# Anyone else that does not wear a watch? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [November 10, 2026, 6:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-else-that-does-not-wear-a-watch/1034787 "2026-11-10T18:54:33Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![WildaBeast](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wildabeast/32/6_2.png) [@WildaBeast](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WildaBeast)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2026, 9:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-else-that-does-not-wear-a-watch/1034787/21 "2026-11-10T21:20:59Z")
I stopped wearing a watch years ago. My old one broke, and I realized pretty quickly that I didn’t miss it. When I’m at work I’m usually in front of a computer, which displays the time. Otherwise there are wall clocks in the conference rooms. And there’s a clock in my car. Or if I don’t have any of those options I pull my phone out of my pocket and check the time there, which is only a very minor inconvenience. ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2026, 9:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-else-that-does-not-wear-a-watch/1034787/22 "2026-11-10T21:27:33Z")
I wore a watch regularly back when I was working because I couldn’t carry a phone. I used it to tell the time and as a calculator. Now that I’m retired, I carry a phone which does everything my watch used to do. So I haven’t worn a watch in years. ---
**Author:** ![burpo\_the\_wonder\_mutt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/burpo_the_wonder_mutt/32/365_2.png) [@burpo\_the\_wonder\_mutt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/burpo_the_wonder_mutt)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2026, 9:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-else-that-does-not-wear-a-watch/1034787/23 "2026-11-10T21:53:41Z")
No watch; for some reason, I’m never more than 10 feet from a clock — they’re _everywhere_. Why doesn’t Mr. Maudlin _do_ something before it’s too late? ---
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2026, 9:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-else-that-does-not-wear-a-watch/1034787/24 "2026-11-10T21:59:45Z")
I quit wearing a watch the day I retired. I keep one at the side of the bed so I know what time it is when I wake up at night. I don’t even wear a wedding ring anymore since I’ve lost weight, but I’ve never been one for jewelry. ---
**Author:** ![Crafter\_Man](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/crafter_man/32/458_2.png) [@Crafter\_Man](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Crafter_Man)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2026, 10:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-else-that-does-not-wear-a-watch/1034787/25 "2026-11-10T22:01:52Z")
For me: no watch, no jewelry, no tattoos. ---
**Author:** ![Gatopescado](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gatopescado/32/5711_2.png) [@Gatopescado](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gatopescado)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2026, 10:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-else-that-does-not-wear-a-watch/1034787/26 "2026-11-10T22:04:14Z")
Same here. I do _own_ a watch. Johnny Cash’s Black Rolex. ---
**Author:** ![mozchron](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/c2a13f/32.png) [@mozchron](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mozchron)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2026, 10:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-else-that-does-not-wear-a-watch/1034787/27 "2026-11-10T22:13:37Z")
I wear a (usually mechanical) watch every day and have a substantial and varied collection. But I’m a watch nerd. ---
**Author:** ![LSLGuy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lslguy/32/5813_2.png) [@LSLGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LSLGuy)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2026, 10:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-else-that-does-not-wear-a-watch/1034787/28 "2026-11-10T22:21:30Z")
I wore a black plastic Casio most of my working life. When smartphones became ubiquitous I stopped wearing a watch when not at work. So around 2015 or maaybe 2020 at the latest. When I retired (2023) I quit wearing one altogether. I do have one gold dress watch solely for jewelry. It’s an $80 Fossil that usually keeps time. Usually. It gets worn about once a month when GF & I go out all dolled up for the evening. But if I want to know what time it is, I look at my phone. ---
**Author:** ![ricepad](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/b38774/32.png) [@ricepad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ricepad)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2026, 10:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-else-that-does-not-wear-a-watch/1034787/29 "2026-11-10T22:26:49Z")
WRT phones/vs watches, checking my watch by turning my wrist is so much easier than digging my phone out of my pocket. A few of my watches have altimeter features, which comes in handy at times, too. As far as watches making me look old: I AM old. So what? ---
