are watches going bye bye?

[AirForceShooter]

Read an article that the wrist watch is fading out.
Young kids just use their cell phones to tell time.
Any thoughts?

[scríbhneoir]

Nah, even I use the phone to tell time occasionally, but so many of the watches do more--and do so in a much more aesthetic manner, without having to press any buttons. And you can't take too many cell phones I know of (at least I'm not aware of any) diving with you--who are you going call? Your neighborhood loan shark? Sorry. :-[

I looked at some today that include barometers and heart-rate monitors. Not that future cell phones won't (maybe some present-day ones do...? I'm not up on all the phone gizmos). And I still like the lunar phase on the dial, not to mention pushing the little button in the middle of the night to make the Indiglo go. :) They are utilitarian jewelry, and even if they decline in popularity with the younger folks, too many of us still exist to make them obsolete. And it's much easier and faster to look at a wrist than pull out or dig for the cell phone. The worst is that they'd become like fountain pens or pocket watches--plenty of those around to collect. Or that they'll micro-size cell phones and include them in watches.

What I sometimes wonder is what percentage of younger folks can tell analog time...

[AirForceShooter]

I have a pocket watch and a fountain pen.
And they're not collector pieces.
Geeze, am I that old??

AFS

[Serigrapher83]

What a shame that would be. I'm completely addicted to watches. The current piece for the last six years is a TAG Heuer, I can't imagine something else taking it's place for a long time. There is hope for the future though, my seven year old is begging for any of my past time-pieces (all analog). I can't see them going completely away.

[scríbhneoir]

I have a pocket watch and a fountain pen.
And they're not collector pieces.
Geeze, am I that old??

AFS


Naaaaah, I buy NEW fountain pens whenever I see one that meets my criteria: I love it AND I can afford it. I see plenty more that I would love to own, but they are a bit rich for my blood.

I've been looking at antique pocket watches for several years, but haven't found THE ONE yet, or when I did, it was already sold. Still on my wish list, though.

[Blue Jays]

Hi All-

That same absurd story ran in my local newspaper as well. A wristwatch is used so frequently that digging around in pockets for a cellular telephone would be a...waste of time. An analog watch also has the capability to distinguish direction by using the sun...so one can always have a compass with them. A watch is also incredibly handy to have during active sports like bicycling, skiing, running, hiking, and motorcycling when one must keep accurate track of available daylight.

~ Blue Jays ~

[Deaths Head]

I don't think the watches are being fazed out. They said the same think about mazazine and newspapers years ago and they are still going strong.

[Blue Jays]

Hi All-

As an aside, high-quality mechanical watches appear to have been unaffected by this trend. Folks who are in the market for a Patek Phillippe, Audemars Piguet, Breguet, IWC, Jaeger-LeCoultre, Blancpain, Panerai, Glashutte Original, Girard-Perregaux, Zenith, Omega, SINN, Fortis or similar will still be making their horological purchases as expected.

The migration towards cellular telephones as timepieces seems to have only impacted watches on the bottom-end of the scale.

~ Blue Jays ~

[Mahachippy]

I agree, there is no substitute for a wrist watch....well okay, I might would choose a pocket watch over a wrist watch, but never ever a cell phone!

[7k7k99]

I don't believe watches are fading away. I would be lost without one. I have my Marathon Navigator Tritium on 24 hours a day, except in the shower. Of course, I am 52 years old and have had a watch since the third grade. I have a cell phone too, but never pay attention to the time or calendar function. That's what the watch is for.

[Crocodilo]

You guys take your watches off for shower? The only time mine comes off is when I'm switching to another one!

As a friend used to say, watches are men's jewelry. They're a tool, a fashion statement, an EDC object, all-in-one.

[Blue Jays]

Hi Crocodilo-

Watches should never, never, never, ever go in a hot shower! This holds true from the most basic G-Shock right up to the most sophisticated Audemars Piguet automatic. Soaps, shampoos, and detergents are brutal on waterproof seals. The rapid change in temperature coupled with the drying effects of soap on the seals can result in seal failure.

