Is my watch aging me?
Kind of, says The Kit’s editor-at-large, especially with life-saving smartwatches
Truthfully? Yes, wearing a traditional watch ages you. I haven’t worn one in years, relying instead, like most other modern drones, on my phone and computer to tell me the time.
My four-year-old son wore a Mickey Mouse watch non-stop for about a week recently, but the battery was dead, so it was only right twice a day. My son, who is also right about twice a day, said he wore it because it made for a “nice bracelet.”
Model, content creator and Toronto style-setter Sasha Exeter agrees.
“Isn’t that funny?” she says with a laugh when I call her to get her opinion. “I have three traditional watches in my collection and they are quite nice. I have a vintage Rolex and a Gucci watch, yet I could count on one hand how many times I’ve worn them in the last couple of years.”
She treats her expensive timepieces as jewelry — pure form rather than function — slipping them on to attend black-tie events.
“Also, my partner bought me my Gucci watch as a gift, so I have to throw it on my wrist every now and then so he doesn’t stop buying me things,” she says with a throaty laugh. “I do love the watch, but it doesn’t do enough for me.” In fact, she admits, she has recently started wearing her everyday smartwatch to even the most formal of occasions.
A fitness enthusiast, Exeter jumped on wearable technology when it was first launched. “I didn’t really understand the breadth of the Apple watch at first, so I was just using it to know how many steps I was doing and how many calories I was burning, but so much has changed: at this point, my smartwatch pretty much runs my life.”
Exeter funnels her emails, calls and social media notifications through her watch, allowing her to quickly fire back responses without being chained to her phone — and while chasing after her young daughter at home. She also uses it to track metrics for her workouts from yoga to squash.
Exeter is hooked on her Apple Watch, but there are a lot of players to consider these days: the Samsung Galaxy Watch is stylish and boasts a battery that lasts for four days, and Fitbit has even gotten into the game with an entry-level priced smartwatch.
“On a frivolous level, staying on top of technology makes me feel young,” says Exeter, who is turning 40 next year. “If I’m wearing a fashion timepiece, how can I be dialed in? I don’t have time for one-dimensional things in my life anymore.”
To illustrate the truly wild times we are living in, Apple announced a free update just last week that, in essence, transforms its Apple Watch Series 1 or later into a medical device powerful enough to help identify signs of atrial fibrillation — a common irregular heart rhythm that’s a leading cause of stroke and a condition that’s basically undetectable without regular heart monitoring.
Crazier still? The new Health Canada-licensed ECG app, which lets Apple Watch Series 4 users take an electrocardiogram using electrodes built into the watch. All you have to do is hold your finger on the digital crown of the watch, and then your heart rhythm is recorded, classified and packaged up in a PDF that’s ready to be flipped to your doctor. What a time to be alive: the device that Exeter says “runs her life” can actually save a life — a far cry from my son’s lifeless Mickey watch.
Despite the hype, there will always be a place for traditional timepieces. They are family heirlooms, collector’s items, sentimental gifts. They are a throwback to a simpler time and can hold real value. But are they a cool fashion statement? Not in my opinion. Are they a practical use of your wrist real estate? Again, not really.
So since seeming out of touch is obviously something that bothers you, I’d suggest a twopronged approach: try out wearable tech that lets you check the time and stay with the times, and relax. We all want to seem current, but don’t waste your time fighting your age.
“I don’t want to ever repeat my 20s,” says Exeter. “Life has only gotten more delicious as I’ve grown wiser.”