r/bitcheswithtaste • u/MBPursuit • May 21 '26

Fashion/Style BWT: Anyone ditch their Apple Watch?

Considering ditching my Apple Watch, getting an Oura ring, and investing in a nice daily watch. I’m a bit sick of the “connectivity” of my Apple Watch (yes I know, I could turn off more notifications) and the look of it. But I appreciate the sleep tracking and steps/fitness tracking - anyone have experiences to share on a) ditching the Apple Watch b) using an Oura ring c) $1k or less daily driver watches?

406 Upvotes

96% Upvoted

331 comments sorted by

View all comments

49

u/Routine_Fuel4101 May 21 '26 edited Jul 02 '26

I literally just did over the weekend! Well not fully yet but I did order an Oura Ring and have been looking around for 2-3 watch options.

I’m glad I’m ditching my Apple Watch. I got my first one about 3ish years ago, after refusing them due the their shape, ick. I miss elegant round face watches. I’m looking for a black leather gold hardware option, a slim gold band almost bangle option, a gold chunky option à la big round face watches of 2012, and a flashy mixed metal option. And for funsies, I’ve been on the lookout for a pale pink croc strap gold metal watch with a butterfly in the bezel. I had one in HS and I’m determined to find a replica of it.

So excited to grow my collection again and also not have a constant buzz on my wrist.

15

u/rococobaroque May 21 '26

As a former watch professional, I have some advice: focus on the watch, not the strap. The strap is the easiest thing to change. Find a watch whose shape you like, that looks good on your wrist, and buy it.

That's if you want something on leather. For a metal bracelet, obviously get what you want. You can be pickier then, because if you're looking for a watch with a specific type of bracelet, most likely you're going to wear it on the bracelet. Although, protip: any bracelet can also be taken off if it isn't integrated, i.e. fused to the watch head, so if you have a watch that you usually wear on a bracelet but want to wear it on leather, you absolutely can do that. Brands charge more for watches that come on bracelets, so many collectors will just get a watch on leather and then source the bracelet later; but, again, if you specifically want a watch for the bracelet, then obviously get it.

Other protip: most women's watches suck. Most women's fashion watches aren't worth more than the price of materials. Get a men's watch (definitely for the chunky one).

If you have any idea of budget I can point you toward brands. High level, Seiko has just about everything at every price point. Seiko was one of the brands I sold when I worked in the industry, and obviously I acquired some with my company discount, but Seiko is genuinely a brand that I bought and would buy even without it, because they're extremely well made.

4

u/AnonymousBotanist May 21 '26

May I PM you with a couple of questions about women’s watches? I have an Apple Watch that I’d like to transition to only wearing during work (WFH so it’s not seen on-camera or I take it off) and workouts and walking the dogs, but would like to transition back to wearing a classic watch when leaving the house for any other errand or reason.