Why do many lefties wear their watches on their right wrist?

[Bumbazine]

I'm nominally a leftie, (I'm bi-dextrous), and I wear my watch on my left wrist , like righties do. Are many lefties as seriously mono-dextrous as righties? I'm trying to think back on other lefties I know, and usually you don't realize they're lefties until you see them write something. It just seems like most lefties, at least of my acquaintance, have learned to do a lot of thing right-handed over the years out of necessity.
So, other lefties, tell me where you wear your watch, and why.

[mascaroni]

[mumbles something about Chairman Mao's Little Red Book...]
Maybe for the same reason that us dextrous people wear it on our left wrist... it's less likely to get damaged on the hand that is used less?

There's nothing sinister about it...

[green_bladder]

Another leftie here. Yep, I wear my watch on my left wrist too, something I've done since I was a kid. I've tried switching but my left hand is hopeless at strapping on watches (and other things requiring nimble fingers).

[vanilla]

I misunderstood!
Here i was thinking "Wow, I'm a lefty, and I always wore my watch on the right arm."
Well, here I see you mean left handed not politically left.
Go figure.
vanilla right handed, but left thinking.
\\

[BabaBooey]

Haven't worn a watch in years, but when I did it was always on the right wrist. The main reason was that if worn on the left wrist, it could get uncomfortable writing...

[Antigen]

My mother is a lefty, and she wears her watch on her left wrist. She says she wears it there because it just feels wrong the other way. Now, because my mother is backwards, the entire family is skewed:

I'm right-handed and I wear my watch on my right wrist. It feels so weird on my left wrist! I've tried, but can't stand it for more than half an hour before I have to switch back.

My sister (righty) prefers wearing her watch on the right, and only has one on her left wrist now because she can't attach it with her left hand.

My bro switches back and forth and doesn't really have a preference.

We're just a crazy backwards family, we are!


Theory: maybe the normal population wears the watch on the non-dominant hand because the dominant hand is the one better capable of fastening/unfastening the watch buckle?

[whiterabbit]

This rightie wears her watch on her right wrist, and her leftie mother wears hers on her left.

What this means is don't assume somebody's handedness from the wrist they have their watch on. It'd drive me crazy to wear mine on the left.

[Rick]

Lefty here, I wear my watch on my right wrist.
A good part of the reason might be that my vision in my left eye is 20/200, my right eye is 20/20.

[Bambi Hassenpfeffer]

Left-handed. My watch, when I wear one, is on the right wrist. It just feels wrong on the left. Every time I try to do it, I can only stand it for about 10 minutes. As to the utility of my right hand, I pretty much can do anything with either hand except for writing and drawing.

[ITR champion]

Left handed, right wrist. I've never really thought about why, though I guess that like green, I would find it difficult to strap a watch to my other wrist with my right hand. However, I now have one of those watches with an extending metal band, so that wouldn't be a problem. It's just force of habit, I guess.

[Flutterby]

Right handed, right wrist.

I have worn my watch on the left but it drives me nuts usually so I keep it on my right. This is also why I hate watches with a big face, it's awkward to write with them.

[clayton_e]

I'm a leftie.. and I have my watch on my left wrist.

[dangergene]

I'm left-handed (and somewhat left-leaning, but not overytly so *grin*) and wear my watch on my right hand. Always have. I also wear my wedding ring on my right hand.

This is basically because I'm an illustrator, so I have a pen in my hand for a good 80% of my waking time (not sure how much of my sleep time *nooge*) and unnescessary doodads get in the way.

That said, I also do a LOT of things with my right hand. My guess being that a lot of left-handed people do lots of things right-handed simply because the bulk of the world forgets we exist and continue to design the planet for 100% right-handed use, forgetting that OTHER portion of the population.

I'm still bugging my company because they installed an auditorium full of right handed seats. It's only been recently -with the arrival of a left-handed CEO- that anyone's actually paid attention to my otherwise mindless complaints! ('but don't you realise... that's um... not fair!')

[pasunejen]

Left-handed for writing, right-handed for everything else (and I don't mean ambi-dextrous--I cannot switch for any activity)...When I wear a watch, it's on the right wrist. In elementary school I always put my Mickey Mouse watch on my left wrist and I don't recall it being too uncomfortable, but then I started playing the viola and it would rattle against the neck of the instrument--correct me if I'm wrong, but I think even right-handed string musicians tend to do this (if they're going to wear a watch at all when they're playing). I gave up the viola a few years ago but now it seems downright unnatural even to think of wearing a watch on my left wrist.

FWIW my watches seem to be subject to a lot less damage now, but that could just be because I was, you know, in elementary school back when I used the other wrist.

