# Wrist and Watch **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [March 28, 2000, 8:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wrist-and-watch/9789 "2000-03-28T20:23:00Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Paul\_Coleman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/dfb087/32.png) [@Paul\_Coleman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Paul_Coleman)\ **Post date:** [March 28, 2000, 8:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wrist-and-watch/9789/1 "2000-03-28T20:23:00Z")
I always thought that men wore watches on the left, women on the right, whereas my colleagues are sure that it has to do with handedness and not gender. Oddball input includes my buddies suggestion that good “feng shui” can be derived from wearing one’s watch upside down, (as in having the clasp where most of us see the face of the timepiece)and one the right wrist. Please, it’s about time… ---
**Author:** ![Ursa\_Major](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/a88e57/32.png) [@Ursa\_Major](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ursa_Major)\ **Post date:** [March 28, 2000, 8:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wrist-and-watch/9789/2 "2000-03-28T20:33:00Z")
For what it’s worth, I got my first watch when I was in 6th grade. I wore it to school on my right wrist and was called a “fag” by no less than 5 classmates before I figured out that men were “supposed” to wear their watches on the left wrist. ---
**Author:** ![Missy2U](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/3bc359/32.png) [@Missy2U](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Missy2U)\ **Post date:** [March 28, 2000, 8:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wrist-and-watch/9789/3 "2000-03-28T20:43:00Z")
Well my watch is on my left wrist. I have bracelets on my right wrist. The clasp is upside down (facing up?), as a matter of fact, but that is because I have small wrists and need to have one more link taken out so it won’t keep flopping over. I TOLD him to tell them to take out three when he took it in but N-O-O-O-0… * * * I gather rain… ---
**Author:** ![KarmaComa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/e36b37/32.png) [@KarmaComa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KarmaComa)\ **Post date:** [March 28, 2000, 8:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wrist-and-watch/9789/4 "2000-03-28T20:48:00Z")
I wear mine on my right wrist, but peep this: I am left-handed. After I broke my right arm I wore my watch on my left. Then i broke my left, and here is my watch, back on the right. I can’t remember where I started… I’ve broken my left arm twice. ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [March 28, 2000, 9:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wrist-and-watch/9789/5 "2000-03-28T21:06:00Z")
I got my first watch when I was ten. I wore it on the right wrist (dad was a leftie. I’m mostly right-handed). I didn’t wear a watch for a while, and when I did I wore it on the left. Then I didn’t wear a watch for a while and now I wear it on the right. I never heard anything about “right = gay, left = straight” as it pertains to watches. … My dad asked me what I wanted for my birthday. I told him, “I want a watch!” So he let me! _rimshot_ * * * “I must leave this planet, if only for an hour.” – Antoine de St. Exupéry Are you a turtle? ---
**Author:** ![Arnold\_Winkelried](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Arnold\_Winkelried](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Arnold_Winkelried)\ **Post date:** [March 28, 2000, 10:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wrist-and-watch/9789/6 "2000-03-28T22:04:00Z")
Ursa, wasn’t your first chosen moniker Papa Bear? Maybe you need to get in touch with your inner self more. 🙂 I also wore my first watch on my right hand until I was told that it was the wrong hand. ---
**Author:** ![WillGolfForFood](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/82dd89/32.png) [@WillGolfForFood](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WillGolfForFood)\ **Post date:** [March 28, 2000, 10:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wrist-and-watch/9789/7 "2000-03-28T22:05:00Z")
I’m left-handed, and wear my watch on my left wrist. I used to wear my watches upside down (with the watch face near the palm of my hand) because someone told me that would better protect the watch face. After breaking several watch faces, I switched to wearing my watches upside-up 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![ASPA](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/b19c9b/32.png) [@ASPA](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ASPA)\ **Post date:** [March 28, 2000, 11:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wrist-and-watch/9789/8 "2000-03-28T23:14:00Z")