Remove your watch and store it in another room before even starting the shower water.

~ Blue Jays ~

[Crocodilo]

Wow. Thanks for the advice.

[Blue Jays]

Hi Crocodilo-

Isn't it funny how a watch that is perfectly comfortable being 1000 meters under salty seawater is at risk in a nice suburban bathroom? * :) *The best way to clean a watch is with clean tepid water and an old soft toothbrush. *If it is really, really dirty one could use a very sparing amount of mild liquid soap to get the job done. *If the watch is exposed to saltwater, it should be rinsed in freshwater as soon as possible.

~ Blue Jays ~ * *

[simbad]

Well, after sixteen years on my wrist my old Tag F1 had 365x16=5840 showers?* :boo: plus several inmersions at sea and swiming pools. It* only went to the shop three times for battery/o-ring change and is still working like its first day. I like wearing my watch 24 hours.*

[Blue Jays]

Hi simbad-

You're a lucky example. One wouldn't find a watch aficionado anywhere in the world who would agree with that course of action. All manufacturers are in 100% agreement and specifically recommend against that practice. One should simply check the time before they hop in the shower and leave the timepiece in a non-steamy environment.

~ Blue Jays ~

[simbad]

Hi Blue Jays, I know what you mean, I remember my dad telling me when he gave me my first Seiko watch as a gift on my 15th birthday: "don't wear your watch in the shower". I am thinking in buying the new F1 model, just thinking because is a bit pricey, but if I get it I will not tke it to the shower.. :tickedoff:

[JonSidneyB]

I certainly hope they don't go bye bye.

[Blue Jays]

Hi All-

Assuming the newspaper accounts are accurate about watches in the inexpensive categories losing popularity, I don't feel this really affects people who are active participants in this forum.* I get the distinct feeling that most who enjoy posting here take pride in having high-quality gear as best as they can afford.* That's similarly why we rely upon folding pocketknives that cost $100.00 and not some low-grade Pakistani junk that can be purchased at the flea market for $3.00 or less.* Most people wouldn't understand that concept, either.* I'll pay for reliability and durability.

Just because it's become trendy for teenagers not to wear timepieces on their wrists doesn't mean I'm going to follow the trend!*

:)

~ Blue Jays ~

[Co_Outdoorsman]

Just because it's become trendy for teenagers not to wear timepieces on their wrists doesn't mean I'm going to follow the trend!*

:)

~ Blue Jays ~


Nor am I wearing my britches down around my knees and my hat down over my eyes... :crazy2:

[JohnN]

Well, after sixteen years on my wrist my old Tag F1 had 365x16=5840 showers? :boo: plus several inmersions at sea and swiming pools. It only went to the shop three times for battery/o-ring change and is still working like its first day. I like wearing my watch 24 hours.


17 years of 7x24 including showers for my Rolex GMT Master II with zero service. I take it off once a day to dry it after the shower. I suppose I should send it in for a cleaning one of these days...

-john

[Blue Jays]

Hi JohnN-

Keep your fingers crossed that there isn't corrosion within your Rolex due to dried seals/gaskets that should have been serviced a decade ago.* Yours is the unfortunate situation when one can potentially encounter a bill of over $1000.00 rather than a much lower one for periodic maintenance.* Particles of dust mixed with old congealed lubricant can create an abrasive paste that grinds precision watch components.* It simply doesn't pay to refuse a watch the maintenance it deserves every five or so years.

~ Blue Jays ~

[JohnN]

Considering the fact that a basic service with Rolex costs $500, I'm not sure you are really saving anything.

-john

[Blue Jays]

Hi JohnN-

The individual Rolex retailer will oftentimes work with repeat customers in terms of ongoing maintenance prices.* They don't have too much flexibility on pricing for the watches themselves due to corporate "shoppers" seeking jewelers willing to discount and dilute the brand, but they'll work with you on periodic cleaning, lubricating, and repairs.

