I’m on the record as loving smartwatches. Give me the titanium Apple Watch Series 10, and I’ll be very happy. It’s a superb smartwatch, and I don’t really think I need to wear any other. Except as I headed out to MWC 2025 I made the decision not to wear a smartwatch to the show, and I was very happy about it. Now that I’m home, it’s time to explain why.
Why not wear one?
Join me for my thought process over the days (who am I kidding, I mean weeks, as I’m really quite nerdy) leading up to my trip to Barcelona. Smartwatches introduced me to regular watches, and since that fateful day, I’ve happily collected watches of all types, and enjoy the opportunity to wear one when it arises. It doesn’t always happen as I’m often reviewing or testing smart wrist wear. For MWC, I didn’t have any such wrist-based commitment.
It wasn’t a decision taken lightly, but the first thing that came to mind was that if I took a smartwatch I’d be taking yet another thing to charge while I was away. The Apple Watch Series 10 would have been top of my list, but it not only needs charging every night if I want it to last through two full days, but it also needs a charger of its own. Yes, there are solutions to this, but I dislike working around problems with additional hardware. Carrying multiple phones is less of a problem as they all use the same charging cable.
The OnePlus Watch 3 was my other consideration, and it was as a very common smartwatch at the show based on my observations. This wasn’t only because the OnePlus Watch 3 is the latest model out there either; it’s also because it’s really, really good. It’s the best Android smartwatch you can get in my opinion, and if you were only away for four days, there’s a strong chance it would last the whole trip without needing to be charged.
It’s not just charging that put me off
There was another negative of a smartwatch on a busy, multi-day work trip — notifications. Trade shows mean a lot of emails and messages, and I often want to ignore them until I’ve got time to address them properly. This is especially true in meetings and during interviews. Sure, I could turn on Do Not Disturb, but like carrying other chargers, it’s another step I don’t need, or will forget about until it’s too late. If anyone wanted me, they’d just have to wait.
Going back to me being nerdy, I do still want to track my activity and sleep, but that’s where my Oura Ring 4 comes in. I wear it all the time on my finger (obviously) and it tells me everything I need to know without taking up wrist space. Because I’ve worn one for years it knows me, so I trust the data, perhaps more so than the OnePlus Watch 3 which I’ve worn for only a few weeks. The Apple Watch knows me, but it doesn’t know my sleep because it also needs to be charged.
To recap, I didn’t need to wear a smartwatch, I didn’t want to either charge one up or look at the battery indicator and wonder if it would last for my trip, and I wasn’t keen on being disturbed by notifications. I wanted to wear a regular watch, and at the same time build a memory or two. I adore that the Apple Watch Series 10 makes me feel good when I wear it, but there’s something about wearing a non-smartwatch. It is part of your outfit, part of you, and it’s what I wanted for my travels.
What did I wear instead?
My mind was made up, it was a normal watch for me, but which one? In Barcelona around MWC time there are a lot of tech journalists and other industry types in town, and the city is notorious for being a hotbed of pickpockets, and sadly muggings are not uncommon. Whatever I wore, it couldn’t be overtly flashy. Better safe than sorry. I decided on a Casio G-Shock. The tough watches aren’t desirable in the same way a luxury Swiss watch is, but I love the individual statement they make on your wrist.
I eventually chose the G-Shock x ASRV DW-6900 limited edition. It’s new, and crucially I hadn’t worn it all that much. I mentioned creating memories. It’ll sound odd to non-watch types, but I love associating the watch I wear with trips and adventures. The next time I put it on, I’ll remember what I’ve done with it in the past. For example, when I put on my G-Shock GW-9500 Mudman, I recall it was my watch of choice when I went off-roading in a Land Rover Defender.
Now I’m back from Barcelona, I have no regrets and didn’t miss a smartwatch. The Apple Watch, OnePlus Watch 3, and Samsung Galaxy Watch 7 all excel at being everyday wrist wear, and I love the functionality, but the G-Shock DW-6900 ASRV has now been to Barcelona with me, a trip that will always be with it, and that makes special in a way that I don’t see happening with a smartwatch.
