Man Wearing Apple Watch to Watch Meetup Asked to Leave, Returns With Two Apple Watches

Software engineer Kyle Prescott was asked to leave a monthly watch enthusiast meetup at a Chicago bar on Thursday after attendees noticed he was wearing an Apple Watch Ultra, a device the group's charter describes as 'a phone accessory that has no more claim to the title of watch than a microwave with a clock display.' Prescott, who says he attended the meetup 'to learn about watches and maybe make friends who also like things on their wrists,' was approached within four minutes of arrival by the group's self-appointed sergeant-at-arms, who examined his wrist and shook his head slowly. 'I explained that we welcome all mechanical and quartz timepieces,' said group organizer Dennis Carruthers. 'Seiko to Patek, we don't judge. But an Apple Watch is a computer. It runs apps. It tracks his steps. It can call 911. A watch tells time, and ideally does so with gears.' Prescott left without incident but returned thirty minutes later wearing an Apple Watch Ultra on each wrist. 'I figured if one wasn't a real watch, two definitely aren't, and at that point it becomes performance art,' Prescott explained. 'Also, one is on Pacific time and one is on Eastern, so technically I'm demonstrating dual time zone complication, which the Rolex GMT guys seemed to appreciate.' The group has since convened an emergency session to update its charter. A proposed amendment specifying that 'all timepieces must contain a minimum of one moving part that is not a haptic feedback motor' passed 14-3, with the three dissenting votes coming from members who own Casio digital watches and felt 'targeted by the mechanical requirement.' Prescott has started his own meetup, which he describes as 'inclusive of all wrist-based technology.' Attendance at the first meeting was two people: Prescott and a man wearing a Fitbit who left after learning there would be no discussion of heart rate zones.