I Have Finally Ditched My Apple Watch. Here’s Why.

Apple Watch is a product nobody thought they needed - and actually they don’t!

When Steve Jobs died in 2011, the tech world - and mine - shattered. He was no doubt the god-sent genius who not only saved Apple, but brought us a new perspective on how tech products should look and behave. I would never forget those years when I would eagerly wait in front of my Mac to see Jobs’ live product showcases, and clapped and cheered like a lunatic even when I was alone in my study whenever he announced something exciting or game-changing.

Then we had Tim Cook, who was not a product person, not a charismatic character, and certainly not a visionary, but just a “boring” operations executive.

No one was ever naive enough to think that someone like him would come up with anything like the iPod or iPhone. And he didn’t.

Apple Watch was the first product created entirely after Jobs’ era. In the first few years, it tried very hard to convince us that it is a “watch” (though I always see it as a “mini iPhone”) by introducing many watch-specific features like ceramic and even gold cases. The Digital Crown is the thing that screams “I am a watch” but serves no purpose in a digital touch screen context.

But that formula never achieved the game-changing results of iPhone, because for one thing, it’s UGLY.

In the watch world, the square (note: not rectangular) form factor has never been popular. But Apple Watch had no choice because it’s a digital device that has to prioritise function over style. As such no amount of titanium, gold, ceramic, Hermes leathers straps could save an inherently unattractive shape.

In recent years Apple has shifted its strategy to focus on HEALTH, adding tons of promising related features like advanced sleep monitoring, ECG and even high blood pressure warning. This strategy seems to work and provides a more legitimate reason to buy an Apple Watch. For years I was sold on such idea and have owned almost even generation of Apple Watch.

Recently my obsession over my well-being data started to backfire me. When I go to the gym I would pay so much attention to how the watch rate my workout. When I sleep I would pay so much attention to how the watch rate my sleep quality, and gets very upset if the numbers are not impressive even though I had a reasonably good workout or sleep.

The nightly bedtime reminder drove me nuts, putting unnecessary pressure on an otherwise natural process. We all know that you cannot “force” yourself to sleep. The best sleep is when you feel naturally tired and sleepy, and what you should do is cultivate a lifestyle that leads to the desire to sleep at a certain time, such as exercise during the day, and no food or alcohol before bedtime. The notification that tells you to “go to bed” simply makes things worse! I became so nervous that at one point I decided to switch it off completely.

When you do exercise the focus should be on the fun and less on the data. Indeed unless you are a professional athlete where every second or calorie counts, or you have some health conditions that need close monitoring, those data don’t mean much to most of us.

About a month ago, I stopped charging my Apple Watch (much more a chore than winding a mechanical watch - at least it’s fun!) and put it away.

My sleep dramatically improved as I was not longer being “pressurised” by a nagging digital device that controlled my emotions with numbers. And I enjoyed my workouts a lot more as I can now fully dive in the activity itself.

In other words I started living like a normal, healthy human again. I felt so blessed and relieved once I got this ugly thing out of my life!

And ugly it is, I think Apple knows it, all they do is mask it with colours and more colours - even rainbow seems not enough. But honestly when was the last time you saw a guy wearing a pink or yellow strap?

As a Californian company you can expect Apple conforming to all things progressive, as such they have moved away from “animal” products. So instead of a nice genuine leather strap you get a silicone or nylon, both are disastrous to pair with a suit. They do have metal ones called Milanese straps that are usually found on low-end quartz watches, and I just couldn’t be bothered.

In the age of smart phone nobody really needs a watch. The only reason why you might still want one should be as an accessory that elevates and expresses your personal style, and not something that constantly intrudes your life with data and messages, and I am sticking with my mechanical, rectangular Cartier Tank (yes rectangular AND beautiful!).