Are wristwatches over? - YouLookFab Forum

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Are wristwatches over?

Aziraphale

Veteran

I don't see many people wearing them. I almost never wear one anymore, and if I do, it's because of the look of the thing, not because I need it. Everyone uses their mobile phone to tell time. I now think of the watch as potentially a nice piece of jewellery, but since I'm into streamlining these days, I tend to keep jewellery to a minimum. So mine sits in a drawer, forgotten.

What's the future of the wristwatch?

Dressing

71 replies

Latest reply was from old chic

Nicole D

Veteran

In my line of work (health care ), hand or arm adornment is discouraged, due to hygiene concerns. I feel naked without one. I think a lot of people use their phones to check the time. Which I find distracting, if I check the time, I am also apt to check email etc. Plus, wearing a watch allows one to shoot their cuff before looking at the time, a very elegant gesture.

Susie

Veteran

I often wear a watch, for the jewelry aspect more than the function.

Emily

Veteran

I wear one almost every day, and habitually check my wrist rather than my phone for the time.

+ I completely agree with Nicole D., "wearing a watch allows one to shoot their cuff before looking at the time, a very elegant gesture."

deb

Veteran

I have not worn one in years.

Suja

Veteran

I wear one every day and in business meetings with more senior people, everyone wears one. I couldn't live without mine. It is much more discreet to check time on your wrist then whip out your phone.

They are even making a resurgence with younger people for the nostalgia effect. This article is a few years old but on point IMO:
http://www.nytimes.com/2011/07.....ation.html?

Aziraphale

Veteran

Nicole -- "wearing a watch allows one to shoot their cuff before looking at the time, a very elegant gesture". Hehe. I never though of that. Similar to the argument in favour of long hair -- so you can flick it out of your eyes in a carefree manner.

Susie, yes, me too. I don't actually look at the little watch hands anymore. Even if I'm wearing a watch I look at my phone, because I'm in the habit of doing so. The force of habit is strong. I do love the look of a beautiful watch, though.

Anonymous

I used to wear a watch from time to time ('scuse the pun!), but I got fed up of never being able to find a short enough strap for my minute wrists. I always had to put an extra hole in and ended up with a long piece poking out, so I gave up wearing one. I now use my phone or ask someone for the time!

always trying

Veteran

I live in earthquake country, and so am prepared to be without power for long period of time where one can not charge their phone. we should depend less on technology and electricity. Do you know in power outages even the cell phone towers don't work..

Glory

Veteran

Both DH and I wear a watch daily.

Anonymous

We'll I'm early 40's and wear one daily, slap it on the minute I leave my bedroom. I have been known to buy a cheap drugstore one when I lost one midday at work or the battery stopped.

I use my cell frequently for updates, email, internet browsing etc but not for the time very often.

dD who is 18 never uses a watch, and I have to tell her not to use her cell that way at work as I think it is misconstrued as boredom, not time checking

JAileen

Veteran

I'm in my 50s and wear a watch daily. My son, mid 20s, uses his phone for the time.

To illustrate our differences: I use the time on my ipad to set my antique regulator clock after I wind it. My son was going to a dressy party and wanted to wear a watch to complete his outfit. He didn't care if it worked or not.

Aziraphale

Veteran

Oh dear. So, Jaileen and A, what you're saying is, the fact that I use my phone to check the time means I'm like an 18 or 20 year old? Is it a case of arrested development? Lol

Always Trying -- I live in earthquake country too. I suspect checking the time would not be near the top of my list of priorities in the event of a disaster!

CocoLion

(website)

Veteran

I stopped wearing a watch for a while in the early and mid 00s and used my phone instead. But ever since my brother gave me a Timex Expedition watch in 2007, I have started to love watches again. I agree it's a more discreet time telling tool than the phone. I have never seen any of our younger employees whip out their phone just to check the time. We have clocks for that. When they pull out their phones they know enough to hide from me because they usually get stuck on their devices for a while.

Banoffi

Veteran

I wear a watch every day. I find it much more convenient to look at my wrist to find out the time than to dig around for my cell phone in my handbag. lol

JAileen

Veteran

I'm not saying you're like a 20 year old. But for them, a watch is redundant. For me, I sometimes go days without looking at my phone. In fact, a friend sent me an important message via text message, AND I GOT IT TOO LATE! I told my friend to phone my house in the future, please, and leave a message.

I'm a slow adopter I guess. When I first saw an ipad I thought why would I want that? I already have a laptop. Now, I use my ipad daily and rarely use my laptop.

Janet

(website)

Veteran

I had a watchless phase for a while, some years ago, but after my husband gave me a nice Philip Stein a couple of years ago, I've been wearing them almost every day since. I now have a nice small collection of watches and enjoy switching them out to coordinate with my outfits. (In turn, I gave my husband a really nice Corum watch, which he wears a lot when he's not on the ranch.)