Interesting string of replies. ---
**Author:** ![Paul\_Coleman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/dfb087/32.png) [@Paul\_Coleman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Paul_Coleman)\ **Post date:** [March 29, 2000, 12:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wrist-and-watch/9789/9 "2000-03-29T00:03:00Z")
But still no definitive answer… ---
**Author:** ![Henry](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/df705f/32.png) [@Henry](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Henry)\ **Post date:** [March 29, 2000, 12:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wrist-and-watch/9789/10 "2000-03-29T00:17:00Z")
Before battery powered watches, you had to wind the watch. The winding stem (at least on men’s watches) was always on the right side of the watch face when looking at the watch. It was easier and more natural to wear your watch on your left wrist to facilitate winding. I have no idea about women’s watches. ---
**Author:** ![BF](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/b5ac83/32.png) [@BF](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BF)\ **Post date:** [March 29, 2000, 12:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wrist-and-watch/9789/11 "2000-03-29T00:24:00Z")
A relatively mundane topic for my first post. But, my father taught me that right-handers wear the watch on the left hand, because you didn’t want to break it 'cuz your right hand for righties was your action hand (no pun intended). Also, most military types wore theirs face-in, on the inside of the wrist for (1) couldn’t break the face and/or the watch blocking a blow, and (2) the face wouldn’t reflect light in night ops. * * * When things get really weird, the weird turn pro. H.S. Thompson ---
**Author:** ![Lagged2Death](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/ac8455/32.png) [@Lagged2Death](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lagged2Death)\ **Post date:** [March 29, 2000, 12:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wrist-and-watch/9789/12 "2000-03-29T00:37:00Z")
I am right-handed, and wear my watch on my left hand. I’ve never really thought about why. Probably because it’s the way both of my parents (and most folks, it seems to me) wear a watch. I can think of a few possible reasons: - Wearing a watch one’s less-useful hand (right hand for lefties, left hand for righties) allows you to wind, set, and press buttons on the watch with your more-useful hand. - Since most people are right handed, the watch makers put the set/wind stem on the right of the watch, making it easy to use when worn on the left hand, and tricky when worn on the right. - A watch worn on the less-useful hand may be subject to less damage and abuse, simply because you use the hand less, and have less opportunity to scrape, snag, and otherwise batter the watch. - Wearing a watch on the less-useful hand lets you check the time while doing something else with the other hand, like carrying a heavy package or scribbling down some notes. Still not a conclusive answer, though. I feel silly referring to hands as “more-useful” and “less-useful.” Surely there’s some clear-yet-concise way of talking about such things - does anyone know what it is? ---
**Author:** ![matt\_mcl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/7ab992/32.png) [@matt\_mcl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/matt_mcl)\ **Post date:** [March 29, 2000, 12:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wrist-and-watch/9789/13 "2000-03-29T00:43:00Z")
Dominant and non-dominant. ---
**Author:** ![aseymayo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/a88e57/32.png) [@aseymayo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aseymayo)\ **Post date:** [March 29, 2000, 1:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wrist-and-watch/9789/14 "2000-03-29T01:08:00Z")
I thought it used to belong in one of those weird fashion etiquette things, like which way your shirt buttons (men = buttons on right, women’s left). Women wear the watch on the right, with the face on the inside of the wrist so the watch looks more like jewelry. Men wear them on the left, face up so it looks less like jewelry (and more like a gauge or something equally manly). But this sort of thing went out with hats and gloves for ladies in the afternoon (sorry, Eve). Today I think most people just wear them where it’s the most comfortable and convenient. Me? Never wear one. ---
