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Mechanical Watches VS Smart Watches

Updated: Nov 29, 2023

Shaheen Miller 9/1/22


A smart watch and a mechanical watch


Technological advancements have been the call of humanity since, well, day one really. As a species we have been driven by making improvements, upon improvements to make our lives easier, more efficient and productive. The very first wristwatch was invented in 1812 by Abraham Louis-Breguet and since then one can say that horology has made significant improvements, as we can see with the hundreds of different watch movements available, whether it be Swiss, German, Japanese and many more. But despite these improvements made to the way watches tick, the simplistic value of time on your wrist has remained relatively unchanged until the arrival of the smart watch. The smart watch phenomenon did not happen overnight as it may seem. Actually, the first "smart" watch dates all the way back to 1972, the Hamilton Pulsar, which featured a digital face. But for the sake of brevity, I will spare you the detailed journey of how smart watches came to be. Instead let's take at a few reasons why you may want to choose a mechanical watch over a smartwatch.



Style, Personality and Expression


It's no secret that smart watches have taken over the world. They can read your blood pressure, wake you up in the morning, remind you to exercise, bring you the news, send you emails, make phone calls and the list goes on. I myself am an owner of a smart watch. But there are many, many occasions where in the morning choosing what watch I want to wear as I prepare to tackle the day , I look at my smart watch and think of all the functionality that will be provided if I wear it, and then I look at my mechanical watch collection , I look at the beauty , the craftmanship, the intricate yet simple design made to do only one thing.. tell time and I absolutely feel compelled to wear it. After a while I started to notice something. Whenever I wanted to express myself or style myself a certain way ... I choose my mechanical watch. Any high-profile event, or event that requires me "dress my best" I instantly, no brainer choose my mechanical watch. But if I am home and I don't want to hold my cellphone while I exercise or work around the house, smart watch is convenient choice for me. I find that although smart watches can change faces, swap out colored bands, the sense of expression doesn't feel as "branded" as a mechanical watch. The way I look at it, mechanical watches are born with a specific style, an identity that makes it unique. A smart watch sort of wears a mask and pretends to be anything you want it to be, although convenient, it lacks the authenticity of a unique identity of a cold steel watch and takes on the personal of a tech device that can be many things. There is just something about the simplicity of mechanical watches that has a calming and tranquil effect when you wears one.



Longevity


Every year there is a new smart watch model. The newer model produced automatically makes the old one you owned previously seem outdated and less than. On top of this some smart watch models are so old that they eventually lose support for functionality, and eventually become a shell of once a former digital champion. Mechanical watches do not have this problem. Infact this is one of the main reasons for the price disparity between smart watches and mechanical watches... the longevity. Mechanical watches have absolutely stood the test of time, which is fitting for objects that are designed to ... tell time! A mechanical watch produced 100 years ago with proper care, will tick exactly the same as it did a century ago. This makes mechanical watches the perfect item to pass down as a gift, generation to generation. Nobody wants to inherit an old smart watch that doesn't function optimally. Mechanical watches are truly a timeless gift.



Value


A mechanical watch will always hold its value much longer and consistently than a smart watch. The craftmanship, the detail, the movement, the jewels, history and gems are all part of what makes mechanical watches vary from as inexpensive as $25 to as expensive as a half a million dollars. A Mechanical watch that is well taken care of can actually appreciate value overtime depending on the brand and craftmanship. Smart watches on the other hand depreciate in value as soon as you turn it on the for the first time and with time, start to lose its edge and functionality which causes its price to depreciate, especially when newer versions are released, and firmware support is lost.


Overall, we can conclude that Mechanical watches, even though it may not have as many functions and uses as a smartwatch has 3 key areas that make it a perfect choice over smart watches as they can be used more for personal expression, they last a really long time and hold their value over the years. If you are looking for a great mechanical watch, why don't you check out the Northern Star Watch!


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