Do you wear a watch?

[Dmitry]

I haven't been wearing a watch on a daily basis in more than 25 years. When I was a teenager in the 1980s, I got my first one, and would wear it daily, as most of us had then. The horological need disappeared when I got my first cell phone in the late-1990s, and with my schooling, and then the job for the last 25 years I couldn't really wear a watch. Until recently I've only had one for convenience on vacations, where my cell phone wouldn't have signal. For that purpose ten or 11 years ago I bought a plastic Swatch in some airport, and it still runs, as long as I remember to replace the battery every few years. i don't even remember what watch I had prior to that.

My wife, otoh, can't step outside without a watch on her wrist. Some years ago I bought for her a 26mm Rolex Lady-Datejust chronometer as a very special gift. No gold or diamonds, just a reserved  stainless steel piece, as she wanted. It has been flawless, and went with her on many a trip, both terrestrial and aquatic. Recently my wife's eyesight has gotten worse, and telling time on a small dial with tiny hands has become problematic, so we decided to sell the Rolex, which I did, to an excellent, reliable on-line dealer. The process was a breeze, and the price I received was substantially more than from the other big on-line luxury watch dealers. If you want the name, PM me.
It is truly amazing how Rolex watches keep their value, even after years of wear!  We were initially considering buying her another one, but the prices are obscene at the moment, especially for the stainless steel models. On a whim, I bought a used mechanical 1990s 39mm Seiko in a consignment store for $30, and she's wearing it for now, and loves it. The hands are so much bigger than on her 26mm ladies watch!

Since we've started to look for a new watch for her, I, myself, have gotten a bit into it. I have held on to a couple of watches that belonged to my late father; one is a giant perpetual calendar quartz Seiko from 1990, which needs to go to the Seiko service center to replace the battery and reset the calendar. It's a huge watch; my dad, unlike me, had massive wrists, so I don't know if it'll be comfortable for me once I size the bracelet, but we'll see. Another one is a self-winding no-name Swiss job from the 1970s that I remember him wearing since I was little. I've already taken it to a watch-maker for service. The plated case is brassed and dinged up, the plastic bezel has a burn mark from a hot car engine or tool surface, wherever he was working when it happened. Once it's back, I'll wear it. 

Are you guys wearing watches?

 

[jazzbo]

No watch for me since the mid-seventies.* I was working building machinery at that time and kept breaking crystals on the watches I wore. Just stopped wearing a watch and have always done fine without one. Life is nice without one.

 

*One exception: I got the Blue Note watch after sending in the requisite Connoisseur OBIs. Wore it a while. . . I just wasn't feeling wearing a watch (in my then office work world I wasn't breaking crystals, but I just didn't need to wear one and I preferred a bare wrist).

Edited October 16, 2019 by jazzbo

[jlhoots]

I wear a watch. It's the one my wife gave me 56+ years ago when we got married. Engraved with our anniversary date, so that I never forget!!

[Dave James]

I went through a watch buying phase quite awhile back.  I still have several Invictas, a couple of Renato T-Rex's and a Chase-Durer which, on the infrequent occasions that call for a watch, is the one I'll wear.    

Edited October 17, 2019 by Dave James

[kinuta]

No, I haven't worn a watch for several years.

I don't have a smartphone either.

[T.D.]

I've always worn a watch. On days I forget to put it on I vaguely feel something is missing. I've never owned a smartphone. 

For quite a while I enjoyed having a "nice" (but not overly expensive) watch (I still own one from those days). Then I switched to wearing cheap sports watches for a long time.

A few years ago I got a fairly nice (by my standards) Citizen "eco-drive" (light-sensitive, never needs winding) watch, which I prefer (in wet/rough conditions I go to a sports watch). It has large digits, which my aging eyes require . When the original leather band wore out I switched to an inexpensive nylon "NATO strap" watchband.

[erwbol]

No and I don't have a mobile phone, so no use asking me the time. 

[JSngry]

don't wear a watch, don't wear a wedding ring either. But I have no interest in extramarital relations. If I'm ever someplace where the time cannot be discerned in 60 seconds or less, it'll be with my wife and we'll not be looking to know what time it is.

[7/4]

probably not in 10-15 years. I use my phone.

 

 

[catesta]

Damn fellas, not only are they convenient for letting you know the time and in some cases the date, they can also be quite fashionable.

I'm in the never without one camp. I currently wear a Raymond Weil two tone Freelancer Classic daily. I also own a Rado, Bulova, ESQ, and three vintage watches inherited from my father (Longines, Wittnauer and Omega), but I've never worn any of them.

The next one I buy will be something special and for the long haul.

[Matthew]

I wear a Fitbit, but Before that, never a watch.

[stephenrr]

Addicted to the watch...just upgraded my Tag Heuer ( 6 or 7 years old) to an Omega Moonwatch....sorry...I'm a victim of conspicuous consumption.