[pasunejen]

I'm still bugging my company because they installed an auditorium full of right handed seats. It's only been recently -with the arrival of a left-handed CEO- that anyone's actually paid attention to my otherwise mindless complaints! ('but don't you realise... that's um... not fair!')



I hate this. At my university almost all the auditoriums are without any left-handed desks, even on the left ends of rows. Drives me nuts, because it's really hard to write on those teeny little things in the first place and almost impossible if they're on the wrong side. (I find it's much less of an issue with regular classroom desks, but some of my lefty friends complain about those as well.)

And don't get me started on righties who sit in lefty seats when they actually are available.

[MacSpon]

Why do many lefties wear their watches on their right wrist?
Because it's more comfortable than wearing it around my testicles.

[Jodi]

I'm a leftie, and I wear my watch on my right wrist because it bugs me to rest my wrist on my watch as I'm writing. BUT I also don't like to rest my wrist on my watch while I'm mousing, and I mouse right-handed, so now my watch mostly lies on my desk.

[dangergene]

I hate this.

[continuing hijack] Actually, I'm glad this makes other lefties angry, maybe one day we can get this sort of thing repaired!

I often wonder how fast things would be 'fixed' if a left handed boss were to construct that auditorium with ALL the desks designed for left-handers. the righties would be up in arms so fast it be... um... really fast!

But seriously, I don't like to say its discrimination because there's much worse going on in the world with actual bloodshed and oppresion and suffering and we lefties really don't suffer like we used to. BUT...it does irk me that we don't count enough for -anything- to even be considered most of the time! It's small things, but it's so damn prevalent that people don't even consider it discrimination! [/perpetuating hijack]

[elfkin477]

[continuing hijack] Actually, I'm glad this makes other lefties angry, maybe one day we can get this sort of thing repaired!

I often wonder how fast things would be 'fixed' if a left handed boss were to construct that auditorium with ALL the desks designed for left-handers. the righties would be up in arms so fast it be... um... really fast! [/perpetuating hijack]

When I'm a mulit-millionaire I'm going to look through US patents for something super cool and terribly useful, and I'm going to fund that project for the patent holder. But we're only going to make left-handed versions of whatever it is. Let's see how righties like it! :cool:

As for watches, they go on the right wrist, because they're annoying on the left writst while trying to write (rings too.) I suspect this is why a lot of righties wear their watches on their left wrists as well.

[Jonathan87]

Another Lefty here.

I don't wear watches anymore because my religion deems it evil, but when I did, it was always on the right hand.

I started out with watches on the left, but then i thought, "hey, with it on my write hand, i could write in class and look at the time simultaneously!"

and that's what I did.

Oh, and I was joking about that religion thing. That's just silly.

[dangergene]

When I'm a mulit-millionaire...

heh heh, cool! And because all us lefties are so -damn- creative, we can all chip-in with those multi-millionaire dollars that we'll be raking in any time now! *tee hee*.

We'll make a world, a whole world I tell you, where Left is the new righ-...

um... ok, so that didn't come out like it should have.

[kniz]

Haven't worn a watch in years, but when I did it was always on the right wrist. The main reason was that if worn on the left wrist, it could get uncomfortable writing...
And then you realized that it was just plain uncomfortable period. Well at least that was my conclusion. ;)

[curly chick]

Surely the fashion for wearing watches on your left wrist is from the times when all watches were clockwork and needed to be wound.
If you have your clockwork watch on your left arm, you can wind it with your right hand, as the windy thing is nearest to your hand.
Whereas, if you wore a clockwork watch on your right wrist, the windy thing is on the side of the watch furthest away from your wrist and so winding it would be a very awkward.

I realise that these days most people wear battery watches, but that's where I think it comes from.

[Brendan Donovan]

As a lefty the things I carry are done by my left hand. If my watch were to be on my left then I would spill my coffee every time I check the time.

[RobertP]

I'm a lefty and wear my watch on the right hand.

Interesting, my handedness. Although I write with my left, I do many other things with my right, for example, eating and all sports activities. Which is fun when I am in a Chinese restaurant. Because chopsticks are similar in feel to writing implements, I use those with my left. However, when I get frustrated and pick up a fork, I use my right. And at times, I do both at the same time. Very efficient.

Oh, and in addition to writing with my left, I also use my left for all excretion-related functions. And I mean [ahem] *all* functions. :eek:

[Gary T]

Surely the fashion for wearing watches on your left wrist is from the times when all watches were clockwork and needed to be wound.
If you have your clockwork watch on your left arm, you can wind it with your right hand, as the windy thing is nearest to your hand.
Whereas, if you wore a clockwork watch on your right wrist, the windy thing is on the side of the watch furthest away from your wrist and so winding it would be a very awkward.

