Watch is not the same as watch - A guide for empty wrists
1.12.2016
Translation: machine translated
Watches now show the time, measure the pulse, humidity and all sorts of other things. The days when the smart piece on your wrist was only supposed to tell the time seem to be over. Or are they? We take a look into the watch jungle and ask the experts.
I rarely wear a watch. Mostly when I'm also wearing a suit and shirt. At Digitec Galaxus AG, however, we have over 2,800 watches on sale and it's difficult to keep track of them all. In general, even outside of Digitec Galaxus, it's difficult to have an overview. But as I have to have this overview from a purely professional point of view, I made enquiries.
In essence, we can roughly divide watches into four categories.
- Classic watches: They tell the time. That's it. They either have a clock face or a fairly simple digital display
- Sports watches: Watches that support athletes. They have built-in GPS systems and are generally more durable than average watches .3. Smartwatches: The jack-of-all-trades of wrist devices. However, in addition to displaying the time, their main focus is on communicating with other devices.
- Health tracker: They measure certain bio-data of the wearer, such as pulse or sleep cycle.
So. done.
Or not. Because recently, classic watches have become smart and health trackers have GPS capabilities. More research is undoubtedly needed. So let me ask our product and marketing managers how they define their offering.
Classic watches - Julia Dürr
"A man needs exactly one piece of jewellery - a beautiful watch," says Julia Dürr, Marketing Manager for Sporting Goods and Accessories at Galaxus. She is talking about classic watches, not smartwatches or fitness trackers. A watch has to show the time, at most the date, and look good, everything else is secondary. In the course of her work, she sees watches for every price segment and knows the implications of the piece of jewellery on the wrist, which English-speaking enthusiasts call a timepiece.
"Expensive or inexpensive, the wearer makes a statement with their watch," says the 29-year-old. A sportsman can communicate his sportiness with a G-Shock watch, a well-heeled lady can emphasise her luxury lifestyle in such a conscious and subtle way and minimalists are obviously interested in knowing the time and not making a statement. "Although an understatement also says a lot," says Julia Dürr.
"A classic watch is a companion for life," says Julia Dürr. She sees the products she looks after as great gifts for anniversaries of all kinds or as a reward for passing an exam. She owns a Swatch herself, but doesn't wear it every day. "The watch has served me well during exams and has a very special place in my heart," she says, touching her bare wrist. I can't help but ask one question. If she could choose any watch, what would it be? "An IWC. For sure. My model is called Portofino."
Smartwatches - Domenico Melina
Smartwatches are set to replace classic watches one day. At least according to the manufacturers. Apple Watches and Android-based models are vying for the public's favour and trying to transfer more and more functions from the mobile to the wrist. "The focus of a smartwatch is clearly on communication," says Domenico Melina, Product Manager for Tablets and Smartwatches at digitec. The device is not just about the watch itself communicating with the mobile phone, but also about the wearer being able to interact with other people without having to look at a mobile phone.
Domenico Melina wears a Samsung Gear S2 Sport in everyday life. The reason: "I like the way it works," he says. This is because the engineers at Samsung have thought about the device and not just the screen. "Just tapping around on a screen is really tedious in such a small space," says the 27-year-old. With his beloved watch, however, the developers thought beyond the limits of the screen and converted the bezel - the ring around the dial - into a control element.
More than the workmanship, he likes the fact that his smartwatch frees him from his mobile. "I no longer have to look at my smartphone a thousand times to see if I've received a message," says the Product Manager. He also no longer experiences phantom vibrations since switching to the smartwatch.
Sports watches - Louis Schwendimann
When asked about sports watches, Junior Product Manager Louis Schwendimann can rattle off facts and figures like no other. "Sports watches mainly support athletes, just like the name says," he says. Unlike activity trackers, sports watches usually have a GPS/GLONASS module built in. Other functions are immediately sport-specific. "Sports watches are developed for a specific sport or a specific purpose," he says. A diving watch is therefore a completely different device to an outdoor watch.
Sports watches can be customised for a variety of functions and sports. Watches from the brand Polar rely on a chest strap to measure the wearer's pulse. A must, according to the Junior Product Manager, if you want to measure your heart rate accurately. In contrast, models from the manufacturer Garmin help golfers with their favourite hobby by measuring the speed of the swing and incorporating map functions for the golf course directly into the device. As a cyclist, the golf watch is of no use to you, but as a golfer, it can provide you with important information about your performance.
"The boundaries between fitness tracker, smartwatch and sports watch are becoming increasingly blurred," says Louis Schwendimann. Smartwatches integrate many features, but sports watches still have a decisive advantage. Louis Schwendimann: "If you take your sport seriously, you also have to take your equipment seriously."
Health Tracker - Theresa Schieder-Moradi
Curiosity drives Theresa, marketing manager for sporting goods. Not just the professional curiosity she needs for her job, but also the personal curiosity: "I wanted to know what a health and fitness tracker could tell me about myself," she says. So without further ado, she strapped a Fitbit Blaze to her wrist and tested the device - and herself. The results astonished her. Although she is healthy, she is far from being aware of everything she does. Because at some point she sleeps, just like everyone else. But: "The Fitbit has shown me that I am sometimes awake for up to two minutes at night," she says. However, she can't remember her waking phases at night.
However, Theresa is not only a researcher but also fashion-conscious. She is therefore strongly in favour of the current development of trackers. "The trend is moving away from the functional-looking black block around the wrist and towards jewellery with a function," she says. For women with fine hands in particular, this is more attractive than a first-generation device. As an example, she cites the Fitbit Flex II, which is available in many colours and has a much finer design than its predecessors. "Or the model with the chain or the bracelet. That's almost jewellery."
"Health trackers are a gadget and not a tool for ambitious athletes," says Theresa, a tennis player herself. The trackers are designed for everyday use, for the curious and amateur athletes. Because they are fun and offer insights into your inner life.
You might also be interested in this
Journalist. Author. Hacker. A storyteller searching for boundaries, secrets and taboos – putting the world to paper. Not because I can but because I can’t not.