Apple Watch Time!

Regrettably for my ego, in retrospect I wasn’t alone in dreaming of a smart-watch as a kid. Same goes for 3D goggles, jet-packs and human-to-animal translation software – virtually no ideas are new ideas! It can be a bit of a shock for little ones when it first dawns on them that even their most weird and wonderful imaginings have already passed through the mind of somebody else… it’s just a matter of probability and statistics. (I, for instance, “invented” the chaise-longue at the tender age of 5… mum still has my first wobbly diagram of the ‘bouch’ which I proudly explained was cross between a bed and a couch.) BUT! None of that takes away the thrill of an old dream finally being CREATED (as distinct from imagined) and arriving on our shelves and in our homes… especially when said inventions have been long-awaited by so many technophiles!

And it’s here! The Apple Watch has made it to our local stores right here in little ol’ Melbourne. The first ones are sitting in Doncaster Westfield Shoppingtown right now. And they’re all the more exciting for not having been invented 5000 years before I was born by ancient Egyptian carpenters!

Unlike the technology of my childhood fantasies (and unlike chiase-longues) the Apple Watch isn’t yet a standalone device. It’s still needs a paired iPhone in close proximity in order to perform the vast majority of its functions. Other watch-style devices like Samsung Gear, Android Wear, Pebble and others that have been around for a little while already work in a similar way. Even though there has been other ‘wearable technology’ in stores for a couple of years, the Apple Watch is definitely set to surpass all others in terms of functionality and quality, and usability. As a first-generation item it will certainly have it’s share of bugs, hiccups and updates, but Apple is more than equipped to handle these as they arise via online updates to the software.

Personally, I don’t think I can wait for ‘Apple Watch 2’ or ‘The New Apple Watch’… I’m 31 years old and I’ve waited long enough! What am I? Ready! Am I a nerd? Absolutely!

Preorder anyone? From 5pm today you say? 😉

My watch battery died a couple of months ago and I’ve been plaguing my patient partner with “what time is it now?” on a daily basis, especially early in the mornings when I’m rushing around getting ready for work. Needless to say my evil plan has succeeded (mwa-ha-haa!) and he is now entirely happy for me to splash my cash on a lasting answer to that eternal question. Yes, the Apple Watch will be fancy in tracking fitness, streamlining communication, and providing new novelties via notifications, apps and Apple Pay, but it is also an actual timepiece in both a practical sense and a fashion sense.

Which brings us to the question of style. I gravitated immediately to the stainless steel case with the “Milanese Loop”. It’s part of their mid-range price-wise but more importantly it looks comparatively similar to other watches I have owned and loved. It has a familiarity to it which means that I can imagine wearing it every day, comfortably. But! Which size??

The 38mm screen option is said to fit 130–180mm wrists and comes in at $949AUD. The 42mm screen (in the same style band) is said to be for 150–200mm wrists and would set me back $1029AUD. That sounds like $20 per millimetre, and I’m not sue how to feel about that! As the owner of a 160mm wrist, I could fit either option and the trade-off would probably be image size vs. chunkiness/weight.

Nothing beats trying something on to find out what feels right… and the 38mm won out. Can’t wait to play with my new gadget when it arrives!

Thanks for wearing… you know.