**Author:** ![Mighty\_Mouse](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mighty_mouse/32/7776_2.png) [@Mighty\_Mouse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mighty_Mouse)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2026, 10:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-else-that-does-not-wear-a-watch/1034787/30 "2026-11-10T22:30:47Z")
I haven’t worn a watch since my employer issued me a pager in 1995. Then an alphanumeric one, then BlackBerry and finally smartphone. I think I have a couple of watches somewhere but I haven’t worn one in at least 15 years. And maybe only a few times a year for the ten years before that. Mrs Mouse has a collection of watches she never wears. Even dressing up for weddings now. Mini Mouse got an Apple Watch this year. Her first watch. She’s at university. No one of that age seems to wear a watch except a smartwatch of some kind. ---
**Author:** ![What\_Exit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/what_exit/32/10652_2.png) [@What\_Exit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/What_Exit)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2026, 10:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-else-that-does-not-wear-a-watch/1034787/31 "2026-11-10T22:38:25Z")
I was a compulsive watch wearer but I stopped cold Turkey around 2008 or so. I don’t miss it. Of course I compulsively carry my smart phone now. ---
**Author:** ![Ludovic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7ab992/32.png) [@Ludovic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ludovic)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2026, 10:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-else-that-does-not-wear-a-watch/1034787/32 "2026-11-10T22:41:16Z")
I don’t remember ever wearing a watch in my life when not exercising. I’ve definitely _owned_ watches that were given to me, but I don’t remember ever checking the time on them when I was young and not exercising. I _do_ remember _setting_ the time on my watches occasionally, so I must have thought it useful at one point, but the number of times that I need to know the _actual_ time instead of the elapsed time when I was wearing them became so rare that I stopped setting the time when I got a new running watch. There _must_ have been times where I did use them, but there also must have been times where I simply did without and made do with room and car clocks, even in situations where it would have improved my life. ---
**Author:** ![sunacres](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/4491bb/32.png) [@sunacres](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sunacres)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2026, 11:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-else-that-does-not-wear-a-watch/1034787/33 "2026-11-10T23:36:07Z")
I stopped wearing a watch long before mobile phones were a thing. I realized that it was stressing me out. I had learned exactly how many minutes every task and journey took and always cut it close. It occurred to me that without a watch on I’d have to keep track of the time by noting clocks when I went by them and “feeling” the passage of time. In order to be safe, I’d pad the times I allocated for everything and discovered that I was way more relaxed as a result. ---
**Author:** ![Kropotkin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kropotkin/32/18045_2.png) [@Kropotkin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kropotkin)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2026, 11:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-else-that-does-not-wear-a-watch/1034787/34 "2026-11-10T23:56:18Z")
For a certain set of youngsters (20-somethings) watches are cool again, though perhaps just as jewelry. I wear one, as I try to avoid using my phone but do like knowing the time. It’s also more convenient to check a watch than a phone while lecturing, I think ---
**Author:** ![Jophiel](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jophiel/32/66_2.png) [@Jophiel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jophiel)\ **Post date:** [November 11, 2026, 2:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-else-that-does-not-wear-a-watch/1034787/35 "2026-11-11T02:26:44Z")
> [@ricepad](#): > > WRT phones/vs watches, checking my watch by turning my wrist is so much easier than digging my phone out of my pocket. I own a Galaxy smart watch and like it because it’s less obtrusive and more discreet to check the time than looking at my phone. Also, if I get a text or email, I can easily glance at it on my watch and not feel tempted to respond or read the whole thing unless it’s important. Obviously you can also just look at the status notification part on your phone but, again, it just feels more polite than pulling the phone out when spending time with someone. ---
