Which Watches Do You Wear in 2024?
Which watches do you wear on a regular basis (if any)? Do you collect watches on either a casual basis (“cute watch!”) or a serious basis (“this is where I spent my bonus”)? If you do have multiple watches, how do you choose which ones to wear? Have digital watches (or other digital technology) changed your relationship with watches?
There was a WSJ story about this recently(ish), mostly about men's wristwatches habits — they're getting more colorful! As the article (gift link) notes:
More guys are clocking the appeal of unobvious designs, according to Eric Macaire, executive director, global buying and merchandising, at British retailer Watches of Switzerland. Lately, he said, his customers are going for timepieces with pop-colored dials, innovative treatments (such as textural or laser finishes) and cases in less-typical materials such as bronze.
With a little off-menu thinking, you too can avoid the usual suspects and find a ticker that stops short of weird, yet is just different enough to earn compliments. Such stylish conversation-starters can be found at all prices, from a few hundred bucks and up. You just need to know what to look for.
Nice! But in my experience the whole world of watches (and people who care about them) is a very specific subgroup of old money and people who aspire to that sort of thing. It felt really fun discovering that world back in the day when I hemmed and hawed for years before deciding on a classic Cartier tank… which I now never wear because I prefer my Apple Watch.
(Also, there was an incident early on when one of my babies spat breastmilk on it, and… it suddenly seemed like a stupid thing to be wearing casually.)
So I'm curious — are watches status symbols to you? Are they a mode of expressing your personality so much that you swap them in and out for different occasions? Or are you more utilitarian with a basic Apple Watch or other wearable tech that tells the time? (Or are you anti-wrist watch altogether and just rely on your phone or computer screen?)
I wear a Cartier Tank watch knock-off, Peugeot brand. Wouldn’t know the difference from a galloping horse! The price hovers around $50-60 online. I got tired of checking my phone for the time. Looks good, keeps accurate time, and the price is right!
I wear a Hamilton men’s watch on those rare occasions when I do wear a watch (job interviews, etc.) I used to borrow my husband’s vintage Hamilton and then he got me one of my own a few birthdays ago. It’s very classic in style, similar to a Cartier tank.
I just wear an apple watch but have been looking at Hermes bands
My husband bought me a cartier tank louis and I never know where/when to wear it (not to work, definitely) so it just sits in my closet most of the time… maybe I will wear it every day when I am old? Seems like a waste.
I love the look of a nicer watch, but I am too attached to my Garmin to give it up. I know I could just wear the Garmin while I work out and sleep and wear a cuter watch the rest of the time, but I am a) too lazy to keep changing the watches and b) I do like tracking my steps and other metrics throughout the day.
Garmin Fenix 6S Pro. It’s still a sports watch but I think it works well enough for the office, conferences, etc.
Apple Watch. I never wanted one, and I also still don’t want to be one of those people constantly distracted by her watch. But it has worked well for me. I arranged my settings to where they don’t buzz all the time for things I’m happy to wait to see my phone for.
My cardiologist suggested I get one for my arrhythmia issues, particularly so it can notify me if I’m in a seriously arrhythmia. So far so good! And I have found “closing my rings” very motivating for fitness. I’m a 7 day per week ring closer.
So while I’d ordinarily prefer to just wear a pretty watch or actually just a bracelet, the Apple Watch has been something close to lifesaving for me.
My dad’s Apple Watch recently alerted him to an elevated heart rate, which prompted him to seek medical treatment and ultimately have surgery to fix a heart issue. They really can be lifesavers!
I wear a Cartier (don’t know the model) that I wear almost daily and take in for maintenance periodically. I love it and hope to have it forever. (I’ve had it over 20 years already.) I am not a watch person, in the sense that I collect them or care about having a status watch. I just like how it looks as jewelry and how it functions as a timepiece.
I wear an Obaku with a Labradorite backing that my spouse gave me this year. I have no idea how “in” it is, but when he said the one he picked out online didn’t work out, the staff at Nelson Coleman really matched my style.
I love watches, and have quite a few. Nothing crazy expensive; some fashion watches, a couple of Bulovas, and a Raymond Weil I got for my 40th from XH. I would love to have an Omega or Cartier, but that’s not in the cards for my budget.
That said, I wear my Apple watch all the time now.
Citizen – rather large, round, gold toned trim on a mother of pearl face with a cream leather strap. I wanted to be free of the tyranny of the step counter on the Apple Watch. I found myself just having to look at the step count. It’s lovely just staying as active as I possibly can on any given day and leaving it at that instead of obsessing about my steps.
“Free of the tyranny of the step counter…” I love the way you phrased this, and I love wearing a watch that doesn’t tell me what to do.
I recently got a swatch watch again, after having them in my youth. It has been an added bit of fun in my wardrobe.
I wear my Apple Watch at home and my Cartier Tank Francaise to work and when dressed up. I bought it for a milestone birthday, and I love love love it. I hope to wear it forever.
My husband gave me a gorgeous Omega watch a few years ago and I wear it every day. I wear my Fitbit on my right wrist.
I find it irritating to wear things on my wrists – but sometimes, in the office, a watch is so helpful. So I have a leather-band 25mm Skagen, with only two hands. It’s small, it’s minimal, and it lets me keep track of the time when I’m presenting at a meeting or workshop. If I’m feeling a little under-dressed as a professional, I’ll dig the watch out of my bag and put it on.
I have six Citizen eco-drive watches that I wear interchangeably. It started with one titanium Citizen that I wore as a daily driver. Then came the two-toned one for more formal occasions, then a daintier silver watch when I got a promotion, and I ended up adding a few more over the years. I keep them in a glass-top watch case so they get continuous charge from whatever ambient light is in my bedroom. My preference is having a watch that ties an outfit together as a classic (and simple) jewelry piece, and I like to keep all my smart phone activity tucked away in a purse or pocket. Maybe it’s old-fashioned, but I think the small detail of wearing a watch is a must for job interviews.
My omega is 20y old and going strong. I also own a 12yo Franck Mueller and a 7yo Patek Philippe. I wear them all in rotation.
I wear a Fossil hybrid smart watch, it looks like a normal watch, but it pairs with your phone. I set it to vibrate for notifications and then the hands all point to 1,2,or 3 depending on who sent the message. It has 3 buttons that you can program, mine are find my phone, step tracker (it shows as a percentage of my total steps) and last notification. I’ve worn it for 3+years. I think it keeps me from looking at my phone all the time.