Why do we wear wristwatches?

”Why should I wear a watch when I have my phone?”, ”Aren’t watches out of fashion?”. Does this sound familiar?

As someone who is passionate about wristwatches (which I assume you are since you are here), you have probably had the discussion of wearing wristwatches with someone who is completely against it and would never wear a wristwatch more than a few times.

Maybe you have tried to convince them that there are more reasons than simply telling the time but to no avail.

As someone who is passionate about, and love wristwatches, maybe you don’t think too much about the reasons you wear a wristwatch. You just know you are fascinated by them, and that you love to wear them.

In this article, we are going in-depth about the many reasons we wear wristwatches. So next time you get into a debate with someone who isn’t intrigued by the thought of wearing a wristwatch, you can circle back to this article or simply send this article their way.

Without further ado, why do we wear wristwatches?

History

Humans have a special relationship with history, and we’ve always been quite fascinated with history. Similarly to appreciating findings of old objects, we appreciate the history of watchmaking and the evolution it had gone through. Everything that has a history naturally becomes more interesting – in fact, that’s why storytelling works so well.

Watchmaking is nothing new. In fact, watchmaking has been around for several centuries. The long and rich history of watchmaking ties in with vintage watches as well as modern watches.

When you know the history behind something, you tend to appreciate it more, knowing how it has evolved and been innovated. Also, with vintage watches, you have an even closer relationship with history, as your watch shows clear signs of aging and thus what it has been through.

Show your personality (and a piece of jewelry)

This is probably one of the key points that most non-watch people think about – together with the fact that a watch is a piece of jewelry.

It’s impossible to talk about this subject matter without mentioning the fact that apart from only a few accessories, the watch is a man’s only piece of jewelry.

There are not many pieces of jewelry that are being used by men to a very great extent – except for the watch.

The watch is, as a result, a very manly accessory – even though women very well can wear them.

Watches have been around for many centuries, and wristwatches equally so. Wristwatches will never go out of style, but what they will do is help you show your personality. With so many watches to choose from, the watches you choose to wear should (and will) say something about your personality and who you are.

Choosing a watch with care will thus help you convey your own personality and complete your look.

Watches are also truly timeless and will remain just as relevant tomorrow as in 50 years – even though iPhones and other digital devices have flooded the market.

Craftsmanship

This is a big one for the watch-enthusiasts. An important reason why people are passionate and fascinated by wristwatches is the immense craftsmanship that goes into making a high-quality fine timepiece.

Of course, you cannot say this about watches that have been mass-produced in China and only contain a battery and a few other parts, but the industry of watches covers the whole spectrum of watches – from cheap China watches to extremely complicated Patek Philippe watches which have taken years to develop and years to manufacture.

Most people underestimate the immense attention to detail, the research and development, and the process of making luxury watches.

Each and every single part of a luxury watch has a purpose, and it is, in particular, the mechanical movement which fascinates most people.

The fact that a mechanical piece of engineering, with absolutely tiny parts, made up of hundreds of small parts can come together and create something that keeps the time extremely well with that in mind is incredible.

Think about the skilled watchmaker who has taken piece after piece and assembled an advanced movement that really is the epitome of fine engineering.

Luxury watches such as Rolex are refined and improved year after year in order to create something that is even higher-quality, more robust, and more accurate. In fact, this is the reason why Rolex has countless patents under its name. This of course also goes to show that with the incredible craftsmanship of watch companies, they continue to push boundaries of what is possible within watchmaking and engineering.

A great watch truly is a symbol of tradition and history encased in a showpiece with extreme craftsmanship. As such, watches truly are pieces of art on your wrist that people have worked countless of hours on in order to perfect. When you understand just how much work goes into making a great timepiece, you tend to appreciate it more, and notice tiny details which are actually man-made, and made for a reason.

When we’re talking about luxury watches, each and every single aspect of the watch is a piece of craftsmanship. From the carefully brushed or polished case to the hand-applied hands, when you bear this in mind, a watch becomes a piece of art on your wrist.

Heirloom

Watches are great heirlooms, and a reason people wear watches is, apart from appreciating it when wearing it, that it makes for a great heirloom.

There are many wristwatches that are over 100 years and still ticking, and there’s just something special about owning and wearing a wristwatch which has been passed on from generation to generation because it adds a personal affection to the watch, as well as adds an amazing history and backstory about the watch.

Watches can last many generations, and owning a timepiece which carries the history of having been worn by the generation before you is something truly special.

Furthermore, with watches as heirlooms also come signs of aging, and these signs of aging are also appealing and interesting reminders of the person who wore the watch before you and aged together with that person.

As such, owning a watch that is an heirloom can be a remembrance of those people.

There are many reasons why watches are among the most iconic and appreciated heirlooms, and one important reason is the fact that they continue ticking generation after generation as long as they are looked after every now and then. Old watches carry a lot of history, and this can be seen at the auctions where vintage watches that carry a lot of history are auctioned out. The best and most recent example is perhaps Paul Newman’s Rolex Daytona which was gifted by Newman to his daughter’s husband as an ”heirloom” gift and sold at an auction for $17.75 million in 2018.

Old watches carry a long and interesting history, and this helps makes them more interesting – apart from the obvious fact that they’re amazing pieces of craftsmanship.

Convenience

This is the number one reason people who are not ”watch-enthusiasts” wear watches.

By wearing a wristwatch, you can effortlessly and easily check the time without having to pick up your phone from your pocket…. and end up getting stuck on your phone when you do so. Or, discreetly check the time during a meeting without having to pull out your phone and being rude. For all those occasions and times when taking up your phone is seen as inappropriate, wearing a wristwatch is not only stylish, but it is also very convenient.

Now, for the diehard watch-enthusiasts, wearing a watch is of course convenient. It allows you to keep track of the time in a stylish way, but it is far from the only reason we were wristwatches.

With easy access to the time almost anywhere you go, the wristwatch isn’t as crucial as it used to be. As a result, the wristwatch has gone more and more towards being a piece of jewelry and a piece of craftsmanship to appreciate more than anything else.

Conclusion

Over time, as our society has become more and more digitalized, more people have abandoned the traditional wristwatch. Hearing things like ”why should I wear a watch when I have my phone?” is something that you as a watch-enthusiast probably hear on a regular basis, and you’ve probably stopped trying to convince those who say that.

The fact is that there are so many more reasons for wearing a wristwatch other than to simply keep track of the time. No matter what though, we can be quite sure that the wristwatch is several decades old, and it will most likely be worn for many centuries more.

This article was written by MillenaryWatches.com, a retailer of pre-owned luxury timepieces from some of the top watch brands in the world.