An Owner’s Review: Two Months With The Second-Generation Apple Watch SE

The subject of this article has become utterly ubiquitous. As a lover of traditional watches, however, I am shocked that one is currently on my wrist. Through some matter of “luck” and a Black Friday Christmas sale, I am now the owner of a second-generation Apple Watch SE. I have put it through its paces over the last two months in the only way that I can as a watch enthusiast.

It has been some time since we have reviewed an Apple Watch on Fratello. Revisiting a more recent model lets us try to answer the question: does this “watch” belong in my collection?

The Apple Watch SE: will I wear it?

My thoughts on the Apple Watch have been the same since it debuted: why would I want my phone on my wrist? Many of us want to disconnect from the tether of our mobile devices. In that regard, strapping one on your wrist seems counterproductive. It takes something that is already a major distraction in our lives and makes it more accessible but also less functional. The small screen limits the ability of the apps, and almost any interaction with it leads to pulling the phone out of your pocket. Why bother?

I did not seek out the Apple Watch. There was not a moment when I decided to purchase one. The model I own is last year’s model, not the new Apple Watch Ultra that landed Apple in some hot water with a biometric company. A promotion from my wireless carrier netted me the Apple Watch and a previous-generation iPad (as well as an upgraded phone). Overall, it was not a bad haul for a modest increase in my monthly bill.

As a watch enthusiast, this new technology will never replace what I have been wearing before the Apple Watch’s existed. I would not pick the Apple Watch over any watch in my collection to wear daily. I have a connection to each piece in my collection. Wearing the Apple Watch, with its planned obsolescence, seems counterintuitive. I don’t think of the Apple Watch as a watch. Rather, I think of it as a small wrist computer. It doesn’t replace my watches. Instead, it complements them.

Are two better than one?

On my mother’s last visit, she asked me a simple question: “Why are you wearing two watches?” I was wearing a mechanical watch on my left wrist and an Apple Watch on my right wrist. My response was simple. I told her that the Apple Watches that we both were wearing were not watches. The Apple Watch tells the time, but so do many things that are not watches. By viewing it through this lens, we simplify the object into its base form. An Apple Watch does much more than a mechanical (or even quartz!) watch. Why compare one to the other just because both are worn on the wrist?

I wear my Apple Watch SE daily. Crucially, however, it does not take away wrist time from my watch collection. I wear the watches in my collection on my left wrist, and I wear the Apple Watch on my right. I don’t use it to tell the time; I make a point of that. The day and date, temperature, and what is next on my Outlook calendar are all available instantly. While unnecessary, I enjoy the ready access to this information. As a remote worker, I tend to leave my phone in my home office. When my wife asks what I have next, instead of running to get the phone or look at the computer, I can check my watch.

What Apple designers have done well with the Apple Watch is the integration of different applications into the watch face. They call these “complications” as a nod to mechanical forebears. I have enjoyed being able to customize the watch face, selecting a world-time complication (something not in my current collection) with temperature, calendar, and fitness complications. This quickly gives me the most relevant information I want.

Is more connectivity better?

There are aspects of the Apple Watch experience that are undesirable. Every text message buzzing both on my wrist and in my pocket is overkill. I also thought I would never take a phone call on the Apple Watch. Alas, there I was in a dressing room, speaking to my wife through the watch as our two-year-old was watching his favorite cartoon on my phone. I do not need to know about every call, text, or email that comes in instantly. I have disabled most notifications, and I use the watch more to silence notifications instead of to respond to them!

The best feature of the Apple Watch isn’t a specific app (though the golf-range-finder apps are quite convenient); it is the customization. I find the temperature and forecast some of the most useful information to have at the ready, so these are on the watch face. I don’t need to know my entire day’s schedule, but knowing what I have next and when it starts is helpful. My favorite use is odd, but not having to pull my phone out of my pocket for dual-factor authentication has been a treat!

The functions that I appreciate most are the Apple Watch’s fitness-tracking capabilities. Logging activity and exercise helps keep me from sedentary tendencies as an office worker. Seeing the impact on your heart rate can help ensure that you are meeting your fitness goals. As a parent, I do enjoy the sleep-tracking function. I wear the Apple Watch while sleeping most nights. It is interesting to see how much my sleep can be interrupted. I am conscious of the fact that some movements light up the screen. This is annoying, but the flashlight function when putting a small visitor to our bedroom back to bed is quite handy.

Recommendation?

I enjoy wearing the Apple Watch SE daily. It has provided utility while not becoming an all-consuming device. It did sit in the box on my desk for several weeks awaiting setup because I was unsure about permitting myself to be so connected. I took it golfing as a test case and was off to the races. If you are an avid runner and do not enjoy bringing your phone with you but do anyway for safety reasons, a cellular-enabled watch might be a game changer for you. Despite my general acknowledgment that it adds value, I wouldn’t recommend the Apple Watch unless there are specific purposes to have one or you get a screaming deal on one.

I think the Apple Watch is very good at what you allow it to do. It will track your steps, heart rate, and sleep cycle. It can conveniently provide you with the information you desire. But I wouldn’t recommend the Apple Watch unless this connectivity appeals to you. If the Apple Watch SE was not included in the upgrade package, I would not own one. I think the Apple Watch provides a very interesting conundrum for a watch collector. If you are comfortable wearing it on your “off wrist,” it can be a very useful daily companion, complementing the feature set of your usual wrist attire. While I don’t want to sway anyone either way, I do see a place for its use in my daily existence. Will I buy a new one when my existing one eventually stops working? Only time will tell.

The Apple Watch SE positively surprised me. Have you had a similar experience? Let us know in the comments below! Finally, if you want the full list of specs and technical details of the Apple Watch SE, you can find them on the Apple website.