# Do you wear a wristwatch? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [March 22, 2012, 2:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-wear-a-wristwatch/616503 "2012-03-22T14:58:51Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 5
**Author:** ![drewtwo99](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/d07c76/32.png) [@drewtwo99](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/drewtwo99)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2012, 9:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-wear-a-wristwatch/616503/81 "2012-03-24T21:18:51Z")
Male - 25 - I’m wearing one right now! And most days (if I remember to grab it), but not when I’m lounging around the house or whatever. ---
**Author:** ![Spectre\_of\_Pithecanthropus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spectre_of_pithecanthropus/32/12343_2.png) [@Spectre\_of\_Pithecanthropus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spectre_of_Pithecanthropus)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2012, 11:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-wear-a-wristwatch/616503/82 "2012-03-24T23:29:05Z")
> [@amanset](#): > > Wow. That’s a massive way to overthink it. Start by not using a carrier 😉 Then, just pull it out of your pocket whilst pressing down the unlock screen button, check screen and slip back in pocket. My hand hardly leaves my side and it is done in seconds. You make it sounds like it requires a military operation. No carrier? Then it might fall out of my pocket; and besides, the carrier provides some physical protection for the device. Regardless, glancing at my wrist is done in less than _one_ second. Your description is about like using a pocket watch. I’m quite fond of pocket watches personally, but I can see why their use plummeted when wrist watches became popular (and acceptable for men). I do realize that many people, both men and women, simply don’t like to wear anything on their wrists, or their work or lifestyle makes it hazardous or uncomfortable for them to do so. But that’s a whole other discussion. ---
**Author:** ![Saintly\_Loser](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/saintly_loser/32/4045_2.png) [@Saintly\_Loser](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Saintly_Loser)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2012, 12:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-wear-a-wristwatch/616503/83 "2012-03-25T00:03:15Z")
Male, over 50. I wear a watch. Always. Even when I sleep. I have a relatively inexpensive (as mechanical watches go), nearly indestructible, not-flashy automatic watch. I wear it when I sleep because if I wake up before the alarm goes off, it’s hard (sometimes impossible) for me to read the clock, which is pretty far away, without my glasses. I can just hold my wrist up to my face and see what time it is. The hands glow faintly, but just enough for me to read the time. Since my watch is automatic, I never have to worry about winding it. Unlike a quartz watch, the battery will never fail at an inopportune moment. Since it’s analogue, I can read it without my glasses (can’t do that with a digital watch). Since it’s pretty tough, I don’t have to worry about getting it wet, or banging it against something. Since it’s not expensive, or expensive-looking, I don’t have to worry about anyone trying to rob me for it. All in all, there is absolutely no down side\* to wearing it, and it’s really convenient to always be able to instantly know what time it is. How do people do without that? My wife, who never wears a watch, and believes it’s unnecessary in this day of cellphones, is forever asking me what time it is. Because it’s easier for me to check my watch than for her to check her cellphone. \*Well, one. Since it is a mechanical watch, I have to reset it at least once a week. It tends to lose a couple of minutes a week. ---
**Author:** ![mkecane](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/9e8a1a/32.png) [@mkecane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mkecane)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2012, 1:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-wear-a-wristwatch/616503/84 "2012-03-25T01:00:43Z")
Male, 33, sometimes. I wear one when I go running or biking, but that’s the only time. I haven’t worn one regularly since I got my cell phone in 2005. ---
**Author:** ![Covered\_In\_Bees](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/7ab992/32.png) [@Covered\_In\_Bees](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Covered_In_Bees)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2012, 2:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-wear-a-wristwatch/616503/85 "2012-03-25T02:13:36Z")
Male; 21-30; Never. ---
