I hate my 4-button watch!

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Diane

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It has features I will never use. And unless I carry the directions around with me all the time, I can't figure out how to access the features I want to use. I can use the time in hours, minutes, and seconds, the 24-hour time, the alarm, and the hourly chime. I don't need the timer, the lap counter thingy, the day or the date. Can anyone suggest something that is simpler to operate & will get the job done?
Thanks,
Diane
 
I have a self-winding analog watch. Could not be easier to use and is much nicer to look at than most digital watches. It has an inset dial for seconds. Does not support 24-hour time, though I've seen analog watches that do. Does not support alarms, but I have my PDA or phone for that when needed (rarely).

Katherine
 
I bought an inexpensive analog/digital watch. It has four buttons, but three of them do things to a small lcd display embedded above six o'clock. The other one is for the light. The analog display time is set completely independently of the digital time, using the watchstem. I am a technically sophisticated person, but it took me almost half an hour to get the !#@& chime and alarm turned off once they got turned on accidentally. I wish I could set the lcd to display the date all the time, but otherwise I am happy.
 
4 button watch

I have a 4 button watch also. I have no idea where it is. Once it became easier, and faster, to check the time on my cell phone than to read the watch on my wrist, I stopped wearing the watch.

I think the problem with a lot of digital devices is that they pack them useless features at the cost of ergonomics and simplicity of use. Look at the Apple Newton versus the Palm. The Newton did a lot more, years earlier, but the Palm was simple to use and did little more than people wanted a pocket-sized computer to do.
 
So, what do you want to do?

You've got to ask yourself what you want out of a watch, then pick a model that meets your needs, and does little or nothing else. For example, for me, I have decided that a watch MUST have the following features:

1) Digital read-out. Analog is nice, but not necessary.
2) Regular time display in 24 hour (military time).
3) 2nd timezone (for GMT, also in 24 hour display).
4) Count-up timer (chronograph. Laps and splits are optional.)
5) Count-down timer with alarm and repeat.
6) Daily alarm(s). I prefer to have at least 3.
7) Hourly chime.
8) Night light.

With all the things that I demand in a watch, it is unavoidable that I have a "four button" watch (actually five on mine). Unavoidable. If you need something with a list as complex as mine, carry around the user manual, or memorize it.

On the other hand, if you need less, get less. All other roads lead to madness. Happy shopping. (Make sure that you actually handle every watch you consider purchasing. I had to return one once because it was too complex.)

--Phil
 
Or, other extreme -

I, on the other hand, need my watch to tell time. I have a simple analog watch with one knob to adjust the time. But to tell the truth I rare ever wear it. I have a cellphone, pda, desk radio, pc, phone, wall clock, vcr, dvd, microwave, oven and a seven year old that all can tell me the time. I actually only wear it on special occassions since my wife gave it to me as a gift. The only time in the past several years when I found not having a watch to be a problem was when I was camping in the vast wildness and my cell phone had no signal.

Like any other tool in your toolkit, first determine what are your actual needs.
 
OK, a little practical advice

Try a low cost Timex or Casio watch. And don't forget to try a watch out before buying it -- or be willing to take it back the next day.
 
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