Why do some people wear their watch face against the inside of their wrist?
April 15, 2004 12:29 PM   Subscribe

Why do some people wear their watch face against the inside of their wrist, rather than on top? Is it cultural, a way of being unique, or just the preference of which way one likes to flick one’s wrist?
posted by lola to Clothing, Beauty, & Fashion (17 answers total) 1 user marked this as a favorite
 
I wear it on top of the wrist now but when I used to swing a sledge hammer at blocks of aluminum I wore it the other way around. The reason was that when it's worn out there's a much greater chance that I'd hit it against something. I've seen other people who do heavy manual labour do the same thing. On the other hand I've noticed that many nurses also do this too and hopefully they're not swinging sledge hammers.

Looking at my watch right now I find that it's a more efficient motion if I wear it inside so maybe nurses check time more frequently than most people. So maybe over time wearing it that way is easier on your joints. (I do notice a twinge in my elbow when I check the time. If I wear the watch the opposite way I don't.)
posted by substrate at 12:37 PM on April 15, 2004


I have skinny wrists, so the weight of the watch face tends to pull it around to rest on the inside of my wrist.
posted by Sangre Azul at 12:39 PM on April 15, 2004


I just find wearing a watch with the face on the inside of my wrist feels more natural and as substrate referred to, less effort to check the time (then again, I also wear a pocket watch which requires even more effort to check the time).
posted by jmd82 at 12:46 PM on April 15, 2004


2 reasons that I started that way. (1) less likely to scratch the watch face against walls since I'm a clod and swing my arms wildly. (2) doesn't irritate the inside of my wrist as much as a watch buckle does when I'm rubbing on it at the keyboard all day. Side benefit I've discovered: it's easier to take stealthy looks at the time during meetings.
Now that I'm in the habit, it feels weird to have it on the outside.
posted by dness2 at 12:51 PM on April 15, 2004


On the other hand I've noticed that many nurses also do this too
and hopefully they're not swinging sledge hammers.


Allows you to take a pulse easier with the watch-wearing hand.
Milage does vary on this one though (most likely for all the other cited reasons)
posted by milovoo at 12:54 PM on April 15, 2004


i used to wear mine on the inside wrist....a decade ago. I just gave it a try just now and i liked it except it was uncomfortable while typing.

also, it used to be a Swatch, now its a bigger metal thing that just doesn't fit there as well, so add Size to the list of variables.
posted by th3ph17 at 12:57 PM on April 15, 2004


I have skinny and bony wrists so it's more comfortable for me to wear the watch with the face on the inside since that way it doesn't rub against my wrist bone.

But that is even still uncomfortable to the point that I don't wear a watch, and haven't since... I can't remember but I'm pretty sure my last watch was a scratch and sniff Swatch so that should tell you something.
posted by jennyb at 1:09 PM on April 15, 2004


Yeah, I have really sensitive skin and having the buckle rubbing against my inside wrist (where my skin is particularly thin and weak) can be extremely painful, especially if it catches by accident. It's nothing specific to work like dness2 said, just sensitive skin overall.

When I have a watch, I get really used to it, although sometimes you feel like a dork checking it by turning your wrist up like that. So I'm definitely not doing it to be cool, or anything.
posted by livii at 1:20 PM on April 15, 2004


You can cut down on free rider behaviour this way, ie, make it more difficult for spongers to find the time off your watch rather than buy one for themselves. If you're that way inclined.
posted by biffa at 1:30 PM on April 15, 2004


Plus, if you make someone ask you the time, you're halfway to a date.
posted by milovoo at 1:37 PM on April 15, 2004 [1 favorite]


what livii and dness2 said. The buckle on my watch causes an itchy rash on the inside of my wrist if I wear the watch face out. Of course, I could just get a hypoallergenic watchband...
posted by grateful at 1:41 PM on April 15, 2004


i thought it was partly associated with fighter pilots (from the world wars) - maybe it's easier to read while holding a joystick and shooting down the enemy...

i normally have it face out (otherwise it's a nuisance when typing as th3p17 said), but when running i turn it face in because it doesn't bounce around so much that way (don't like the strap tight).
posted by andrew cooke at 2:16 PM on April 15, 2004


Easier to see how late for a meeting I am when driving.
Less likely to scratch the face.
I don't like the strap tight and it doesn't move about so much that way.
Just feels generally less in the way - feels odd now if I wear it the regular way.

[Why do I seem to post often in AskMefi soon after andrew cooke? I'm not following you around, honest!]
posted by normy at 2:33 PM on April 15, 2004


starts checking threads; doing statistical analysis; looks worriedly at results; buys large gun ;o)
posted by andrew cooke at 2:44 PM on April 15, 2004


There's a hilarious Laurel & Hardy routine that plays off this.

Stan has a glass of water in his hand, and Ollie (standing next to him) asks him what time it is. Stanley, whose watch is on the inside of his wrist, twists his arm to see the time, spilling the glass of water on Ollie.

Ollie, furious and wanting to get back at Stan, fills up the glass of water and holds it in his own hand. He orders Stanley to ask him what time it is. Stan does so, and Ollie, whose watch is on the outside of his wrist, twists his arm to see the time, thus spilling the water on himself.
posted by jasper411 at 3:35 PM on April 15, 2004 [1 favorite]


I tend to buy watches with very large rectangular faces (ie, 1.25" or more in length) and they fit better against the underside of my wrist, which seems to be more flat than the other side. Also, it gives the appearance that I'm not really wearing a watch. With the face, ahem, face down, the band looks almost like one of those pseudo-bondage leather bracelets, which is more fitting with my style.

PS: The fighter pilot thing is now the reason that I wear my watch this way, even if it's not true. Thanks AskMe!
posted by mmcg at 3:55 PM on April 15, 2004


My grandfather wore his watch with the face on the inside of his wrist. He was a farmer, so I guess his reasoning was similar to the others: brushing against things in the barn, throwing bales of hay and so on.
>a way of being unique
And with my grandfather, I think this played into as well.

>Stanley, whose watch is on the inside of his wrist
Heh, nothing is new. There was a movie where a character, his watch on the outside of his wrist, overturned a dish of cocaine when someone asked him the time.
posted by philfromhavelock at 7:41 PM on April 15, 2004


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