# Why do I kill watches? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [March 4, 2003, 9:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-i-kill-watches/159094 "2003-03-04T21:52:27Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![alice\_in\_wonderland](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alice_in_wonderland/32/176_2.png) [@alice\_in\_wonderland](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/alice_in_wonderland)\ **Post date:** [March 4, 2003, 9:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-i-kill-watches/159094/1 "2003-03-04T21:52:27Z")
I can’t wear a watch, because between 2 hours to 2 months of putting them on, they die, never to be resurected. Battery changes don’t help. Wind up watches don’t die, but they won’t keep proper time. Someone suggested that I have some sort of weird magnetic thing going on - anyone have any thoughts? ---
**Author:** ![ShibbOleth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/848f3c/32.png) [@ShibbOleth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ShibbOleth)\ **Post date:** [March 4, 2003, 10:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-i-kill-watches/159094/2 "2003-03-04T22:09:30Z")
[Magnetism](http://old.timezone.com/WebPages/Features/TZEssays/Mycroft/FatalAttractionInWatches.html) affects the movement in the watches you buy? ---
**Author:** ![ChalkPit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/a88e4f/32.png) [@ChalkPit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ChalkPit)\ **Post date:** [March 4, 2003, 10:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-i-kill-watches/159094/3 "2003-03-04T22:15:22Z")
What do you do for a living ? ---
**Author:** ![Gut](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/8dc957/32.png) [@Gut](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gut)\ **Post date:** [March 4, 2003, 10:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-i-kill-watches/159094/4 "2003-03-04T22:29:50Z")
Ever had a near death experience ? This [link](http://www.mindspring.com/~scottr/nde/watches.html) has anecdotal evidence of folks having the same problem after having a NDE. No explanation as to why though. ---
**Author:** ![alice\_in\_wonderland](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alice_in_wonderland/32/176_2.png) [@alice\_in\_wonderland](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/alice_in_wonderland)\ **Post date:** [March 4, 2003, 10:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-i-kill-watches/159094/5 "2003-03-04T22:35:37Z")
**Chalk** , I work at a university, but this has been happening since as long as I can remember. Hiya, **Gut** - I haven’t seen you around much lately. 🙂 No, no near death experiences of any sort. **Shibb** I dunno - some people have suggested that **I** am the problem, as opposed to exposure to some sort of external magnetic force. ---
**Author:** ![zev\_steinhardt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/97f17d/32.png) [@zev\_steinhardt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zev_steinhardt)\ **Post date:** [March 4, 2003, 10:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-i-kill-watches/159094/6 "2003-03-04T22:41:39Z")
You kill watches because you observe the biblical precept (Exodus 22:17) “Thou shalt not allow a watch to live.” Carry on. Zev Steinhardt ---
**Author:** ![Wintermute](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/e19b73/32.png) [@Wintermute](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wintermute)\ **Post date:** [March 4, 2003, 10:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-i-kill-watches/159094/7 "2003-03-04T22:45:14Z")
I’m afraid I can’t tell you why, but I have known other people with this problem, including one of my sisters. So you’re not alone with your weird ‘watch-stopping powers’. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![alice\_in\_wonderland](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alice_in_wonderland/32/176_2.png) [@alice\_in\_wonderland](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/alice_in_wonderland)\ **Post date:** [March 4, 2003, 10:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-i-kill-watches/159094/8 "2003-03-04T22:49:48Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by zev\_steinhardt \* > \*\*You kill watches because you observe the biblical precept (Exodus 22:17) “Thou shalt not allow a watch to live.” > \*\* Oh, right. I was wondering if that could be it. ---
**Author:** ![CC](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f1d935/32.png) [@CC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CC)\ **Post date:** [March 4, 2003, 11:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-i-kill-watches/159094/9 "2003-03-04T23:12:16Z")
Alice - I figured you’d get some people who know someone who has the same “problem.” I thinkwhat you have is sometimes called “a coincidence.” I think you also have what is sometimes referred to as “a cheap watch.” After years of looking closely, it seems that scientists have determined that people don’t have the ability to rescind or otherwise override the laws of nature. I’m willing to bet that if you were to plunk down a large amount of lucre for a truly well-made timepiece, that you would find that it would run just fine. I’d love to see what Lucien-Piccard or Rolex would say about one of their chronographs just stopping after about two months. I’m guessing it doesn’t happen. I think you have had a run of bad luck and that that, combined with your penchant for saving money on watches - because they keep stopping! - have led you to believe you are possessed of a physique that has super powers. You may have a wonderful body, but that’s not one of its features. (I did know a woman who had a face that could do what you seem to be able to do, however.) ---
**Author:** ![Gut](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/8dc957/32.png) [@Gut](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gut)\ **Post date:** [March 4, 2003, 11:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-i-kill-watches/159094/10 "2003-03-04T23:20:59Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by alice\_in\_wonderland \* > > Hiya, **Gut** - I haven’t seen you around much lately. 🙂 I was abducted by EverQuest about 7 months ago so I post even less frequently than before. _waves_ ---
**Author:** ![astro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/9dc877/32.png) [@astro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astro)\ **Post date:** [March 4, 2003, 11:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-i-kill-watches/159094/11 "2003-03-04T23:27:55Z")
Unless you are shuffling your feet, have long hair and wear synthetic body stockings it’s unlikely you are killing the watches. If you do all of the aforementioned you will kill electronic watches more quickly than the norm. Most likely reasons are: 1: You don’t choose/get as gifts truly high quality watches 2: You get them wet 3: You are slightly clumsy (an endearing trait in a woman) and accidently hit them on things all the time 4: You are a rage-a-holic and puching your angry little fists of fury through sheetrock walls has decreased the watches expected lifetime. 5: Random chance ---
