Watch question

Do you really think that Apple is unknown in Europe or that apple watches are just secretly traded under the counter?

my wife never wears jewelry there

My wife does all the time. Maybe she doesn't get robbed because she looks so determined. Or because Europe is not as full of robbers as some overseas visitors imagine.

There are lots of other things that can or will brand you as an Am tourist. Apple watch is not one of them. You need to pay more attention to what you actually wear or act if that is a concern. You can wear the watch. But I don't because it is pain in the butt to have to constantly charge it everyday. I fall back on my old Tissot that is about four times more expensive than the Apple watch.

You should be fine! Europe's a big market for Apple and their products, the Apple Watch included. You'll by no means be the only person wearing an Apple watch, or smart watch in general.

Like Frank, I stopped taking mine on trips (both international, and domestic) simply because it was just another thing I had to charge and I got sick of having to bring the chord along with me and devoting a USB port to it. Other than that, never felt weird or awkward - much less vulnerable - because of it!

a. You will be branded as an American by your clothes, by your speech patterns, by the way you move and interact with others, by your lack of fluency in the German language, by your early dinner hours, and by many other factors.

b. You are a target for being pickpocketed by virtue of your being someone who potentially has more wealth than the person attempting to steal from you. Take appropriate precautions.

c. The Apple Watch, the iPhone, any iPads or iPods are well known in Europe. In 2017, smartphone sales in Western Europe amounted to more than $56 Billion. They are ubiquitous.

d. Apple allows back up of all its products through the Cloud. Back up everything. Install the "find my iPhone" app on all your devices. In the event one goes missing, try to find it and if that isn't possible, wipe it of all data.

e. The latest Apple phone 4 with bells and whistles costs a little over $500. That's not a king's ransom, and you would probably be able to absorb the loss if you don't have Apple Care, which is what I think they call their program that covers you against loss and breakage.

f. Call your homeowner's insurance carrier and get a rider for your watch. I got one for my Rolex and it costs less than $100 per year to protect against loss or theft.

Relax. It's a vacation. The roving bands of gypsies and street criminals are not likely to find you.

You really can’t do anything to not look like an American. Wear your watch and enjoy your trip.

I wear my apple watch and have never yet been mistaken for an American,maybe it is because of my kilt.

You've done it now Gus. All the Americans will be wearing kilts from now on. Of course, they won't blend in down here.

I did not know that an Apple watch was an indication of wealth. Tissot, Piaget, Cartier .... yes. But Apple?

Should be fine, but our rule of thumb is, if can’t afford to lose it, don’t take it.

But if it really makes you nervous, a Timex from Target is about $30 -- and mine has worked fine for years. Just make sure you leave your Apple watch in a safe deposit box because, who knows, somebody might break into your house.

Can someone suggest if I'm being properly cautious or just silly over
obsessed?

I think the consensus is silly and over obsessed. :)

If you like the watch, wear it. It will not make you a mark.

For some reason several people in Italy thought I was British.

I know lots of people who live in Europe and wear Apple watches. My good friend is a brit living in Germany who loves her Apple watch. Another is American, but married to a Frenchman living in Paris who wears one. No worries - Germans love the tech as much as we do, and I feel safer wearing jewelry in Germany than I do in the US!

An Apple watch is nothing special - and especially not in Germany or Austria an indicator to have money. It is not seen as a success product in Germany. But also some European fruit victims wear Apple watches - it is less the watch but starring in public a minute to a church or into a guide book that classifies you as tourist. By the way: most pickpockets dress themselves as tourists.

In general: Pickpockets in richer areas are choosing victims differently (more picky) than in very poor areas in which they often do not have a home themselves.

Germany's NRW police provides 5 prevention videos to demonstrate the most common tricks. Even little text in German. The message and trick is very clear. Additionally a prevention flyer gives some good tips for tourists.

Pickpockets have not an easy life in Germany, therefore numbers declined. Just a concrete number. In Berlin there were less than 55 cases reported per day in a city with 3.7 mn people and over 13 mn guests per year. I do not know numbers from Austria or Hungary.

There's only one solution to your problem: leave your Apple Watch at home, and buy a German Glashütte watch as soon as you enter the country.

I agree that wearing the Apple Watch would not be the sole reason for pickpocketing (although if you were pickpocketed, there are ways to also reduce the possibility of anything of substance being taken), however, I am curious as to how the watch would serve you. Although I do check on emails, etc. whilst away on vacation, I love the fact that I can untether myself from the need to be on constant alert of notifications and emails. How will you be using your Apple Watch on your trip? I think that would really answer for you whether you would want to wear it constantly or not?

I can’t answer for the OP but one way I’ve found the Apple Watch useful when traveling is directions. It displays turn by turn directions for navigation on the watch, as well as lightly vibrates on the wrist to let you know you’re at the corner you need to turn at (or approaching the off ramp or what have you). So in a sense it might even help some folks feel more at ease not having to pull their phone out to look at location or follow along with navigation. By getting all that on your wrist your phone can stay (more) safely in your pocket. And you can focus more easily on your surroundings and seeing the sights even when following directions somewhere.

1885: great navigation suggestion

What app is it?
How do i find more info on navigating?

Michael - so long as you're using your iPhone's own Apple Maps for navigation, you get those notifications.

Assuming you have an iPhone, go to the Apple Watch application on it and under the "Notifications" setting, have "Turn Alerts" set to On. You can also adjust the settings in "Sounds and Haptics" to increase the Haptic (which is the actual physical feedback of the phone, or little vibrations it'll make on your wrist) feedback of the phone for these alerts.

So, instead of carrying one device, carry two :-)

The navigation functionality is not in the watch, it is in the smartphone even Apple Watch Series 2 has a GPS sensor. The watch is just a display for notifications.

Also various Android compatible products available.

I'm going to have my phone with me anyways. Syncing it to my Apple watch and Apple maps, and leaving the phone in the bottom of my bag, lets me get directions a lot more discretely than staring at a map or smartphone would be.

On our recent spring trip to Italy and Slovenia, my husband used his Apple Watch, set up with Apple Pay, for 99% of our transactions! Therefore, his wallet stayed secured, decreasing the chance for mishap. Even with box office-type ticket windows, the vendors placed their portable devices at the openings, and my husband waved his watch over the devices. It seemed that every business had the portable devices for credit cards.
[Also- with Apple Pay, the vendors never see your credit card number, similar to the PayPal mode.]
Safe travels!