**Author:** ![ASPA](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/b19c9b/32.png) [@ASPA](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ASPA)\ **Post date:** [April 4, 2000, 10:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wrist-and-watch/9789/15 "2000-04-04T10:27:00Z")
This appears to be a case where the definitive / conclusive answer may be found in some sense of overall discussion. I was tempted to create nonsense humour from the body replies, but the thread is not yet so replete with the seriously direct answers. Ursa, Missy, WiillGo, and BF offer persoanl experience which help go to bebunk any universal or one-and-only way and reason for wearing watches. I think that _all_ mentioned ways and reasons occur simultaneously within the market. Key Concept: Market. The definitive / conclusive answer will, after all, reckon mostly with varied consumer trends (none of which get to dominate for any significant time in all pockets of the mass marketplace). (Speaking of pockets, I’ll bet pocket watches were succesfully considered, at one time, in some places, to be the only proper man’s watch. Today, within the market for men’s earstuds there are all kinds of would-be traditions vieing for dominance, as some people or sets lead attempts to tie persoanl and social identities to fashion. Human behavior(al)/psychology and mythology are then easily drawn into rationales. When products originate to serve particular and legitimate behavioral and psychological conveniences and realities, though, the intended special use(s) for the product are succesfully marketed into unmistakeable, universal appeal (e.g., left-handed iron; ladies trousers; two-way items, etc.) ---
**Author:** ![ASPA](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/b19c9b/32.png) [@ASPA](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ASPA)\ **Post date:** [April 4, 2000, 10:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wrist-and-watch/9789/16 "2000-04-04T10:41:00Z")
> [@](#): > > by Paul Coleman: > …[colleagues say] good “feng shui” can be derived from wearing one’s watch upside down… I don’t usually keep my watch on—but I’ll have to try that—keeping in mind that what’s upside down today is downside up tomorrow and what is good feng shui may not be necessarily good feng me-ee. ---
**Author:** ![Guy\_Propski](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/5e9695/32.png) [@Guy\_Propski](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Guy_Propski)\ **Post date:** [April 4, 2000, 1:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wrist-and-watch/9789/17 "2000-04-04T13:27:00Z")
Well, to cut through the ASPA inspired BS, Henry had it right. Watches go on the left arm (for both men and women), because the winding stem in on the right, and most people are right-handed. Yes, I know, it’s the continueing repression of the left-handed minority. You’ll all be happy to know that there are wristwatches made for lefties, which come with the winding stem on the left side. With the almost complete market dominance of battery powered watches, the position of the stem has become mostly moot, unless you’re the type of person who changes the time on your watch while it’s still on your wrist. * * * It’s my duty; my duty as a complete and utter bastard.–Arnold J. Rimmer. ---
**Author:** ![AWB](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/bb73d2/32.png) [@AWB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AWB)\ **Post date:** [April 4, 2000, 2:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wrist-and-watch/9789/18 "2000-04-04T14:11:00Z")
I had heard of sidedness for men wearing single earrings, but not watches. I always heard it was more useful to wear your watch opposite of your handedness hand. * * * Wrong thinking is punished, right thinking is just as swiftly rewarded. You’ll find it an effective combination. ---
**Author:** ![Irishman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/b487fb/32.png) [@Irishman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Irishman)\ **Post date:** [April 5, 2000, 10:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wrist-and-watch/9789/19 "2000-04-05T22:42:00Z")
> [@](#): > > Originally posted by matt\_mcl: > **Dominant and non-dominant.** Shouldn’t that be dominant and submissive? ::running away:: ---
**Author:** ![Fyodor](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/958977/32.png) [@Fyodor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fyodor)\ **Post date:** [April 6, 2000, 1:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wrist-and-watch/9789/20 "2000-04-06T01:14:00Z")
When I was about 10 years old I had my first wrist watch with one of those flexible metal bands. I’m a lefty but I wore it on my left wrist. I still remember throwing a baseball and watching my watch hurl off my wrist and into the air. Also, remember when watches used to say “shockproof”? This didn’t refer to electricity, it meant a sharp jolt or blow wouldn’t stop the watch from working. Wristwatches were not always so durable as the ones available now. Wrist watches are worn on the wrist opposite your dominant hand to protect them.