On a related topic, I find programming or typing while wearing a watch leads relatively quickly to wrist pain due to the pressure constraints it puts on the muscles and tendons.
I have tried several different watches and experienced this problem. I know many tech industry people wear watches while they work, but I have never heard a discussion of this condition. I wonder if I am somehow unusual in this situation. I am otherwise not especially prone to repetitive stress injuries.
It has been bad enough I have thought of converting a wristwatch into a modern pocket watch, though I would lose any feature that depended on skin proximity.
How large of a watch are you using? How tight do you wear it? How much do you weight?
I've worn larger watches in the past. Now I wear a pretty small watch or an apple watch, that is also smallish, and I dont have any issues. I tend to wear my watches quite loose so they rest beyond the rim of the laptop I type on.
That is why for years used a pocket watch. No pain, just wind it every day, when it breaks send someone to Malaysia to get another "genuine imitation" of whatever big brand. I was thinking about finding a quality make from a genuine brand when the G1 android came out, and it turns out a smart phone in my pocket does everything I need from a watch and so much more.
So, I think this is one of those things where YMMV is very much true. That said, I have a lot of wrist/thumb issues and am heavily invested in ergonomics to mitigate said issues and prevent them from worsening. I also wear a large watch every day while using a computer, and I experienced at times exactly what you're referring to.
Ultimately, it came down to the band. The only bands I found that would not cause issues were bands like the milanese loop for the Apple Watch, the trail band for the Apple Watch Ultra, or similar designs, where these bands have flexibility and are capable of sliding/slipping in a controlled fashion to "self-adjust".
The issue with other watch bands type like a typical plastic sports band or metal link bracelet, are that they have no flexibility. What happens is that when your wrist flexes and the band doesn't give way, is that it creates pressure on the tendons and you can end up getting a form of RSI. Much more flexible bands give way and allow your watch to adjust over time to the position of where your hands need to be for typing. When using a milanese loop style band I even noticed I would need to tighten it again when I'd stand up to walk around as it'd be a bit loose, and it'd hold its position until I sat to type again. That it's significant enough to be noticeable is indicative that it's quite a lot of required flexibility.
Rather than giving up on wearing a watch, I'd recommend you spend some time trying different bands and look for flexible bands.
I made a custom wood and leather wrist rest for exactly this. It’s fairly tall and has a soft curve at the corner opposite the keyboard. The heel of my hand rests on the curve. Watchband touches nothing. I modeled it after the keyb and wrist rest on an X220 and its predecessors. Going on at least 15 pain-free years post blowout.
Same here. The watch part of my wrist normally wrests on the bottom edge of my Macbook, so I end up lifting my wrist slightly to avoid the band from scratching, which then leads to pain. I've found some luck from wearing long sleeves that cover my watch so that I don't have to worry about the scratching issue.
I don’t get wrist pain, but that’s probably because I find it so uncomfortable I always take my watch off whenever my hands approach a keyboard. I haven’t really experienced carpal tunnel myself yet, but literally every single person I’m physically related to gets it by their 40s so maybe it’s related to that somehow?
> I know many tech industry people wear watches while they work, but I have never heard a discussion of this condition.
I regularly (one day out of every two?) wear a relatively heavy mechanical watch while working. 127 grams I think. I don't have more issues to my left hand than my right hand has ; )
It’s not that I feel the watch causing pain _directly_, like a lot of replies here seem to assume, it’s that if I wear one regularly for more than a couple of weeks, it aggravates my existing tendency to develop pain in my wrists.
I looked for the lightest watch I could find ( at the time a pebble 2 SE ) , and used a Eulit Palma Pacific watch band on it - basically a light airy woven material compared to the silicon junk smart watches come with.
I feel it when I'm at a keyboard with no wrist rest, but having my palms raised a couple of centimetres means my watch strap isn't in contact with the desk at all.
This is one of the big reasons I don't wear a watch or bracelet, although I suspect it may be related to wrist shape since others don't seem to have this issue.
