Wrist Watches Obsolete?

[Walt34]

I think a watch on a man's wrist looks sexy.

That's why I still wear one. Who 'da thunk a watch would be a chick magnet?

It's just easier than fishing for the cell phone.

For formal occasions, I still have my Micky Mouse pocket watch and fob.

 

[happy2bretired]

According to an article in the latest MORE magazine (Pamela Redmond Satran), entitled "How NOT to Act Old", wearing a watch is, well...old. "...a naked wrist is now as emblematic of youth as a perky butt." I don't have a perky butt either so I might as well continue wearing my watch.

 

[Rustic23]

Chocolate or Vanilla? Seems to me there is no right or wrong.

It was practically mandatory if you were a pilot, the Air Force even issued you one. It is a habit I never broke. I now wear a $50 Casio that gets a nightly time signal to keep it accurate.

I remember in a briefing a guy had a new Accutron, and he did not hack his watch at the start of the brief. When ask why he did not hack his watch he said "I give time hacks, not take them".

Also use to be a saying.
A man with no watch does not know what time it is.
A man with one watch thinks he knows what time it is.
A man with two watches is never sure!

 

[TromboneAl]

I like my Timex Datalink, and often use the stopwatch, countdown timer, event reminder, day-related alarms, and phone number database.

Let's say I'm out driving, and I know that I'll need to put a chicken in the slow cooker when I get home. I set the timer for 40 minutes (so it will chime after I get home), and picture a raw chicken sitting in the slow cooker looking at its watch.

I had one of the original datalinks -- the one that transferred data by looking at flashed lines on the computer monitor.

 

[bbbamI]

That's why I still wear one. Who 'da thunk a watch would be a chick magnet?

For this chick it is....

I think a wrist watch on a man enhances the muscles in his arm and makes his hands look larger and stronger. He can show his mood by wearing black leather or gold.

While we're at it...add a drop of cologne.....wooof...

 

[Dudester]

From an LBYM perspective. I've never felt the need to own an expensive watch, but I always used to wear a watch. Nowadays since I have my cell phone on me at all times, and it keeps time flawlessly, I haven't worn a watch for over a year. Will probably sell or give away the ones I have, but I don't see the point anymore. The only remaining reason to wear one is the jewelry aspect, but that doesn't make sense from an LBYM perspective either. [-]Newspapers[/-], [-]sandwich bags[/-], [-]big house[/-], [-]expensive cars[/-], [-]fancy clothes[/-], [-]showy vacations[/-], [-]household clutter[/-], [-]watches[/-], what's next? LBYM is indeed liberating...

I wear a watch. My excuse is that it's my medical alert bracelet. I wear the latter because of a medication I take. I found an outfit that sells medical alert "thingies" that wrap around the band. I much prefer this solution to the traditional medical alert bracelet.

I have to admit that I've got my own idiosyncrasies. I would never own a cell phone for its timekeeping ability; I absolutely detest phones. I have a cell phone that I carry around for medical reasons, but it's always off (my medical problems are such that having a cell phone along makes sense).

Some of the other posters on this topic have made some rather dubious claims about not having a timepiece. For example, there's a roadside clock around the next corner. A few years ago, I had a connecting flight at the Dallas/Fort Worth airport. I wondered what the local time was (my watch was on PDT and I wasn't sure what time zone DFW was in). I walked all over the airport and couldn't find a clock anywhere - at least in the areas away from the gates.

Some argue that a watch makes you look old. BS! I look old because I'm old.

Finally, I'm an individualist. In a crowd of people, none of whom wear a watch, the man with the watch is the individualist.

 

[Bimmerbill]

I wear one as an accessory to look professional. I try to dress professional at work. So far it has not helped me get a promotion tho.

I got a nice Accutron/Bulova from a web site sale for $250. Its close to a $1000 watch and is a thing of beauty. Its heavy, and has an open back so you can see all the internals. Pretty cool.

 

[TromboneAl]

Its heavy, and has an open back so you can see all the internals.

You should wear it inside-out. Tell people you're a cyborg.

 

[Martha]

I still wear one on occasion but usually as a accessory when I feel like dressing up. (Or showing off) That watch, my favorite, is more a piece of jewelry. It has diamonds around the face that look great with my tennis bracelet.

What is a tennis bracelet? I have always kind of wondered.

 

[Westernskies]

Does anyone really know what time it is?

Does anybody really care?

YouTube - Chicago- Does Anybody Really Know What Time It Is? (1969)

 

[TromboneAl]

What is a tennis bracelet? I have always kind of wondered.

It's not often that a piece of jewelry is named for an accident, but such is the case with tennis bracelets. Tennis bracelets got their unusual name from an incident involving Chris Evert during a US Open match in 1987. Chris had been wearing an expensive bracelet featuring an inline string of individually-set diamonds. When the clasp snapped, she asked the officials to stop the match until the jewelry could be found.

Since that day, bracelets featuring an inline array of diamonds have been called Tennis bracelets, and they are popular accessories for formal occasions due to their luster and sparkle.

 

[Westernskies]

It's not often that a piece of jewelry is named for an accident, but such is the case with tennis bracelets. Tennis bracelets got their unusual name from an incident involving Chris Evert during a US Open match in 1987. Chris had been wearing an expensive bracelet featuring an inline string of individually-set diamonds. When the clasp snapped, she asked the officials to stop the match until the jewelry could be found.

Since that day, bracelets featuring an inline array of diamonds have been called Tennis bracelets, and they are popular accessories for formal occasions due to their luster and sparkle.

Nice explanation, T-Al. Would you be able to clarify the origins of any other jewelry items, say for example a pearl necklace?

