Watches--last stand by the well dressed?

[kitonbrioni]

MSNBC.com
Watches: Time May Run Out
Newsweek

Aug. 21-28, 2006 issue - At 7:30 a.m., 21-year-old Brian Chaikind is awakened by two alarm clocks"”one on his iPod, the other on his cell phone. As he goes from school to work, he often glances at his cell to stay on schedule. "I have a cell phone and my iPod," he says. "I don't need a watch." He's not alone. According to a recent report by Packaged Facts, a consumer market-research firm, the U.S. watch market took a 4.9 percent dip in sales in 2005. Timothy Dowd, senior analyst at Packaged Facts, says rival electronic devices like PDAs and cell phones are the reason.

"I myself have 12 sources of time around me, and not one of them is a watch," he says. Even sales of watches under $50, rarely affected by overall market trends, are down. Watchmakers like Timex are adding new features, but it'll be a tough fight. The new Verizon Wireless LG Chocolate VX8500 cell phone offers dual-face clocks. A user can track local time as well as other time zones"”so when he calls abroad, he won't hear a sleepy voice saying, "Don't you know what time it is?"

"”Jessica Ramirez

URL: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/14322953/
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2006 MSNBC.com

 

[rnoldh]

Good post KB!

Maybe it's a youth thing as well as a style thing.

I've got an old Breitling Navitimer, and a Casio Triathlon, and I couldn't imagine leaving home without one or the other.

As a matter of fact, I'll predict that some of those on SF, below age 40 are going without watches, and that few if any above 40 go without a watch.

 

[Jovan]

I think it's simply a matter of convenience. If you carry a mobile phone on your person all the time, what need is there for a watch?

 

[Master Shake]

I'm 26, and I always wear a watch. To me, it is an essential component of dressing well.

 

[WalkmanX]

I don't usually wear a watch but when I have a dress shirt on I make sure I wear a watch. Most of the time, a watch is just an extra accessory that weighs me down. My phone plays mp3s so I don't carry around my iPod anymore. Simple

 

[LabelKing]

People just don't seem to understand the aesthetic impact of things like a quality watch.

Ipods, and other ungainly "conveniences" are only that. They all want the conceit of convenience, and mortality is not convenient.

 

[Aureus]

I like my watches, and will continue to wear them and acquire more. I'd rather look at my wrist than reach for my cell phone.

 

[Jolly Green]

I am almost always wearing a wristwatch. An Automatic, at that. A watch and cufflinks are the only articles of jewelry I am willing to wear (in my bachelorhood.)

Cheers,
D

 

[WN2]

Originally Posted by Jovan

I think it's simply a matter of convenience. If you carry a mobile phone on your person all the time, what need is there for a watch?

I used to think like this for a while (5 years or so). Then I realised that it doesn't look good when you pull out a plasticky gadget from your pocket when you need to check the time. Particulary when wearing a suit. A wristwatch is also an accessory and you can tell/know a lot by your/someone's choice of watch.

 

[kolecho]

A quality watch completes the ensemble of a well dressed man. It communicates ones taste and individuality. The good thing about watches is, you only really need 2 or 3 of them - two mechanicals (one dress precious metal, one sports titanium or stainless steel) and a plastic quartz beater.

 

[lee_44106]

I'm not a believer in iPOD nor am I a user of gadgetry on cellphones (camera, MP3, PDA). I also stick with mechanical watches. It seems rather silly to whip out one's iPOD to look at the time, kind of like using a pocketwatch.

 

[BrooklynMike]

I don't wear a watch, but for different reasons. First, my watch is an $80 Swatch that just doesn't look very good. Secondly, even if I had a nice watch, I am very clumsy and tend to bang into things a lot. However, in the event I become independently wealthy, I might spring for one of these even if they seem overpriced:

http://www.jacobandco.com/h24auto1.htm

For now, just not worth the money to me.

 

[Joffrey]

Im 21 and I feel naked not wearing my watch. It's not a style thing (though its a simple silver Ken Cole I got from HS Graduation), but more of habit. I started wearing it a few years after recieving it and now I only take it off to shower and sleep. I can't wait to be able to afford my first $1,5k watch (dont ask why I picked that number)

 

[Lucky Strike]

For me, it's a style/habit thing. I very often forget to wind and set a watch all day when wearing it, because I use my mobile for checking the time. I almost always wear a watch, though.

 

[Get Smart]

I roll old school style, with a watch. Probably because I grew up in a cell/ipod-less generation. I can see kids today foregoing a watch, seeing it as an unnecessary anachronism.