Who wears a watch, and why?

[Cindy]

I was at a meeting on Friday and during a break someone mentioned they no longer wore a watch, I think came from one of the woman saying that another girls watch looked cute.

The a number of people piped up saying they had given up wearing watches and that they took the time from their phone.

So who does wear a watch and is it as jewellery or as a time piece?

I do, but I might stop and wear a pretty bracelet instead.

[Snowpaw]

I wear bracelets, watches are kinda obsolete. Save for the survival ones but those are never fashionable

[silly by the seashore]

I wear a watch mostly so I know what time it is. When I am at home, I usually don't though.  My phone stays in my purse at work and oftentimes, it is easier for me to look at my wrist than one of the clocks at work.

[suzifrommd]

For health reason I need to stay hydrated throughout the day so I time my water drinking. For this reason I like to know the time.

Watches are better. Reaching to check my phone can be distracting to whomever I interact with. A casual glance at my wrist is much less obtrusive.

[Penny Gurl]

I wear a watch nearly every day when I'm working, but both my jobs really require some bit of timeliness.  During the week I drive a school bus and can't be looking at my phone and on the weekend (and sometimes during the week) I photograph weddings and need to keep a close eye on exactly what time it is so judge the flow of events.  I love watches and even have a small collection of pocket watches and wrist time pieces.  I think it's a shave they are loosing favor as they can also be a truly unique piece of expression along with something practical.  But the majority of people I know simply just look at their phone for the time.  Which when I was taking a silver smithing class the same subject came up since we needed to time something and in a class of 30 only two of us had watches on! How sad ...

[Apples Mk.II]

Always. I feel naked without one. I depend on it for my work, and since I rarely carry my cellphone with me, it's my only timekeeping device.

[Shang]

I don't wear a watch.  I just use my phone or iPod for it.  I don't wear a watch because I don't like the idea of getting a sun tan line around my wrist and the feeling of something around my wrist drives me crazy.  I could do pocket watches, but that's just another thing I have to keep track of and would have the risk of losing.

[Nicolette]

I stopped wearing a watch after I transitioned, years ago. I find watches bulky and uncomfortable. If I need the time away from a PC, I'll use the phone. I stare at a screen for most of the day with the time in the corner. However, I used to be neurotic about needing to know the time.

[peky]

I have 4 middle size (meaning large women) mechanical watches. Steel one is kind of sporty (Invicta), an Omega gold one, kind of dressy, I inherited from my mother, a square black Seiko I like to wear with my bitching dresses, and a steel citizen that has a mother of pearl face, which is my favorite and I wear it almost every day.

This thread reminds me of how dependent in technology we have become. How many people (civilians) know how to get an azimut and navigate with a map?

[Beth Andrea]

I used to wear a watch until the probability of transitioning came along...always associated it with "manliness" and "tan line"  , so decided that was one of the many elements I could discard.

Women's watches are usually very tiny, so they don't fit my wrists and the print is *SO* small I can't even read the things.

Cell phone time for me...although I have played with the idea of having a watch fob on the pants, I've always liked those. (I prefer the round dial anyways...)

[Beth Andrea]

I have 4 middle size (meaning large women) mechanical watches. Steel one is kind of sporty (Invicta), an Omega gold one, kind of dressy, I inherited from my mother, a square black Seiko I like to wear with my bitching dresses, and a steel citizen that has a mother of pearl face, which is my favorite and I wear it almost every day.

This thread reminds me of how dependent in technology we have become. How many people (civilians) know how to get an azimut and navigate with a map?

I can do map and compass navigating! Was in the .mil, but they didn't teach me, I learned by trail and errrrr... The secret is to properly utilize the mag var (which is printed on the map).

[Ms. OBrien CVT]

Do to my profession, Vet Tech, I wear a watch for taking heart rates, respiration rates, etc.  I found a cute pink watch at Walmart and I always get compliments on it.

[Shang]

I can do map and compass navigating! Was in the .mil, but they didn't teach me, I learned by trail and errrrr... The secret is to properly utilize the mag var (which is printed on the map).

I can navigate via map and compass as well.  My dad made sure we knew how to do this for "just in case".  I was never in the military because I can't join due to partial paralysis.  I just have a dad who likes to make sure we know what's going in the outside world.

As for being dependent on technology, watches are technology.  Some even do more than my iPod or any MP3 player I've ever had, which just gets me.  I generally don't like watches or caring anything around that tells the time because I don't like the idea of being dependent on time unless I'm teaching.

[John Smith]

I keep thinking of getting one, but ..meh. Anything I wear on arms or fingers end up annoying me or getting caught on something. I use my phone for telling time and reminding me of just about anything during the day.

[tekla]

I think the reason that everyone went to the phones - well at least the early adopters - was that for the first time it was possible to get everyone synced up.  So that (at last, cheers!) 12:00 noon was the same for everybody - not something that happened in this kind of fuzzy window of sort of five minuteish thing.  And here BART, MUNI also pull the same time signal that all the phone use.  So we all know now if the 1:59 bus waited, or took off early.  Everyone agrees to the time on your phone.  People DON'T agree to the time on watches anymore.

I never wore watches (too California vain, hated the tan line), but I usually carried on on me.

I have what is (or at least was, once upon a time) a nurses watch, which reads upside down.   It's on a lanyard around my neck.  I use it for shows.  Only shows (because I don't have my phone on me, I'M WORKING)

[JoW]

I wear a watch so I know what time it is... I don't always have my mobile phone with me, and I don't want to keep reaching into my pocket or bag to tell the time even when I have.

Actually make that one of two watches, his and hers.

[Devlyn]

Dick Tracy, that's who! A two way wrist radio. Years ahead of his time.

[AngieT]

I think that the issue of wearing a watch can largely be divided by the generation in which you grew up.  The younger crowd often prefers to get the time from their phones/mobile devices, while the older generation largely still hangs on to their watches. 

As a stay at home wife, I don't carry a phone.  When I worked in a clinical environment, a watch was a required piece of my daily wear.  Additionally, while a phone may offer convenience when you have one on you, I've always strictly prohibited staff carrying phones in the office, making a watch a pretty important accessory. 

Beyond that, I've always believed that part of effective "passing" was having as many visual gender indicators as possible.  Earrings, rings, bracelets and clothes all serve to denote our gender identity, and a ladies watch is another unmistakeable part of that presentation.   

[tekla]

Dick got robbed.  Granted we didn't get the flying cars - but my phone - not much bigger than my wrist, also has a small music library, a camera,  Worldwide navigation that pretty darn accurate, a calendar, phone book, maps, a calculator, access to the internet and I think games (its' not like I play, but I think my kid did), and it's a phone, messaging device and e-mailer - it does not have a two-way radio, the old one did and I just didn't use it enough.

[Miniar]

I wear a watch.... a pocketwatch...
I got it for my 30th birthday.