**Author:** ![carlb](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carlb/32/5930_2.png) [@carlb](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carlb)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2012, 2:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-wear-a-wristwatch/616503/86 "2012-03-25T14:22:03Z")
Male, 44, and I feel naked without a wristwatch on. I take it off at night when I sleep, and when I shower. Since I’m usually naked at those times, it doesn’t feel weird. On the very, very rare occasions I leave the house and forget to wear a watch, I feel…off. Not right. It kind of freaks me out a bit. Most times I’m wearing my [Citizen dive watch](http://www.righttime.com/CITIZEN/AQUALAND/ma9024-metal.jpg). It’s sturdy enough to stand up to a little rough treatment, water resistent so I don’t have to worry too much about that, but still nice enough looking for casual wear. My second favorite is a 20-year-old Movado/ESQ (before ESQ was a separate marque) “sport watch”, which is small enough to look good on my skinny wrists, dressy, but still a bit understated. It’s my suit-and-tie watch. ---
**Author:** ![bibliophage](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bibliophage/32/7615_2.png) [@bibliophage](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bibliophage)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2012, 3:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-wear-a-wristwatch/616503/87 "2012-03-25T15:40:26Z")
I have a watch/chronograph/heart-rate monitor that I wear only when I’m exercising, so that’s one or two hours a day. Otherwise I haven’t worn a wristwatch for years. ---
**Author:** ![Tim\_R.Mortiss](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tim_r.mortiss/32/142_2.png) [@Tim\_R.Mortiss](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tim_R.Mortiss)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2012, 3:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-wear-a-wristwatch/616503/88 "2012-03-25T15:51:59Z")
Male, over 50, and I wear a watch Always. As others have said, I’d feel naked without it. I even vacation at nude beaches and still wear it. Even though I am otherwise naked, I’d \*really \*feel naked without my watch! But… to you cell-phone advocates, the watch does much more than tell the time. I can usually find a clock within eye-shot wherever I am. But my watch also has alarms that tell me when to go to a meeting, when to wake up from a nap, when my laundry is done, etc. I’d say checking the time is about 25% of the use I get from my watch. ---
**Author:** ![chizzuk](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e36b37/32.png) [@chizzuk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chizzuk)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2012, 11:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-wear-a-wristwatch/616503/89 "2012-03-25T23:14:21Z")
Female, 24. Never wear a watch. I don’t like the feeling of it on my wrist. Don’t wear any jewelry, either. If I need to know what time it is, I check my phone, look for clock, or, failing that, ask someone. I’ve run into a few seemingly normal adults recently who couldn’t read analog clocks. That was interesting. ---
**Author:** ![Dr.Strangelove](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dr.strangelove/32/6613_2.png) [@Dr.Strangelove](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr.Strangelove)\ **Post date:** [March 26, 2012, 1:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-wear-a-wristwatch/616503/90 "2012-03-26T01:36:25Z")
31-40, male, always. Omega Speedmaster Automatic. Fishing my cell phone out of my pocket? How tacky. ---
**Author:** ![MareIt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ea666f/32.png) [@MareIt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MareIt)\ **Post date:** [March 26, 2012, 2:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-wear-a-wristwatch/616503/91 "2012-03-26T02:51:10Z")
My watch died this evening. I will be all discombulated until it is repaired or replaced. I am so dependent on my watch that I am seriously considering stopping at Target on my way to work for a temporary replacement. ---
**Author:** ![DrumBum](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e79b87/32.png) [@DrumBum](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrumBum)\ **Post date:** [March 26, 2012, 12:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-wear-a-wristwatch/616503/92 "2012-03-26T12:57:40Z")
I wore a watch when I was younger, mostly for the “coolness” factor, but stopped before high school. These days I don’t pay too close attention to the time and my cellphone has all that I need. ---
**Author:** ![Scholar\_Beardpig](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9de053/32.png) [@Scholar\_Beardpig](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scholar_Beardpig)\ **Post date:** [March 26, 2012, 1:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-wear-a-wristwatch/616503/93 "2012-03-26T13:01:04Z")
Sometimes, I’ll walk around the house all day without wearing one, but it’s one of the five things - wallet, phone, keys, glasses, and watch - that I am psychologically incapable of leaving the house without. I even take it with me to the gym, though I leave it in my glove compartment. ---