I realise that these days most people wear battery watches, but that's where I think it comes from.
I think you've got the cart before the horse. Watches not designed to be worn on the wrist typically have the winding stem at the top. When wristwatches were designed, the winding stem had to be moved to allow for band attachment. Logically, right-handers would wear them on their left wrists, which is more practical because their right hands were more often doing something (a watch on the most-used hand would be less available for viewing and more susceptible to damage). Naturally the stem would be placed on the right to accomodate this.

[Bumbazine]

This is fascinating. Thank you everyone for your replies, and keep 'em coming, please.



Because it's more comfortable than wearing it around my testicles.But that would be so much more fun when someone asks you for the time. :eek:

[AngelicGemma]

I'm a leftie and wear my watch on my right wrist. It just feels comfortable there. My rightie b/f also wears his watch on his right wrist.

[Munch]

Lefthanded, left wrist.

When I was young, I wore a wind-up watch, and I wore it on my right wrist. It was damned near impossible to wind up or adjust when I was wearing it, because the dial is on the right side (try to mimic adjusting a dial on the right side that's on your right wrist - awkward to the extreme). I switched to my left wrist, where watches are designed to be worn.

You can get right-wrist engineered watches.

[kunilou]

Lefthanded, right wrist.

I wear my watch on my right hand for three reasons: One, I'm very doninantly lefthanded, so my left hand is usually occupied. If I want to check the time, it's just easier to shoot out my right wrist than to stop what I'm doing.

Second, when I was a kid, watches had straps and buckles. Because my right hand was so poorly coordinated, it was easier to use my left hand for buckling the strap.

Finally, as others have noted, it keeps me from constantly banging my watch strap every time I move my left hand.

[japatlgt]

Lefty. Watch on the right.

Primarily because the left hand is the active one. Swings the hammer. Reaches behind things. Sticks screwdrivers into electrical boxes. Levers the wrench, etc.

But really it all began when I was kid. I played a lot of ball after school. My folks gave us a wristwatch to keep up with the time and it interferred with my slingshot delivery. Moved it to the right wrist for convenience sake and it's been there ever since.

Thanks for asking.

[bouv]

I'm a rightie who wears it on his right wrist. I can't keep it on my left wrist for more than a minute without it driving me crazy. I started wearing it on my right wrist because I was a kid when I got my first watch, and my thought process was, if I am right handed, then I wear it on my right hand. Makes sense, right? It never gets in the way with writing or any other activity, so I don't see why the left wrist is the norm for right handed people.

[Jane D'oh!]

Another righty who wears her watch on her right wrist. (For about 30 years now)I have had people ask me if I am a leftie. Sometimes I say yes just to avoid the looks I had gotten when I said no. People expect an explaination about why you would ever wear your watch on the hand you write with.

[Pablito]

Lefty, watch on right wrist. It's all about the writing. And I do get annoyed that the little knob (for setting watch) is on the right side of the watch, because that makes it more difficult for me to set it (cause my left hand has to cross over the watch face and it's all awkward and everything).

And I have to take exception to the OP's term "bi-dextrous". Dexter means Right, so you're being left-ist when your way of expressing that both hands work equally well is to use a term that was obviously thrown upon us by the right-dominated hierarchy. "Ambidextrous" is an insult to those of us for whom our left hand is our dominant, more agile one. Help, we're being repressed.

(I have related problems with the meanings of the words "gauche" and "sinister", the term "left-handed compliment", and so on.)

[Bumbazine]

And I have to take exception to the OP's term "bi-dextrous". Dexter means Right, so you're being left-ist when your way of expressing that both hands work equally well is to use a term that was obviously thrown upon us by the right-dominated hierarchy. "Ambidextrous" is an insult to those of us for whom our left hand is our dominant, more agile one. Help, we're being repressed.

(I have related problems with the meanings of the words "gauche" and "sinister", the term "left-handed compliment", and so on.)
Sorry Pablito, but I have to work within the confines of the language I was given when I came to this planet.

[RealTronic]

Another rightie wearing his watch on his right hand. I just do it cause I was mimicking my dad who gave me my first watch. Why ever he did it, I don't know.

I did hear the "but you can't write and look at your watch at the same time!" argument a few times in school!!

Oh, and a quick summary of the replies in this thread sofar (yes, I am EXTREMELY bored at work today) gives the following results:

Out of the lefties, 77% wear their watch on the right hand.