One wouldn't go 50,000 miles between oil changes in their car or truck and the same is true with watches.* The repair prices can (and will) skyrocket if there is pitting and/or major corrosion.* That is just part of owning an automatic watch. Maintenance is worth it.

~ Blue Jays ~

[foxy]

I only wear my wristwatch to work - I never wear it off duty - I have my cell phone for that - it only takes me an extra second to pull it out of my pocket and I just dont like having a watch on for 16 hours a day - it gets uncomfortable to me and I dont like the watch tan line. However on duty, I need to tell time by the second so its necessary. Also I wear it when SCUBA but otherwise, I dont wear it.

[TKC]

God, I hope not!! I have been wearing a TAG for several years now!! I LOVE it!! It even has a green face, and is automatic!! I LOVE it!! I am alsohooked on watches too!! Watches are a thing of beauty to me!!

[kamkazmoto]

About 15-20 years of wearing my watch 24-7. That is a lot of showers, baths and steam baths. In all that time I have had it serviced twice with no major wear. It probably needs to be cleaned again but so far so good.

[Evolute]

I guess I'm in the minority, here, because I have mostly phased watches out of my life. I wouldn't exactly say that my watch-rejection is part of a newfangled trend, though: I usually use the sun, moon, and stars to tell the time... and compared to that, watch-wearing is a very newfangled fashion trend. :laugh:

I carry a lot of EDC gear... photo gear for my business, emergency wilderness survival gear (because, with my business, that is a real concern), and handy everyday tools and necessities. I also enjoy when the gear and tools I carry are high quality and nice design. But I don't carry anything just for the sake of it being a well made piece of gear. A mere timepiece is of no use to me, because it is so redundant. In the unusual situations where I can't figure out the time within a few minutes from the sun, moon, stars, tide, plant behavior, animal behavior, honed sense, etc... then I do use my cell phone or camera or GPS to tell time. Indoors, there are clocks on the wall, on the dresser, on the stove top, on the microwave, on the VCR, on the cable box, on the computer screen, on more gizmos than I'd like. In cars, there's always a clock in the dashboard.

Besides, I don't have a constant need to know what time it is. Even if there weren't a million redundant ways to find out the time in every situation, I'd keep my watch in my pack like I keep my rain jacket or my toothpick, because I don't have a constant need to know the exact time, and it would be odd for me to keep such a rarely needed item strapped to me, ready for immediate use at all times.

I always hated wearing a watch. I feel the same way about clothes, too, and I don't wear more than necessary, either. When I did carry a watch, I always kept it strapped to my belt loop or my pack, because I didn't find it comfortable on my wrist.

A watch may also serve as men's jewelry, but I don't have any interest in wearing jewelry.

I do have a watch: a Casio Triple Sensor. I have it because of its other functions (altimeter/barometer, compass, thermometer, etc.). I only take it with me when I need those other functions, and in those cases I don't often put it into "time" mode, and I never wear it on my wrist.

I have no idea whether my own case is exemplary of a growing disinterest in wearing timepieces, but... now that I think about it, most of my close friends only wear watches occasionally.

Mike

www.mikespinak.com

[auxcoastie]

I wear a watch everyday. Not when showering or sleeping but that is me. As a Chemist and part time emt along with boat crew duties I need to know the time, pardon the pun, all the time.

[wolf]

The only time I don't wear a watch is when I'm in the shower (or other wet spots, saunas, lakes, rivers, etc.) or if I'm on vacation - and sometimes even then I'll wear it. I do use my cell phone for an alarm clock, though.

[Gadget Guy]

I'm going back to a pocketwatch. I just traded for a Swiss Army pocketwatch that will fit my EDC needs nicely. I just need to get a battery to get it up and running...

