone wearing a watch other than an Apple Watch. Maybe a couple Android watches.

orwin 2y ago
Most people who spend substantial time on/in the water have a real watch or two (it's on the water for me).
mc32 2y ago
It's not the same market at all. They're talking about luxury brands --when the economy becomes less bubbly, people retrench. That sales engineer puts off buying the luxury car, luxury watch and boat or whatever else they'd buy in better times.
- deleted 2y ago
  [deleted]
damontal 2y ago
Which is why I break out my G Shocks every once in a while. I get sick of seeing Apple watches everywhere. The problem is they’re so damned useful so I always come back to it.
- tushar-r 2y ago
  I gave up on my Garmin when the battery went out and started using my G-Shock. I don't really miss the smart watch features a few months since I made the change.
al_borland 2y ago
I’ve owned several Apple Watches, but none currently. I wear an automatic watch on a typical day, and have a Casio as my beater/travel watch (and about a dozen more I can probably pair down now that I think I have my perfect 2 watch collection). I got sick of smartwatches. One more thing to change every night. One more thing to debate upgrading all the time. One more home screen to manage. More apps to update and deal with. More notifications and interruptions. It’s all too much. With a little maintenance, my go-to watch will outlive me. My travel watch just needs a new battery when I renew my passport.
- shiroiushi 2y ago
  >I got sick of smartwatches. One more thing to change every night. This is exactly why I got a cheap $35 "Amazfit" fitness band (a clone of a Xiaomi Band 5 I think). It does things a normal watch won't do, namely count my steps every day and also monitor my sleep patterns, but it goes 2 weeks on a charge, or more. I've never understood why anyone would put up with a watch that needs to be recharged every day. How do you even use it as a sleep monitor if you have to charge it? Of course, a fitness band like this also doesn't come with so much extra crap like you're referring to ("more apps to update and deal with"); it's comparatively simple.
  - jack_pp 2y ago
    I don't know if I'd trust cheap knockoffs to give me accurate information on my health. Hell I don't even trust expensive health tracking gadgets, I remember watching some YouTube videos showing how different watches give you different readings
    - pandaman 2y ago
      This. Mi Band is already junk as far as any data goes. Mine was showing sleep starting hours before going to bed and heart rate was comically wrong from time to time (like in "riding up a 2 mile hill while staying under 80 bpm" wrong).
      - 2y ago
Kon-Peki 2y ago
> I can’t remember the last time I saw someone wearing a watch other than an Apple Watch. Maybe a couple Android watches. You probably aren't actively looking. The market for sub-$150 retro-ish ("inspired" by the 1980s/1990s) quartz watches has exploded over the last few years [1]. A month or so ago, I "splurged" and bought a $300 solar-powered analog quartz watch. It will need a $10 battery replacement once every 15 years or so, and is simple enough to do at home with tools I already have. This is just my opinion (and you seem like you are the opposite - that's fine), but I think that Apple has completely lost the plot with the Watch concept. It was supposed to be a companion device to the phone that helped reduce screen time while not missing anything important. Now, the Apple Watch is trying to be a kitchen sink on your wrist, with a battery situation that makes no sense. If you were to do all the health tracking it is capable of, you'd need to wear that watch 24 hours a day. But the battery doesn't even last that long. So you can't actually fully use all of the features. It makes no sense. My Apple Watch has been in a drawer for I don't even know how many months. Where it will probably stay. [1] https://www.casio.com/us/watches/casio/vintage/ https://www.casio.com/us/watches/casio/vintage/
- fallinditch 2y ago
  Casio make some great watches, I bought a solar powered model recently for 50 bucks, it's very decent! [1] I've never felt the need to get a smart watch, they seem badly hobbled by their need for frequent charging, and the Apple watch is so common that it signifies the opposite of fashionable and stylish, more utilitarian and conventional. [1] https://www.casio.com/us/watches/casio/product.AQ-S800W-1B2V/ https://www.casio.com/us/watches/casio/product.AQ-S800W-1B2V...
- jl_418 2y ago
  Apple’s Ultra watches have up to 36 hours / up to 72 hours in low-power mode- but they are more than I would spend want to spend on a smartwatch ($799).
  - martin_a 2y ago
    Have a look at Fossil then. I'm wearing one and it's nice. Still has a mechanical watchface so it does not look like a smartwatch, but it got some features. I've turned notifications on only for messages, mails and calls, not for every other app. Runtime is great, like a week or more, depending on use, and it still does heart rate monitoring and step counting.
Dalewyn 2y ago
It definitely correlates with generation; the younger more often have either smartwatches or nothing, while the older more often have jewelrywatches. Those in-between more often have watches. I do think the general popularity of jewelrywatches is dropping as the generations turn over, though. It's a lot harder to convince the old generations of tomorrow to fork over thousands of dollars on a jewelrywatch; status symbols come and go.
- shiroiushi 2y ago
  Yeah, I have a (much) older sister who spent a bunch of money (that she didn't really have to spare) on a secondhand Rolex, because it was apparently some kind of lifelong dream of hers to own such a watch. I really don't understand it, but I'm not a Boomer, so I guess I never will.
wenc 2y ago
I used to wear a Tissot, but my Apple Watch is so much more practical. I never thought I'd go for Apple Watches since they look so.... nerdy. But within a week of wearing one, I was sold. Today, I use it to Apple Pay for everything without whipping out my phone or wallet, from restaurants to transit (with Express Transit I don't even have to double click -- I just point my wrist at the card reader). It tracks my sleep so I know to compensate accordingly if I'm not well rested... as in adjusting how much caffeine to consume. Its alarms wake me up gently by buzzing (haptics) as opposed to a shrill phone alarm. I can glance at it to see when my next meeting is, so I know how much time I have to dawdle. (I need my down time throughout the day) It tells me how loud a room is in dB. You might ask, can't you tell by just listening? Yes, but when I know it in dB, I know whether the ambient noise is going to affect me over a long period of time and that I should use ear plugs or put on ANC headphones. 30-40 dB is ok, but anything above that is annoying. You don't realize how noisy a city truly is -- and cutting that noise out can really do wonders for head space. It helps me to navigate while walking in the city -- it's easier and works better than than holding up a phone. I only charge it when I shower (it goes from nearly 10% to full in minutes), otherwise I wear it 24/7. You can do all of this with a phone, but having all of it on your wrist is just that much more seamless. (no need to whip out your phone) I didn't miss my Tissot at all.
insane_dreamer 2y ago
People who wear are Rolex are not the same people who now wear an Apple Watch instead. They also don't necessarily wear their Rolex when they go out to the store or places where you might pass them by.
insane_dreamer 2y ago
> I can’t remember the last time I saw someone wearing a watch other than an Apple Watch. Maybe a couple Android watches. I agree, most people I see are wearing an Apple Watch. I personally haven't bought one as I don't see the need. I take my phone with me everywhere already, why do I need duplicate functions on the watch? And for those occasions where I might not have my phone with me -- it's almost always by design and I don't want notifications on a watch. I also don't want to hassle with charging a watch daily or every other day. So I'm not switching from my analog watch anytime soon.
pleb_nz 2y ago
Garmin are fairy popular in my circles and area.
Glyptodon 2y ago
I wear a Timex weekender sometimes, especially if I don't want to be using my phone. I love how you can get a pile of different bands with all kind of color and materials. But I don't wear it regularly.

UncleOxidant 2y ago

These Swiss watches are status symbols for people that are over 60. Which means their market is dying off.