I only type a moderate amount, but I don't find that my watch is putting any pressure on my wrist. If I feel pressure I typically immediately loosen it a notch.
I've been dabbling in smartwatches because of the built-in step counters, trying to get healthy, etc. The main thing I found I appreciated is the automatic time sync including DST switchover.
There is a long list of negatives:
- Battery life is miserable compared to a classic watch
- Screen activation is unreliable. Imagine a classic watch not visible when you look at it.
- Bad UX. Somehow the brightness settings I apply randomly get reset/reverted. This is probably hit or miss depending on brand, I expect Apple's devices have this nailed.
- Outdoor performance. This is the worst one. The screen is just not readable under bright sunlight. I find myself making a little tent out of whatever I have on and furiously shaking my wrist to activate the screen just so I can tell the time. This is what's going to make me ultimately switch back to a classic watch unless I can find one with e-ink. I'm not sure how Apple's devices fare here beyond friends saying 'it works fine.'
You might like Withings Steel HR. It easily lasts a month on a single charge.
Conversly, I now have their more premium Scanwatch, and I feel the UX regressed, while the added functions are not for me.
It may not be an option for you based on your other tech choices, but I feel like the Apple Watch excels at all of the things you mention here except, obviously, battery life vs. a conventional nonsmart watch.
I supposed UX can be a matter of taste, but I've found it's simple enough to set up an Apple Watch such that I have rapid access to the features and functions I need in a given situation.
In particular, outdoor usage -- even in bright sun -- is pretty great. I've done no small amount of hiking with mine, and use it often when cycling. Readability is fine!
Most Garmin GPS watches (except for newer expensive models) have an LCD screen that's perfectly readable under sunlight, only when it's dark I need to tap the screen to activate the backlight. At least one model has an integrated solar panel which can significantly extend battery life while GPS isn't used.
But personally I have fiddled around with 5 different Garmin watches and think their UX in menus is simply horrible on average, mine is okay for my use-case but I'd advise to never buy them blindly.
Posts like this really make me miss my old Pebble. Maybe its incredibly niche, but they left a gap in the market that no other offering has yet to fill.
And I have a hunch the rotating bezel on the Samsung classic 4 (or whatever) is The Correct Answer™.
My Apple Watch 4's battery is now pretty weak. So I'm looking to replace.
I kinda hate my Apple Watch. Now it's just an annoying step counter.
It sucks for controlling audio playback. I'm walking the dog, in the cold, wind, and rain. So then I have to take off my gloves, look at the damn thing, navigate to the playback controls (because reasons), tap the button a few times. Etc. So now I just dig out my iPhone.
The Activity tracker sucks. If I stop to pick up some waste, it's smart enough to pause. But not smart enough to resume when I get walking again. So I have to hit Dismiss multiple times during an activity. Grrr. So I stopped using it.
Siri via the watch is turrible. I've stopped trying.
The one huge feature I want for a future watch (or whatever) is tracking my waking breathing rate. For pain management and other mindfulness stuff. I'm supposed to regulate my breathe. Like remind me to stop holding my breathe during a bad spell.
Garmin has an active/outdoorsy slant but out of the big smartwatch players they seem to fill that hole best, a good amount of their models emphasize button navigation and the touchscreen is optional.
Apple watches are great if you are already in apple ecosystem. But their battery life are disappointing, just like wearOS watches.
It seems that Apple / Android watch OSes are just bad for such tiny devices. What Xiaomi (Amazfit), Garmin and others are doing with battery optimization is way better.
Zepp OS is providing a great SDK documentation, but I went for a Garmin watch thanks to the wide range of apps and widgets already available.
I have a couple of Oceanus[0] (Casio’s boutique brand) watches that I wore, all the time, for years (I brought them in Japan). They replaced a Junghans Mega MF[1],
They are all collecting dust. I’ve been wearing Apple Watches for years.
The Apple Watch costs half as much as my other watches, and is less attractive, but I have really come to rely on its utility.