 

[RunningBum]

I wore a watch when I worked in an office, partly because that was before I had a PC with the little clock in the corner, and partly to get to meetings on time if I wasn't at my desk. I like nice watches (not those huge ugly things though), but I always found ways to scratch them, so I switched to Casios. Functional, but not a chick magnet.

Now I work at home and have enough clocks, and my laptop has a clock and calendar popups for the meeting or two a week I have. When I'm out and about I usually have my cell phone, or I just don't really worry about it. I used to be too anal about keeping track of time, now it's just not so important. Besides, I can often call the time within 5-10 minutes even if I haven't seen a clock in hours. When traveling I often take a watch, mostly for the plane and as a backup alarm.

When I run I often wear a Garmin watch to keep track of distance, and sometimes pace. And sometimes I watch the time to make sure I'm not going out too far and will lose the light, if I'm not prepared for that.

 

[DangerMouse]

Add me to those who never wears a watch. Even the past few years when I was employed I did not wear a watch. I used the time off my computer to keep on track for meetings etc.

Needless to say, even without a watch I always knew when it was time to go home.

 

[free4now]

It's been about 15 years since I stopped wearing a watch. I found that the carpal tunnel symptoms I was getting from typing all day at work seemed to be aggravated by having a watchband around my wrist, so it was at first a health decision.

But now it's a freedom thing. I most always have the time in front of me on my computer, clock, car, or cell phone.

The only times I wear a watch now are:

Travelling overseas in poor countries, where I don't carry a cell phone. I wear a $10 Casio to make me look poor and not worth robbing.

Dressing up, when I want to look spiffy and don't want a cell phone in my pocket. Also if I'm on a date it's awkward to constantly pull out my cell phone at dinner to make sure we're not late for the show. Better just to glance down at a watch.

Hiking in the mountains, where I bring my altimeter watch.

But it has often been a problem that because I use watches so infrequently, the batteries are often dead when I go to wear them. For that reason I'm considering trying to find one of the self winding watches.

 

[Nords]

That's why I still wear one. Who 'da thunk a watch would be a chick magnet?
It's just easier than fishing for the cell phone.

Wasn't that a Mae West line? "Is that a cell phone in your pocket, or are you just happy to see me?"

I wear a watch. My excuse is that it's my medical alert bracelet. I wear the latter because of a medication I take. I found an outfit that sells medical alert "thingies" that wrap around the band. I much prefer this solution to the traditional medical alert bracelet.

Serious question-- can the EMTs and ER staff tell you're wearing a medicalert bracelet, or do they just cut it off your wrist thinking that it's a watch?

 

[Dudester]

Serious question-- can the EMTs and ER staff tell you're wearing a medicalert bracelet, or do they just cut it off your wrist thinking that it's a watch?

It's fairly obvious. I've had people ask me about it, so I doubt that an EMT or ER staff would miss it unless they are blind. There's a picture at this URL: ID Technology - The MediBand™ - lightweight medical alert ID watch accessory made in the USA. It's a LOT cheaper than the traditional medical alert bracelet.

 

[Rambler]

I always wear a watch during waking hours. I have several, mostly pretty cheap, that include a variety of functions: one for heart rate while exercising, one with 24 worldwide timezones due to travel and having to be able to know what time it is at home and in europe, one with a pedometer that is used for runs or walks, one with an altimeter/barometer/thermometer and compass for hiking and driving in the mountains. By the way, they all also tell the time.

If some company would come up with all of that in a compact package I'd buy it.

R

 

[Walt34]

I like my Timex Datalink, and often use the stopwatch, countdown timer, event reminder, day-related alarms, and phone number database.

<snip>

I had one of the original datalinks -- the one that transferred data by looking at flashed lines on the computer monitor.

I had one of the originals also - people at work thought I was nuts. I thought it was neat.

I also still wear the Datalink, this is one of the fancy ones with the metal case, not plastic. It beeps on a specific date so I won't forget my wedding anniversary. I've been told by more than one female that it is considered very poor form to do that.

 

[Amethyst]

According to an article in the latest MORE magazine (Pamela Redmond Satran), entitled "How NOT to Act Old", wearing a watch is, well...old. "...a naked wrist is now as emblematic of youth as a perky butt." .

Good grief, what will they think of next. I can think of so many things that are more emblematic of "acting old," than wearing a watch.

But a perky behind is timeless...especially on guys, of any age, who take care of themselves...

 

[FUEGO]

I carry a watch in my pocket. Just in case someone asks me what time it is.

I found it on the ground back in high school and it is still ticking (well, not ticking since it is digital). It has required a few new batteries though over the years.

 

[HFWR]

But a perky behind is timeless...especially on guys, of any age, who take care of themselves...

Is "perky behind" the same thing as "tight ass"?

Got that covered...

 

[HFWR]

My collection of timeless timepieces, removed from the drawer for photographing...

 

[Sarah in SC]

Several are ladies watches, no?

I have a beat up men's watch I wear every day. Lost without it on my arm. I am a creature of habit. I hate having to take it off when we go somewhere I have to dress up.

DH gave me a beautiful and dainty girlie watch for Christmas that made me wonder if he'd been clueless for the last 20 years. I explained (kindly) that just because he wanted me to want a fancy watch didn't make me want one. He understood after a time and took the watch back.

Now that I've lost the diamond from my engagement ring somehow, though, I am in the market for a new wedding ring. I decided against replacing the one I picked out at 22--not really my style anyway, and it was yellow gold. But I am sad to have lost it, because DH made payments on that diamond for a year before and right after we were married. Awwwww. Now I'd kill him for going into debt for jewelry.

 

[Amethyst]

Several are ladies watches, no?

I have a beat up men's watch I wear every day.

How badly did you have to beat him up?