Connected watch vs automatic watch: the match!

Since the launch of the Apple Watch in 2014, there has been a real craze around the connected watch. Since then, Apple has released 3 new versions, but other brands such as Fitbit or Samsung are making their mark. We can then ask ourselves if the automatic watch still has its place and if it is not doomed to disappear. Although some predicted the end of automatic watches with the appearance of quartz men's watches in the 70s, automatic watches have remained very present and are still very successful. In recent years, connected watches have developed a lot but automatic watches are still very popular and do not suffer the success of these new watches. So how can we explain this phenomenon? These two watches share a very different vision and they do not necessarily address the same uses. Today, Team Charlie Paris presents the specificities and advantages of these two types of watches.

The advantages of a connected watch and an automatic watch  

• The ecological aspect: The automatic watch is more ecological than a connected watch. Indeed, the automatic watch is a watch without electronic element and without battery.  So by buying an automatic watch you make the choice of a durable and ecological watch. On the contrary, connected watches are very energy consuming and are powered by a battery that must be recharged very regularly.

• Durability: The lifespan of an automatic watch is longer than a connected watch.  In fact, an automatic watch can accompany you for more than 20 years or more if you take care of it! And if a problem occurs, a watchmaker will surely be able to repair your timepiece. As for connected watches, they have a much more limited lifespan, like our smartphones, after a few years they are already outdated.

• Battery life: Concerning battery life, connected watches and automatic watches are also very different. Connected watches discharge faster than automatic watches and need to be charged more regularly. Connected watch models run on batteries like smartphones, so they need to be recharged regularly. On average, a connected watch has a battery life of between 2 and 16 days depending on the model. This short autonomy can be a barrier to purchase. To give you an idea, Samsung Galaxy Watches like the Apple Watch need to be recharged every two days, or even daily if they are used continuously. In the best case, connected watches offer thirty days of autonomy, but this is very rare. Automatic watches generally have a battery life of 40 hours. However, if you wear your automatic watch every day, it will recharge itself thanks to your wrist movements and its autonomy is unlimited! An automatic watch needs to be wound only if you do not wear it regularly.

• Price: In terms of price, you can find both connected watches and automatic watches at low and high prices. At the entry level, you can find all types of watches below 100 euros, whether it is a connected watch or an automatic watch. Connected watches and luxury automatic watches have significantly higher prices. For example, Apple offers a luxury version of the Apple Watch. This very high-end version is the Watch Edition, a model with a gold case available from 11,000 euros and in its most luxurious version at 18,000 euros. The price of automatic watches or connected watches varies, and automatic watches can be found for less than €200.

• Accuracy: Although both types of watches tell the time, the connected watch will be more accurate than an automatic watch because it can connect to your smartphone to synchronize. The automatic watch has a relative accuracy with a drift of 5 to 15 seconds every day. However, if accuracy is something essential to you, you will have to turn to a connected watch or a quartz watch. The connected watch is more accurate but has less battery life and a shorter lifespan than an automatic watch. If you hesitate between these two types of watches we advise you to make your choice according to the criterion you consider the most important.

• Features: In addition to telling the time, automatic watches can offer certain complications such as a calendar, a power reserve or a 24-hour dial. However, connected watches offer many features that an automatic watch cannot. Smartwatches allow, by being linked by Bluetooth to your phone, to access different applications, to offer you many features. Today, a connected watch is a true extension of your phone and is appreciated for the many features it offers. This type of watch allows you to listen to music, receive calls, check your messages, know the weather forecast, pay for your groceries in contactless and many other things. The integrated voice assistant is one of the most requested and advanced technological features. Connected watches are also very useful thanks to dedicated applications. For example: counting steps, estimating caloric expenditure, monitoring heart rate ... These many features are both the strength and weakness of this type of timepiece. Indeed, the many features of this type of watch are double-edged since they help you but connect you even more. With this type of watch you don't really cut yourself off from time since you are constantly in contact with multiple information.

• Symbolism: If the price is not enough to make a choice between an automatic watch and a connected watch, other elements can make the difference like the symbolism of these two watches. The automatic watch is a real jewel, a symbol of history and watchmaking know-how. The connected watch is not a jewel but more a witness of the latest technological advances. If you are looking for an authentic watch, to be worn like a jewel, then choose a beautiful mechanical watch with automatic winding. An automatic model will accompany you for many years with elegance, without you having to wind it daily. If you're more of a technology enthusiast, a connected watch will satisfy you. And if you already own several connected devices, a smartwatch will be a very useful extension thanks to the dedicated applications.  

Connected watch and automatic watch, a real match?

To conclude, there is no right or wrong watch, whether it is an automatic watch or a connected watch. Each type of mechanism has its advantages and disadvantages. It's up to you to see what best suits your needs, your budget, your taste and your sensibilities. Are you seduced by authenticity, the charm of tradition or by new technologies? That's why automatic watches will undoubtedly always have their place and their audience, even if the connected watch is booming. At Charlie Paris, we think that a connected watch is useful for sports because it allows to have a follow-up, however in everyday life its usefulness seems limited.  On the other hand, with a smartwatch we are never disconnected because we receive many notifications. Buying a watch is also adhering to a brand universe and values. At Charlie Paris, we share this vision which consists in thinking that a watch gives more than the time, it transmits emotions that only the person who wears it can feel. If you are sensitive to this vision, to the symbolism of a jewel, to our commitments and to the values that drive our brand, turn to an automatic watch that will accompany you for a lifetime. On the other hand, if you are a lover of new technologies and the many features, a connected watch is more suitable.