I Went Back to a Mechanical Watch—And Honestly, I Love It
After years of chasing the latest tech, I swapped my Apple Watch for a mechanical one and found a surprising sense of peace. Letting go of constant notifications and phantom vibrations, I rediscovered the value of simple, well-crafted things—and a slower, more intentional way to measure time.
Have you heard of Phantom Vibration Syndrome? It’s the odd sensation that your phone is buzzing in your pocket when it’s silent. I’ve experienced it many times and, for a while, just got used to it. It has happened less and less recently because I keep my phone away during work, spend more time journaling, and read more.
About three years ago, I got an Apple Watch. At first, it felt exciting. It tracked my sleep and exercise, delivered notifications, and gave me quick access to the weather and other information. I still appreciate those features, but I became concerned when I started feeling phantom vibrations on my wrist. I had been making progress getting rid of those sensations with my phone and didn’t want to move the problem to my wrist. The Apple Watch is great for health tracking, but can also be distracting.
Around this time, I had a dream that interested me in mechanical watches. I probably wouldn’t have made the switch so quickly without that dream.
In the dream, I owned a small watchmaking shop. One night, the shop was being robbed, and I was handing over all my watches. I don’t know why I had this dream, but it made me curious. I started reading about watches and watching YouTube reviews. Before long, I became interested in the world of mechanical watches, especially at a time when so much of life is digital.
So that’s the strange story of how I got into mechanical watches. My wife isn’t exactly happy about a hobby that isn’t cheap, but I promised to be sensible.
I wanted a watch I could appreciate for its craftsmanship. Even if machines help with some of the process, I know skilled people put these watches together. I’ve always admired art and photography for similar reasons—there’s something special about seeing what human creativity and effort can produce.
That’s how I feel when I look at a mechanical watch and think about the work that went into making it. At least for now, I don’t see AI capturing the same kind of spirit. This connects to what I’ve been writing about lately and why I wanted to share this experience. I appreciate things that are made with care and intention, not just generated by a program.
I do use AI a lot, and I see its benefits, but I guess I’m a bit nostalgic when it comes to analog things or older electronics.
So yes, I traded my Apple Watch for a mechanical one, and I really couldn’t be happier. When I look at my wrist now, it’s to check the time, use the dive bezel on my Orient Mako 3 Kamasu, or enjoy the watch itself. And I never have to worry about charging it.
Maybe there isn’t a bigger message here except that I enjoy going back to simpler things, appreciating what’s around me, and valuing human inventions that are both practical and beautiful.
See you soon!