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Outbyte PC Repair FREERepair Windows errors before they cause bigger problemsFix Now →Outbyte Driver Updater FREEScan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minuteDriver Scan →No current evidence shows that watches are about to become obsolete. Traditional watches still serve as timepieces and personal accessories, while smartwatches add connected features such as notifications and activity tracking. The evidence points to coexistence today—not a reliable forecast of what people will wear decades from now.
What does “obsolete” mean for watches?
A phone can display the time, so a wristwatch is no longer the only convenient way to check it. But losing that monopoly is not the same as losing its purpose. Traditional analog and mechanical watches remain useful as dedicated timepieces and are also chosen for their appearance or personal significance. Smartwatches serve a different mix of needs by combining timekeeping with connected functions.
The available surveys describe current use and stated purchase intentions. They do not establish a date when watches will become obsolete, nor do they directly measure whether phone timekeeping has displaced wristwatches for individual users.
Are traditional watches still worn and wanted?
In a nationwide Japanese online survey conducted July 3–4, 2026, Cross Marketing asked 1,100 people aged 20–69 about watches. It found that 64.5% owned a wristwatch or smartwatch, and 45.5% said they usually used one. Analog watches were the main type for 59.5% of respondents, compared with 17.9% for smartwatches. These figures describe that survey’s Japan sample, not the world’s population. Cross Marketing’s 2026 survey
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In the same survey, 59.7% wanted to continue wearing watches, while 32.3% specifically wanted to wear a traditional watch. The distinction matters: the first figure includes watches broadly, while the second concerns traditional watches.
Why do people choose one kind of watch over another?
Traditional watches: quick time checks and personal style
Quickly checking the time was the most common reason respondents gave for wearing a watch in Cross Marketing’s Japan survey, at 41.3%. Deloitte’s 2025 Swiss Watch Industry Study also reports motivations for traditional-watch purchases including telling the time, appearance, and rewarding oneself. These reasons show that a watch can remain desirable even when other devices can display the time.
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Smartwatches: time plus connected features
Smartwatches can provide notifications and health or activity tracking as well as the time. Cross Marketing found that younger respondents in its Japan sample more often named smartphone notifications and health or exercise tracking as reasons for wearing watches. That age pattern should not be assumed to hold in every country or population.
In a September 3, 2024 release, Bitkom chief executive Dr. Bernhard Rohleder described the smartwatch as an everyday companion and extension of the smartphone for many: “Die Smartwatch hat sich für viele als Alltagsbegleiter und Erweiterung des Smartphones etabliert.” This is the association’s characterization, not a survey statistic. Bitkom’s release
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What do purchase-intent surveys suggest?
Deloitte’s 2025 study reports that 54% of surveyed consumers were somewhat or very likely to buy a traditional watch in the next 12 months, compared with 53% for a smartwatch. Its consumer survey included 6,500 people in Switzerland and major Swiss-watch export markets, so the results are not a worldwide census. These are respondents’ stated intentions, not confirmed future sales. Deloitte’s Swiss Watch Industry Study 2025
The same report says 72% of respondents were planning a traditional-watch purchase for their own use. That figure uses a different question and denominator than the 54% likely-to-buy comparison; it should not be read as the share of all consumers likely to buy a traditional watch.
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- CARE: Water resistant to 100 Feet (30m); watches should be treated like jewelry; to best protect your watch, be sure to be conscious when spraying perfume, hair spray, etc.; a jewelry polishing cloth can be used to polish the watch and clean it of fingerprints
Do smart wearables mean traditional watches are disappearing?
No. Eurostat reported that 29.9% of EU residents aged 16–74 used smart wearables such as smartwatches and fitness trackers in 2024. The measure covers use during the three months before the survey. It shows that connected wearables are established in the EU, but it does not measure traditional-watch ownership and cannot be directly compared with a traditional-watch survey. Eurostat’s 2024 connected-device statistics
Does technology make smartwatches more likely to become obsolete?
Smartwatches depend on electronics and software: processors, displays, batteries, sensors, and connectivity. Those components make connected features possible, but they also mean that a smartwatch’s use can depend on battery condition, software support, and compatibility. The European Commission Joint Research Centre discusses smartwatch components and repairability; useful-life figures in its study come from specific estimates and surveys, not a universal expiration date for every device. European Commission JRC preparatory study
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That difference does not prove traditional watches will last forever or that every smartwatch has a short life. It does clarify the trade-off: a traditional watch primarily offers a dedicated time display and style, while a smartwatch adds features that rely on powered, connected technology.
Quick Recap
What should a watch buyer take from this?
- Choose a traditional watch if you mainly want a dedicated timepiece, value its appearance, or prefer not to rely on connected functions.
- Choose a smartwatch if notifications, health or activity tracking, and smartphone-linked features are important to you.
- Do not treat either category’s popularity as proof the other is disappearing. The cited evidence shows present-day use and purchase intent in particular populations, not a universal long-term forecast.
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