Why analog watches inspire even in the digital age
It is amazing what modern smartwatches can do: They can be used to play music, measure pulse rate, determine fitness status and sleep quality, make phone calls, display short messages - and all this in addition to the time display.
Classic analog watches can't do all that - they only show the time. Therefore, it is a clear point victory for the digital smartwatches in the equipment chapter.
So why should you still buy a classic analog watch today?
Perhaps precisely because of this! Because it does without all these additional functions and is limited to its core function, the display of the time. Analog watches do this in a particularly charming way, especially when they are driven by a mechanical movement. Here, miniaturized precision mechanics and technical aesthetics combine to create a fascinating piece of art.
Admittedly, it is sometimes quite practical to have all your appointments "on your arm", to never miss a text message, or to be able to be called, no matter where you are. But - with the increasing technologization of our environment, this "always on" functionality is also becoming more and more of a burden.
In certain situations in life, you don't want any of this, but instead simply want to consciously avoid permanent access.
Neither do we want to be regularly reminded by such a device that it will soon have to be recharged, updated or backed up. Otherwise, there is a risk of loss of function or even data.
As versatile as these little all-rounders can be, they are also as demanding, maintenance-intensive and challenging.
On the one hand, I am a fan of modern technology myself, and on the other, an active sportsman. With this background, I developed an electronic fitness manager in 2018 together with a Dutch university.
Accordingly, I am quite familiar with current smartwatch technology and its possibilities. Perhaps it is precisely in contrast to the technoid diversity of possibilities that I appreciate the calming and sovereign simplicity of an analog wristwatch.
Because it has only one function: to display the time - but it fulfills this function in a very human way. No digital watch can compete with it. Not even when it simulates an analog wristwatch. It simply lacks authenticity or, to put it more pathetically, soul.
A real analog watch is structurally better suited to the human being and our earthly environment.
I think this is especially true when it has only one hand - and maybe even shows the complete 24 hours of an earth day. That's why we at BOTTA offer exceptionally well thought-out time displays: Those that follow a natural logic.
With our 24-hour one-hand watches, something very special happens: the rotation speed of the hand corresponds exactly to the rotation speed of the earth. (If you were to align the hour hand of a UNO24 exactly with the sun and stop moving the watch from then on, the hour hand would follow the position and direction of the sun exactly). We call this "sun synchronous display".
Our 24-hour one-hand watches are thus in absolute harmony with the astrophysics of our Earth and - by the way - can also be used perfectly as a reliable compass. (see article "How to use a wristwatch as a compass"). „How to use your 24 hour one-hand wristwatch as a compass“).
Granted: A 24-hour one-hand watch is already something very special and thus not necessarily the everyday watch for everyone. For people who appreciate the unusual, however, it is a highlight.
A little less astrophysical, but very easy to understand and very suitable for everyday use, is the
UNO, our 12-hour one-hand watch. Although it is not sun-synchronous like its 24-hour counterpart, it can be quickly understood and its calm and clear appearance can hardly be surpassed.
Analog watches with more than one hand like the TRES do not quite convey the calmness that our one-hand watches radiate, but they are also limited to displaying the time and thus also avoid the sensory overload and maintenance effort that a smartwatch inevitably entails.
Ultimately, everyone must decide for themselves whether they value maximum information in the form of smartwatches or prefer the calm serenity of an analog watch. I appreciate both and decide which I prefer depending on the situation.