I have a friend that just got the Ultra. It’s a cool watch, but way too bulky and awkward-looking, for me. Reminds me of a Suunto watch, a friend of mine once owned.
First and foremost, I need to know exactly what time it is. The weather functionality is also important to me.
For many folks, a watch is jewelry. I had a friend that used to wear a broken Brietling.
l've been wearing my dead brother’s Citizen Eco-Drive Calibre 5700 (stainless) for the past decade for similar reasons to those in the article. It’s rugged, solar powered, and requires no thought.
It also has a small scorch mark from an arc welding incident he had that I treasure.
I wouldn't change my Casio Protrek PRG-80T for nothing, More than 16 years and no battery change, Titanium strap and case, solar charging and tough as none of the others, A classic ABC watch (Altimeter-Barometer-Compass) with temperature sensor.
To be honest, I also have a small smart band (latest Xiaomi Mi Band) to complement for all the missing smart functionality. People keep asking me why I wear two watches :-)
There are two design approaches to wristwatches that I haven't seen but which I think have distinct benefits: wide (landscape) bodies/faces, and bands with batteries in the links.
In Sci-Fi, it's normal to see landscape displays on forearms. Often it's part of a suit, so it is kind of an obvious solution. But watches could take this concept at a smaller scale and provide at least double the screen real estate without ending up looking like a brick.
The bands on some watches are already fairly thick, and people have shown they are fine wearing thick bracelet things for decoration. Why not embed batteries into parts of the band? The obvious case would be the big metal links (like tank tracks), with the wiring through the link connections. Not only would you be able to store a whole lot more energy compared to a single battery in the watch body, but you could also have swappable bands so you could always have one charged and ready.
I have a Garmin vívoactive 3 which to me is a good fit because it is "smart enough" - all the basic features I would want from a smartwatch (fitness tracking, GPS, phone notifications, music control) behind a fairly basic UI. My partner bought an Apple Watch a while ago and while it's quite snazzy and probably does a lot more stuff, the battery life really limits its usefulness and it is very expensive for what it is.
I've had mine just over 2.5 years. It's still going strong so hopefully it will continue to serve me for a while yet, but comparing smartwatches to traditional watches really makes you realise how short-term these gadgets are. People here talking about their 16 year old Casio watches - no way this Garmin will reach anything like that age. And then of course you have those quality timepieces that are passed down through generations.
Really interested to hear more real-life user reviews of the BankgleJS 2, which I only heard about recently and seems to tick all the boxes while being open and hackable.
Nice to see someone lauding the Timex Datalink (the 851), which IMO is the best smartwatch ever made. I would pay modern smartwatch money for a proper re-release. The original software still works perfectly on W10.
When I built my smartwatch, I went with ESP32-PICO and bluetooth low energy for connecting to my phone. Battery lifetime is excellent, but not quite a year because I poll weather data over wifi once every 10 minutes.
Why not something like Casio G-SQUAD GBD-100/200 (starts from ~110USD)? Or there are also pricier Garmin Instinct Solar with solar transflective display which should last loong time (since he doesn't mind bulky watch unlike me).
Casio claim to last one year on battery with notifications, Garmin 50+ days as smartwatch.
I wish Casio made something like this (transflective graphic display which can display texts/simple graphic) in F91 form factor with rechargable battery, I wouldn't mind if it last only few months between charges. Currently using Amazfit Bip which I charge once a month.
In terms of keeping time and no unrelated features, the CASIO G-shock tough solar radio are the best. Cheap, durable, solar and synchronized via radio (plus other things like chronometer and word times).
But Casio already manufacture smartwatches, which meets OPs criteria like 1 year battery life. For example G-Shock GBD-H1000. But they are rather bulky, comparing to the alternatives he mentions.
I really like wearing real watches, but I still want to pay attention to health and activity, so I’ve been wearing a Fitbit luxe on my other wrist.
It’s been fine so far, battery life is good, seems to be reliable.
However, what drives me nuts on this thing is that I distinctly DON’T want it to be a watch, I just want the stats on the face, and there is absolutely no option for the watch face that doesn’t include a huge current time on the front.