GG

[thesurefire]

I sure hope not. I'm still young and a few of my friends wear watches. Most of them are more sporty and analog, but some still carry old fashioned watches. I personally think they are 'coming back' as a 'bling bling' think, not a keeping time thing. I actually know a kid that goes to my school that wears a Omega everyday, not for the ‘bling bling’ but because his parents gave it to him for his birthday. I doubt he has any idea how much the watch cost, or of what fine caliber of time piece he received, but he wears it for the simple reason of knowing what time it is.

[Tom Anderson]

I'd rather keep the watch and leave the cell phone on the table.

:)

[tesseract]

I'm 18 years old and I've worn a watch daily for the last 8 years or so. (Teachers/professors seem to appreciate it when their students show up for class on time. :) ) A few of my friends wear watches as well, but I have definitely noticed the "cell phone as timepiece" trend. Though I have a cell phone, I feel it's no substitute for a watch because (a) I don't carry it unless I anticipate needing it that day, (b) it doesn't have an analog clock mode, and (c) glancing at my wrist is easier than fishing for my phone.

[Blue Jays]

Hi All-

"...I usually use the sun, moon, and stars to tell the time...A mere timepiece is of no use to me, because it is so redundant. In the unusual situations where I can't figure out the time within a few minutes from the sun, moon, stars, tide, plant behavior, animal behavior, honed sense, etc..."*
You mean to tell me that you can obtain the time via plant and animal behavior with the same convenience as someone simply looking at the watch on his or her wrist?* Now you're pulling our legs.* A watch is critically important even during mundane activities like hiking because one will know exactly how many hours of daylight are remaining.* To essentially state that a watch is superfluous is an outrageous notion.

~ Blue Jays ~*

[spiffytech]

I'm 18, but I still wear a watch daily (have since the 6th grade). I have a Blackberry on my belt all the times, and a PDA in my pocket, but a watch just does it better. It's quicker, no-handed, lighter, and you can glance at it without being noticed.

I have noticed many people (my own brother, even) using their phones instead of watches, though. But these are the people who would rather spend their money on more minutes for their phone or some special piece of clothing or new music CD than buy a good dedicated device for something, anyway. I think that many people of my generation have been so inundated with disposable, intentionally poor quality materials that they don't appreciate investing a little more time/money in something that works very well doing what it's supposed to do. Not to say I'm exempt from that; I still like convergence and some cheap things, but when I find something that's worth the extra money (because it really is, not because it's popular), I'll go for it. I think I'm the exception for that in my generation, though.

[laurent]

I like a lot watches, but for me they are just jewels. They may have there utility in outdoor, but in urban context, you got hour indication everywhere (from your computer to your car's clock, and from various public announcements - firefighter 12 o'clock siren, muezzin, churches' bell...).
Since I got rid of my watch, and since I got frequent resetting through publically displayed hour, I generally can tell which time is it with a one-minute precision. And thus my cellphone clock is enough for my needs. And I got no more this awful untan mark on my wrist ^^

[runruhn]

Well, young kids *should* be using watches, since cell phones are prohibited in most, if not all, grade to high schools.

I personally like (Analog)watches a lot, no real reason why

[pocketrocket]

Years ago, men carried a watch in the watch pocket of their jacket or pants. Wrist watches are a recent innovation. Now with the advent of cell phones, why strap something to your arm? If for status, ok. Or if you are a diver or a pilot, i can see that. If you are on some secret mission where you arent carrying a cell phone, ok. Maybe you live in some rempote area that dosent get cell service... But joe shmoe like myself... I have a clock in my car, on my phone, on my desk, work truck, and everyone else around me has at least one of the above at their disposal, so my question to you is...

Why do you wear a watch??? :shrug:

[dinoadventures]

Seldom. The thing about cell phones, cell phones die. If I'm out somewhere where I cant charge it, like the woods, I'll have a watch on sure as shootin'

[Pwallwin]

It's always gonne be there when you need it, and they are a piece of gadgetry in themselves.

It's rarely more convenient to pull out my mobile phone from my pocket than it is to glance at my wrist. Especially in work, when both hands are usually dirty or just busy.