IMHO, wristwatches will never be truly "over" -- I see lots of people still wearing them. I think they're a nice way to add something fashionable as well as functional to an accessory wardrobe.

cheryle (Dianthus)

(website)

Veteran

I don't wear my phone so do like to wear a watch. I quit for a while but just this last week I have started putting on a watch some days and like the look of it. The one I am wearing today a la Mer and was inspired by Nicole D.

Waving to Nicole...

Meredith

Veteran

I don't wear watches, but mostly because things on my wrist make it difficult to use the computer. Regarding age, my SIL is in her 20s and has a watch collection. She loves them and wears them every day. But I have a feeling she is a bit of an exception.

abc

Veteran

I travel a lot via airplane and have for years. I know now they let you have electronics on but back in the day it drove me bonkers to be on an airplane and not be able to tell the time or calculate how long until we landed. Thus I wear one almost daily - travel day or not.

In the last year I upgraded to two Michele watches both from rack and I never looked back. Love them both. Other is white rubber band (jelly or jelly bean may be the name?)

Aziraphale

Veteran

But but but, with a phone, a watch IS redundant. Beautiful, yes. But not necessary. A phone, on the other hand, is necessary. Leaving the house without a phone is not an option, for me at least. What if something happens to my kids? My mom?

I guess I'm a fairly early adopter, too. And I don't work in an office, so I'm never in meetings (where checking the time on a phone would be rude).

Anonymous

I have several dress wristwatches that I never wear. In fact, the batteries dies long ago and I never bothered to replace them. So, for me, the wristwatch is dead. That said, I would die without my sports watch.

Laurie

I hope not.. I have about 12 of them!

kerry

Veteran

I haven't worn a watch regularly ever! And I've only had a cell phone for 4 years but before that I got very good at finding clocks, reading people's wrists or guessing This year, though, I'll be a kindergarten teacher so the gorgeous Coach watch that I only wore for a summer will re-adorn my wrist for function.

Rambling Ann

(website)

Veteran

Watch on the wrist. Phone in the pocket. Mud on the hands. Is it time to clean up and start dinner? Guess which one I'm checking.

I only use the phone for time in the middle of the night, because it lights up when I push the button. The wristwatch alarm is set to go off every morning whether I need it or not. I usually don't but the cat uses it as his signal to start pestering me about letting him outside.

And then there's the watch tan. It's so bad now, I don't dare NOT wear a watch. I've worn my dress watch when the batteries were worn out just to cover the patch of pasty white skin. Now that was annoying-to keep looking at my watch at a boring banquet and the seconds never seemed to pass.

N-Marie

Veteran

I generally use a phone to check time, but I am finding that I am coming back around to wanting a watch.
What I really, really want is an elegant watch that has some connectivity function with my phone (ie will show text messages or the name of a caller) so I can glance at the watch without pulling out my phone). There are some watches that currently do this, but they are pretty geeky and masculine looking, from what I've seen.

daisy5

I wear a watch everyday. It's too much of a hassle to look for my phone in my purse just to check the time.

MsMary

Veteran

I wear a watch all day, every day, except when I am actually working out at the gym. I find it far too cumbersome to pull out my phone if I want to check the time.

I realize that this is a generational thing. When I was in grad school with a bunch of twentysomethings a few years back, I was the only one in the room with a wristwatch.

I don't plan to ever give up my wristwatch!

jennifer

Veteran

I usually wear a watch if I'm out and about or at work( sometimes at home too). I have a cell phone ( Moterola flip phone ) so I could tote that and check the time on it , but I usually turn it off and tuck it in my purse. It bugs me when my coworkers have to have their phones on their person and check them . If they are on the clock then work- don't be socializing on business time. I do understand being an available contact in case of a family emergency but 98-99% of the time ? I'm hearing people goofing off and setting up clubbing and bar hopping dates with friends,tweets,texts,and videos etc. I had a manager of my store a few years back who was going through a divorce and custody battle and she'd have tearful ,yelling emotional arguments on the phone ( hers and also the store's business line ! WHILE ON THE SALES FLOOR! Made everyone uncomfortable.Needless to say she didn't last long .
A watch adds to the accessory count ( we're supposed to have 5 accessories on at work) helps me keep track of time,play beat the clock doing tasks( ie. can I get x number of things processed by x time?) . I have a pretty good collection of fashion ones ,though several are due for battery changing again soon. I'm thinking about getting a tortoiseshell and gold one and a rose gold one both in a Michael Kors type chunkier look.

Laura (rhubarbgirl)

(website)

Veteran

I wear a watch every day, a nice Citizen EcoDrive my DH gave me a few years ago. I strongly dislike it when people use their phones to check the time; to be honest I think it's rude. Often they go ahead and check their email/texts - in the middle of a conversation. Unfortunately, my DH is one of those people and he never wears a watch. N-Marie, I would also love to have a decent looking watch that also connects with the phone; when on the go I wouldn't need to pull my phone out of my purse. Like you say I know there are a couple of them now but they look pretty clunky (and pricey) now.

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