Why I no longer wear an Apple Watch
Last week, an awkwardly packaged wristwatch arrived at my door from Hong Kong. A $100, 40mm Bijouone B001 with a gold plated finish, off white dial, and dark warm leather strap. I ripped off my Apple Watch, a device I had worn in various upgraded versions for nearly a decade. I first spotted the B0011 while watching Severance, during a closeup shot of a character opening the door to a secret chamber in the sterile labyrinthine setting of the show’s “Macrodata Refinement” floor. The clean unlabeled appearance caught my eye, a look that mirrors other props in the show; all reminiscent of 1960’s corporate aesthetics. The B001 has an elegant but everyday appeal that easily replaced my Apple Watch Series 9.
I’ve previously posted–perhaps a bit hyperbolically–about how strange it felt that Apple removed various classic watch faces, like Explorer, from WatchOS. Imagine that while you slept, someone riffled through your collection and awkwardly swapped out your favorite watch for another that they preferred, without your consent. It’s an unjustifiable violation of trust and a disregard for something typically sacred in Apple’s products: the user.
People don’t know what they want until you show it to them. – Steve Jobs
But then don’t take it away.
Apple seems to have found a place for Apple Watch on the wrists of athletes and health obsessed consumers. It does still seem appropriate for workouts, long hikes, and monitoring vitals, so I’ll still likely keep it for the occasional excursion. For now, what I wear on my wrist can remain a genuine expression of my personal taste.