In recent years, there’s been a surge in wearable tech and smartwatches with the likes of Apple Watch, Samsung Gear, Fitbit, and so on flooding the watch market. Although these may be trendy items, for now, they are completely different specimens to the traditional high-end timepiece. So the question is, luxury watch vs smartwatch: which is better? While luxury smartwatches and fine watches are currently battling it out for limited wrist space, here are our top reasons why we think luxury watches are better than smartwatches.
5 Reasons Why Luxury Watches Are Better Than Smartwatches
- They are better looking
- They don’t have pesky battery life issues
- They are more meaningful
- They last a lot longer
- They have a resale value
1. Luxury Watches Are Better Looking Than Smartwatches
Here’s an easy one: aesthetically, a premium watch is much more attractive than a piece of wearable tech. Whereas the majority of smartwatches look very similar and use comparable materials, the choice of luxury watch styles is endless.
In addition to the vast variety of shapes, sizes, dial colors and bracelet types, there’s also a slew of material options from steel to gold to titanium to carbon to platinum and more. A watch is an expression of personal style rather than a way to follow a fleeting trend. Depending on your mood or look, a watch can be dressy, casual, sporty, and everything in between. There really is the perfect timepiece out there for almost any lifestyle, taste, and budget.
2. Luxury Watches Don’t Have The Pesky Battery Life Issue Of Smartwatches
Smartwatches offer the promise of practicality where wearers have the ability to check email, make phone calls, track fitness, and of course, tell the time, all from a tiny computer on the wrist. However, there is one barrier to achieving all that: battery life. Having to charge a piece of wearable tech every day, or multiple times a day is inconvenient, to say the least. Additionally, if chargers are misplaced, it’s game over.
On the other hand, powering luxury watches are much simpler. For quartz models, batteries can last anywhere from three to five years. For mechanical movements, there are two options.
As the name suggests, manual wound mechanical movements need regular hands-on winding of the crown to keep it running. Conversely, automatic calibers keep going as long as you have the watch on. No extra electrical outlets, plugs, chargers, or adapters required!
3. Luxury Watches Are More Meaningful Than Smartwatches
There’s a reason top-tier traditional watches have been the go-to gift to mark special occasions such as weddings, anniversaries, graduation, and retirement for decades. It’s because they are meaningful and emotional gifts. In fact, many luxury watches offer a little piece of history—for instance, the Rolex Oyster was the first waterproof watch, the Cartier Santos was the first pilot watch, and the OMEGA Speedmaster was the first watch on the moon.
An Apple Watch may be exciting to unwrap on the day it's received, but it's doubtful it’ll carry as much meaning as a high-end watch as the years go by.
4. Luxury Watches Last A Lot Longer Than Smartwatches
Speaking of the passage of time, luxury watches are built to last while smartwatches become obsolete almost as soon as they leave the factory. Like any tech toy, the name of the game with gadgets is to buy the latest version to keep up.
Thankfully, this is not the case with fine timepieces. On the contrary, a well-made watch is often passed down from grandparent or parent to grandchild or child so that the timepiece can be enjoyed by several generations. What’s more, some vintage watch models, such as those from luxury watch brands Rolex and Patek Philippe, retain or even increase in value over time.
5. Luxury Watches Have A Resale Value Unlike Smartwatches
And that brings us to our last and final point on why luxury watches are better than smartwatches—the resale value. Used watches from top watchmakers, particularly those with big brand names such as Cartier, Patek Philippe, Rolex, Breitling, Audemars Piguet, and others, are easy to resell, unlike smartwatches. And if you have some luxury watches that you would like to sell, look no further than myGemma.
As leaders in the luxury pre-owned market, myGemma offers a simple, secure, and convenient way to sell a watch, handbag or designer piece of jewelry. Request your free quote today or make an appointment to visit us in person and find out why myGemma is the best place to sell pre-owned luxury watches.
