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Weekend Edition Dismiss Them If You Must, But Smartwatches Are Here To Stay

Connected watches have evolved from something out of a sci-fi movie into a must-have accessory for modern life.


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There's no question that smartwatches have had a major impact on the world of horology, and on the very idea of what a watch can be. Even though they're often dismissed by mechanical-watch purists, their functionality (and the depth and range of functions available) improves with every passing year – to the point where they're no longer a novelty but, for many people, a necessity.

Just last week, Logan reported on Apple's latest Series 8 models and their new temperature-sensing capabilities, ECG app, and car crash detection monitor. (In case you missed it, he also went Hands-On with the Series 8, yesterday.) The same day as the Apple announcement, James weighed in on the new TAG Heuer Connected x Porsche Edition, featuring a laundry list of functions, including a heart rate monitor, a compass, accelerometer, barometer, gyroscope, microphone, ambient light sensor. On top of that, owners of the all-electric Porsche Taycan, which the watch was designed to resemble, can also use it to control the temperature inside the car, and monitor battery and gas levels.

Apple Series 8

The new Apple Series 8.

Apple Series 7

Apple Watch Series 7, with GPS and Cellular.

Technology is constantly evolving, of course, but the basic concept of a connected wristwatch or wearable technology has been around for decades. For many, the first "digital" watch was the Pulsar, which was produced by Hamilton Watch Company in 1972. A few years later, Pulsar was acquired by Seiko, and in 1982, they released the Pulsar NL C01 – which could store 24 digits of information. In 1994, Timex introduced the Datalink, which as we recently reported, was a giant leap forward for its time, allowing users to "load 'applications' onto it by linking to a computer, and write notes to yourself that would show up on the screen of the watch."

G-Shock Mudmaster GWG 2000

By 2003, things began to get even more interesting – and useful – when Fossil released the Wrist PDA, which ran on the Palm OS and featured 8MB of RAM and 4MB of flash memory. (R.I.P. Palm Pilot!) In 2009, the first real fitness or activity tracker, the Fitbit Classic, was introduced, and the idea of going for a leisurely walk was forever changed. But the real game-changer, of course, was the release of the first Apple Watch, in April 2015. This is when smartwatches truly became wrist-borne computers – perhaps one day replacing smartphones.

Today, when it comes to design, features, and functionality, the smartwatch possibilities are limited only by your imagination, the specific watch on your wrist, and the operating system (IOS or Android?) and app you're connected to. In addition to Apple and TAG Heuer, brands ranging from Garmin and G-Shock to Montblanc and Louis Vuitton are also in the smartwatch game, offering models with a wide array of functions and at a variety of price points.

illo of hikers wearing smartwatches

Are you a runner, a golfer, a hiker, or into sailing? Garmin, for example, has watches that cater to each of those activities (like the MARQ Adventurer, designed for hikers) and more. Last year, we reviewed the Casio Fishing Gear (aka, Casio Module 3485), which features a five-level indicator designed to tell you when fish are biting, as well as a stopwatch, second time zone, and room for up to three alarms. You'll have to read the story to learn how it worked, but suffice it to say that it starts to feel like there really are smartwatches for nearly every activity you can think of.

It's fun to consider all the possibilities – and to think about how far we've come in just the last eight or 10 years, especially. Even if you're still on the fence about smartwatches, the stories below should give you some food for thought.

Garmin Forerunner 245

Featured Stories

In December 2021, Logan looked to The Matrix to help make peace with his reservations about smartwatches in this excellent essay, comparing the pros and cons of mechanical watches and wearable technology.

This feature marked Stephen's fifth year in a row reviewing the latest Apple release – and Apple's fifth iteration of its now-iconic watch. As he explains, "Each year doesn't just mean a faster chip set or more battery life – it means a reimagining of the scope and purpose of the Apple Watch and the way it can fit into customers' lives."

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Last January, our EVP Content, Nick Marino, a dedicated runner himself, took a post-holiday survey of our friends at Tracksmith to learn what watches they wear "while sweating out the miles." Check out this roundup to get the inside scoop on what timepieces real runners wear.

Given the nature of technology, some aspects of this in-depth story from December 2017 are admittedly a little dated, but it's still a fascinating look at how we got here. As Joe Thompson explains, Apple CEO Tim Cook reported in September 2017 that the company had already surpassed Rolex as the world's top watch producer in revenue, reaching annual sales of $6 billion.

TAG Heuer is one of a handful of brands that actively produces both mechanical and smartwatches, and, as Logan reported in February 2022, this release marked the thinnest Connected Watch yet, and one "that genuinely looks and feels like a luxury product released in the 2020s."

The thing is, anyone who wants to fully understand watches today has to understand wearable technology. The two sides aren't as antagonistic as a lot of people make them out to be. And anybody who thinks one genre's all good and the other's all bad isn't being honest.

– Logan Baker, in "Second Opinions: How Keanu Reeves Taught Me To Loosen Up About Smartwatches"
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The HODINKEE Shop features a variety of smartwatches, including those from Apple, G-Shock, Garmin, and more; explore a specially curated selection here.