**Author:** ![GuanoLad](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guanolad/32/42_2.png) [@GuanoLad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GuanoLad)\ **Post date:** [November 11, 2026, 2:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-else-that-does-not-wear-a-watch/1034787/36 "2026-11-11T02:56:14Z")
I can’t remember the last time I wore a watch, nor can I remember why I stopped. I did go through a period where I had no timepieces at all, so relied on my PC clock. Then eventually I got a smartphone and that was that. I’ve never considered a watch for aesthetic or jewellery purposes. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/the_other_waldo_pepper/32/12370_2.png) [@The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Other_Waldo_Pepper)\ **Post date:** [November 11, 2026, 3:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-else-that-does-not-wear-a-watch/1034787/37 "2026-11-11T03:10:36Z")
I don’t know what it says about me, but I seem to be _incapable_ of wearing a wristwatch; whenever I try, I soon wind up banging it into a wall or the back of a chair or something. If I were generally clumsy, and routinely bruised my wrist upon banging into things, I’d ruefully understand why my watches seem just as doomed — but my unadorned wrist does just fine, right up until an item that’s about to go to waste is in position to get slammed into stuff. I don’t know why it happens; I just know that it happens. ---
**Author:** ![Roderick\_Femm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/roderick_femm/32/14875_2.png) [@Roderick\_Femm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Roderick_Femm)\ **Post date:** [November 11, 2026, 5:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-else-that-does-not-wear-a-watch/1034787/38 "2026-11-11T05:07:48Z")
I’ve always worn a watch, and still do. For years I wore a Century light-powered watch, which I liked because I didn’t have to change the battery. A little over a year ago I bought a smart watch, with a sort of knitted stretchy cloth band on it, and it’s very light – when I put my old watch back on I was astonished at how heavy it felt. The smart watch has a few useful things, like a countdown timer, heart rate monitor (fairly accurate), day and date, and weather. There are dozens of other apps that I don’t use. I don’t carry my phone around at home, and when I’m out it’s in a pocket and not convenient to stop, pull it out, and try to focus on it. The watch is asleep much of the time, but it comes to life when I turn my wrist over to read it. I don’t know how much it bears on my use of a watch, but I am almost pathologically afraid of being late for an appointment of any kind, so the watch saves me some potential grief there. ---
**Author:** ![kenobi\_65](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kenobi_65/32/13178_2.png) [@kenobi\_65](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kenobi_65)\ **Post date:** [November 11, 2026, 5:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-else-that-does-not-wear-a-watch/1034787/39 "2026-11-11T05:24:12Z")
I wore a watch effectively every day, from when I was 8, until I was 55. That was when COVID hit in 2020, and I was working from home; it seemed like the watch wristband, bumping against the edge of my laptop as I worked, bothered me in a way that it never had before, so I took it off one day, and left it off. That remained the case for six years, up through earlier this year, and as I always have my smartphone with me, I figured I didn’t need a watch. But, after helping my father get some new batteries put in watches a few months ago, I realized I missed wearing a watch. I dug out a few of my old watches, and had new batteries installed; I don’t wear a watch every day, but I do wear it most days now, especially if I’m going to be leaving the house. ---
**Author:** ![Tamerlane](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tamerlane/32/7602_2.png) [@Tamerlane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tamerlane)\ **Post date:** [November 11, 2026, 5:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-else-that-does-not-wear-a-watch/1034787/40 "2026-11-11T05:39:20Z")
I’ve been sitting here trying to figure out when I stopped wearing/carrying a watch. I guess it must have been shortly after I started carrying my first flip phone, but I can’t for the life of me remember when that was. I was a later adopter of cell phones, but it has to be at least 20 or 25 years now. Let’s say my thirties. I had stopped wearing a wristwatch maybe several years prior to whenever that was and had switched to carrying a cheap Russian pocket watch. I never found wristwatches all that comfortable, despite wearing them daily for years. Now? Don’t miss them even a tiny bit. I was never into watches as adornment - I wore inexpensive black resin dive-style watches mostly, usually with the face turned down. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-else-that-does-not-wear-a-watch/1034787.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-else-that-does-not-wear-a-watch/1034787.md?page=3)