Why wouldn't you wear a watch? :P

[noosphere]

I used to wear a watch 'till I lost mine. Now I don't wear one because I can't find a decent replacement. All the ones I've seen are either too ugly, lack the functions I need, are too big, or too expensive... or a combination of these. So for now I'm making do with my cellphone, even though it's less convenient.

::noosphere::

[TKC]

I like wearing a watch.

[Starcruiser1229]

I also like wearing a watch - it is useful, with the time, day and date right on my wrist (and yes, sometimes I do forget what day it is... :help: )

They also (I think), look good.

It is also one more gadget for the geek in me to play with.

Personally, I wear a citizen ecodrive. I think I might like to get some nice automatics at some point when I have more money... :broke:

I do believe that if you do not enjoy wearing a watch, there is no real need to. However, for me, it is easier then looking at my phone, and my watch is one of my most used pieces of gear.

Patrick

[Gadget Guy]

I'm going back to a pocketwatch. I just traded for a Swiss Army pocketwatch that will fit my EDC needs nicely. I just need to get a battery to get it up and running...

GG


This post is from June, and I just got a battery for the pocket watch! :laugh:

[TKC]

WOW. It took you awhile to get a battery, eh?

[Blazer]

Watches are the most functional piece of jewelery one will ever own, a cell phone can not replace that. Maybe in the future those of us who grew up with watches will only appreciate them more, as a sign of times past, but maybe not.

Just picked up a Swiss Army Maverick II Chronograph, gotta love the big thick S/S watches with the black face. To me they're almost as much a work of art as a tool...but then again I think only the people on this board would understand. My wife keeps asking, "Why do you need so many watches?" to which I reply, "Why do you need so many shoes?" and all's good.

Watches will be around for quite some time. (pun intended)

[TKC]

Well said Blazer!!

[peacefuljeffrey]

Read an article that the wrist watch is fading out.
Young kids just use their cell phones to tell time.
Any thoughts?


I just arrived home from work. While I was at work, something (dunno what) made me think of posting a thread on this very topic! I got home, logged on, and here under the watches category, this thread was at the TOP of the list! (What a weird coincidence!)

I remember reading or seeing something where they said that more and more people are using their phones and PDAs for time-telling. I will keep my watch. The display is always the same; on my phone, there is a screen-save mode after a few minutes, and the display changes back and forth. I also like having countdown timer and stopwatch capabilities--which I have with my simple, inexpensive, easily replaceable Casio digital watch.

I just wonder if the market for watches may shrink to the point where new models or features begin to get scarce . . .


-Jeffrey

[peacefuljeffrey]

I don't think the watches are being fazed out. They said the same think about mazazine and newspapers years ago and they are still going strong.


I don't know about magazines (I think there'll always be a huge market for them) but I do know that the newspaper business is hemhorraging. Even the ones that are doing better than all the rest are either missing budgets or declining in revenues. Just about every noteworthy newspaper has put its content online, to show you how much threat there is from non-print media.

-Jeffrey

[Gadget Guy]

Anyone into silent movies? Things will be fazed out as technology continues to boom. It is just a matter of time. (Pun intended) :lolhammer:

[SF1]

They will be around, for many reasons. From just fun to a status symbol. Remember where they still use wristwatches is on all space missions.

SF1

[Blazer]

It is just a matter of time. (Pun intended)

Good one. :thumbsup:

[jamesrodgers]

Watches will never be replaced in my view.

[kimber 1911]

Watches will never be replaced in my view.

second

[Dizos]

Not unless we start wearing our cellphones on our wrists. A quick wrist glance is much more convenient than removing and then replacing something from a pocket, bag or pouch to view the time.

[carrot]

I've noticed amongst my peers the trend of using a cell phone to tell the time. I usually ask them where their watches are. Personally, I prefer a timepiece that is not so dependent on having been charged the previous night. My current watch of choice is a Citizen Eco-Drive with lots of dials and timekeeping features.