I’ve been in this love-hate relationship with smartwatches.
On one side, there’s the data-driven, quantified-self enthusiast in me. The guy who wants to track his steps, monitor his sleep, and see his heart rate after a morning run.
On the other hand, there’s the part of me that appreciates craft skills and the beauty of an analog watch. This is the smartwatch problem.
The market is flooded with miniature wrist-computers that, while powerful, look like toys that feel out of place in a professional meeting or at a formal dinner.
That’s why I always wanted a modern wearable with the soul of a traditional watch, and the Garmin Vivomove Trend turned out to be exactly that.
Unboxing a watch that doesn’t scream smart
As I took the watch out of the box, I was happily surprised by its design. It was clean and free of bulky buttons that shouted tech gadget.
It felt comfortable on my wrist and looked like a minimalist analog watch I might have picked up at a boutique.
The silicone strap was the only element that felt out of place. It lacks the premium feel of the rest of the watch. Luckily, it’s replaceable.
After unboxing, I started by downloading the Garmin Connect app on my phone and following the on-screen instructions to pair the watch via Bluetooth.
When connected, the app prompted me to choose my dominant wrist, set my time zone, and customize key preferences like step goals, move alerts, and heart-rate tracking.
The watch automatically synced the time from my phone, and within a minute, it was ready to go.
A watch for every occasion
The true test of any wearable, for me, is its versatility. It has to adapt to different environments without looking out of place. Over several weeks, Vivomove performed well in every scenario.
When a message came through during a presentation, a vibration was all I felt. I could ignore it, knowing I wasn’t broadcasting a glowing screen to the entire room.
Then there was a friend’s wedding. In a sea of suits and formal dresses, a typical smartwatch would have stuck out like a sore thumb, but Vivomove’s minimalist face complemented my formal attire.
It might not turn heads like a Rolex, but that’s part of its charm. The minimalist look makes it easy to wear anywhere. Pair it with anything, and as long as the colors work, it fits.
The art of staying smart without showing off
The Vivomove earned its spot on my wrist because of its philosophy. It’s not trying to cram in every feature imaginable. Instead, it focuses on the essentials and delivers them subtly.
After using it, I started to see that the lack of a store or a speaker is a design choice and not a list of missing features. Notifications are a perfect example.
When a text arrives, the watch gives a buzz. If I raise my wrist, the dials move, and a summary of the message scrolls on screen.
It’s enough for me to gauge urgency, and that’s it. The watch respects my attention. Passive health tracking is another strength of Garmin smartwatches.
The key feature is Body Battery. It analyzes heart rate variability (HRV), sleep quality, and daily activity to tell me how much I have left in the tank.
This is supported by all-day stress tracking, which uses HRV to measure physiological load.
Seeing my stress levels spike during a commute or calm down during a walk gave me a new awareness of how my daily routines were affecting me.
The Vivomove gives me the data I need to understand my body, without becoming another portal for the digital noise I’m trying to escape.
What you give up for the right reasons
To be a great watch, the Vivomove has to give up on being a tiny smartphone, and it’s important to acknowledge what you’re trading away.
The most notable trade-off for fitness buffs is the lack of built-in GPS. The watch piggybacks on your phone’s signal to track outdoor runs or bike rides.
For me, who always carries their phone for music or safety anyway, this is a non-issue. But if you’re a purist runner who wants to travel light, this is a dealbreaker.
The screen, while brilliantly hidden, is small. It’s perfect for at-a-glance information, but it’s not designed for reading a long email from your boss.
You’ll get the sender and the subject line, but you’ll pull out your phone for the rest.
Likewise, there is no microphone or speaker. You can’t answer a call from your wrist or ask Gemini for the weather forecast.
The smartwatch for watch lovers
My love-hate relationship with smartwatches finally found its middle ground.
I wanted a classic design with modern data tracking. The Vivomove showed me that the two didn’t have to be in conflict.
That’s why, after weeks of wearing it, I still can’t take it off. It defines what a smartwatch should have been all along.