**Author:** ![JessMagic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/c0e974/32.png) [@JessMagic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JessMagic)\ **Post date:** [March 26, 2012, 1:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-wear-a-wristwatch/616503/94 "2012-03-26T13:41:50Z")
Wear my wristwatch all the time, apart from in the bathroom and when exercising. Sometimes I sleep with it on, depends on if I shower before bed. Actually, I just noticed that I’m not wearing it right now. That’s strange. Ah, it’s sitting on the coffee table next to me. ---
**Author:** ![WhyNot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/c77e96/32.png) [@WhyNot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WhyNot)\ **Post date:** [March 26, 2012, 2:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-wear-a-wristwatch/616503/95 "2012-03-26T14:16:06Z")
Right now, I’m ONLY wearing my watch. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![The\_wind\_of\_my\_soul](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ecc23a/32.png) [@The\_wind\_of\_my\_soul](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_wind_of_my_soul)\ **Post date:** [March 26, 2012, 2:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-wear-a-wristwatch/616503/96 "2012-03-26T14:34:40Z")
Almost never, but I selected sometimes because I’m an EMT, and when I go out on calls it’s a good idea to wear a wristwatch with a second hand so that you can count the patient’s pulse and respirations. ---
**Author:** ![Mama\_Zappa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/71e660/32.png) [@Mama\_Zappa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mama_Zappa)\ **Post date:** [March 26, 2012, 2:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-wear-a-wristwatch/616503/97 "2012-03-26T14:43:16Z")
> [@otternell](#): > > I sometimes wish I wore one, since its more discreet than looking at my phone, but as a teenager I developed an allergy to nickel, and the inside of my wrist is still pretty sensitive. I could probably find a sterling silver watch and be ok, but after 20 yrs, jewelry and watches are a bit uncomfortable for me. There are some watchbands that run under the watch itself (e.g. the ones that are the strip of mesh), for what that’s worth - no contact with your skin. Oh - and female, 50+, always wear one except when I’m bathing or swimming or something. I went a few weeks without it relatively recently (needed a new battery) and got really twitchy, even though I could always check my phone for the time. ---
**Author:** ![Tim\_R.Mortiss](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tim_r.mortiss/32/142_2.png) [@Tim\_R.Mortiss](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tim_R.Mortiss)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2012, 1:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-wear-a-wristwatch/616503/98 "2012-03-27T01:16:20Z")
> [@Scholar\_Beardpig](#): > > Sometimes, I’ll walk around the house all day without wearing one, but it’s one of the five things - wallet, phone, keys, glasses, and watch - that I am psychologically incapable of leaving the house without. I even take it with me to the gym, though I leave it in my glove compartment. That reminds me of the old joke: “Spectacles, testicles, wallet, and watch.” ---
**Author:** ![Tom\_Scud](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/f08c70/32.png) [@Tom\_Scud](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tom_Scud)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2012, 1:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-wear-a-wristwatch/616503/99 "2012-03-27T01:26:51Z")
> [@Tim\_R.Mortiss](#): > > But… to you cell-phone advocates, the watch does much more than tell the time. I can usually find a clock within eye-shot wherever I am. But my watch also has alarms that tell me when to go to a meeting, when to wake up from a nap, when my laundry is done, etc. I’d say checking the time is about 25% of the use I get from my watch. Mind, pretty much every cell phone comes with alarm-clock functionality as well. ---
**Author:** ![jabiru](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/bbce88/32.png) [@jabiru](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jabiru)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2012, 8:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-wear-a-wristwatch/616503/100 "2012-03-27T08:46:36Z")
> [@MareIt](#): > > My watch died this evening. I will be all discombulated until it is repaired or replaced. I am so dependent on my watch that I am seriously considering stopping at Target on my way to work for a temporary replacement. You’re going to feel lost without your watch and yet you own only one? I mostly forget to wear one and own about 20. I’m not sure which one of us is weirder than the other. 😃 [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-wear-a-wristwatch/616503.md?page=4) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-wear-a-wristwatch/616503.md?page=6)