At the time, watches were essential tools that almost everyone wore. Indeed, it was the only real way to know the time.
You couldn’t pick up your cell phone to see what time it was, as you can today, so wearing a watch was essential for a smooth life, whether it was getting to work on time or perfectly timing a military attack.
As far as watches as we know them today, with their movements and hands, it all started with pocket watches. During World War I, it was discovered that it was much more efficient to wear a watch on your wrist than to keep it in your pocket and try to find it to check the time in the middle of battle. Soldiers synchronized their watches to plan their attacks and could easily check the time, but until World War II, wearing a wristwatch was reserved for women.
Today, the reasons why people wear a watch have changed dramatically since the days when the first watches were introduced. At the same time, the number of people wearing watches, in terms of percentage, has dropped considerably. Of course, it’s not too surprising now that virtually everyone has a phone that can tell the exact time, down to the thousandth of a second. This is also the argument of many people who choose not to wear a wristwatch. Many of them say “why wear a watch if I can see the time on my cell phone?”, but the truth is that, besides seeing the time, there are many other reasons to wear a watch, and that is precisely what we will analyze in this article.
1. Watches are great accessories
Formex Essence Chronometer Blue (Ø43mm on 18cm/7″ wrist)
These days, the vast majority of people who wear a watch do so as an accessory – a piece of jewelry that enhances their style and appearance.
The watch is widely considered the only piece of jewelry that men can wear without risking looking feminine.
Women have a lot of accessories and jewelry to choose from, such as rings, bracelets, purses and the like, while men generally have a harder time with it, but a watch is an accessory that always works, no matter what.
A nice watch can greatly enhance your appearance and match the clothes you wear, and this is probably the most common reason why people wear a watch.
In the past, people cared very little about the appearance of their wristwatch. Sure, a few people started wearing gold watches, etc., but for a long time, wristwatches were considered a tool, not a piece of jewelry.
2. They are convenient
How many times have you heard people say they don’t need a watch because they have a phone?
Probably a lot.
But the fact is, it’s much easier to look at your wrist to check the time than it is to look for your phone in your pocket. Also, looking at your watch is easy and can be done in seconds, but imagine looking for your phone and pulling it out during a meeting just to check the time. Such an attitude would be considered very rude. Of course, this doesn’t just apply to meetings, but I’m sure you can think of many places and occasions where it would be considered inappropriate and rude to pick up the phone, even if it’s just to check the time, but wearing a watch eliminates that problem.
Another convenient way to wear a watch is if you don’t have pockets or, for some other reason, can’t carry your phone with you. The watch, on the other hand, is always securely attached to your wrist, no matter what.
3. Watches are amazing pieces of craftsmanship
Meccaniche Veneziane Nereide GMT Swiss automatic movement with gold rotor
Most people underestimate the immense amount of craftsmanship that goes into creating a high quality watch and even some lower quality watches.
A watch is not just a watch, it is a work of art that someone, depending on the watch you are wearing, has worked on for hours. Also, because of the immense craftsmanship, wearing a watch allows you to wear art, history and a symbol of tradition, and when you realize how much work goes into a good watch, you tend to appreciate it even more. Compare that to a cell phone that was made without all that work. Some watches can take hundreds of hours to make, others even longer, and the number of years it takes to develop a state-of-the-art watch to achieve accuracy and reliability is absolutely staggering.
There are many ways to appreciate a watch as art and as a piece of craftsmanship. What we hear most often is the appreciation of advanced mechanical movements that have tiny parts to make the watch work, as well as impressive dials created with great attention to detail, right down to the perfectly designed straps and cases.
4. Watches Are Functional
BOLDR Expedition, a functional tool
Although watches are not essential tools for us today, they are extremely functional and offer several useful functions that can enhance your daily life.
In the 19th century, wristwatches were used to synchronize maneuvers during war, but since then, wristwatches have come a long way in terms of functions and today, there are wristwatches that offer a full range of useful features.
Since they started being used by the military to synchronize maneuvers, watches have been developed to help divers in the ocean, pilots in the sky and everything else.
Today, there are wristwatches for use in a wide range of fields, such as diving, racing, exploration, flying and many others.
You can buy watches with moon phase functions, chronograph, GMT hand, etc.
Of course, the most basic feature of a watch is that it tells the time, which is a great thing in itself. But if you want other features (also known as complications), there are a wide variety of watches on the market.