I wish there was a device with this exact form factor, but was just programmable. Call it OpenFit or something.
I love my protrek. I have a PRW-3000 with the inverted LCD. I have worn it every day for at least a decade.
I still want a smart watch of sorts. Just nothing out there has grabbed my attention yet. The last "smart watch" I had was the OnHand PC which was the americanized version of the Matsucom RuPuter.
Over the past 2 yes I've bought 3 F91W. The band keeps breaking. Does anyone have a suggestion on how to get a better band? I didn't seem like changing band is doable without appropriate tools, and furthermore I don't know how to ensure I know his to buy a band that is "compatible".
It's pretty good, battery lasts a month, but it has a stupid limitation: the programmable reminder messages don't allow numbers, only letters.
Also, it's nice that you can program the watch directly, but a smartphone app or laptop would make it easier: I would be OK with a USB cable from the charging station in lieu of Bluetooth.
Smartwatches should be able to provide this function, but they don't. For example, reminders should repeat until acknowledged. (Text messages on phones should do the same thing...)
[+] [-] mhalle|3 years ago|reply
I have tried several different watches and experienced this problem. I know many tech industry people wear watches while they work, but I have never heard a discussion of this condition. I wonder if I am somehow unusual in this situation. I am otherwise not especially prone to repetitive stress injuries.
It has been bad enough I have thought of converting a wristwatch into a modern pocket watch, though I would lose any feature that depended on skin proximity.
[+] [-] AlwaysRock|3 years ago|reply
I've worn larger watches in the past. Now I wear a pretty small watch or an apple watch, that is also smallish, and I dont have any issues. I tend to wear my watches quite loose so they rest beyond the rim of the laptop I type on.
[+] [-] hinoki|3 years ago|reply
I like to wear my watch a few cm higher up my arm, so that the metal band doesn’t scratch my laptop.
If you want features that need skin contact, you could keep a nice watch as a pocket watch, and then wear a cheap fitness band on your ankle.
[+] [-] umanwizard|3 years ago|reply
[+] [-] bluGill|3 years ago|reply
[+] [-] tristor|3 years ago|reply
Ultimately, it came down to the band. The only bands I found that would not cause issues were bands like the milanese loop for the Apple Watch, the trail band for the Apple Watch Ultra, or similar designs, where these bands have flexibility and are capable of sliding/slipping in a controlled fashion to "self-adjust".
The issue with other watch bands type like a typical plastic sports band or metal link bracelet, are that they have no flexibility. What happens is that when your wrist flexes and the band doesn't give way, is that it creates pressure on the tendons and you can end up getting a form of RSI. Much more flexible bands give way and allow your watch to adjust over time to the position of where your hands need to be for typing. When using a milanese loop style band I even noticed I would need to tighten it again when I'd stand up to walk around as it'd be a bit loose, and it'd hold its position until I sat to type again. That it's significant enough to be noticeable is indicative that it's quite a lot of required flexibility.
Rather than giving up on wearing a watch, I'd recommend you spend some time trying different bands and look for flexible bands.
[+] [-] Kaibeezy|3 years ago|reply
[+] [-] nsypteras|3 years ago|reply
[+] [-] hamaluik|3 years ago|reply
[+] [-] TacticalCoder|3 years ago|reply
I regularly (one day out of every two?) wear a relatively heavy mechanical watch while working. 127 grams I think. I don't have more issues to my left hand than my right hand has ; )
[+] [-] jrmg|3 years ago|reply
It’s not that I feel the watch causing pain _directly_, like a lot of replies here seem to assume, it’s that if I wear one regularly for more than a couple of weeks, it aggravates my existing tendency to develop pain in my wrists.
[+] [-] seltzered_|3 years ago|reply
[+] [-] aidenn0|3 years ago|reply
It's one reason why I wish for a laptop with the touchpad next to the screen and the keyboard next to the edge.
