# Not wearing a watch because it is supposedly replaced by phone/other device - I do not get it. **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [October 20, 2010, 9:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/not-wearing-a-watch-because-it-is-supposedly-replaced-by-phone-other-device-i-do-not-get-it/557824 "2010-10-20T21:40:39Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![RTFirefly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/c77e96/32.png) [@RTFirefly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RTFirefly)\ **Post date:** [October 21, 2010, 3:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/not-wearing-a-watch-because-it-is-supposedly-replaced-by-phone-other-device-i-do-not-get-it/557824/41 "2010-10-21T03:48:06Z")
> [@Tom\_Scud](#): > > I never much liked wearing a watch. So once I started carrying a cell phone I just stopped wearing the watch. This. I never did like wearing something around my wrist, and usually kept some sort of watchlike thing in a pocket instead if I was feeling the need to have ready access to the time. But since I almost always have a cell phone on me when I’m away from the house, and the cell phone has the correct time in easy view, there’s no need to carry another timepiece. Some people like wearing wristwatches and/or having the time right where they can see it without reaching into a pocket; those people will continue to wear wristwatches regardless. But others dislike wearing wristwatches and are happy to give them up. And still others don’t feel strongly about them one way or the other, and when they inadvertently stop wearing one for one reason or another, many of them don’t bother to resume wristwatch use. And those last two groups is where the diminishing use of wristwatches comes from. ---
**Author:** ![msmith537](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d9b06d/32.png) [@msmith537](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/msmith537)\ **Post date:** [October 21, 2010, 4:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/not-wearing-a-watch-because-it-is-supposedly-replaced-by-phone-other-device-i-do-not-get-it/557824/42 "2010-10-21T04:17:31Z")
> [@hajario](#): > > I have one. It also makes phone calls and surfs the web. I can dive with mine to 200m. I mean I’m never going to do that, but at least I can. > [@jz78817](#): > > why? Other than “everyone should do what I do,” of course. I mean, should we also go back to being required to wear shirt and tie to work, no matter our jobs? What about hats? should we have to wear hats too? Well clearly you don’t have to do what I do. I wouldn’t want to pressure anyone to do anything cool. But I think a man should have a watch for the same reason a man should have a nice suit. There are occassions like job interviews, wedings and so on where you are expected to look put together. A nice watch is a fine piece of craftmanship that IMHO has a certain heft and permanance that a plastic cell phone doesn’t. I don’t think Christopher Walken would have spent 7 years in a Viet Cong prison hiding an iPhone up his ass so he could give it to his best friend’s son. ---
**Author:** ![jz78817](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jz78817/32/1028_2.png) [@jz78817](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jz78817)\ **Post date:** [October 21, 2010, 4:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/not-wearing-a-watch-because-it-is-supposedly-replaced-by-phone-other-device-i-do-not-get-it/557824/43 "2010-10-21T04:32:21Z")
> [@](#): > > A nice watch is a fine piece of craftmanship that IMHO has a certain heft and permanance that a plastic cell phone doesn’t. in other words, it’s jewelry. somehow I’ve managed to gain employment despite not having a watch. ---
**Author:** ![engineer\_comp\_geek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/engineer_comp_geek/32/504_2.png) [@engineer\_comp\_geek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/engineer_comp_geek)\ **Post date:** [October 21, 2010, 5:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/not-wearing-a-watch-because-it-is-supposedly-replaced-by-phone-other-device-i-do-not-get-it/557824/44 "2010-10-21T05:00:58Z")
I have a clock on my computer at work that tells me the time all day long. I have a clock in my car that tells me the time when I am away from the computer. If for some reason I’m away from both of those sources, I have my cell phone. Why do I need a watch? ---
**Author:** ![engineer\_comp\_geek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/engineer_comp_geek/32/504_2.png) [@engineer\_comp\_geek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/engineer_comp_geek)\ **Post date:** [October 21, 2010, 5:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/not-wearing-a-watch-because-it-is-supposedly-replaced-by-phone-other-device-i-do-not-get-it/557824/45 "2010-10-21T05:03:17Z")
> [@msmith537](#): > > But I think a man should have a watch for the same reason a man should have a nice suit. There are occassions like job interviews, wedings and so on where you are expected to look put together. I don’t have a nice suit either. I haven’t been on a job interview in 15 years, and haven’t been to a wedding in about that long either. You are failing to convince me. ---
**Author:** ![suranyi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e36b37/32.png) [@suranyi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/suranyi)\ **Post date:** [October 21, 2010, 5:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/not-wearing-a-watch-because-it-is-supposedly-replaced-by-phone-other-device-i-do-not-get-it/557824/46 "2010-10-21T05:21:12Z")
> [@engineer\_comp\_geek](#): > > I don’t have a nice suit either. I haven’t been on a job interview in 15 years, and haven’t been to a wedding in about that long either. > > You are failing to convince me. Job interview I understand, but wedding? Don’t you have any friends or relatives? ---
