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by joshocar 1775 days ago
> Mechanical watches are an emotional rather than rational technology, and hey if that's what you're into: mechanical watches and horse-drawn-buggies and gas lanterns then that's totally cool.

You could say the same thing about people who are into classic muscle cars. "Hey, if like driving around in a model T and braking down every 5 miles then that's totally cool." Everything is emotional. Does anyone really need a GPS synced watch that is accurate to the nanosecond? No, people want it because they think it's cool. Some people want mechanical watches because they think they are cool.

You must be so fun at parties.

3 comments

>Does anyone really need a GPS synced watch

Need? Maybe not. Want? Yes. I find it very useful when my watch can switch times as I cross timezone borders or when daylight savings time switches.

> You must be fun at parties.

My favorite thing to do at parties is to poke fun of hobbies in Hacker News comments.

> Everything is emotional.

No it really isn't. HN is not the correct forum for this sweeping psychobabble.

> Does anyone really need a GPS synced watch that is accurate to the nanosecond? No, people want it because they think it's cool.

No, we buy these accurate watches because a) there are only a few such watch makers, and b) they all use an even smaller pool of GPS chips. And its these chips that have the precision that bugs you so.

> You must be so fun at parties.

Not your finest comment

> And its these chips that have the precision that bugs you so.

I never said it bugs me. I own a Citizen solar powered watch. I also own a mechanical watch and a smart watch. I would probably by a GPS synced watch.

I stand by my comment that everything is emotional.

I stand by it too, as someone who drives a manual car that's older than I am and uses a film camera that's older than either of my parents. There's no point if it's not emotional.
> everything is emotional

I guess I “emotionally” choose the most precise tool for the task of telling time.