[The Griffin]

Is it not quite simple? Most people wear their watch on the hand they dont use as much, because there's less chance of damaging it. That's what I was told when I was a kid. Obviously there's always some rebels who chose to be different, and they probably damage their watches more often... :D

[Eliahna]

I'm right handed and wear my watch on my right arm. This is a habit that started in my school days when I used to carry my schoolbag on my left shoulder with my hand under the strap, making it impossible to read my watch without shifting my schoolbag.

[amie]

I'm a lefty, but I've always worn my watch on my left wrist. I can't really tell ya why though...

[J. Maxwell]

I'm a lefty but I write with my right hand because in first grade the teacher said to pick up the pencil with your right hand and write -so I did. When I use to wear watches, I wore them on my right wrist because it felt uncomfortable to wear them on my left wrist. It's easier for me to make left turns when I'm driving then to have to turn right. I knit left - going towards the left direction. When I was a kid and took a tennis lesson - I wanted to hold the racket in my left hand but was discouraged to do so. AHA moment - no wonder I was such a lousy tennis player!

[Kevbo]

In addition to damage potential, if the watch has a strap with a buckle, then it is easier to fasten the buckle with the dominant hand, thus the watch needs to be on the non-dominate side for easiest buckling of the strap.

[olivesmarch4th]

Left-handed, left wrist.

I think I used to wear it on my right wrist, until I got a tattoo on my left wrist. My watch is just big enough to cover the tattoo in professional environments. But yeah, it is kind of a pain while writing.

[Gary T]

The underlying principle here is that if something can be done either way 'round, the prevailing way is what works best for right-handers, and non-symmetrical devices are designed for right-handers. Lefties then either do it the right-handed way, which often feels unnatural and awkward, or if possible the left-handed way, which (with devices) usually is awkward or inconvenient. It's seldom that a righty will do something left-handed, but lefties grow up being shown right-handed techniques and using right-handed devices, so they often do some -- or a lot -- of stuff right-handed.

[rbroome]

I'm nominally a leftie, (I'm bi-dextrous), and I wear my watch on my left wrist , like righties do. Are many lefties as seriously mono-dextrous as righties? I'm trying to think back on other lefties I know, and usually you don't realize they're lefties until you see them write something. It just seems like most lefties, at least of my acquaintance, have learned to do a lot of thing right-handed over the years out of necessity.
So, other lefties, tell me where you wear your watch, and why.

always on the left. I have never thought of wearing it on my right. I am pretty seriously a lefty, the only thing I do right-handed is fly-fish. My dad taught me and after a few minutes, he announced he could not teach me to fish left-handed, it confused him too much. But except for that, everything I do is reversed compared to righties.

And now I hear that being left-handed doesn't help us live longer... Darn

[perfectparanoia]

As a lefty the things I carry are done by my left hand. If my watch were to be on my left then I would spill my coffee every time I check the time.

This is actually how I came to it as a kid (except it was a soda, not coffee). I went to look at the time on my new, super-cool mickey mouse watch and I spilled it.

So, I wear mine on the right when I wear it (which is very seldom these days, I have a computer and a cell phone with the time, who needs a watch).

[Arabella Flynn]

I'm right-handed and wear my watch on the left because I whack it less on my non-dominant hand. I assumed this was the logic behind wearing watches on whatever hand does the less rough-and-tumble things, particularly in this age of digital watches that don't need to be wound. The practice of keeping your watch on the non-dominant side is quite old; watch pockets on vests were usually on the left, on the theory that you'd be holding the watch in your non-dominant hand and winding it with your dominant one. Prior to wristwatches, women sometimes wore timepieces on brooches. I don't know if there's a rule for that, but I seem to recall seeing them mostly pinned to right shirtfronts, where the lady could lift it with her dominant hand to look at the face.

I actually use watches as a tell for right- vs left-handed; the false negative rate (lefties who wear watches on the left) is much higher than the false positive rate (I can count the number of righties I've met who wore their watches on the right on the fingers of one hand), but in practice it's probably 90% accurate. Proportionately, I've met more ambidextrous-ish lefties than righties, probably because most chiral things are made for righties and it's just easier to do it the way that doesn't bark your knuckles constantly.

Interestingly, this works even for historical figures who lived during a time where they taught you to write with your right hand instead of your dominant hand. Charlie Chaplin, f'r instance, kept both pocket watches and wristwatches on the right, on the rare occasions when he wore one on film. He wrote with his right, but did most other fussy things like violin bowing and stage makeup with his left.

[elfkin477]

When I wore a watch, I always wore it on my right wrist. It bothered me to write with the hand/wrist wearing the watch, so right wrist it was.