**Author:** ![suranyi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e36b37/32.png) [@suranyi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/suranyi)\ **Post date:** [October 21, 2010, 5:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/not-wearing-a-watch-because-it-is-supposedly-replaced-by-phone-other-device-i-do-not-get-it/557824/47 "2010-10-21T05:22:46Z")
> [@Mr.Excellent](#): > > You’re not out of touch, exactly, but I think you’re missing a point: a watch is yet another thing I need to remember to grab in the morning. Why bother, when I’ve already got a device (my phone) that I take with me everywhere I go? > > I can do without a watch, but I can’t do without my phone. So if I want to minimize the stuff I’m carrying, the watch goes. A watch is another thing to remember to grab in the morning only in the sense that my pants are another thing to remember to grab: It’s unthinkable for me to leave the house without it; I’d feel half-dressed. I’m far more likely to leave the house without my phone, which is still seems kinda new-fangled. I’ve never left my house without my watch in maybe forty years. ---
**Author:** ![Otara](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/a88e4f/32.png) [@Otara](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Otara)\ **Post date:** [October 21, 2010, 5:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/not-wearing-a-watch-because-it-is-supposedly-replaced-by-phone-other-device-i-do-not-get-it/557824/48 "2010-10-21T05:29:39Z")
> [@msmith537](#): > > I can dive with mine to 200m. I mean I’m never going to do that, but at least I can. I have this thing called a dive computer that I use when I want to do that. Otara ---
**Author:** ![Inner\_Stickler](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/inner_stickler/32/318_2.png) [@Inner\_Stickler](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Inner_Stickler)\ **Post date:** [October 21, 2010, 5:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/not-wearing-a-watch-because-it-is-supposedly-replaced-by-phone-other-device-i-do-not-get-it/557824/49 "2010-10-21T05:29:46Z")
I don’t have a watch because my last one broke several years ago and things like that I buy because of an inconvenience. I’m not inconvenienced in regard to the time because my phone adequately fulfills that function. The only time I do miss watches is when I am putting together a classy outfit and want something decorative to wear to add some zing. Societally, mens choices in jewelry are limited and I don’t always feel like breaking gender barriers. (I would also totally get behind a hat wearing movement but only if it’s non-mandatory. If everyone has to wear a hat to work, it’s boring. If only I and a few others wear a hat to work, it’s stylish and daring.) ---
**Author:** ![Aspidistra](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aspidistra/32/3894_2.png) [@Aspidistra](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Aspidistra)\ **Post date:** [October 21, 2010, 6:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/not-wearing-a-watch-because-it-is-supposedly-replaced-by-phone-other-device-i-do-not-get-it/557824/50 "2010-10-21T06:00:11Z")
I stopped wearing a watch about 25 years ago. The straps irritated my skin and made me break out in a rash. I didn’t get a mobile phone till about 5 years ago. In the intervening time I just developed a good sense of time, and remembered the positions of all the public clocks in my area. This worked pretty well. I couldn’t imagine going back to wearing a watch now - even if I didn’t break out in a rash it would just annoy me - especially in summer. And I think if I were growing up now I’d never get _into_ the habit, and I suspect that’s what’s driving the decrease in watch wearing - younger folks just never taking up the habit. I know if, for some reason, I do need to ask someone the time I find more watch-wearers among the mddle-aged and old than the young. ---
**Author:** ![Peanuthead](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/peanuthead/32/360_2.png) [@Peanuthead](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Peanuthead)\ **Post date:** [October 21, 2010, 6:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/not-wearing-a-watch-because-it-is-supposedly-replaced-by-phone-other-device-i-do-not-get-it/557824/51 "2010-10-21T06:06:29Z")
> [@suranyi](#): > > A watch is another thing to remember to grab in the morning only in the sense that my pants are another thing to remember to grab: I had this terrible dream last night. I was walking down a crowded street and I suddenly realized that I wasn’t weraing any watches! ---
**Author:** ![BigT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bigt/32/12044_2.png) [@BigT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BigT)\ **Post date:** [October 21, 2010, 6:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/not-wearing-a-watch-because-it-is-supposedly-replaced-by-phone-other-device-i-do-not-get-it/557824/52 "2010-10-21T06:33:35Z")
It’s simple. For many people, the only purpose of a watch was to be able to know what time it is. The fact that it was on the wrist was much less important. People wore them that way, so they did, too. However, with cell phones, there is another way, albeit slightly more inconvenient, to check the time. ---
