Prelude

The Apple Watch came out a year ago and gave mainstream credibility to smart watches. It was supposed to transform health and how we access technology, but just recently IDC reported that Apple Watch sales are down 55% since release.

At the start of the summer, I saw the Moto 360 1st Gen on sale for $70. I had been considering getting a smartwatch for awhile, but I wasn't sure that I could stomach the cost for the new technology. I also wasn't sure that I liked a lot of what I had seen. Many of the watches that I had seen were either too focused on being just a wearable (eg. Fitbit) or far too technical looking (eg. Samsung Gear, Apple Watch, etc). I wanted something that would look good, but still offer the utility that a smartwatch was supposed to have.

Finally, there were those nagging questions:

• Would it last the day without a charge?
• Would it actually be valuable?
• Would I use it?

Some of that was answered for me already. I had watched (heh) my friend Dan use his Moto 360 at school the previous year and I really liked the unobtrusive access to notifications, text messages, and it just looked good.

So, I picked up the watch.

The Experience

Aesthetics

I got the Moto 360 1st Gen with the same grey leather band as pictured above, though that is a 2nd Gen with the different button and strap mounting locations. Though I had wanted the brown leather band, I appreciated the bargain and grew to like it. It worked surprisingly well with casual and business looks, though it still has an air of technical to it. Despite how it looks above, it's a screen on your wrist and it lacks the elegance and construction that a proper watch might have.

The face is also lit, so I leave the watch off usually. While it lights up when I lift my wrist, it doesn't always catch my gestures and so from time to time I find myself flicking my wrist or gesticulating more aggressively to get it to listen. This brings much amusement to my friends, but I'm living in the future -- gotta pay the price.

Feel

Despite all the technology, the battery, and the added construction it is not too heavy. It feels good, the 46mm watch face is a good fit for my smaller-than-average wrist and my only frustration is that the watch is somewhat thick compared to its less smart peers.

Value

This is the meat of this post/review/drivel. Did I find it valuable? Do I use it?

Yes and no. It is great to have instant access to notifications. Changing music while running from your wrist is incredibly easy and cool. Being able to dictate to my watch a text message while driving is great, and allows me to focus on the road while still being connected. Also while driving, it will give me instant access to driving directions so my phone can be in my pocket and I can get quick directional cues.

The battery lasts all day and the wireless charger does allow the watch to double as a color customized alarm clock sort of device... if that's your thing. It charges quickly, and I only need to charge when I would normally not wear my watch anyway.

It's also NOT more polite to use this than taking out your phone. I've found most people feel put off by my checking my watch when I get a notification. Because the watch is typically used to tell time, people feel like I'm getting impatient or maybe I'm not as interested in their conversation. Whereas if I quickly take out my phone, people realize I'm triaging a notification -- still rude, but understandable.

It does not pair as well with looks. I find when I want to really look professional I'll leave it at home and put on a proper, traditional watch. That might be just be, and I do enjoy the fact that the circular watch face tries to look more mainstream, but it's just not the same thing.

As far as health tracking, I don't really use it much for that. The refurbished watch has trouble reading my HR sometimes so it's not very reliable for tracking my HR across the day. I also don't wear it when I go to the gym as the leather does not take well to copious sweat. If you want something for your workouts too, get a sport band... but then don't expect to pair it with fancier looks. Turns out you can't do both (at least I can't).

Conclusion

After 3 months, I am glad that I made the purchase. For what I paid, I feel like I have gotten the value out of it. It lengthens my phone's battery life, it makes life a bit more convenient, and I feel like I'm living in the future. Is it worth $300... I don't think so... not for me.

I'm interested to see where wearables go, but the overall verdict -- We're still figuring it out.