[+] [-] petepete|3 years ago|reply
[+] [-] mdorazio|3 years ago|reply
[+] [-] maxerickson|3 years ago|reply
[+] [-] regentbowerbird|3 years ago|reply
[+] [-] msluyter|3 years ago|reply
[+] [-] standardly|3 years ago|reply
[+] [-] elorant|3 years ago|reply
[+] [-] foobarian|3 years ago|reply
There is a long list of negatives:
- Battery life is miserable compared to a classic watch
- Screen activation is unreliable. Imagine a classic watch not visible when you look at it.
- Bad UX. Somehow the brightness settings I apply randomly get reset/reverted. This is probably hit or miss depending on brand, I expect Apple's devices have this nailed.
- Outdoor performance. This is the worst one. The screen is just not readable under bright sunlight. I find myself making a little tent out of whatever I have on and furiously shaking my wrist to activate the screen just so I can tell the time. This is what's going to make me ultimately switch back to a classic watch unless I can find one with e-ink. I'm not sure how Apple's devices fare here beyond friends saying 'it works fine.'
[+] [-] marcus0x62|3 years ago|reply
- Battery life is around 25 - 30 days (it would be longer if I was outside more and got more benefit from solar charging)
- The screen is always visible
- The UX on the watch is pretty terrible, not going to lie.
- Not a problem at all. When it is very, very, dark I have to press a button to temporarily activate the backlight.
[+] [-] fridek|3 years ago|reply
[+] [-] ubermonkey|3 years ago|reply
I supposed UX can be a matter of taste, but I've found it's simple enough to set up an Apple Watch such that I have rapid access to the features and functions I need in a given situation.
In particular, outdoor usage -- even in bright sun -- is pretty great. I've done no small amount of hiking with mine, and use it often when cycling. Readability is fine!
[+] [-] alpaca128|3 years ago|reply
But personally I have fiddled around with 5 different Garmin watches and think their UX in menus is simply horrible on average, mine is okay for my use-case but I'd advise to never buy them blindly.
[+] [-] slaw|3 years ago|reply
https://support.apple.com/kb/SP860
[+] [-] seltzered_|3 years ago|reply
[+] [-] tentacleuno|3 years ago|reply
On the topic of battery life, it's still going after 6 months!
[+] [-] crims0n|3 years ago|reply
[+] [-] specialist|3 years ago|reply
I want buttons. Not capacitive touch.
And I have a hunch the rotating bezel on the Samsung classic 4 (or whatever) is The Correct Answer™.
My Apple Watch 4's battery is now pretty weak. So I'm looking to replace.
I kinda hate my Apple Watch. Now it's just an annoying step counter.
It sucks for controlling audio playback. I'm walking the dog, in the cold, wind, and rain. So then I have to take off my gloves, look at the damn thing, navigate to the playback controls (because reasons), tap the button a few times. Etc. So now I just dig out my iPhone.
The Activity tracker sucks. If I stop to pick up some waste, it's smart enough to pause. But not smart enough to resume when I get walking again. So I have to hit Dismiss multiple times during an activity. Grrr. So I stopped using it.
Siri via the watch is turrible. I've stopped trying.
The one huge feature I want for a future watch (or whatever) is tracking my waking breathing rate. For pain management and other mindfulness stuff. I'm supposed to regulate my breathe. Like remind me to stop holding my breathe during a bad spell.
[+] [-] charlesrocket|3 years ago|reply
[+] [-] ijustlurk|3 years ago|reply
[+] [-] bayindirh|3 years ago|reply
Then I got a Longines automatic, and I remembered why I loved mechanical watches so much.
So, it's back to basics for me. While the features are nice, It's nice that my watch is "charging" itself as I wear it.
[+] [-] olabyne|3 years ago|reply
[+] [-] ChrisMarshallNY|3 years ago|reply
They are all collecting dust. I’ve been wearing Apple Watches for years.
The Apple Watch costs half as much as my other watches, and is less attractive, but I have really come to rely on its utility.
