Companies are really starting to innovate again with Android-based smartwatches, but while they’re rolling out new features, I hope they don’t forget one of the most important things about watches—how they look.
Watch First, Smart Second
I want my smartwatch to have more battery life. I’d like to see faster ways to interact with it. I would love an even higher-resolution display. But none of that matters if I don’t like how the watch looks.
I’ve never liked the look of an Apple Watch. Fortunately, as an Android user, I haven’t been forced to accept the watch’s appearance. I have other options. But that doesn’t mean I haven’t been exposed to reviews telling me the Apple Watch is the best smartwatch out there.
Sure. Maybe. Except I’ve yet to see an Apple Watch that I’d actually want on my wrist.
I’m not writing this just to come after Apple. In fact, I’m not going to mention them again. There are other watches that I similarly hear are great, and I’d probably consider them, but I can’t get over their looks.
It’s All About Those Bezels
This isn’t an issue unique to smartwatches. I personally prefer a minimalist watch. The Mudita Moment is, to my eye, the perfect watch. It’s the regular watch I replaced my scratched-up Pixel Watch with. The closer a watch gets to looking like this one, the more I want to wear it.
Most watches, especially those marketed toward men, are bulkier. They have large bezels with engravings and large buttons. They look nice paired with a similarly bulky metal band. They scream 20th-century sophistication, but I am decidedly a millennial who is quite pleased with the aesthetic changes we’ve made in the 21st.
The Garmin Marq series of luxury watches is solidly in the former camp. They are perfectly fine watches, I’m sure. Before I even look at the specs or the software, I know I’m not buying one.
… And Also the Wrist Bands
I owned an original Moto 360 way back when, and then I took an extended break from smartwatches. It was years later that the Pixel Watch lured me back in. I was having a good time learning how to replace my laptop with my phone, and I wanted a watch to share in the fun.
Unfortunately, the Pixel Watch uses a proprietary connector, so it doesn’t work with just any watch strap out there.
I wasn’t a fan of Google’s options, so I looked for third-party ones, and the strap I tried was janky all around. The connection was loose, and the quality was cheap.
Smartwatches that work with standard watch bands have a near-infinite array of options to pick from. The Mudita Moment that I love? It isn’t just the watch face that does it for me. I like the selection of straps. Now, I still use the strap I bought for the Moment, even though I’ve switched back to a smartwatch.
Fortunately, while the Apple Watch and the Pixel Watch do their own thing, most other smartwatches stick with the tried-and-true.
Here’s the Watch I Currently Own
So what am I wearing these days? The Galaxy Watch 6. Now that I rock a Galaxy Z Fold 6, this watch is an ideal companion—and not just because of the software. The silver Galaxy Watch 6 and the silver Galaxy Z Fold 6 share a similar minimalist, modern vibe. There are a few extra etchings on either device.
The same cannot at all be said about the Galaxy Watch Ultra. Nor can the same be said about the Galaxy Watch 6 Classic. It’s not Galaxy watches in general that do it for me. It’s the look of the regular Galaxy Watch in particular.
But I Still Feel the Temptation
I’ve been blown away by what I’ve heard about the OnePlus Watch 3’s battery life. 5 days of battery life running full-blown Wear OS? Over two weeks if I use the paired down energy saver mode? You mean I could actually go half a month without charging the thing?
It’s a shame, for me, that with just one look at the device, I knew the watch wasn’t the one for me. Not only is it a chunky watch that’s only available with a large 47mm dial, but I’m not feeling the numbers etched into the bezel. That part of the watch, and the design language in general, remains very similar to the OnePlus Watch 2.
I’m not saying it’s ugly by any means. I actually think it’s a rather attractive watch… on someone else’s wrists. I prefer something more slimmed down on mine. I could wait for the OnePlus Watch 3R, but the 2R’s cleaner design came with a reduction in build quality. That’s a no-go for me.
As companies roll out new models, I hope they introduce more variety within their own product lines. I think the Mobvoi TicWatch line offers a good example here. While there’s no way I would wear a TicWatch Atlas, even if someone gifted it to me for free, I rather like the look of the TicWatch Pro 5 (though I would prefer a silver version). I would not get one today, but I am also digging the older TicWatch E3.
It’s tempting to declare one watch the best smartwatch someone can buy based on impressive specs, excellent features, or a good price. But when it comes to something we wear on our wrists, for a large swathe of us, there’s no getting over how something looks.