[Shrdlu]

My parents got me one when I started high school. It was a cheap windup. Not very accurate: it gave more of a season than a time.

Later, I got a "name" watch at one of the Paris, France, airports. It was one of those self-winding models. As with the first one, it told the season rather than the actual time. 

In the late 80s, my favorite uncle died and his gf sent me his Omega watch. That really surprised me: I set it, and the next day, it was dead on to the second. Quartz. Very nice. You could adjust the hour without altering the minutes or seconds - very handy when crossing time zones. But it was too complex for its own good and died while we were in the Dallas area. I got it fixed, but it cost big bucks. Some internal circuit had malfunctioned. 

It went O.K. for a few more years and died again. I got it fixed one more time, because it had been my uncle's. Big bucks again. After a while, it died again, and the repair estimate angered me, so into a drawer it went. I got a $10 (quartz) model at a discount grocery store that is just as accurate. So much for Omega. 

The arrival of Android phones led me to skip the watch.

However, I got a genuine German chalet-style cookoo clock for the house. It was made in the Black Forest by some 300-year-old society of cookoo clock makers: this is the real deal. I declined the music box because it only has two tunes. "Deutschland über Alles" would sound good.

[Kevin Bresnahan]

I always wear a watch. I keep looking for the time at my naked wrist on the occasions when I forget.

Recently, I restored my Dad's Rolex and I've been wearing it for the past 6 months. I've always wanted one. My mom was clearing out her stuff in preparation for the move into a retirement facility and she found it gave it to me because she knew I always liked it. It never ran right the whole time my dad owned it so I brought it to a Rolex dealer and they quoted me an outrageous repair cost. It turns out that when my mother brought it to a local jeweler several years ago to try and get it working, the sleazy jeweler (now out of business) swapped out the face & wristband. The reason it never worked right was because somehow, the case managed to get dented so it was no longer waterproof.

It was my dad's watch so I paid the crazy money to get it going again. It's beautiful and I'm glad I did it. I miss that old guy.

BTW - Rolex tells me that it was a good thing I brought it in when I did (Feb of this year) because starting in June of this year, they no longer repair any watch that's returned with counterfeit parts on it. They send it back as non-repairable. So if you have an old Rolex that's had any parts swapped out and they're not genuine Rolex parts, you're going to have to get it repaired by a local repair shop using more counterfeit parts as Rolex has also stopped selling OEM parts to non-Rolex repair shops.

It looks like this:

[brownie]

I'm a watch man. ..

Had an Oméga for years. And a Rolex Perpetual Oyster which I bought after à long assignment in the Mideast.  Gave it to my son a dozen years ago. 

Now I rely on a very cheap and very accurate Casio Quartz model. Keeps me in time and happy.

[soulpope]

A (S)watch for sentimental reasons ....

[Brad]

Yes, always have.  Currently, I'm using a Ted Baker watch my wife gave me a year ago. I also have a Citizens Watch and a Movado my father used to wear, but it doesn't keep good time. I also have (or had, need to check) a Chairman Mao watch where his hand waves back and forth. I think it was made for a Hong Kong department store but you always have to constantly wind it. Made for a great conversation piece, though. 

Edited October 17, 2019 by Brad

[porcy62]

I am an Omega man, Speedmaster. I have a much cheaper Seiko, automatic not quartz, when I travel or I when I swim. I used to wear Swatch in my youth. I think watches, english and italian shoes, suits and shirts are an aesthetic statement, like spinning old records in a world of streaming, cell phones, sneakers and tshirt.

Edited October 17, 2019 by porcy62

[Larry Kart]

13 hours ago, stephenrr said:

Addicted to the watch...just upgraded my Tag Heuer ( 6 or 7 years old) to an Omega Moonwatch....sorry...I'm a victim of conspicuous consumption.

I got a Tag Heuer  about 8 years ago (ladies model -- not that you could  tell -- to fit my small wrist). Looks good to me. 

[sidewinder]

6 hours ago, brownie said:

Now I rely on a very cheap and very accurate Casio Quartz model. Keeps me in time and happy.

I go for the cheapest Casio possible. They are very ‘1975’ and back in fashion. 

When the strap breaks, I buy a new one. Less £ on watches = more CDs and LPs !

Edited October 17, 2019 by sidewinder

[danasgoodstuff]

yes, a Citizen

[relyles]

Yes, two. A Movado and a Swiss Army.

[erwbol]

link

[Bill Nelson]

Only for instances of job interviews and airline flights, otherwise never in 66 years.  I'm heavily right-hemispheric.

Good topic, BTW. 

[Dave Garrett]

I've always considered watches to be jewelry. I've never been big on jewelry, but when I still worked in a formal office environment, I wore a watch, a wedding ring, and a college ring. I haven't worn anything but a wedding ring for the past several years, as I primarily work from home and telecommute now.