I have a friend that just got the Ultra. It’s a cool watch, but way too bulky and awkward-looking, for me. Reminds me of a Suunto watch, a friend of mine once owned.
First and foremost, I need to know exactly what time it is. The weather functionality is also important to me.
For many folks, a watch is jewelry. I had a friend that used to wear a broken Brietling.
[0] https://www.casio.com/us/watches/oceanus/
[1] https://www.worthpoint.com/worthopedia/junghans-mega-apollo-...
[+] [-] gonzo|3 years ago|reply
It also has a small scorch mark from an arc welding incident he had that I treasure.
[+] [-] NKosmatos|3 years ago|reply
To be honest, I also have a small smart band (latest Xiaomi Mi Band) to complement for all the missing smart functionality. People keep asking me why I wear two watches :-)
[+] [-] z9znz|3 years ago|reply
In Sci-Fi, it's normal to see landscape displays on forearms. Often it's part of a suit, so it is kind of an obvious solution. But watches could take this concept at a smaller scale and provide at least double the screen real estate without ending up looking like a brick.
The bands on some watches are already fairly thick, and people have shown they are fine wearing thick bracelet things for decoration. Why not embed batteries into parts of the band? The obvious case would be the big metal links (like tank tracks), with the wiring through the link connections. Not only would you be able to store a whole lot more energy compared to a single battery in the watch body, but you could also have swappable bands so you could always have one charged and ready.
[+] [-] NoboruWataya|3 years ago|reply
I've had mine just over 2.5 years. It's still going strong so hopefully it will continue to serve me for a while yet, but comparing smartwatches to traditional watches really makes you realise how short-term these gadgets are. People here talking about their 16 year old Casio watches - no way this Garmin will reach anything like that age. And then of course you have those quality timepieces that are passed down through generations.
Really interested to hear more real-life user reviews of the BankgleJS 2, which I only heard about recently and seems to tick all the boxes while being open and hackable.
[+] [-] Maxburn|3 years ago|reply
What a great idea, I love my old mechanical watches, really like metal bracelets, and I do like having smart watch features.
Unfortunately seems like Wena is a bad implementation of this concept. What other companies make things like this?
[+] [-] comprambler|3 years ago|reply
[+] [-] fxtentacle|3 years ago|reply
[+] [-] Markoff|3 years ago|reply
Casio claim to last one year on battery with notifications, Garmin 50+ days as smartwatch.
I wish Casio made something like this (transflective graphic display which can display texts/simple graphic) in F91 form factor with rechargable battery, I wouldn't mind if it last only few months between charges. Currently using Amazfit Bip which I charge once a month.
[+] [-] lazyant|3 years ago|reply
[+] [-] greyman|3 years ago|reply
[+] [-] dchuk|3 years ago|reply
It’s been fine so far, battery life is good, seems to be reliable.
However, what drives me nuts on this thing is that I distinctly DON’T want it to be a watch, I just want the stats on the face, and there is absolutely no option for the watch face that doesn’t include a huge current time on the front.
I wish there was a device with this exact form factor, but was just programmable. Call it OpenFit or something.
[+] [-] brvier|3 years ago|reply
PineTime : https://www.pine64.org/pinetime/
Charging one time a week.
[+] [-] helf|3 years ago|reply
I still want a smart watch of sorts. Just nothing out there has grabbed my attention yet. The last "smart watch" I had was the OnHand PC which was the americanized version of the Matsucom RuPuter.
http://www.pconhand.com/
[+] [-] europeanguy|3 years ago|reply
[+] [-] jhallenworld|3 years ago|reply
https://watchminder.com/shop/watchminder3
It's pretty good, battery lasts a month, but it has a stupid limitation: the programmable reminder messages don't allow numbers, only letters.
Also, it's nice that you can program the watch directly, but a smartphone app or laptop would make it easier: I would be OK with a USB cable from the charging station in lieu of Bluetooth.
Smartwatches should be able to provide this function, but they don't. For example, reminders should repeat until acknowledged. (Text messages on phones should do the same thing...)