NOWATCH • X
There’s a lot of tech out there that wants to command your attention. Beeps, buzzes, dings, distractions. But what if a piece of technology could actually help you pay less attention to your tech, while still improving your health? That’s exactly what the NoWatch X is trying to do—and after using it for a few weeks, I have a lot of thoughts.
What Is the NoWatch X?
At first glance, it just looks like a regular analog watch. And to be honest, that’s already a win for me. But underneath that classic face is a screenless health-tracking device that monitors your body throughout the day without screaming for your attention. No screen. No notifications. No buzzes unless you ask for them.
It’s not trying to compete with the Apple Watch or Garmin. It’s not built for high-performance athletes or constant dopamine hits from rings and badges. It’s built for people who want insight into their body and mind, without sacrificing style—or their sanity.
Form: Classic Looks, Modular Build
I’ve been wearing the stainless steel silver Classic with an oak leather strap. It’s 37mm, which is a touch small for my wrist, but I love the look. Clean white face. Polished, simple, and elegant. It’s 10.9mm thick with an 18mm lug width, water resistant up to 50 meters, and made with allergy-safe materials.
Now, one of my favorite parts: it’s modular. The actual health tracking puck pops out, and you can swap the watch face for a decorative stone, a different material, or a new design. Going out to dinner and don’t want to think about time? Take the watch face off and pop in a silver disc instead. It’s magnetic, snappy, and honestly pretty fun.
Packaging That Actually Makes Sense
Even the packaging is modular. I know that sounds silly, but the cork-based packaging stacks your accessories, straps, and modules neatly. It’s thoughtful, it’s functional, and it makes the unboxing feel intentional. No plastic mess. Just a nice, reusable system for keeping everything in one place. That kind of design thinking says a lot about a company.
Function: What It Tracks and Why It Matters
Under the hood (well, under the wrist), you’ve got a full suite of sensors:
Heart rate
Electrodermal activity (EDA) for stress
Skin temperature
Accelerometer for steps and movement
GPS (when paired with your phone)
Sleep stages, heart rate variability, and more
It uses Bluetooth Low Energy and is EMF safe. But here’s the thing—it’s not about second-by-second tracking. This is more of a reflective device. How did your body respond to stress throughout the day? How did you sleep last week? What’s trending over time?
That’s a big shift from the constant feedback loop of most wearables.
The App: Check In, Not Freak Out
The companion app is where all that data shows up. The dashboard isn’t perfect—sometimes I’ve had connectivity issues (I’m on the iOS 26 beta, so take that with a grain of salt). But once it syncs, you can view your heart rate, motion, stress, steps, sleep, and more. There’s a timeline view for daily activity and an overview tab for longer trends.
You can also press the function button on the watch to log how you’re feeling in the moment. Stressed? Anxious? Calm? Happy? You can tag it, write a note, and over time the AI starts to identify patterns and trends. It’s not just data. It’s a diary. A wellness journal for your wrist.
And yes, if the watch senses you’ve been in a stressful state for more than 5 minutes, it will buzz you. Just a subtle way of saying, “Hey, check in with yourself.” I actually love that.
Daily Reflections and AI Insights
One of the most interesting parts of the software is the end-of-day reflection. It gives you a short AI-generated summary of how you did that day—based on your stress, movement, and mood check-ins. You can even customize how the AI talks to you. Want it encouraging? Matter-of-fact? Up to you.
It’s weirdly personal, in a good way.
There’s even a whole section of mindfulness resources baked in. Not just “You’re stressed,” but “Here’s how to handle that.” Guided meditations, quick reset routines, even interactive exercises like 3-by-3 focus drills. It’s like having a pocket therapist that wears a leather strap.
Who Is This For?
This isn’t for the data-obsessed triathlete. It’s for the rest of us. The people who want to wear a beautiful watch and also get a sense of how their body’s doing.
Maybe you’re someone who likes analog timepieces but wants basic health insights. Maybe you’ve tried rings and smartwatches and they didn’t feel like you. Or maybe you deal with stress or anxiety and want a less overwhelming way to understand what your body is trying to tell you.
If any of that sounds familiar, this might be for you.
Final Thoughts
I’m really impressed. Not just with the product, but with the company. They took the time to hop on a call with me, share where they’re headed, and it’s clear they care about building tech that respects your life, not interrupts it.