**Author:** ![bbeaty](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/c0e974/32.png) [@bbeaty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bbeaty)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2003, 12:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-i-kill-watches/159094/12 "2003-03-05T00:37:31Z")
Some people are convinced that they: - Experience far more “static shocks” than everyone else - Kill far more digital watches than everyone else - See far more streetlights turning off at night than everyone else These might have totally mundane explanations. Or, they might be misperceptions and coincidences. Or, they be genuine anomalies which lead to new discoveries in physics. Either way, people constantly type them in here: Report your unusual phenomena [http://amasci.com/weird/unusual/unusual.html](http://amasci.com/weird/unusual/unusual.html) ---
**Author:** ![plain\_jane](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/a9a28c/32.png) [@plain\_jane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/plain_jane)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2003, 1:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-i-kill-watches/159094/13 "2003-03-05T01:34:47Z")
I seem to kill watches too (the longest lasting one was almost a whole year! Ooh! The fastest to die was about a month.) As pointed out here, though, I haven’t tried wearing a Rolex… so, if anyone is willing to give me one, I’d try it out and see how long it lasts. Hardy-har. I’m feeling lucky about my current watch. It’s lasted about half a year thus far, and hopefully keeps going. It’s from a kiddy meal at McDonald’s, even. So perhaps I wasn’t buying cheap enough. 🙂 I don’t think it’s magical or mystical in any way… I just don’t have good luck with watches. ---
**Author:** ![toofargone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ecae2f/32.png) [@toofargone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/toofargone)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2003, 2:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-i-kill-watches/159094/14 "2003-03-05T02:31:17Z")
I had trouble w/watches until I got 1 that had a rubber backing. The only trouble I have is that I make them run fast. It’s the static electricity I seem to conduct. I shock everyone in the office, and when I go to open facility doors w/my keys, yeouch, you should see the sparks fly. I have to touch a wall or the door handle to ground myself; if I don’t I can get sparks jumping out 2 inches to the key and I feel it to my elbow. ---
**Author:** ![mipiace](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/eb9ed0/32.png) [@mipiace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mipiace)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2003, 3:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-i-kill-watches/159094/15 "2003-03-05T03:48:51Z")
Don’t listen to these bubble heads who assume you’ve spent $4 on a watch (or perhaps it’s because they can buy a Rolex that doesn’t come from the arm of some guy in Times Square…) I have the saem problem - have all my life, my brother too. He carries a pocketwatch, I have one of those little things that are supposed to go on a necklace but I carry it in my purse. Yes, I have killed digital, kinetic, wind up, timex, calvin klein, seiko, gucci - pretty much everything I could afford to try. (never tried a Rolex but if you’d like to buy me one to prove me wrong, I will gladly try) I have never known why - just thought I was destined (Biblically or not) to not know the time. ---
**Author:** ![ShibbOleth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/848f3c/32.png) [@ShibbOleth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ShibbOleth)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2003, 3:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-i-kill-watches/159094/16 "2003-03-05T03:51:41Z")
I should point out that I had this problem until I got a Tag Heuer as a college graduation present. It also stopped within the first few months. Then I sent it away to Switzerland to get it fixed (repair cost $135 in 1989) and it has run very smoothly ever since. It needed a new battery. So the good news is that a truly expensive watch will probably fix this. But it may be cheaper to just keep buying cheap watches and tossing them when they stop. ---
**Author:** ![Shirley\_Ujest](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/45deac/32.png) [@Shirley\_Ujest](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shirley_Ujest)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2003, 4:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-i-kill-watches/159094/17 "2003-03-05T04:01:42Z")
My aunt and uncle ( siblings) both kill watches. My aunt gave up years ago trying. My uncle hasn’t. ---
**Author:** ![alice\_in\_wonderland](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alice_in_wonderland/32/176_2.png) [@alice\_in\_wonderland](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/alice_in_wonderland)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2003, 5:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-i-kill-watches/159094/18 "2003-03-05T05:32:58Z")
I currently have about 15 dead watches. They include: A Monet (about $500) A Gucci (about $650) A couple of Timexes (between $70-$150) A Tag Heuer (about $1,300) A Mickey Mouse (about $200) A Storm (about $300) A Fossill (about $150) So, I dunno how much I’m _supposed_ to spend on a watch. I will admit that the Tag lasted longer than any of them. Now - a coincidence, you say? It’s a hulluva big coincidence, if you ask me. ---
**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:** [March 5, 2003, 5:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-i-kill-watches/159094/19 "2003-03-05T05:40:50Z")
My mom killed watches and the occasional toaster, and ruined tv and radio reception. It was sort of spooky. ---
**Author:** ![alice\_in\_wonderland](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alice_in_wonderland/32/176_2.png) [@alice\_in\_wonderland](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/alice_in_wonderland)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2003, 5:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-i-kill-watches/159094/20 "2003-03-05T05:42:49Z")
Actually, I’ve been known to kill a pager or two as well. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-i-kill-watches/159094.md?page=2)