Is It Time to Trade My Rolex for a Smart Watch?

All of my friends use smart watches. I can’t believe that a centuries-old tradition is being replaced by something that looks more like a computer. But by refusing to join in, am I identifying myself as a Luddite? What’s the meaning of wearing a classic watch in contemporary times? — Gustavo, Mexico City

Back in the mists of 2015, I was, shockingly, an early adopter of the Apple watch. (This was when Apple still thought the smartwatch might be a fashion accessory.) Probably less shockingly, I was also an early un-adopter of the Apple watch. I hated the aesthetics of wearing a gadget on my wrist and discovered that it was alarmingly easy to get obsessed with, and distracted by, how many times you stood up in a day. So I know where you are coming from.

Still, as smartwatches have evolved from those early, fruitless attempts to position themselves within the style universe and have become popular as fitness and wellness aids, their popularity has, understandably, grown. Now most of my friends, like yours, wear a fitness band or a smartwatch or an Oura ring, and there is a lot of discussion of not just steps but also sleep patterns, heart rates and blood oxygen levels.

But the thing is, while their smartwatches may perform different tasks on their wrist than traditional watches, they are, in one way at least, exactly the same.

As my colleague (and confirmed watch-o-phile) Jacob Bernstein said, “All watches are in one way or another a flex.” That’s as true for a Rolex as a Patek Philippe as a Swatch as an Apple watch. They are all part of the semiology of the wrist — which is to say, their elemental function is to signal to the world certain key attributes of the wearer.

Like, for example, first stage achievement and aspiration (Rolex) or a certain unapologetic, in-your-face verve (Audemars Piguet) or the “if you know you know” quiet luxury of the inner circle (Patek Philippe). Or, perhaps, a story about a relative who passed on the watch. Or, in the case of the smartwatch, the idea that you put your health and the acquisition of data over all of the above.

Of course you have to factor in whether a timepiece is new or vintage, since each of those choices also says something about connections, connoisseurship and your need for gratification (delayed or immediate). And take into consideration the material involved. Steel has different associations than gold, which has different associations than leather. Just as with smartwatches, the choice of bands and whether you go with Hermès or stainless steel or plastic also makes a difference. But you get the idea.

The point is, whatever style of watch you opt for, you are making a statement about your embrace of a certain value system and approach to the world, and that statement is there for all to see.

Which may be why a lot of people have both a smartwatch and a classic watch (or, depending on their budgets and investment priorities, a whole watch wardrobe). And though there was a time when double watching was shaping up as something of a trend — at one point Prince William wore a classic watch on one wrist and a smartwatch on the other — that now seems more like a choose-the-watch-for-the-moment or a choose-the-watch-for-the-context sort of thing.

Whatever watch you choose, however, the important thing is to be aware that when it comes to what it’s telling, time is the least of the matter.

Your Style Questions, Answered

Every week on Open Thread, Vanessa will answer a reader’s fashion-related question, which you can send to her anytime via email or Twitter. Questions are edited and condensed.