Apple is now the world’s second-largest watchmaker by revenue. That’s a remarkable result for a product line introduced less than two years ago. By any commercial measure, the Apple Watch is a success.

Rolex remains number one and will likely stay there for now.

In Apple’s Q1 financial report, Tim Cook said the Watch had its best-ever quarter, adding that demand outstripped supply.

A market going nowhere

Beyond Apple, the so-called smartwatch market has stalled.

Android Wear makers have been slow to refresh their models. Lenovo has exited the category. Pebble sold its watch business.

You’ll sometimes hear that the smartwatch market is dead. That’s not true for Apple—but it’s not far off everywhere else.

Living with Apple Watch

My own experience hasn’t matched the sales success.

I stopped wearing the first Apple Watch after a rocky start. More recently I’ve tried newer models with different bands—Apple’s term for straps—including nylon and leather options.

Whenever I write about smartwatches, I hear from enthusiasts who swear by them. I’m not one of them.

For the most part, I find them intrusive and hard to live with. They don’t improve my productivity or make life more enjoyable.

Notifications: feature or flaw?

Fans often point to notifications as the killer feature. For me, they’re the biggest drawback.

Constant taps and alerts on the wrist break concentration. They fragment attention. You can turn notifications off—or filter them—but that raises a bigger question: if you disable the core feature, what’s the point of wearing a smartwatch?

That trade-off doesn’t work for me, although others clearly feel differently.

Battery life and friction

Then there’s charging.

An Apple Watch lasts about a day, which means nightly charging. On more than one occasion I’ve put it on the charger incorrectly and woken to a flat battery.

When I’ve left the Watch at home, I’ve barely noticed.

Where it shines: fitness

The exception is fitness tracking.

Here the Apple Watch excels. Hourly reminders to stand nudged me out of my chair. Closing the activity rings became a daily goal. I walked more and paid closer attention to exercise.

It works—and for many people, that alone justifies the device.

Why I’m not buying one

Even so, I’m not planning to buy an Apple Watch.

Most days I wear an old Swatch. It’s battered, needs a new strap and does nothing beyond telling the time.

Strictly speaking, I don’t need it. My phone is always within reach. But after 50 years, checking the time on my wrist is second nature.

That, for me, is enough.