Design sometimes resembles nothing more than a minefield. Take, for example, the article by Robert McMillen in Wired, in which he convincingly argues that people aren’t ready for a watch that augments the iPhone. In essence, people might not be willing to replace the vaguely rude act of pulling a phone out of a pocket in a group of people, with the equally anti-social act of checking one’s watch while listening to another person speak.
Personaly, I welcome the Apple Watch, at least in concept, because I find the second option above to be less odious than the first, not only socially, but practically. I have often bemoaned the fact that we seem to have gone backward in terms of time keeping; instead of simply flipping one’s wrist over, we now often find ourselves digging out a ohne to check the time. Because why wear a watch when you already have a clock in your pocket, right? In fact, I think someone missed an opportunity with the return of vests (a la Mumfords) as a man’s fashion option, for where are the smart phone watch fobs? How great would it have been to include a (slightly larger) vest pocket accessorized by a fob-adorned iPhone case? Not to mention the improved security, as smart phone grab-and-dash thefts have skyrocketed. Alas, the opportunity has passed, as the new, larger iPhone 6 and other larger format phones of this ilk may just be too large.
I may very well purchase an Apple Watch, but I have to say, the thing could have been great, but it’s just good. Yes, it does a lot, but its profile seems a bit thick. I may wait for the second generation, which is bound to be a lot better. In the meantime, I will continue to fish my phone out of my front pocket, where it has become an essential item, much like the pocket watch of any gentleman a hundred years ago.
