If you’re asking this question, you probably own too many smartwatches. All joking aside, there is a convention of three watches, which marks the sweet spot: one for the daily flow, one for exertion and sweat, and one for special occasions. However, that doesn’t necessarily mean you need to have the excellent Apple Watch Series 11, an Apple Watch Ultra, and a Samsung Galaxy Watch. A good setup is to have one smartwatch for everyday use – working out, checking health metrics, and sleeping – and two regular watches for casual and fancy occasions.
As the owner of an Apple Watch with all of its unique features, I’ve realized that there is a fine (but clear) line between using my smartwatch is super cool or too cheesy. Whether I’m at a press conference, at the gym, or running errands, it goes well with everything. When I go out to lunch with friends on the weekend, a casual, regular watch makes my wearable choice more intentional. In the evening, to go to a party, or for a more formal occasion, I will have for example an elegant watch with a Milanese buckle.
While the ideal combination varies from person to person and an Apple Watch can be personalized with strap options, it all depends on your vibe and what you want to communicate on the go. Personally, I find that wearing a smartwatch isn’t ideal with friends, because if I’m checking every notification I might feel like I want to be somewhere else.
Should you wear different smartwatches throughout the day?
If you just want a functional tool to track your life, there’s no need to change watches during the day. A single smartwatch, especially when replaced by different bracelets, can accompany you from morning workouts to the office. For tech enthusiasts and collectors, the idea of running multiple smartwatches may seem tempting. Ecosystems like Apple let you pair multiple devices to your phone, making it easy to think you need a rugged Ultra for running and a smaller, sleeker model for the rest of the day.
In practice, though, switching between smartwatches creates more work, as you find yourself in a constant loop of managing battery levels and syncing setups. Additionally, switching between screens makes it difficult to log out. Having multiple smartwatches usually just means having duplicate technology. If you want to expand what you wear, it’s not about adding a second smartwatch. It’s about keeping one for your health and daily driving tasks, and letting classic analog watches step in when you want to look intentional, elevate your style, or simply take a break from your connection.
It’s all about the atmosphere
Ultimately, how many watches you own and how often you wear a smartwatch is not dependent on following arbitrary watchmaking rules. It really depends on your personal vibe. For me, owning one smartwatch and two analog watches works because I only have to worry about charging and updating the smart unit, while the others provide a technology break. My Apple Watch, with its runner-friendly features, allows me to exercise, get through a long work day — with all those notifications — and check my health metrics before bed.
Switching to a casual, regular watch puts me in rest mode, while bringing out my non-tech personality. Besides that, a fun watch design can be a good conversation starter. That said, you don’t need a drawer full of gadgets to make this work. You just need a clear idea of what each watch does for your daily flow and understand that when you stop relying on constant health tracking and social media, you may be able to enjoy this watch even more.
