Welcome to SDMB, joeythemighty!
I go wonky every now and then. Not my watch, just me. That’s such a good word.
I haven’t been able to wear a digital watch for some time. They always ‘short out’ on me, for lack of a better term, unless I get one of those straps with the fabric running across the back of the watch. Mechanical watches, no problem. Digital (including Timex) watches, prepare to die a uick death.
I’m not going to try and convince you doubters.
But, My own experience is that some days…I haven’t tried to find any pattern, but some days I’ll get up and practically everything I touch will shock me. (not regular carpet shock either) Any watch will stop working, some times within minutes but usually an hour or so. Any jewelry I wear tarnishes or makes my skin break out.
I was working with a calculator awhile back and it simply wouldn’t work. I tried two others, same thing. Next day they all worked perfectly.
I took a watch back to the jewelers last spring for a new battery. (It was only two weeks old.) The lady checked it out, put a new battery in it, set the time…by the time I got to my car in the parking lot it had stopped. I turned around and showed it to her. She just looked at me like 
So I told her what I’m telling y’all. She didn’t really believe it either. Until she handed me a brand new watch and saw it stop working while I held it in my palm.
My grandfather couldn’t wear watches either…if that’s worth anything. My wife thought I was joking in the past but after several years now she is a confirmed believer. As I said earlier, it’s not everyday just occasionally. Some days are worse than others. Once a month, maybe twice, then again, that’s just how often I notice it. Since I no longer wear watches or jewelry, who knows.
BTW the watches I referred to are pocket watches that I wear only on special occasion. I have a nice mechanical pocket watch that has served me well. At least I don’t have to buy batteries for it.
AND yes it won’t work some days either and not because I forgot to wind it. Anyway that’s my story, believe it or not. 
I destroy watches as well. I’ll freely admit to being quite rough with them (you should see my jewelry!). However, why does watch after watch only break in the same way?
Watches with hands: the second hand gets stuck between 55 and 60 and beats continuously there. After removing the watch, it will return to normal after several minutes. If I continue to wear the watch, it stops completely. Battery changes have no effect. # of watches: At least 5 (30%, maybe)
Digital watches: Display fades out when worn. Returns when removed. Doesn’t harm the watch, but a watch that cannot be read is not useful. # of watches: At least 3 (10%, maybe)
After a while, I have gotten to the point where wearing a watch makes me feel tied up. When asked why I don’t wear one…I mention that I break them, although that’s the root cause, not the immediate cause.
I haven’t worn a watch in years. If I have one, it usually ends up getting broken or lost in a short amount of time.
The last time I wore a watch, I was as careful as I could be, I made sure I didn’t bang it into anything, or do anything that could harm it. Then, one day, in front of my eyes, the round see-through cover just popped off, just like that, and I couldn’t pop it back into place, so I quit wearing it because then the hands would have gotten damaged for sure.
Before that, I was fairly superstitious about wearing watches, but after that, I became totally superstitious and to this day whenever I see some nice watches and think how nice it would be for me to have one, the thought that always crosses my mind is, but how long would it last before it gets lost or destroyed? It’s silly I know, but hopefully in a few years I’ll get over it.
I wear a watch all the time, except in the shower and usually not in bed. I only wear cheap (under $30) Mickey Mouse watches. I’ve gone through about 4 bands and a few batteries but have only had 3 watches in the last 15 years. The last one died only when it got completely waterlogged. They have gone through 4 years of marching band, 4 years of catering work and even 2 years of “broomball.”
Oh, and I’m right handed and wear my watch on the right hand, so it gets alot of work.
Maybe you all just need to get CHEAPER watches With famous cartoon characters on them.
I can’t wear an ordinary watch because I cycle everywhere.
The angle of the wrist when cycling operates the buttons and changes the time; kinda defeats the object of wearing a watch.
One day perhaps I’ ll get a specially designed cyclist’s watch, but I’m used to going without for the moment.
Astro - the thread linked to above I started because of a very real phenomenon. I can not wear digital analogue watches. I have sent several back - ones I really liked and wanted to wear - they were Eddie Baur watches. One was a world time watch showing time in several different areas of the globe…this watch stopped working in less than a week everytime I got a brand new one.
Cite. Trust me astro, I usually, well actually never ask you for a cite. But as the issue at hands deals with me, and something that has happened to me repeatedly untill I bought one of
these . The Cartier auto was the best watch I could find, after much research and a stern unwillingness to buy a 10k Rolex. I’ve had it for 4 years now. I also have a Skagen purched for me by my wife…it too is a nice watch.
So I do not know the answer to the magnitism question, and I would like to . Hopefully we’ll get the Dope from your OP…
Oh and I’m not a clumsy fellow either, so we can rule out that reason as to why my digi watches broke repeatedly.
Cheers, Phlosphr.
Wristwatches: Invariably get smashed on something when I wear them.
Pocket watches: Stay intact.
Guess which kind of watch I carry.
Bump, nudge where oh where did astro go?
As you requested. Per the indications below the EM fields generated by human body biological processes are so infintesimally low (on the order of 10 [sup]-10[/sup] to 10 [sup]-15[/sup] teslas) that it takes highly advanced technology to even detect them. The notion that these incredibly weak fields would be affecting something as comparatively robust as a mechanical or electronic watch mechanism is just not reasonably supportable.
Thank you!
However, if we apply this to the OP, we still don’t have the answer as to why the watches stop working. Maybe, it’s something near to where I spend lot’s of time?
Something in thr back of my mind says that my shag carpet may play a role… I shock myself nearly everytime I go downstairs to the basement. I walk across the carpet, grab metal handle and ZAP. that may have something to do with it.
That or I was abducted, genetically fused with an electric eel, and graciously placed back here on earth…
Eh. I can’t wear a watch. The batteries die pronto. They will work on other people.
I’ve had cheap watches and I’ve had expensive watches. No difference.
FWIW, I’m particularly girly, so I’m not exactly jack-hammering the things either.
Two suggestions. First my father was hell on watches and he wore them on the inside of the wrist and that helped a lot. Second, I once noticed a blind person wearing a wrist watch. Then I realized that it had no crystal and that he felt the hands. Now any watch that can take that kind of use ought to be able to take any ordinary wear, I would think.
I use a pocket watch, but that is because I sweat a lot and it gets uncomfortable underneath. But I used to wear $5 Timexes, way back when you could get one for $5. I used to take them off and twirl them around and do all sorts of things and they faithfully lasted at least a year.
I’ve had two daily-wear watches in the last 10 years, and my current (#2) isn’t even close to death.
I’ve had a total of three batteries between the two, including the ones they were packaged with. This watch and original battery ore nearing 5 years old. I didn’t get rid of my old watch because it broke…I got rid of it because it was an outdated digital.
They’re both Timex, and I didn’t spend more than $40 for either one.
So I don’t know what you people are doing to your watches. Mine take a licking and…well, nevermind.
And to Hari Seldon, the blind often have special watches meant to be handled. I have a blind aunt who has a “Braille” watch. No crystal, and what I presume is a very robust mechanism. But she doesn’t wear it often.