I was reading an article last month and it had the headline “Watches Lose Ground to Cell Phones”. Yes I was curious so I read on. In a survey last fall, investment bank Piper Jaffray & Company stated – (much to my surprise) 66% of all teens NEVER wear a watch and only 10% wear one every day. Yes I am shocked – in fact I still can’t believe it! I get that most teens have a cell phone and yes I know it has a clock. But I also know that a cell phone’s battery can run out or there are spots like a plane where you are asked to turn it off – then what – late to class? Late to dinner with your parents?
Experian Simmons Research also discovered that, while Americans spent more than $5.9 billion on watches in 2006, that figure was down 17 percent when compared with five years earlier.
When I get dressed in the morning, my watch is part of my standard uniform. I wear different watches depending on what I am doing, where I am going, the color of my suit. In fact when I go to Madison Avenue and present to Omnicom, I usually wear my dad’s retirement watch that he gave me. It means a great deal to me, so I only wear it to very special occasions.
I know people who have watches they received as gifts and had comments inscribed on them – I guess that is old school and not necessary for the new generation.
Teens of today are using their cell phone as a watch, an alarm clock that wakes them up in the morning and with all of the text messaging, an email device as well. I have all of that technology and a Blackberry as well. I guess this is another difference between certain generations.
Does that mean you are considered really old if you wear a watch? Does this bother you? Gary, Steve, Jon, Ed, Sharon, Colleen and Amy, do you guys still wear a watch and why? Maybe we should all toss our watches and be young again.
I look forward to your comments.
Noel Lesniak says:
Guys and Gals…I haven’t worn a watch for well over five years and haven’t missed it and tend to get to events/meetings/etc. earlier than most…so try it…you might like it…note that I often go out with out my handy/etc. and still don’t need the watch…after all the car has one too…I do have a great watch that means a lot to me…and it has great real value…however, it stopped every few years and had to be fixed…and the price gets very high when it became a collectors item…when in got to $300 to get what was really a very simple part I opted out and haven’t looked back since…Noel
Ed Sugar says:
Nothing like being called out by Merrill. I happen to be in Noel’s camp, as I do not wear a watch. I must of cracked a half dozen watch crystals by the time I was 13. Until I graduated college and during my first years as a taxpayer, I usually concentrated on one particular timepiece: the clock on the wall. Having one strapped to my wrist never seemed to make things go faster. During my business career and personal international travels I have always found the current time to be rather ubiquitous. Today there few home appliances, communication devices or gadgets that do not have a timepiece. Last week, it took my wife and I two days to change all the clocks and timepieces in our home. In the last three years, I have lost a wallet, a cell phone, memory chips, as well as numerous $20 bills in slacks that went to the dry cleaner. But I have ever been late, missed a flight, or a business meeting because I lost track of the time. By not wearing watches, Noel and I will always be able to sincerely use the #1 icebreaker “Excuse, do you happen to know what time it is?
Steve Schlesinger says:
No watch here and have not worn one for the past 4 years. Don’t need to know what time it is on my wrist – with cell phones, PDAs and other assorted electronic devices, the time is always close by. Plus, it is a nice way to say hello to someone – hey, do you have the time? Now, I will say that I have been thinking about getting a watch lately but more for the desire to have a fine piece of craftsmanship, a Franck Mueller – now this is not just a watch but a piece of art. We will see – my guess is that this boy’s wrists will be bare for quite some TIME!
Sheldon Nidetz says:
Wow — I feel like someone needs make a “timely” stand for the other side. I have worn a watch practically all my life, and feel somewhat naked without one. Perhaps it’s an offshoot of participating in various sports that are time-related. Actually, the watch I wear most of the time even has a stopwatch, so that it is handy for tracking my workouts. I usually take 2 watches when I travel, one a “dress” watch and the aforementioned sports watch. I also have a family heirloom watch that I wear for special occasions, as well as a few specialty watches. I don’t wear much jewelry, so perhaps watches are just my accessory of choice. The funny thing is, I have a pretty good “internal clock” so perhaps I don’t need to wear/rely on a watch as much as I do, so perhaps it is a security blanket. I will have to consider, though, putting it into my pocket if I ever need the suggested icebreaker!
Kelly Heatly says:
I’m with you, Sheldon. I also have a good internal clock, but I need as much help as I can get with time management. Having a clock on your wrist is the most aggressive and invasive way to remind yourself what time it is and how little time you have to complete your next deadline/be at your next appointment. I also have a sports watch for the “sweaty wrist” factor. For all you non-watch wearers, what do you do when you’re in a meeting and there’s no clock on the wall? And, how else do you politely and subtly get rid of someone who is wasting your time than to glance at your watch?
Janet Savoie says:
I love watches. I collect them but I tend to wear just a few of them. My very favorite is an antique watch my husband bought me in France. I had read about the decline in watch sales some time ago due to young people using phones as their timepieces. To me it is sad, as watches are beautiful pieces of functional jewelry. And i love jewelry too!
Colleen Moore Mezler says:
Well, I do wear a watch. I think I wear it because it is a fashion statement!?!? I like my braclets and watches. Although, I have to admit I don’t really look at my watch very often. Maybe I don’t need to wear it after all? Now you have me thinking Merrill!!
Nancy Domenichelli says:
Nope, I rarely wear a watch. Only do on those occasions when reaching for a cell phone to check the time isn’t practical (like at the MRA conferences). My 22-year-old daughter never wears one, either. However, her 16-year-old sister just got a battery replaced to her Fossil and loves it for the fashion statement.