Wearing a wrist watch on the underside of your wrist

[Archéologue]

Some 40 years ago, I was taught to wear my watch on the inside of my wrist in the industrial patternmaker shop I was an apprentice at. This protected both the watch and me. The idea was that you were less likely to catch the watch on a moving piece of machinery. Some guys also wore their belt buckle off to the side for the same reason.
-Michael

 

[Ethan Bentley]

I occasionally see people do that who haven't bothered to adjust their watch so they fit properly...

Mrs. Bentley says that when she wears one, rarely, she wears it in this fashion because she prefers the tilting of the arm outwards to read the time, more comfortable apparently.

 

[TopGumby]

I wear mine inside because my dad did.

He might have picked up the habit in combat (he was an infantryman in the 28th Division and was taken prisoner in the Battle of the Bulge) but when I asked him why, he didn't give that as a reason.

He was a white collar worker, and liked to make somewhat of a show of bringing his arm up and pulling the his sleeve back to look at the time whenever he thought a subordinate was running too long at a meeting. lol

Having the watch inside allowed him to do this more obviously while seated.

 

[Esme]

Well, here is one no one mentioned. I used to be a nurse's aide and got in the habit of wearing my watch that way because it was easier to take a pulse. I wear my watch on my right hand, because I am left handed. I take a purse with my right hand and write it on the chart with my left hand. Faster that way. Hmmmm.
I also find that I walk into walls, doorways, etc and get marks on my crystal. I don't see very well, hence the uber-thick nerd glasses. I have worn my watch upside down for over 30 years and don't think I will be changing anytime soon. My dad was a soldier and a truck driver/mechanic, he wore his that way, too. So part of it for me might have to do with being a daddy's girl, if it was good enough for him, it was fine by me. LOL

 

[Dixon Cannon]

It was my understanding that pilots began wearing their wristwatches face in when aircraft began using yoke controls rather than joystick. Holding the yoke with the left hand, while the right hand was on the engine controls gave the pilot an unobstructed view of his watch and sweep second hand. This was especially useful during climbing or descending turns that might require timing. That's the story I got back in my early days of flying. Obviously it's still a subject of debate!

-dixon 'procedure turn' cannon

 

[MEDIUMMYND]

I read many years ago that wearing a watch on the inside of the wrist was a sign of a person with a quiet but confident personality.

 

[MCrider]

Why I wore it on the inside

When I was in the Air Force, the job I had with the planes I flew on, it was easier to see the time while working the equipment (knobs, dials, button switches) when the face was on the inside. Writing down the times of certain events was critical to properly record what was happening. And yes just like in the movies they gave a time hack in morning briefing and we all set our watches to it.

 

[Dixon Cannon]

When I was in the Air Force, the job I had with the planes I flew on, it was easier to see the time while working the equipment (knobs, dials, button switches) when the face was on the inside. Writing down the times of certain events was critical to properly record what was happening. And yes just like in the movies they gave a time hack in morning briefing and we all set our watches to it.[/QUOTE]

The defense rests! Case closed.

-dixon cannon

 

[Corky]

The custom of wearing one's watch on the inside of one's wrist...

The custom of wearing one's watch on the inside of one's wrist originated with military pilots during World War II. If a watch is worn on the outside of the wrist, one has to take one's hand off the control yoke or stick and flip the wrist over to see the time. A watch worn on the inside of the wrist could be made to display the face much more easily without the necessity of taking the hand off the controls.

 

[Madcap72]

When I was in the Marines I wore mine to the inside, partially because it was a large faced watch, and it allowed me to bend my wrist out without interference, second, kept from showing off how big it was (watches like it are called "catch me "expletive"me" gear), and also let me see the face while filing the time into secure radios.

 

[Bruce Wayne]

i wear mine on the inside because that is the way my dad has always done so. i just now asked him why & he said it is more corfortable that way & i have to agree.

 

[dschonn]

I knew a guy in college who switched his watch to the inside after being a leader at a Lutheran summer Bible camp. He was a guitarist, so he would have to keep track of the time while leading all the kids in song, and I guess there weren't clocks around because they were singing outside. I guess. Anyway, he told me he needed to see the wristwatch while playing guitar and sometimes he needed the kids not to see the time, which would have been hard to prevent with the face on the outside.

 

[Cigarband]

Tried them both.

And finally settled on neither. For going on 20 years now I have worn my watch on the side of my wrist in line with my
thumb. 95% of the time I never have to turn my wrist to see
the face. And it never bangs into anything. I haven't damaged a watch since I started wearing them like this.
Give it a try.

 

[indycop]

While in the Army we would wear them that way in the field. Most of the time you are carrying a weapon and could patrol and look at the face with out taking your hand off your weapon. Just lean your wrist out a little. It also kept the chance of any reflecting from happening. Out of the field everyone would usually wear them normal.

 

[celtic]

<--

 

[pipe23]

Somewhat interesting answer to a question found on http://www.europastar.com/europastar/watch_tech/watchcare.jsp Q16 Will wearing a watch on the inside of your wrist affect its accuracy?

A: If it's a quartz watch, no. The position of a quartz watch has no bearing on its time-keeping ability.

A mechanical watch is a different story. Mechanical watches are regulated at the factory to run optimally on a right-handed person who will wear the watch on the outside of his or her wrist -i.e. crown down, dial up. The watch will not run as accurately in any other position, unless it is adjusted to do so. If you want to wear the watch on the inside of your wrist and have it run as well as if it were on the outside, you'll have to have it re-regulated.

Since many here wear vintage mechanical watches, this may be something to keep in mind

 

[Talbot]

And finally settled on neither. For going on 20 years now I have worn my watch on the side of my wrist in line with my
thumb. 95% of the time I never have to turn my wrist to see
the face. And it never bangs into anything. I haven't damaged a watch since I started wearing them like this.
Give it a try.

There used to be watches manufactured specifically for this. They were called drivers watches and were curved to fit the side of your wrist. The ones I have seen are from around the 40's.

Cheers

Talbot

 

[Cigarband]

There used to be watches manufactured specifically for this. They were called drivers watches and were curved to fit the side of your wrist. The ones I have seen are from around the 40's.

Cheers

Talbot

I've seen ones made by Gruen and Waltham, but being vintage they are a bit out of my price range. Gruen even made a model with the dial turned so that 12 is where 3 is on a normal dial. Currently there is a Swiss watch called Sidewatch, which is curved so that it can only be worn on the side of your wrist.