Varadkar's watch

Yep, absolutely zero style 😄

He seems to have a good watch collection .Also has a lovely corvette stingray .Poor man probably doesn’t remember how to drive or that he even has a watch collection but I’m sure he enjoyed them at some stage .

In 20 to 30 years I doubt people will even be wearing smart watches, we'll probably all have retinal implants or some other dystopian madness 😄

I tried a smart watch but it didn't have any features I found useful. The time was the only thing, but the fact that it kept turning off annoyed me. But crazy popular now.

Yeah a good point, but how often do you actually go anywhere WITHOUT your phone?

Wore one for a couple days, didn't appeal. I dunno why. I prefer watches from, or that hark back to when I was a kid. Seiko Divers were it for me then are still it now. I have my phone in my pocket, don't need it on my wrist.

Must dig up my old casio calculator watch and see can I ressurect it, that's as smart as I want.

That’s what I have 2 phones.. one work and one personal.. I shutoff the work one

100% on the 2 phones.

I struggle to understand how one can wear a smart watch for “aesthetics” compared to the actually wonderful watch designs that exist at every price point.

I think most smart watch adverts are on websites/tv adverts from the likes of Argos, Curry's, Harvey Norman's, Power City etc.

And they are selling plenty, so you can diss them all you want, they are going to be the main thing of people's wrists going forward.

Do you not get sick of always being able to receive notifications though? I'd hate the idea of seeing a notification blinking on my arm whenever I looked at the time.

I think most of them look ok, personally wouldn't be a fan of the square ones. That's all subjective anyway, sure you get into "real" watches and you'll have to same snobbery about not being seen dead wearing a casio, a quartz or a tag or whatever.

 Every community is allowed something it looks down on, in boating it is jetskis.

I don’t look up or down at people because of what watch they wear or what car they drive. But if they shove it in your face, it’s hard not to categorise them. There is a difference between a watch hobby and watch wearing. The former is fine if it floats your boat and you can afford it (preferably after you have acquired other key assets). Watch wearing is all about image and association. Wearers of rugged diver-type watches want to impart an image, as do people wearing the county GAA jersey.  Real money does not shout, it whispers. Real money wears understated, classic watches; new money wears ostentation (i.e. bling brands that are recognisable by the masses) and shoves them in your face. ‘Smart’ watches are worn to sell a different image – “Look at me, I’m important, I need to be immediately contactable, read my messages, I’m modern, connected, I also care about my shape/fitness, so I’m a fit healthy individual who matters.”

I have a Garmin smart watch and just dumped it in the drawer as I got sick of charging it every day. Also it was a chore to pair it to the phone.

My regular watches aren't exactly bling but they're solid and have an aesthetic. Only change battery every year.

Each to their own as regards aesthetic but Leo's apple is more of a humble brag. Although if Leo had done it properly he would have copied Louis Theroux and his humble brag on his Casio f91w.

I think Leo is supporting the 'fitness' aspect as he's probably still 'on the scene'.