I love my dorky little watches
I've worn watches on and off for most of my life. My first couple watches weren't anything fancy: they just told the time and maybe the date/day of the week. My preference for analog or digital would switch over time, but I didn't branch out into anything more complex until smart watches became a thing. My first one was a Pebble. It didn't have any of the fitness tracking or deep phone integrations that we know now, but I could customize the watch face, play games, and receive notifications. A few years later, I got the first Apple Watch and absolutely loved it. The fitness tracking features were pretty simple by today's standards, but good enough for me. Sending and viewing messages was a little clunky, but it was super convenient to send a quick text message in class without pulling out my phone. It held out until late 2020, at which point I switched it out for a Fitbit Inspire HR. Simple fitness tracking and time-checking were all I needed, so I didn't feel the high price tag of a new (or even used) Apple Watch was worth it. It broke earlier this year, so my wrist has been bare ever since. I didn't feel attached to the fitness tracking features anymore, nor did I feel the need to wear a watch. My phone's always on me, and I spend most of my day in front of a computer with the time somewhere on the screen, so why would I need one?
My thoughts on that last point changed on a recent trip with Amaya for our anniversary last month. It was a weekend trip to Jacksonville, FL (only a ~2 hour drive) that we threw together last minute. We had a couple things planned and needed to be cognizant of the time so we wouldn't be late. I'd frequently pull my phone out of my pocket to check the time, but fiddling with my phone and my zipper pockets that kept getting stuck made this really annoying (zipper pockets still rule, though). Yet again, I longed for a watch.
What I wanted out of a watch
Once we got back, the watch search began. I wanted a couple things out of a watch:
- Just a regular "dumb" watch
- Relatively inexpensive, but still good quality
- Easy to tell the time quickly
I don't want to be inundated with notifications, so I have most or all notifications turned off during the work day unless it's urgent. Even outside of work, I don't need to see everything as it happens. The gamification of exercising that fitness trackers encourage wasn't enjoyable or effective for me, so I stopped using them. Both of those are the only reasons that I'd wear a smart watch again, and if I wouldn't get value out of either, why should I spend the extra money for them?
Speaking of money, I didn't want to spend a ton of it. My sense of style is simple and pragmatic, which doesn't mesh well with flashy high-end watches. My go-to outfits are usually:
- Joggers/shorts/jeans with a t-shirt
- Jeans and a collared polo/short-sleeved button-up (if I want to be less casual)
- Dress pants and a dress shirt (if the rare formal event comes up)
Not that I want a Rolex or something that mimics it, but it would look out of place with how I dress. I need to like how it looks, of course, but anything fancy is off the table.
I like the look of minimalist analog watches, but the lack of number markers makes it difficult to quickly tell the time. Squinting to find the exact minute and second value is not something I want to spend time on. There are analog watches that do have those labels, but they're too cluttered for me. There are analog watches with smaller digital faces on them, but I don't love those either. This just leaves digital watches.
Enter: my dorky little watches
As I scrolled through watches that I didn't like, I remembered a fun little watch that I saw recently. My sister's friend wore one to my cousin's wedding a couple weeks ago that was pastel purple or green. It clashed a bit with the rest of her outfit, but that's what made it great. I loved the color and the goofy-looking watch face, and while I probably wouldn't wear one of the same color, the rest of the look was so good. I needed to get one.
I ended up getting two: the F-91W for everyday use and the A168WA for more formal occasions. Ordering them off of Amazon, my total came out to just shy of $40. Not too bad for two watches! Both of them have the same features:
- Day of month and day of week
- 1 daily alarm (optional)
- Stopwatch
- Hourly alarm (optional)
- Ability to light the screen up when in the dark
- Long-lasting battery
- 12 hour and 24 hour format time
They're just a little goofy looking and I like them :)