I'll take my Breitling over a smartwatch any day

When I got married in 2003, my father gave me a Breitling watch to commemorate that special day.

I take it out of its special case every now and then, clean it, wind it up and put it on for that special dinner or day out with the family.

After that, it gets cleaned again and placed back in its own special place in my room.

For everyday use, I have several other watches, although nothing as precious, that I use to tell the time.

And that is all I ever need from a watch.

Sometime last year, a rash of Android smartwatches were launched, along with a variety of tech companies looking to kick-start a wearable technology industry from head to toe - from Google Glass eyewear to a pair of shoes which displays tweets.

However, for the most part, they focus on smartwatches and smartbands.

Excitement escalated last week, when Apple announced its Apple Watch, simply because some have been led to believe that anything with the Apple logo on it simply works better.

Even as fanboys and fangirls rave about it and others question its US$349 (S$442) price tag, few question the practicality of owning one.

I have tried several fitness trackers, but most of the cheaper ones do not tell the time. Many of the plastic ones remind you of the days when you were in primary school and wore a utilitarian $20 timepiece which you would not be caught dead wearing today.

Aside from being pricer than regular watches, smartwatches pack features such as fitness tracking, GPS location and a camera.

Samsung's upcoming Gear S even has its own SIM card slot, blurring the lines between a watch and a wearable phone.

Trying out these smartwatches has not spurred me to buy one for myself, simply because the bother of wearing one outweighs the benefits.

First of all, imagine if you had to charge the watch you wear every day. That is usually what a smartwatch requires.

Apple coyly refrained from saying what sort of battery life its Apple Watch would have, but it is hard to imagine that it can squeeze a huge battery into its compact frame.

Not that the Android ones are much better.

Secondly, most of the added features require the use of a phone. Want to answer a call? The smartwatch lacks a SIM card. What about GPS? Chances are, the watch does not have one either.

A keyboard? Good luck typing on a 2-inch screen.

Sure, you can get notifications and alerts, but the reality is that users will still need their phones to do most of the heavy lifting.

Do not fool yourself into thinking that you are buying a luxury item. Luxury watches appreciate in value over time. Digital gadgets only depreciate.

In the meantime, my Casio G-Shock has gone through more knocks than I can count, with a screen which has taken more nicks than I can see - and I have had it for years.

Those who buy a smartwatch must also be prepared for its built-in obsolescence, as Apple, Samsung, Sony and their ilk will want to release new models - every year, if possible.

Are you prepared for the endless upgrade?

Or, to put it more bluntly: Would you rather receive an Apple Watch or a Breitling for your graduation?

This article was first published on Sep 17, 2014.
Get a copy of The Straits Times or go to straitstimes.com for more stories.