Most any consumer product built decades ago was built to last, just not as long as the generation before it
Planned obsolescence is the watchword now. Usually, it is camouflaged as progress, more functionality - whatever. Why are there 6 or so iPhone versions from when it was first introduced.
I have tools and other things older than my children, some older than before I met my wife 41 years ago. My grandfather’s Illinois Watch works great - still.
Most name brands us oldsters recognize went Japanese, Chinese, Malaysian, Mexican a decade or more back...today isn’t our daddy’s world.
“Why are there 6 or so iPhone versions from when it was first introduced.”
Because the technology really has improved that much.
Just about every spec has improved 4x over 7 years; combined, those make for exponential improvements.
Vacuuming and washing clothes has pretty much stabilized, with the only “improvements” being how cheaply the product can be made.
What you’re saying amounts to complaining that the iPhone makes phone calls just as well as your 50-year-old wired rotary-dial phone ... while completely ignoring the gazillion other things the former can do that the latter never dreamed of. Don’t confuse the Apple Watch with your grandfather’s Illinois Watch - the latter tells time, the former does so much more that calling it a “watch” is a misnomer used for lack of any other word.
No, it isn't. I still have my father's Craftsman Saw Table built in the very early 1950s, and it still works. But my modern light-weight table saw with multiple features is so much better. Products made now may not last long, but they are definitely better and feature-rich.
We still daily use our 2006 Macbook, even though we can't upgrade it. Never had a problem with it. But we like the features and speed of our newer Macs. By the way, I'm still using my 1977 model Apple II, upgraded with Compactflash cards and USB sticks. Now that's vintage (more so than 2006). But the newer machines are always faster and better.