Why Do People Still Wear Watches in the Digital Age?

With such significant advancements in technology and the evolution of mobile phones and smartwatches, you are probably wondering why people still wear watches on their wrists. In this article we will explain some of the most common reasons why wristwatches are still as popular an accessory as ever.

Have you ever asked a person without a watch for the time? The muffled fumbling and cursing that ensues is pretty standard. That crashing noise? That was their phone dropping to the pavement. With that expensive mental picture firmly in your mind does the question, ‘Why do people still wear watches?’ really need an answer?

Perhaps not. But it’s still a question worth considering.

Beautiful selection of stylish watches

TIME OVER TECH 

Having witnessed the digital revolution first-hand, it might be easy to assume that the days of the traditional timepiece are over. Not so. If anything, people are rediscovering and holding onto a love for watches, particularly analogue.

Does that mean we’re ditching the digital and trashing our tech? Absolutely not. But we are being more mindful about how we use it.

As the information age progresses we are connected and tracked in everything we do. From our heart rate to our swipes right, we’re continually ‘switched on’. But there’s a point in many people’s lives when we realise that the dopamine hit of a thumbs up from your mum’s friend isn’t cutting it anymore. You start questioning whether Margery really needs a pic of the tacos you had for dinner or the route map of the 1.5K you totally crushed afterwards.

We want to use tech to keep track of the important stuff, sure. But as for the rest? As Elsa from Frozen says, we can ‘let it go’ (don’t pretend you don’t know it). And when we let go of updating our socials every 20 seconds, we’re actually saving a great deal of time. That’s time we can spend with our families, volunteering for a good cause or maybe even building up to a 10K.

So why do people still wear watches? Because watches can help you disconnect from the virtual world and reconnect to the things that matter most. Proving that time really is more important than tech. 

WOLF OF WOLVERHAMPTON

 Man wearing a suit and a Tissot watch

“There’s no nobility in poverty”, right? So you’re hustling like you’re Jordan Belfort and Jerry Maguire rolled into one. You’re busy, busy, busy. Meetings, calls, working brunches, you name it, you’ve got it on your schedule.

Sadly, the majority of us don’t have a super-efficient PA to keep us on track. What we have got is our trusty timepiece to make sure we show up on time – even if our ‘brunch date’ is a pasty from the local bakery.

It doesn’t matter how on top of things we are in our world of work – whatever that world may look like for you – whether you’re wearing a suit or overalls, you still have things that need to be done on time.

And if your schedule’s tight, you’ll need to check the time pretty frequently. What you don’t want to be doing is rifling through your handbag or man-bag to find your phone. And chances are your ‘I’m late’ grimace isn’t going to pass muster for face recognition anyway. And look, those precious seconds are just whizzing past.

Why would anyone put themselves through that when any watch wrangler worth their salt can keep track of the minutes with the merest flick of the wrist?

A TIMELESS TIMEPIECE

What else? Why do people still wear watches? Because some people see the watch as part of a bigger picture.

Perhaps they’re a person with taste and refinement. Perhaps they love quality craftsmanship. They’ve worked hard for their Breitling® or TAG Heuer® and they get to admire its fine lines as often as they need to check the time. For them, their watch is a symbol of their success and why should anyone take that away from them? Each time they admire their watch, they get a little reminder of how far they’ve come.

Or it could be that the £49 Accurist they have just strapped on was a gift from a loved one. To that loved one, fifty pounds was like a million to some. It was a gift given in love and so it’s priceless. And every time they check their watch, they feel the love passing down the years. They may be driving a Datsun or a Daimler – it doesn’t matter – because their watch is still the most precious object they own. 

Vintage Citizen watch - heirloom pieces

Perhaps their watch cost nothing at all. Perhaps its face is so scratched they can barely tell the time. Would they give it up, chuck it, recycle it? Never! Why? Because it was their old man’s, and his old man’s before him. It’s a timepiece that holds a piece of their family history. And they want it on their wrist until the time comes to pass it on. It’s more than a watch; it’s part of their legacy.

So why do people still wear watches? Because whatever the cost of a watch, whatever it looks like, it has the power to bring to mind our lives, our loves, and our heritage every second that it ticks.

PASSION FOR FASHION

Smart, sharp and stylish. If those three words describe you, you’re doing something right. If they don’t, well, we can all try.

Your suit doesn’t have to be Boss for you to look like one. And you can rock a second-hand M & S two-piece and still look cool. But the one thing that most style gurus agree on is that the ‘trimmings’ matter. Your hair needs to be styled, your shoes on point and you need to sport a great watch.

Another thing that the fashion-conscious know (and keep this on the down low) is that accessories don’t have to be expensive. They just have to be intentional. A watch can be the Casio you won in a high school raffle, but if you’ve picked it out to match an outfit, you’re doing the fashion thing right.

Thrifty Gentleman Marine Nationale watch strap in Orange and White on Squale watch

Want to know another secret? The Thrifty Gentleman can help you look smart, sharp AND stylish in whatever outfit you have planned. How? By sharing a key fashion tip: just buy one watch and change the straps. BOOM!

That’s right. By keeping your watch wardrobe fresh with a range of straps, you’ll be topping GQ’s ‘Best Dressed’ list for the next decade.

Got your suit from Saville row? You’ll need our finest Milanese Mesh strap to make sure you’re the talk of the town.

That Boot Camp training you signed up to? You can at least look the part with a Marine Nationale Strap in Army Green.

You’re getting inside a brown retro suit for that 70s party? A Smooth Grain Vintage Leather strap will be a perfect match.

So with all that in mind, the question shouldn’t be, ‘Why Are People Still Wearing Watches?’. It should be, ‘Why aren’t they?’.

Back to blog

Leave a comment