**Author:** ![msmith537](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d9b06d/32.png) [@msmith537](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/msmith537)\ **Post date:** [October 21, 2010, 11:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/not-wearing-a-watch-because-it-is-supposedly-replaced-by-phone-other-device-i-do-not-get-it/557824/53 "2010-10-21T11:50:23Z")
> [@jz78817](#): > > in other words, it’s jewelry. > > somehow I’ve managed to gain employment despite not having a watch. Yes. It’s a fashion accessory for men. You don’t NEED to have a watch. And if you have a watch you don’t NEED an expensive TAG, Breitling or Rolex watch that costs thousands of dollars. But some people like them. Then again some people enjoy living a life that is not completely based on functionality and practicality. ---
**Author:** ![Muffin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/muffin/32/4341_2.png) [@Muffin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Muffin)\ **Post date:** [October 21, 2010, 11:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/not-wearing-a-watch-because-it-is-supposedly-replaced-by-phone-other-device-i-do-not-get-it/557824/54 "2010-10-21T11:55:23Z")
I don’t like wearing things, so no wrist watch for me. ---
**Author:** ![sevenwood](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/6de8d8/32.png) [@sevenwood](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sevenwood)\ **Post date:** [October 21, 2010, 12:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/not-wearing-a-watch-because-it-is-supposedly-replaced-by-phone-other-device-i-do-not-get-it/557824/55 "2010-10-21T12:30:55Z")
> [@msmith537](#): > > I can dive with mine to 200m. I mean I’m never going to do that, but at least I can. If you ever find me 200m under the surface of a body of water, bring a body bag - because I’m well past the point of coming up on my own. ---
**Author:** ![6ImpossibleThingsB4Breakfast](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/6/e19adc/32.png) [@6ImpossibleThingsB4Breakfast](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/6ImpossibleThingsB4Breakfast)\ **Post date:** [October 21, 2010, 12:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/not-wearing-a-watch-because-it-is-supposedly-replaced-by-phone-other-device-i-do-not-get-it/557824/56 "2010-10-21T12:37:30Z")
I have 8 watches because I don’t wear a watch. People keep giving them to me as gifts because they’ve noticed that I don’t wear a watch. Timeless irony. ---
**Author:** ![Balthisar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/balthisar/32/2825_2.png) [@Balthisar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Balthisar)\ **Post date:** [October 21, 2010, 12:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/not-wearing-a-watch-because-it-is-supposedly-replaced-by-phone-other-device-i-do-not-get-it/557824/57 "2010-10-21T12:42:41Z")
> [@Peanuthead](#): > > I had this terrible dream last night. I was walking down a crowded street and I suddenly realized that I wasn’t weraing any watches! You laugh, but on the rare occasions that I forget my wristwatch, I do feel like I’ve left the house naked. Never mind the fact that I carry two cell phones, have a proper analogue clock in my vehicle, and sit in front of a computer with a clock half the day; I need my wristwatch. ---
**Author:** ![Drain\_Bead](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e47774/32.png) [@Drain\_Bead](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Drain_Bead)\ **Post date:** [October 21, 2010, 12:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/not-wearing-a-watch-because-it-is-supposedly-replaced-by-phone-other-device-i-do-not-get-it/557824/58 "2010-10-21T12:51:00Z")
I’ve never worn a wristwatch. It drives me crazy to have something around my wrist. I hate shirts with tight cuffs for that reason as well. ---
**Author:** ![sevenwood](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/6de8d8/32.png) [@sevenwood](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sevenwood)\ **Post date:** [October 21, 2010, 12:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/not-wearing-a-watch-because-it-is-supposedly-replaced-by-phone-other-device-i-do-not-get-it/557824/59 "2010-10-21T12:51:40Z")
> [@China\_Guy](#): > > …The smart phone can do most of these (not the altimeter that I know of)… Actually, every smartphone sold today has an excellent built-in altimeter inside it in the form of its GPS unit. You just have to find an app that will display that info. I use a free “GPS Status” app on my smartphone that I’ve downloaded from the Android market and right now it’s telling me that I’m 182 meters above sea level. When I walk downstairs it tells me that I’ve dropped three meters. The interesting thing is that when I type “altimeter” in the Android Market search box it tells me that it has six apps with that word in their descriptions - but my “GPS Status” app isn’t one of them. I guess the fellow who wrote this app didn’t think to add it in his app description. ---
**Author:** ![Edward\_The\_Head](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/ce73a5/32.png) [@Edward\_The\_Head](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Edward_The_Head)\ **Post date:** [October 21, 2010, 1:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/not-wearing-a-watch-because-it-is-supposedly-replaced-by-phone-other-device-i-do-not-get-it/557824/60 "2010-10-21T13:00:56Z")
I like wearing a watch, and probably will for a long time. I don wonder what people who only use phones do when they go somewhere without cell reception. I know there are places like that as I own property in one. With no cell reception my phones have never told me the time. No time, no alarm no nothing like that. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/not-wearing-a-watch-because-it-is-supposedly-replaced-by-phone-other-device-i-do-not-get-it/557824.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/not-wearing-a-watch-because-it-is-supposedly-replaced-by-phone-other-device-i-do-not-get-it/557824.md?page=4)