I’m so glad that you have asked this as I’ve been wondering what peoples opinions on this matter are.

I have a small collection of three nearly identical watches in different color schemes; all of which have the date wheel. However, I want to add one more variant of the same watch to my collection that has a domed sapphire crystal, a much better blue lume application and no date wheel. But, I am so used to the date wheel and do often find it useful because it is easier for me to look at my wrist than it is for me to unlock my phone and look at the home screen in order to quickly view the current date. If I do get this watch variant, it would essentially become my primary, daily worn timepiece (whereas the other variants that I own are saved for the weekends or for events that I am attending).

So, based on what others have said here (along with my own thoughts and date-wheel preference), I am still confused and don’t know what to do, haha.

I like all my date watches. I like my day date watches too. Who doesn’t like this complication again?

I always like the date cause otherwise a dial can look boring.

I don’t need the date. if i could choose I wouldn’t want a date.

Oh, I like date windows. But I really HATE waffle dials and integrated bracelets.

I much prefer a date complication, unless it’s a dress watch that I wear infrequently.

I question the premise. Do MOST people really dislike the date? Or, do you just make a note of those complaints that you read and hear? I’d argue that MOST people like having a date, but don’t go out of their way to say it.

In addition to interrupting the design, which is something I don’t particularly care about, it also takes away from the grab and go nature of a watch. If you have a rotation of, say, 3 watches and you want to switch to a watch with a date that you wore 2 weeks ago. Time setting then becomes passing midnight to make sure you have your am/pm right, then setting the time, then switching the date. And I know it’s a nice way to interact with you watch blah blah blah but it gets old.

I like having a date that is a feature. I don’t like a date at 4:28 pm.

Work. If you don’t regularly use that watch, you’ll have to set it each time. Unlike setting the time, you have to do within a certain time frame of day, have to scroll whole date calendar/can’t go backward and must guess whether you’re at xx hours AM or xx hours PM.

Not sure that is most. I like dates as do so many others.

For me personally it is 3 folds.

1. it is guaranteed to “go bad” and need adjustments every 2 months, sometimes less than that
2. you can’t even set it whenever you want. You need to adjust past 3am first and before that, you need to figure out the am/pm on your watch. It’s annoying
3. because of #2, you can’t just go straight to adjusting the date and call it a day. You always need to make sure the am/pm is correct. It is always a 2 step process, never 1

All these combined with the fact that I’m quite “date-sensitive” means that I don’t need the date that much. I need it the most at work and I have my work computer for that, and when I’m off work, I would remember what date it was while I was working just a few hours ago and know without having looking at my watch.

The fact that most modern dress watches have date annoys me.

I like having the date on my perpetual calendar EcoDrive because I trust it’s right. I’m not always sure on my other watches. I usually double check in case I forgot to fix it at months end.

I mostly only get watches with date windows. Too useful to pass up.

https://preview.redd.it/vi9km1n82bwb1.png?width=1264&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=5a98b8ef8949911db7b64b4935223c9b82d27b76

This does it for me. Hamilton Khaki Aviation Pilot Day Date Auto. When you work shift work and weekends the weeks blur together