In terms of size and weight, the Wellograph kept the comfort there as well. The case measures in at 42mm x 32mm (and 12.5mm thick), with a relatively low weight of 50 grams (this comes due, I assume, to the use of aluminum). On the sheet, those dimensions seem entirely wearable – and in fact, they are. On the wrist, I have to say, the Wellograph wears much bigger than you might expect. This is especially prevalent with the height. It seemed to me like it would be closer to 15 or 16mm, based on my experience with thicker dive watches. Fortunately, perceived height does not prevent the watch from sliding under a cuff easily.
That covers the physical aspects of how the watch fits onto your wrist. The other big thing to think about with devices like these is how they are to use. With the Wellograph, you are adjusting your expectations right off the bat. When we see a (relatively) large glass surface (the sapphire crystal in this case) we have been all but trained to expect a touch screen. Here, that is not the case. Instead, you use the two pushers on the right-hand side of the case; one cycles you through the menu (scrolling it up), while the other button is used to make a selection.
Given the size of the screen, I suppose this is not all that unexpected. You could have perhaps gotten a touch scroll feature, but then you would still have a break in user experience to then have to press a button to make the selection (simply put, fingers likely would not be an accurate-enough stylus at this scale). Better to stick with the full button experience which, as I mentioned, cycle you through various screens. You have a choice of watch faces (a third was added during this review cycle), an activity overview, calories burned (for the day and the week), the aforementioned pulse measuring, a step tracker, and then a run tracking mode.
There is also a settings menu (and submenus) that is where the two-button interaction becomes a bit more tedious. As the firmware has been patched, they have made this a bit easier to use, but it is still inescapable that you cannot go back if you pass up a menu or selection you wanted. To get back to it, you simply have to scroll through things all the way around, one button press at a time. Getting to the sync function, and even turning the watch off, took a few more “clicks” than I was expecting, but you adapt to it. And, again, Wellograph has been tweaking the firmware, so these are the sort of things that may likely see improvements.
As long as we are in the settings menu, it is also worth mentioning that here you find something a bit interesting for a device like this – you can put it into a “watch only” mode, shutting off all of the various activity and fitness tracking. While this may seem like an odd thing to do with a fitness tracker, it dovetails nicely with my own personal preference of preserving battery life. By turning off all of those other sensors, you can extend the life of the charge. Perhaps not a useful function if you are using the tracker, but if it is going to be off the wrist, this may be a better option than shutting it off completely.
Why is that? Well, you may be thinking about using it intermittently (as I did during the review process), and there are a few things you will want to be aware of. You can, of course, completely turn off the Wellograph. By doing this, you preserve your charge, but the device will not keep track of the proper time and date. To reset this, you will have to pair it with your phone. Not an insurmountable hurdle, but still a bit of a hassle. Perhaps the better option would be to just keep it on the charging dock to top it off every other day or so. Or, as I mentioned previously, you could put the tracker into its “watch only” mode, which should give you a bit more battery life while it sits on the dresser.
In the end, the question you would have to ask yourself is this: “Is this a device I would wear?” For me, the answer is quite likely not. I already have a fitness tracker (albeit without the heart rate monitoring) that slips in to my pocket, and allows me to keep on wearing whatever watch I want, without needing to resort to double-wristing it. Now, if I were going to get serious about getting into running, say, then perhaps something like this would be an option, for hitting those target heart rates.
I went into this review really wanting to like the Wellograph with its sapphire top (as noted previously, it is not a touch screen). And while it has proven to have a good bit to like, it just did not really fit in to my daily routine and preferences. Nevertheless, I am sure there are plenty of folks looking for something like this – a fitness tracker that is more than a fancy pedometer, giving them some insight into what their heart is doing in a workout. If that is you, you can get your own Wellograph for a price of $349. I think the Wellograph is a good first outing for the brand, and I am curious about what future versions may hold. wellograph.com
Necessary Data
>Brand: Wellograph
>Model: Fitness Watch
>Price: $349
>Would reviewer personally wear it: No – I am really not the target for this wearable, as I mentioned in the review.
>Friend we’d recommend it to first: This is for someone who wants a fitness tracker. Either they don’t already have one (and do not wear a watch regularly), or they are looking for one that is specifically for wear during workouts.
>Worst characteristic of watch: That the screen itself is not touch-enabled.
>Best characteristic of watch: Pairing the heart rate monitor with activity tracking I think is a great idea, especially in wristwatch form.
