The mystery and history surrounding the beauty of the Apple Watch solar dial has captivated me

There are few watch faces that I keep set on my Apple Watch. Although I occasionally create and delete some, I always keep them to a manageable range of three or four. In the last times, I’ve been enjoying the sun dialan authentic beauty that has also amazed me for its mystery and history.

There are still those who disdain the Apple Watch for being a smartwatch that can never catch up with a traditional watch. Nevertheless, this dial defies the conception we have of a watchwhat a “mechanical” one represents, and what you expect from a smart one.

The hope of the movement of the star king

There are studies that indicate the existence of seasonal affective disorder or SAD for its acronym in English (it sounds like a joke, but that’s the acronym), a type of depression that is related to the passing of the seasons. This disorder is usually identified when a person experiences symptoms during the fall and winter seasons, while they disappear in the spring and summer. Sunlight is proven to be good for health.

Studies on night shift workers point to the effect that little sun exposure has on mood. Its impact on metabolism it can have “a ripple effect on just about everything”: food digestion, the immune system, and the brain chemicals that control weight, mood, and energy. Sunlight has many positive effects on health, including the creation of vitamin D necessary for many internal processes of the body.

I tell all this to make it clear that sunlight is important in our lives. Has its impact probably more than we think. And this winter, the Apple Watch solar dial has given me some hope on cold, low-light days.

I am far from suffering from the so-called seasonal SAD, but this year I have noticed the effect that a smaller amount of light had in my day to day, especially in the months of November and December. That’s when I put the sun dial on my Apple Watch Series 7 and discovered that it had a hidden feature. If we click on it, we will see how many hours of light we will have that day. In winter, the days are shorter and with this sphere you can see how with the passing of the days the time of light is reduced through this sphere.

However, as soon as we cross the winter solstice on December 21, the situation is reversed. The days start to get longer. And that was something that made me happy when I found out. It is for this reason that the solar dial began to be the one I used the most among all the ones on my watch. Put it on after the shower, press it and mentally calculate if it was one or two minutes of light that we gained that day compared to the previous one became a habit.

The different twilights of the day

Perhaps when you hear or read the word Twilight you automatically think of a teenage vampire saga. But with the sun dial of the Apple Watch, it will regain its true meaning. Because one of its most beautiful features is the ability to check the twilight every day, knowing exactly when the sun sets and rises.

Until I started using it regularly, I thought there was only one twilight. Rather two: the clarity before sunrise and sunset. That’s pretty much the definition of twilight. Now, no one prepares you for the three or six types of twilight that actually exist:

• Civil twilight: when the sun is -6º below the horizon, stars of the first magnitude as well as planets can be observed.
• Nautical twilight: when the sun is -12º below the horizon, nautical stars of the first and second magnitude can be seen with some ease.
• Astronomical twilight: when the sun is -18º below the horizon, it allows the naked eye to see the stars of sixth magnitude.

The Apple Watch with its sun dial is capable of displaying each of these six independent points. And it represents them perfectly in its sphere, using visual indicators and the haptic motor. Thus, when we rotate the digital crown, we will notice a vibration. But when we reach one of these points, we will notice. The sphere itself will change along the way, showing more daylight or reducing it depending on the position of the sun. And when we get to one of these twilights, he’ll show us.

Many years ago, I had an interest in traditional mechanical watches. Its history, the value of the mechanism and the effort involved. It is inevitable to see this sphere and not have a similar feeling. The amount of dedication, research, and attention to detail that goes into Apple is perfectly palpable. The Apple Watch may never have a mechanical heart, but it certainly looks like it has a real heart. heart of silicon.

Image | Solinruiz.