The most common complications in watches are, first of all, the basic time indication. Then there is the date function, which shows the date, the chronograph, which has a stopwatch function, the moon phase, which displays the moon phase, and many more. One of the most popular features of a watch is the diving bezel, which serves as a T-60 minute countdown, supposedly indicating the amount of oxygen remaining while diving, but this complication can obviously be used in a number of other areas.
Ultimately, a watch is more than just a piece of jewelry. It is a practical tool that, depending on the type of watch you wear, gives you easy access to useful tools in your daily life.
5. Watches offer simplicity
Have you ever picked up your phone to check the time and sat there for long minutes because you were distracted by your phone?
One of the reasons to use a watch is the simplicity it offers the user. A watch is less likely to be a distraction than a phone, although if you have a nice watch, you can admire it for a while.
Every time you pick up the phone, it’s a distraction and a risk of getting stuck, but by wearing a watch, you eliminate that problem.
6. Watches reflect style
Rolex GMT-Master II navy with Watchbandit U-Lock
It’s no secret that watches are often worn as a reflection of style or as a statement.
You may have noticed that some people only wear vintage watches, others only dive watches, etc. This is because they reflect their style.
As mentioned earlier, there are only so many accessories that men “can” wear, and watches allow men to express themselves, their personality and their style. Wearing a watch is a form of self-expression, and if you look at the watches that people interested in watches wear, you may be surprised at how much they reflect their style and personality.
In other words, with a watch, you can express yourself without saying a word. It’s very powerful.
Some people wear watches to make a statement, which in a way is also a way to reflect their personality and style. In some cultures, it’s especially common to wear things that act as a statement, such as gold and diamond watches.
7. Watches make great Heirlooms
This is one of the most interesting reasons to wear a watch, as watches are some of the most iconic and valuable heirlooms around.
Antique watches are steeped in history, and this is one of the main reasons why the popularity of antique watch collecting has skyrocketed in recent years.
Owning watches that have been passed down from generation to generation reminds you of your loved ones, the history the watch has been through, where and how it was worn and the story it tells. Patek Philippe’s motto is “create your own traditions”, because high quality watches are wonderful pieces of craftsmanship that can stand the test of time and be passed on from generation to generation. If maintained regularly, watches have a long life and can be passed down from generation to generation. Remember the Patek Philippe slogan: “You never own a Patek Philippe watch, you take care of it for the next generation”.
Collecting watches and passing them on to future generations is not only being part of history, but also being part of history through one’s watches and passing on history.
8. Respect and appreciation
While some people are not averse to respect and appreciation, watches are great conversation starters and can be the beginning of a lasting relationship with someone who loves watches. High-end watches are a huge industry and there are many groups and communities of people where watches are the topic of discussion, so it is the topic that helps build relationships between people as they are gathered around a common interest and passion.
In terms of respect, if someone asks you for the time, it’s much more elegant and classy to look at your wrist than to pull your cell phone out of your pocket. There is always a certain charm and elegance to looking at the time on a wristwatch.
9. Reliability
We can’t forget one of the most important reasons to wear a watch: the fact that it is incredibly reliable.
Wristwatches existed long before electricity, which means that mechanical watches can work without electricity.
In addition, quartz watches with batteries are also very reliable, and although they are powered by a battery, the battery in a quartz watch has a long life, usually about a year.
If your phone tells you the time, when its battery runs out, you will stand still and at that time you will have your mechanical watch on your wrist that does not stop working and is powered by the movement of your arm (automatic watch) or by you winding it from time to time.
Although society is becoming more and more technological, the best and most advanced watches are powered by a different type of technology – automatic and self-winding technology. These watches continue to work when your phone runs out of battery, and that’s something you can always count on, since they work year after year.
Most modern smartphones don’t even last a day of use, but when you wear a watch, you don’t have to worry about that.
10. Watches remind you about your relationship with time.
Human beings have always been fascinated by time. It all started with the sundial, when people tried to estimate time and find a way to measure it. The time we have here is limited, and clocks remind us to enjoy and appreciate every moment. The time we have here is limited, and the clocks remind us to enjoy and appreciate every moment.
For many people, wearing a watch can have a positive effect on how you spend your time, as it reminds you that you only have 24 hours in a day.
But that’s not all. Watches not only remind you that you have time and that you should value it, but they also give you the opportunity to share your passion for time with people who share the same passion for watches.
