[Someone1234]

What's interesting to me, is that people are starting to forget how thick mechanical watches were.

Here's a Rolex[0] (Sea-Dweller 4000). Here's a Moto 360[1].

And now instead of holding eWatches to the same standard as mechanicals, it has turned into another thickness race.

[0] https://imgur.com/TVroPQp [1] https://imgur.com/Vbve1pq

[anthonybsd]

You picked a horrible example. Rolex Sea Dweller is amongst the thickest of dive watches because it's designed to be taken to extreme depths (depths no human will ever descend to in a diving suit).

Here's Piaget Altiplano for example: http://blog.luxurybazaar.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/02/Piag...

or

Blancpain Billeret https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/236x/62/39/fa/6239fae47...

[micampe]

Well, that’s true, but you went to the other extreme of the spectrum: Piaget’s specialty are ultra thin watches, I don’t think it’s a much better example.

Mechanical watches under 7mm are already considered thin; more usually they are 9-11mm. Quartz are easily thinner.

I think smartwatches currently around look thicker because of case and lugs design. For example, the Sea-Dweller is 18mm, but the side of the case is not flat all the way like the 360, the case back is actually inset, so it’s less noticeable.

[chockablock]

I'm not choosing between a Rolex and a smartwatch; I'm choosing between a smartwatch and nothing.

[ricardobeat]

The 360 is visibly larger and taller in the picture, and the strap ending at the bottom doesn't really help.